New South Wales to patrol beaches year-round with shark-spotting drones

New South Wales is launching the world's largest expansion of aerial shark surveillance, deploying advanced drone technology year-round to patrol its coastline. The state government is investing an additional $34 million in drones equipped with artificial intelligence to monitor around 70 beaches 365 days a year.

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We now are in a situation where … we seen a reduction in the number of people who are enjoying our beaches and enjoying the Pacific Ocean, even in the winter period. So we know we want to take action … It’s not going to be foolproof. We can’t promise it won’t lead to further shark attacks in the future, but we think it’ll mitigate the risk.

The initiative prioritizes areas with high visitor numbers and those where shark incidents have become more frequent. This expanded coverage, beginning July 1, will include all Sydney beaches, increasing from 26 to 38 monitored locations. Two SharkSmart listening stations will also be installed in Sydney Harbour to alert swimmers to tagged sharks.

Premier Chris Minns stated the investment aims to make beachgoers feel more confident. "While no one can ever promise no shark interactions, this investment is about putting more eyes in the sky so we can spot sharks earlier and give people a clear heads-up when they’re in the water," he said. Minns acknowledged the technology is not foolproof but believes it will mitigate risks, noting a recent reduction in beach visitation due to shark attacks.

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They’re a protected species. They’ve been a protected species since the 90s, and I’m not convinced it would work. I mean, the distances these sharks travel are massive. It’s not like we can knock a few off and send a message to the rest of them … I think it’s a different situation for bull sharks. Generally they’re in our estuaries … We’re looking particularly at an audit of the number of sharks in Sydney Harbour. We want to keep people safe, particularly when there’s a higher number of people in the water.

Minns also reiterated his opposition to culling great white sharks, emphasizing they are a protected species. He suggested a different approach might be considered for bull sharks, which are often found in estuaries, and mentioned an audit of shark numbers in Sydney Harbour. The government's focus remains on ensuring public safety, especially during periods of higher water usage.

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While no one can ever promise no shark interactions, this investment is about putting more eyes in the sky so we can spot sharks earlier and give people a clear heads-up when they’re in the water.