The twin brother of a shark attack victim has implored the Minns government to urgently implement strengthened safety measures at all popular Sydney beaches, saying he fears further fatal incidents could occur if no action is taken.
Mike Psillakis, the brother of shark attack victim Mercury, 56, who was killed by a great white shark at Long Reef Beach in Sydney’s north in September, said the latest incident at Coogee Beach highlighted the need for drones to be deployed at every city beach across the state.
“Drones need to be used from sunlight to sunset seven days a week, 365 days a year,” Mr Psillakis said.
“We can’t afford to have any more attacks or lives lost. They (drones) need to be on every city beach, even in unpatrolled times, so warnings can be triggered a lot earlier. We need to protect human life, that’s the number one priority.”
There were drones operating at 14 locations on Saturday – but not at Coogee.
The Sunday Telegraph revealed last month that the Minns government handed over $650,000 to Surfing NSW to dramatically enhance its aerial surveillance operations with 60 new drones and the training of 125 pilots.
The drones are emblazoned with the message: “In loving memory of Mercury Psillakis”.
Mr Psillakis, a lifelong surfer who owns a surfboard business, said he urged the Minns government to take action, fearing Sydney tourism would also be impacted if more shark attacks occurred.
“In recent months there has been a spate of attacks. This doesn’t just affect surfers or swimmers, it impacts Sydney tourism,” he said.
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“We can’t afford for this to happen again.
“Install the drones and operate them at every popular city beaches … or the attacks will keep occurring and it’s a trend that won’t go away.
“The whites are coming up now and this is the second white attack in Sydney within a year. “It’s just ridiculous.”