NSW launches $120 million shark-drone program after recent beach attacks
The New South Wales government has begun a $120 million shark mitigation effort that uses drones, listening stations and smart drum lines following a series of fatal and non-fatal shark incidents on Sydney’s coastline.
After a string of shark attacks that left surfer Mercury Psillakis dead at Dee Why and mother Leah Stewart severely injured at Coogee, the NSW government unveiled a $120 million mitigation plan. The two-year rollout includes near-continuous daylight drone monitoring of Sydney beaches, 51 traditional mesh nets spanning the coast between Newcastle and Wollongong, and new listening stations that track tagged sharks in the harbour for the first time.
Smart drum lines will bait and then release potentially dangerous sharks. Mike Psillakis, whose brother was killed, says the technology could be lifesaving, though drone operators still need to manually observe feeds and order evacuations. On a recent patrol, a surfer’s board was bitten while a drone hovered 500-600 metres away, illustrating the system’s limits. University of Sydney expert Chris Pepin-Neff cautions that El Niño-related warming may draw more aggressive bull sharks into the area, likely leading to additional human-shark encounters despite the new measures.
Why it matters
It shows how costly technology is being deployed to protect beachgoers, yet safety cannot be guaranteed.
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