Drones and Drum Lines to protect beachgoers in Australia this summer

The New South Wales government announced that drones and "smart" drum lines will protect its beachgoers this summer.

According to BBC, the drones will send images to operators that are on the look out for sharks using GGPs technology. There will be a trial for the implementation that will start on the NSW north coast where several shark attacks have been reported for the last 12 months. Besides the drones and the drum lines, there are other shark management strategies involving barriers and helicopter surveillance.

According to NSW minister for primary industries Niall Blair, "There is no easy way to reduce risks for swimmers and surfers."

According to Engadget, the NSW government will allocate AU$16 million, or $11 million, for its shark management strategies. Drone trial already started November 25 with operators sending out drones to Coffs Harbour, which is right between Sydney and Brisbane. Meanwhile, the smart drum line will be tested next week. The drum line will have an anchored buoy that is suspended with a baited hook. These drums will have GPS and underwater cameras. The first line is to be deployed off Ballina, just a hundred miles north of the Coffs Harbour.

"They're like a baited hook that has technology connected to it so when the bait is taken, a message is sent to our vessels and they'll attend those lines immediately," said Blair in a report by Fox News. "They will then tag and release the sharks that are caught on those. So they're very different to the traditional drum lines which could have sharks sitting on them for days before they're checked."

To make sure the strategy is carried out efficiently, the NSW government will put 10 4G listening stations to give real time data on the shark's locations. There will also be increased helicopter surveillance on the vital areas.

There have been 33 shark attacks reported in Australia in 2015 alone. Two of the attacked died according to the report.