A veteran fisherman is warning the New South Wales government relying on drone technology will do little to prevent shark encounters.
The advice comes after Bondi Beach was evacuated for the second time in two days following another great white shark sighting, prompting renewed concern about safety along Sydney’s coastline.
It also follows a serious shark attack at nearby Coogee less than two weeks ago, where 34-year-old mother Leah Stewart was injured.
Speaking on Wednesday, NSW Premier Chris Minns said the government was developing a large-scale shark monitoring program which will rely heavily on new technology.
Mr Minns has described the proposal as potentially world-leading and said NSW wants to be at the forefront of shark detection.
However, speaking to SkyNews.com.au, veteran spearfisherman Ryan Baker questioned how effective drones could be when water conditions deteriorate.
“You can’t spot sharks unless they are on the surface or if the water’s clean,” he said.
“If it’s on the surface or near the surface in dirty water, you’re going to spot it with a drone, but if it’s a few metres down you’ve got no chance of spotting it.”
Asked about plans for more sophisticated drones, Mr Baker remained unconvinced.
“The world-class drones are not going to do sh*t,” he said.
Instead, he wants authorities to focus more attention on shark deterrent technology and independent testing.
“The only answer is proven shark deterrents,” he said.
“Let people actually test shark deterrents in Australia.
“Stop threatening people with $100,000 fines if they test shark deterrents in Australia, for starters.
“The DPI needs to stop threatening people with fines.”
Mr Baker raised his concerns after his own close encounter with a shark just days earlier while diving off Broughton Island near Port Stephens.
According to fisherman, the shark initially appeared briefly before returning several times.
“There were four of us spearfishing together at Broughton Island… it came in really quick,” he said.
“It was darting in and out.”
Mr Baker said the shark eventually took a fish from a float line before turning towards him.
“It ended gaining the confidence and then ate one of the fish off the float line and then it came straight towards me with its mouth open after it had eaten the fish.”
The encounter was not an isolated one.
Mr Baker said sharks were present throughout the day at multiple dive sites.
“The first spot we jumped in, there were three sharks spotted instantly,” he said.
“There was already a shark under the boat before we even entered the water.”
He said his group later encountered several more sharks at other locations.
“We’ve seen three sharks in the first spot and then another three in the next spot,” he said.
“We went to another spot, there was probably five or six sharks there probably a few metres from the boat when we started swimming.”
As debate grows over whether shark sightings are increasing or detection technology is simply improving, Mr Baker dismissed the latter explanation.
“There are more sharks. It’s nothing to do with detecting sharks,” he said.
Mr Baker believes increasing shark numbers are linked to decades of protections for both sharks and their food sources.
According to the fisherman, the latest Bondi sightings occurred as large schools of salmon moved along the coastline.
“Sharks are protected. Protection equals more sharks,” he said.
“In winter we get a strange salmon plague near the beaches in massive schools that all the sharks feed on.”
He said whale migration was another major factor attracting great whites to NSW waters during winter.
“The great whites follow whales,” he said.
“They’re always here, the great whites, but they’re more common in winter with the whale migration because they feed on the calves of the whales.”