The NSW Department of Primary Industries says it will analyse the results of a six month trial of SMART drumlines.
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The trial finished last February 15 with the drumlines deployed off the Coffs Harbour-Sawtell and Forster-Tuncurry beaches.
A total of 79 sharks had been caught, tagged and released as part of the trial.
Sixty four sharks were tagged at Forster-Tuncurry while a further 15 were also tagged and released at Coffs Harbour.
DPI’s Fisheries Research Director, Dr Natalie Moltschaniwskyj said juveniles and sub-adults were mostly tagged during the trial.
“Preliminary findings from the trial suggest once tagged the sharks - mostly juveniles and sub-adults – then stay in deeper offshore waters for up to four weeks before rejoining their counterparts in their general movements north and south,” Dr Moltschaniwskyi said.
“The other important finding is that there is no such thing as a residential shark. Most individuals appear to hang around for a day or so, but then they move on.”
SMART drumlines send a message to researchers when a shark takes the baited hook under a float.
Sharks are then fitted with an acoustic tag and released one kilometre off the beach and tracked using satellite and listening stations.
Minister for Primary Industries, Niall Blair, said NSW is leading the world in the trials of SMART drumlines, providing not only safety for beachgoers but scientific research that we’ve never seen before.
“SMART drumlines are helping keep our beaches safer by intercepting on the seaward side of the surd break while also providing vital insights for both our scientists and our beachgoers on shark movements and their behaviour in NSW waters” Mr Blair said.
“These trials are key to allowing the NSW government to make informed decisions.
“We want to make sure we are continually testing the science and trialing world-first technology, while keeping our local communities part of the conversation.
“We will now work to analyse these results to inform how we may continue to use this technology across the state.”
The NSW government’s shark management strategy is trialling a number of shark mitigation technologies, along with SMART Drumlines, including the use of drones and helicopters for aerial surveillance and tagging and tracking sharks.
For more information about the NSW shark management strategy and to see an animation on how SMART drumlines work visit the DPI website.
You can track each tagged shark's data from this page on DPI website: www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/sharks/management/shark-tagging-project
Click on the name of each White Shark to go to Wildlife Tracking for maps and more information.
Data is uploaded to maps through the Wildlife Tracking website here www.wildlifetracking.org/index.shtml?project_id=1141&dyn=1518490976
