22.1 C
Byron Shire
March 28, 2024

Shark drumlines to be deployed at Byron beaches

Latest News

Man charged over domestic violence and pursuit offences – Tweed Heads

A man has been charged following a pursuit near Tweed Heads on Monday.

Other News

Govt cost-shifting ‘erodes financially sustainable local government’

Byron Shire Council looks set to add its voice to the growing chorus calling on the state government to stop shifting responsibilities and costs onto local government.

Community grants on offer

Ingrained Foundation is running its fifth annual grants program, with a funding pool of $150,000.

Byron Council staff baulk at councillors’ promise of free parking for locals

Will Byron Council deliver on its pledge to make parking permits free for locals across the Shire when paid parking comes into force in Brunswick Heads?

Wild dog breeding season can increase attacks on domestic dogs

Local Land Services are reminding landowners to be aware of wild dogs as they have received five reports of domestic dogs being attacked and killed by wild dogs in the last two months.

It’s a biggest little town festival! 

Supporters, performers, and volunteers gathered to launch the Mullum Laneways Festival 2024 last Friday. 

Mullum and Byron locals lock on at Ewingar State Forest

Byron Bay and Mullumbimby locals Emma Briggs and Bassi Brown locked onto machinery at Ewingar State Forest, in the Upper Clarence area, yesterday as they called for an end to native forest logging. 

So-called 'smart' drum lines are to be deployed on the beaches along Byron.
So-called ‘smart’ drum lines are to be deployed on the beaches along Byron.

Ten new Smart drumlines are to be deployed at local beaches between Brunswick Heads and Broken Head.

Smart drumlines alert operators to an animal caught on the line. The unit then sends an alert via phone, email and text to researchers with the location and the shark is tagged, relocated and released.

Parliamentary Secretary for Northern NSW Ben Franklin said it was great to see further shark mitigation measures in Byron Bay.

The measures are part of the NSW Government’s $16 million Shark Management Strategy to protect local beachgoers. The program will soon have 85 drumlines along the NSW coast.

‘The NSW Liberal & Nationals Government is committed to protecting beachgoers across NSW and SMART drumlines are proving to be one of the most effective measures,’ Mr Franklin said.

‘The NSW Government’s Shark Management Strategy is a science driven, innovative project designed to balance the need between shark bite mitigation and the protection of marine species.

‘The NSW Department of Primary Industries will now call for tenders from commercial fishers for the daily deployment and retrieval of the units.’

In the recent six-month trial on the North Coast, Smart drumlines were shown to be five times more effective than mesh nets.

Mesh nets caught just seven target Sharks (including 3 White Sharks) while 25 Smart drumlines caught 37 target Sharks (including 31 White Sharks) in the same period

Minister for Primary Industries, Niall Blair said tagged sharks are able to be tracked on the network of 20 VR4G shark listening stations to provide real-time tracking data.

‘We now have 85 Smart drumlines on the water – with another 15 to be regularly used by researchers for targeted tagging trips,’ Mr Blair said.

The additional drumlines in our region will be at Byron Bay between Brunswick Heads and Broken Head.


Support The Echo

Keeping the community together and the community voice loud and clear is what The Echo is about. More than ever we need your help to keep this voice alive and thriving in the community.

Like all businesses we are struggling to keep food on the table of all our local and hard working journalists, artists, sales, delivery and drudges who keep the news coming out to you both in the newspaper and online. If you can spare a few dollars a week – or maybe more – we would appreciate all the support you are able to give to keep the voice of independent, local journalism alive.

2 COMMENTS

  1. This has to be one of the weirdest things ever!

    Govt puts baited hooks to attract sharks, in an area of known shark activity, out in front of kids surf spots, Lennox Pub is one example.

    I’ve witnessed the “relocation” process first hand. A couple of hundred metres at best, a couple of tail flicks from our tagged friends and they are back to their known feeding spot!

    And hey presto, the more smart lines put out for catch and release the more sharks we are finding to place on now very crowded map (on an App) that shows sharks everywhere with little rhyme or reason for their movements!

    Smart lines alright!

  2. Hi,
    shark meat is a delicious & highly nutritional food. I suggest , only releasing
    less than two (2 %) of hooked/captured sharks , and sell the rest through
    a/the local fish co-operative Or donate [every other week] to fisherman &
    families .

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Where should affordable housing go in Tweed Shire?

Should affordable and social housing in the Tweed Shire be tucked away in a few discreet corners? Perhaps it should be on the block next to where you live?

Making Lismore Showground accessible to everyone

The Lismore Showground isn’t just a critical local community asset that plays host to a number of major events each year, but has also been used as an evacuation centre during past natural disasters in the region. 

Iconic Lennox beach shed upgraded –  not demolished

Lennox Park and the shelter shed has now been upgraded and reopened.

Govt cost-shifting ‘erodes financially sustainable local government’

Byron Shire Council looks set to add its voice to the growing chorus calling on the state government to stop shifting responsibilities and costs onto local government.