New South Wales Expands Year-Round Shark Drone Patrols to 70 Beaches After Recent Attacks
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 6
New South Wales Expands Year-Round Shark Drone Patrols to 70 Beaches After Recent Attacks
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 6
Summary
New South Wales has expanded its shark-surveillance drone program to run year-round at about 70 beaches, extending coverage beyond summer and school holiday periods.
The move follows a recent spike in shark activity near Sydney, including last month’s suspected great white mauling of a schoolteacher at Coogee Beach and back-to-back sightings that shut beaches for days.
Surf Life Saving New South Wales manages the program, with drone pilots alerting lifeguards when they spot potentially dangerous sharks so sirens can sound and swimmers can be cleared from the water.
Several beaches were already closed in the first week of July after sharks were detected, underscoring how authorities are leaning on aerial monitoring even though shark attacks remain rare in Australia.