Forget the bigger boat, we need drones and smart technology…

Drones are to be used in Australia in an effort to protect surfers and swimmers from shark attacks. A trial of the unmanned aerial vehicles in New South Wales follows a spate of attacks on humans by the marine predators this year, one of which was fatal. The drones will feed live images back to an operator, including GPS coordinates, so people can be better warned. The technology is already being used by lifeguards in California to monitor Great Whites in an attempt to keep beaches safe.

They’re like a baited hook that has technology connected to it so when the bait is taken, a message is sent to our vessels and they’ll attend those lines immediately.

Niall Blair, a minister in the NSW government

NSW is also to test out “smart” drum lines which after hooking a shark alert the authorities, who can then tag and release the animals. Two “listening stations” located on the far north coast of the state will provide real-time tracking data of tagged sharks. A controversial catch-and-kill policy in Western Australia was later abandoned after objections from the state’s environmental agency and conservationists. Under the Aus $16m (£7.7m) shark strategy, helicopter surveillance will also be increased over popular beaches

There is no easy way to reduce risks for swimmers and surfers.

Niall Blair