A warning has been issued to swimmers ahead of a summer for shark activity.
Senior marine life ranger ‘Sharky’ Baxter appeared on Sunrise on Sunday after it was revealed that shark surveillance drones intervened a staggering 360 times to protect swimmers across New South Wales beaches during winter.
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The interventions are part of an expanded shark migration program launched by the government following a spate of shark attacks.
But Baxter said the program needs improvements before beaches become flocked by swimmers and surfers as the temperatures rise heading into summer.
“I think this summer is going to be very interesting on the beaches,” Baxter said.
“A lot of beaches are going to be closed because there’s a shark.”
He raised concerns about the accuracy of drone operators identifying shark species, questioning whether beaches need to close for smaller sharks like hammerheads, wobbegongs or Port Jacksons.
“The people that are flying it, I don’t know whether they’re 100 per cent accurate in what sort of shark it is,” he said.
Baxter also criticised the lack of communication with beachgoers about when drones are operational.
“Unless you’ve got your SharkSmart app on the phone, you wouldn’t know whether there was a drone flying on the beach,” he said.
Baxter also warned beachgoers about irresponsible behaviour, including people fishing and gutting fish near swimmers.
“We know that a shark can detect up to a kilometre away the low pulses of a hooked fish,” he said.
Baxter issued a warning ahead of summer, saying: “I’m predicting, unfortunately, this summer we will have more attacks in New South Wales.”
He called for a collaborative forum bringing together experts to improve shark safety measures, urging participants to “leave your egos at the door” to prevent further loss of life.