Department of Primary Industry (DPI) shark scientists have caught and released six great white sharks in the past 24 hours off the Forster-Tuncurry coastline.
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The capture and release program formed part of a two-day DPI research project which had deployed 10 SMART (Shark Management Alert in Real Time) drumlines between Tuncurry and One Mile Beach.
The drumlines were located approximately 500 metres off-shore.
Following their capture the sharks were tagged and identified with their own unique number before being released about one kilometre out to sea.
These state-of-the are drumlines differ greatly from traditional drumlines as they are not designed to kill sharks.
The technology alerts a response team when a shark is captured. The team then respond immediately to tag and potentially relocate the shark.
Twenty-five SMART drumlines are in use in northern NSW.
This number will increase to 35 later this month.
Fifteen are being used for research and another 50 will be deployed along the NSW coast during the year.
Currently a number of SMART drumlines have been positioned around the entrance to the Great Lakes harbour.
Sizes of the shark haul have ranged from a 3.29m white captured off Forster’s Main Beach at 11am on June 6 to 2.51m from Tuncurry Beach, also on June 6.
A 2.53m white was captured from Bennets Head on June 7 at 11.15am.
Since the start of June a further six white sharks have been detected by VR4G shark listening stations off the Great Lakes.
The satellite linked VR4G shark listening stations record the presence of tagged animals swimming within a 500 metre radius of the listening station and provide real-time updates of tagged sharks close to key swimming/surfing locations.
Captured information goes straight to a satellite and is then instantly sent to the public and beach authorities via Twitter and the SharkSmart App.
This data from the full network of listening stations also provides important insights into the movements of sharks in our waters.
According to a DPI spokesperson, we are becoming aware of the presence of sharks in areas where VR4G listening stations are deployed, aerial surveillance by helicopters and drones is undertaken, and SMART drumlines are being used.
“The area of Hawks Nest and surrounds has traditionally been an area where juvenile white sharks can predictably be found at certain times of the year,” the spokesperson said.
Jeanene Duncan
Jeanene has more than 40 years experience as a regional and rural journalist starting at The Land Newspaper. She also worked for Stock Journal Newspaper (SA), McPherson, Fairfax newspapers and Rural Press, and contributed to various magazines.
Jeanene has more than 40 years experience as a regional and rural journalist starting at The Land Newspaper. She also worked for Stock Journal Newspaper (SA), McPherson, Fairfax newspapers and Rural Press, and contributed to various magazines.
