Source : the age
Shark surveillance drones patrolling NSW waters over winter for the first time led to hundreds of beach evacuations, including one for a two-metre great white swimming “in the shallows” on Sydney’s northern beaches.
In total, data released by the NSW government on Sunday showed there were more than 1200 shark detections by drone operators in July and August, leading to 360 interventions including alarms, jet ski deployments and beach evacuations.
The incidents reports, compiled by the Department of Primary Industries, make for chilling reading; they include a massive four-metre bull shark spotted 50 metres offshore at Urunga on the Mid North Coast, and a pack of seven “chasing a whale” at Lennox Head.
The two-metre great white was spotted “loitering” about 150 metres offshore at South Narrabeen at about midday in early July, before two more were seen about 10 minutes later. After multiple sharks were sighted, at about 1pm a two-metre great white seen “tracking north” was “in the shallows” about “30 metres from shore”.
The drone surveillance logs include others spotted by drones close to swimmers at Warriewood on the northern beaches and Woolgoolga, near Coffs Harbour.
The winter drone program was announced after a spate of fatal shark attacks, including the death of surfer Mercury Psillakis, 57, at Dee Why last September and 12-year-old Nico Antic in Vaucluse. Premier Chris Minns last week met Psillakis’ twin brother Mike and widow Maria, as well as Coogee shark attack survivor Leah Stewart.
Those attacks led the government to announce it would roll out year-long drone surveillance, as well as a trial of artificial intelligence to identify sharks. Work is under way to procure and build a trial AI system to assist drone pilots with shark detection and species identification.
Minns warned at the time that increased surveillance was likely to lead to more sharks being spotted – but this was not necessarily evidence of an increase in population. The winter drone surveillance resulted in hundreds of beach evacuations, including multiple closures at popular Sydney swimming spots such as Bondi, where a two-metre shark spotted 100 metres offshore in July was one of multiple shark sightings.
Other popular beaches such as Manly, Dee Why and Cronulla were all evacuated multiple times.
The shark data was released as the government announced expanded drone surveillance covering 97 beaches across the state from the beginning of the spring and summer school holidays. A total of 73 drones will patrol beaches from 6.15am to 6.30pm in October and from 6am to 7.30pm in December.
It will also roll out seven remotely operated drones at beaches including Crowdy Head, Avalon and Mona Vale.
Primary Industries Minister Tara Moriarty said the $120 million drone program was one of the most comprehensive in the world.
“A foundational platform in our new program is drone technology, that is delivering eyes in the sky across our state’s popular beaches, looking out for the target sharks – white, bull and tiger – and then enabling countermeasures,” she said.
Be the first to know when major news happens. Sign up for breaking news alerts on email or turn on notifications in the app.
