SHARK-spotting drones will return to the skies over Redhead and Birubi beaches this summer.
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In the warmer months of 2016/17 the aerial monitoring program at Redhead beach found 23 sharks, 16 of which were longer than two metres. Last year the drone program was moved further north, leaving the local coastline to be monitored by helicopters. In November drones will become a part of a day at the beach once again.
“The NSW Government drone trial began at nine beaches and this year it has been expanded to cover Birubi and Redhead from November 1,” Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Scot MacDonald said.
“This trial will be useful to assess the operational aspects of using drones by a volunteer organisation and it will also provide more in-depth data about the behaviour of sharks.”
The birds-eye view of the ocean allows drone operators to tip-off lifeguards if sharks are spotted in the area. Lifeguards then clear the surf or close the beach.
“Every year, thousands of visitors come to enjoy our crystal clear water and beautiful beaches,” Port Stephens Councillor Jaimie Abbott said.
“The expansion of this trial is fantastic news for our local community as it improves the safety of beachgoers, while not posing a threat to our precious marine life.”
The pilot drone program is part of a Department of Primary Industries trial along the NSW coast to create a Shark Management Strategy.
CASA-certified pilots will fly the drones over a 3.5-4 kilometre circuit over the ocean at a height of 60 metres and speed of 40 kilometres per hour, with an on-board camera providing real-time vision of coastal waters.
The trial will complement helicopter aerial surveillance for the upcoming school holidays from the Tweed to Wollongong. The drone trials will continue until the end of April 2019.
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