High-tech shark drumlines to be trialled at Manly, Dee Why, Newport and Barrenjoey

Sharks will be baited, caught and tagged along the northern beaches coastline as part of a new three-month trial into enhancing the safety of beachgoers. But one marine conservationist says it’s a bad idea.

At new shark bait and tag trial will be rolled out along the northern beaches coastline, including at Manly (above). Pictured: A shark caught in a similar trial at Lennox Head.

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Sharks will be baited, caught and tagged as part of a trial to help make beaches on the peninsula safer.

The Department of Primary Industries says it will launch a three month trial of SMART (Shark Management Alert in Real Time) drumlines, running across a 14km of ocean from Manly to Dee Why and Newport to Barrenjoey.

SMART drumlines consist of an anchor and rope, two buoys and a satellite-communications unit which is attached to a trace and baited hook.

2.32m male white at Lennox Head Beach caught using the SMART drumlines. Picture: Supplied

The drumlines will be situated further out than the current shark nets and when a shark or marine animal is hooked, DPI scientists or contractors will be alerted via phone message.

The aim is to get to the shark quickly, tag it and release it about 1km out to sea.

But Dave Thomas, owner of Eco Divers in Manly, who has previously cut traditional shark nets to save trapped animals, is against the move saying there’s evidence it kills sharks.

“If a shark gets caught on a hook it will try and fight for its life,” he said.

“It’s highly stressful for the shark. It’s not shark-friendly at all.”

Marine conservationist Dave Thomas is against the SMART drumlines on the northern beaches. Picture: Adam Ward.

Statistics from a trial of SMART drumlines on the NSW North Coast at Evans Head and Lennox Head found that of the 234 sharks caught since December 2016 — including white, tiger and bull sharks — all were released alive apart from one.

Another white shark was found dead a few days after being tagged and released.

An injured great white shark that washed itself onto Manly Beach was taken to Fairy Bower ocean pool by Manly SeaLife Sanctuary staff. Picture: Toby Zerna

Among the 87 non target species caught, a loggerhead turtle was tangled in the trace, but not hooked, and a common blacktip shark and a black marlin were found dead on the line.

Mr Thomas, a marine conservationist, said any intervention was totally unnecessary.

“We need to realise that we are sharing a planet and we don’t own it,” he said. “A lot of people are not going to be happy about this.”

Manly Beach. The trial will run from Manly to Dee Why and Newport to Barrenjoey. Picture: Supplied.

A spokeswoman for the Minister for Primary Industries Niall Blair said the drumlines did not kill sharks and community consultation stands will pop up on the beaches in February.

She said the trial was not designed to find a replacement for nets rather assess whether it would be useful in complementing the nets to further reduce the risk to beachgoers.

A trial start date has yet to be set.