Shark summit fishing for new technologies

National snapshot

EXPERTS from Australia, South Africa and the US gathered in Sydney yesterday for what has been touted as the nation’s first shark summit.

Scientists are comparing notes on technologies that can best protect surfers and swimmers from attack.

There have been 13 shark attacks in NSW so far this year, up from three in 2014, and one surfer has been killed.

While beachgoers should not expect new shark protection measures to be in place this summer, NSW Primary Industries Minister Niall Blair said he hopes to have trials underway.

The government has already responded to a spate of high-profile attacks on the NSW north coast with a $250,000 shark-tagging program and an independent review of detection and deterrence technologies.

Premier Mike Baird said the summit at Sydney’s Taronga Zoo would leave no stone unturned. “We’re looking at all of the options,” Mr Baird said.

“As a result of today we will have technologies that we will be able to advance through testing this summer – within our own controlled environments or on the coast.

“Whatever the experts come up with today, we will take that information and advance it as quickly as possible.”

But he has ruled out any wholesale cull of great white sharks, which are protected under NSW law.

The DPI’s top shark biologist, Vic Peddemors, said he believed beachgoers wanted a more environmentally friendly approach than old-fashioned nets.

“We feel that they have been effective but they do have obvious bycatch issues,” Dr Peddemors said.

“That is what we are trying to overcome – where we can protect people with minimal impact on the environment.”

He has also vowed not to simply “placate” beachgoers, saying any technologies introduced would have to stand up to tough NSW coastal conditions. “The difficulty for any equipment of any description along the NSW coast is the extremely dynamic coastline,” Dr Peddemors said. “It’s not only the large swells, it’s not only the stormy seas.

“There’s huge amounts of sand moving up and down our coastline, literally on an hourly basis. Those are dilemmas that any new product would have to overcome to be able to withstand the harsh environments that we have out here.”

His comment comes on the back of research from the University of Sydney that found more than 80 per cent of residents living in Ballina and Byron Bay wanted

the government to focus on nonlethal technologies.

Christopher Neff, who led the research, said lethal drumlines – like those in place along the Gold Coast – were the least-favoured option among members of the public.

Most residents believed the primary purpose of lethal shark protection measures was to boost tourism or calm community fears, rather than genuine public protection.

“We asked them, how afraid are you of sharks – and they were scared,” Dr Neff said.

“The community is affected. There’s no doubt. The difference is, they don’t think sharks are to blame; they think these are accidents.”