The New South Wales government has revealed likely locations for two new shark listening stations in Sydney Harbour, following a series of attacks over the summer. One station will be anchored several hundred metres off Balmoral Beach on the lower north shore, while the other will float near Sow and Pigs reef, close to Camp Cove Beach in the eastern suburbs.
The listening stations detect electronic tags fitted to certain shark species and alert users via the SharkSmart app when a tagged shark is within 500 metres. However, they cannot detect untagged sharks or those with depleted batteries. Marcel Green, head of the state's shark management program, said the locations were chosen because bull sharks are known to transit through those areas.
The stations are part of a response to a cluster of shark attacks in January, including a fatal incident off Vaucluse where a 12-year-old boy was bitten. After heavy rain created favourable brackish water conditions, four people were bitten or nearly bitten in 48 hours. The government increased funding to tag bull sharks, catching four in Sydney Harbour and 18 in Coffs Harbour since late January.
Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty said the state has rolled out its biggest shark program. As bull sharks leave Sydney Harbour with cooling waters, tagging will resume later in the year. Green noted that the stations will serve as an early warning system, but stressed that swimming within estuarine enclosures remains the safest option. The exact locations of the new stations await approval and are expected to be installed within months.
