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AUSTRALIAN SHARK EXPERTS will test cutting-edge technology – including electrical barriers powered by wave energy – following an “unprecedented” series of attacks on swimmers.
The country has one of the world’s highest incidences of shark attacks and researchers from around the world met in Sydney on Tuesday at a meeting organised in part to address community fears.
“What we’ve seen is pretty unprecedented,” New South Wales state Premier Mike Baird told the conference of a string of attacks in eastern Australia which left one dead and seven injured.
A Japanese surfer died in February after his legs were torn off by a shark but there have been other serious attacks up and down the more than 2,000-kilometre-long (1,243-mile) NSW coast.
There have been 13 attacks in the state so far this year, compared to three in 2014.
“Ultimately, we’ve moved from a position in some parts of the coast where the coastline was joy… (to) fear, and we need to take that away,” Baird said, adding that his government hoped to test some of the recommended technologies during the upcoming summer.
The decision-making process (to roll out the technologies) will be on the basis of the science… it will not be knee-jerk, it will not be in relation to any form of populist outcry.
Baird – an avid surfer who has ruled out culling sharks as an option – said he hoped experts would find ways to balance the need to protect humans against reducing the harm to marine life caught in barriers such as nets.
Deterrent technologies set to be reviewed include electrical barriers that can be powered by wave energy, as well as personal devices that surfers and swimmers can wear.
Detection methods include a smart drumline where sharks are removed from hooks before they die, and the “Clever Buoy”, which uses sonar technology to search for shark-sized objects.
Marine biologist Daryl McPhee of Bond University, who helped the state government compile a preliminary list of options, said the recent innovations had increased researchers’ understanding of shark behaviour.
Sharks have seven senses. We don’t clearly know how sharks completely sense their environment but we know much more than we did 10 years ago.
“We’re able to use the information to potentially design better deterrence (technologies).”
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Woooooo! Well done Scotland!
Fair play Scotland, showing other countries how it’s done!
Kinda proud to be Scottish today.
Suspended a/ “Anus”???
I have a feeling your one of our re-named Troll accounts.
Ignore him, Jeremy. He’s just an assho1e.
Scotland points the way. France has also permitted same sex marriage.
In time, Irish society will come to accept that horrible unfairness and the inherent discrimination involved in denying gay people the opportunity of same sex marriage.
Congrats Sean!
Ah has nowt to do with me, just happy for some people back home!
Still worth congratulating you. You come from a country that has made a great leap forward. Fair play to ya
To be fair, they were probably all pissed during the vote.
Ah, much like the dáil then is it? Feck it, they got the job done
See what can happen when a country refuses to let itself be dictated to by the church!
It’s fantastic isn’t it. People end up happier. Glad to see you’ve changed your tune Rodrigo
Good on ye Scotland!
?
Nice one Scotland
I’ll throw a party tonight to celebrate!
Congratulations, Scotland!
Now I wonder how long it will take for the “fabric of society” to fall asunder, or all the currently married people to feel that their own relationship is jeopardised!
I’m going for never.
Well, there is a storm coming.. And as we all know – gay people are responsible for the bad weather..
And autism. Oh and did you hear about the glass roof in RTE that collapsed. Apparently Shirley Temple Bar was there at the time. True story. Must have been Gods revenge
God’s revenge for the Iona payout!
The island Iona could def find a market in marrying Irish gay couples…
They could set up an Institute of Equal Marriage there.
How lovely would that be? The Iona Institute doing good, for a change.
Up your kilt!
Always the anonymous trolls who come out with the most homophobic comments….come on guys…..show your real profile and make the same comments!! Keyboard heroes!!!
What is it with all the gay stories today. Are we in the middle of some secret gayfest or something?
If you were in the middle of a gayfest I’m sure you’d know
“Back into the pile!!”
Clearly you don’t know what a gay festa is by that question, you should go to one just so you know.
Shame we can’t have the referendum a little sooner.
I was kinda hoping we would do it before our friends across the water
every one to there own. ..but dont need it rammed down our neck. ..for example and this is fact
protesting to have pictures of man and woman marriages taken down from register offices as they feel it’s bias and not equal. ..come on you got yer vote leave ua who believe in the marriage of a man and woman at peace
You do know, that tomorrow heterosexual people in Scotland WILL be able to get married in peace.
Nothing will be rammed down your throat.
You do realise that the vote was in Scotland right?
Patric – did I see you in Jurassic Park?
Patric…. How would you feel if you were not allowed marry the person you love because the law discriminates against you even tho you are a tax paying citizen involved in nothing more disturbing or illegal than being in love..?????…… gay people don’t want extra or special rights. .. Just The equal rights that the rest of our population have
How about you don’t ram hetrosexuality down our throats with all your different sexed marriages, mixed gender couples in the media and on the street. Even most of the politicians are ramming it down our throats by being blatantly married to someone of the opposite gender whilst holding office. Dreadful!
Upset you are losing your privilege? Well tough, losing privilege is not oppression.
Cyberspice, I wanted to high five you for that brilliant response.
As a matter of interest Patric – where is this supposed to be happening?
I’d say if we keep fighting for it, gay marriage in Ireland will be permitted within the next hundred years or so!
It’s a matter of the Government leading out the Referendum. It will be a very popular Referendum and it will pass easily. It’s a shoe in for the short to medium term.
Politicians can recognised a vote catcher.
I don’t care about the motives. I just want to see my gay brothers and sisters have the opportunity that straight people take for granted. Equality cannot come soon enough.
Dirt
I know you are but what about me?
I know now why them jocks like the kilt. they will be celebrating in suckyeall street.
Chris, nice avatar. Who is he?
Says the fella with the gay avatar.
Congrats to Scotland. #Revolutionof love
The logical outcome for a country that embraced Calvinism?
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