STAYING safe in the surf has changed over the years.

Now swimmers will be protected by two additional layers of protection on Port Stephens Beaches with Drones and listening devices being employed to detect sharks.

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More than 50 beaches will be patrolled this season and 200 UAV pilots employed to watch over swimmers and surfers through an expanded shark surveillance program in NSW.

Surf Life Saving NSW, with the support of the Department of Primary Industries, will provide UAV coverage in every coastal LGA in the state, with flights commencing this weekend to coincide with the start of surf patrols by lifesavers and lifeguards.

Over 200 pilots employed along the NSW coastline, predominantly in regional areas with these pilots expected to deliver in excess of 25,000 flights across the 50 locations.

Fingal Bay SLSC is just one of the new UAV Patrol Locations on the NSW coast; it joins Tea Gardens – Hawks Nest SLSC and Birubi SLSC in deploying the technology.

The cost-effective, non-invasive UAV technology has proven to be successful at keeping swimmers and surfers safe, while minimising the impact on marine life.

Since the program commenced three years ago, the public response has been overwhelmingly positive, with people reporting greater confidence entering the water at locations where UAVs are operating.

SLSNSW President George Shales OAM said, “Alongside their primary use for shark mitigation, the UAVs are an additional tool to assist volunteer lifesavers and lifeguards identify other hazards such as rip currents, patrol outside flagged swimming areas and are an integral part of search and rescue operations.”

New to the program this year will be the trialling of technology designed to extend the reach of the UAV ‘eyes in the sky’, with long range endurance flight trials which could offer the possibility of exponentially increasing the coastal area covered.

SLSNSW will also be further incorporating Artificial Intelligence technology in UAV services to complement the skill set of pilots and extend capability along the coastline.

In 2021-22 it is anticipated that UAV’s will be used in 50 locations with Flight Hours: 9,500+ expected that over 25,000 flights will be made by 210 paid UAV pilots.

In addition to the UAV’s Port Stephens will have a shark listening station and the MidCoast region will see a program which adds shark drum lines and shark tagging to the UAV’s and listening devices.

By Marian SAMPSON