With the intention of safeguarding beachgoers not just from drowning but most especially from shark attacks, the Australian State of New South Wales will be deploying drones, sonar, and helicopters this summer.
This move of the Australian government was announced by Minister for Primary Industries Niall Blair last Sunday at an event at Sydney's Coogee Beach. Considered as a world-first shark strategy, this effort would aim to lessen or eliminate shark attacks among beach goers which are considerably rampant in the Australian coast. Blair then highlighted some salient points regarding this new move for repelling shark attacks, he stated via mashable that;
"This is a historic moment. We are leading the world in New South Wales when it comes to how we interact with sharks and how we've utilized a range of technologies to reduce that risk for our beachgoers. That's why we've gone for a look into some of the new technologies and other suites of measures we can implement and that's what this response is about. It's been led by our scientists."
In particular, the government boasted that they would be investing in 10 4G listening stations between Tweed Heads and Forster, and other devices would likewise be placed at known shark attack locations. Aside from listening stations, part of the funds would also be poured in to test latest technologies specifically on water surveillance. And this said new updated approach is worth $7.7 AUD million (US$5.6 million)
To somehow strengthen the approach, information drive would also be included. $1.3 million AUD (US$900,000) is reported to be used for public shark-smart education programs. Thus addressing local concerns and adhering to the call of scientists and environmentalists. As emphasized by NSW Premier Mike Baird said at his inaugural shark summit in September, he stated that;
"The coastline is a big part our DNA. There are a number of incredibly promising and helpful technologies that could make a real difference."
