Shark Detection for Blacksmiths

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Summer just got a little safer for beachgoers at Blacksmiths with a funding boost for shark protection.

Lake Macquarie Council were successful in their bid to the state government for funding for drone equipment and training for staff on a 14 week trial.

$33, 290 will be put towards the trial as a part of the NSW Government's Shark Observation Grants Program.

Brad Sutton, the Lifestyle Services Manager at coucil said they'll be able to use the footage if they need to, but generally the same protocols if they spot a shark will apply.

Image surf-forecast.com

"We will be able to share that through media releases as well as maybe on our website any aerial photographs that we have of the sharks. But I guess the important thing is and the take home message is that we will act on that information immediately and close the beach as appropriate."

Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Scot Macdonald said, "Improved survelliance on beaches provide a clearer line of vision for surf lifesavers to spot sharks and are also useful for spotting people in distress."

Brad Sutton said the trial will give them a better idea of how operating a drone fits in with lifesavers day-to-day work.

"The drone technology has been proven to be effective is sighting sharks from the air, part of what we will be looking at is how compatible is driving a drone for a lifeguard given their other safety obligations."

In the end though, anything that will keep surfers, swimmers, rock fishers and beachgoers safe at the beach can only be a good thing.

"For every person that is fatally attacked by a shark, 100 people drown on our beaches so our focus is still highly on water safety and promoting those safety messages. This year has been a significantly busy start to the year, in the first two weeks we've had 172 rescues," said Brad Sutton.

Lake Macquarie's Nine Mile Ocean Classic Postponed

BY DANIELLE RIES

Due to increased shark activity and sightings around the Swansea Channel, the Lake Macquarie Nine Mile Ocean Classic has been postponed until later this year.

A 314kg bull shark was caught near fishing cleaning tables at Blacksmiths earlier in the week, as well as an impending mullet, run as cause a halt to the event.

The annual swimming event was meant to be held at Blacksmiths Beach tomorrow, but organisers felt compelled to postpone it for the safety of everyone involved.

Swansea-Belmont Surf Life Saving Club president Graham Burge says the right decision has been made to protect the public.

"We've postponed it due to the recent bull shark catching in the Swansea Channel and the fact there is other large sharks down there at the moment.

"We're volunteer surf life savers and we've got to put the publics safety first. We dont want to put them in danger, we respect that and we hope everyone else respects our decision as well and we have to think of our volunteers and our sponsers at the club".

Mr Burge also says the event will hopefully run in late 2017.

"Our major concern is with the mullet run season, it'll bring a lot of large sharks through the area. 

"Our organising committee is going to sit down next Wednesday night and hopefully working with the Ocean Swims of NSW, and hopefully, have something in late October or early November".

Image- 314kg Bull Shark caught at Blacksmiths
Credit- TenPlay

Tenth Day of Shark Sightings Closes Blacksmiths Beach

BY GEORGIA LUPTON

A spate of shark sightings along the coast of Lake Macquarie has prompted the closure of ones of its beaches.

Blacksmiths Beach was closed for an hour yesterday after a 3 metre bull shark was sighted near the beach by a Department of Primary Industries helicopter.

An alarm was sounded before lifeguards conducted a jet ski search, put out signs and cleared swimmers from the water.

The shark moved away from the beach, which reopened around 10:40am.

At least one shark has been sighted between Redhead Beach and Blacksmiths Point every day for the last 10 days.

Two sharks were seen off Blacksmiths Beach on Tuesday.

Redhead Beach was closed on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday following great white shark sightings.