The sharks are set to be put on the back foot ….err flipper…by a new tracking system being introduced on the Coast.
A new tagged shark listening station has been rolled out on the Coast, as part of the NSW Government’s 2021-22 Shark Management Program.
Parliamentary Secretary for the Coast Adam Crouch said the Coast was the latest location to take possession of the extra shark mitigation technology, with a tagged shark listening station deployed off Soldiers Beach.
“This means when a tagged shark comes close to the coastline off Soldiers Beach and surrounding beaches, everyone using our SharkSmart app will know about it instantly, including Surf Life Saving NSW and Central Coast Council lifeguards,” Mr Crouch said.
“As part of the NSW Government’s Shark Management Program, every Local Government Area along the NSW coastline will have at least one of these state-of-the-art units at ocean beaches in their area.
“Overall, an additional 16 shark listening stations will be installed up and down the NSW coastline this year, increasing the State’s network to 37.
“The NSW Department of Primary Industries has worked with local authorities on determining the best placement of these units in coastal locations and I’m very pleased to see this unit being installed right here in our region.”
DETECT TARGET SHARKS
Shark listening stations detect the presence of tagged target sharks - White, Tiger and Bull sharks- swimming within 500M of the listening station and provide real-time alerts to the public and beach authorities via Twitter @NSWSharkSmart and the SharkSmart app.
This data also provides important insights into the movements of sharks in our waters.
The NSW Government encourages all beachgoers to be SharkSmart when entering the ocean or estuarine environments and download the SharkSmart app.
For more information, visit www.sharksmart.nsw.gov.au
