Queensland SharkSmart Drone Trial (2020 - 2024) Final Report

Abstract

Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems, commonly called drones, provide a high-definition aerial view of a wide expanse of ocean, allowing the detection of sharks in real-time, whilst having negligible impact on the environment and non-target species. In addition, they are capable of spotting a range of marine hazards and can assist in beach rescue operations, thus providing numerous safety benefits for water users. The Queensland SharkSmart drone trial commenced on 19 September 2020, as a partnership between the Queensland Government Department of Primary Industries (DPI) and Surf Life Saving Queensland (SLSQ). The trial was part of the Queensland Government’s commitment to research to compare non-lethal alternatives with traditional shark control measures. For the first 12 months of the trial, drones were operated at two
beaches on the Sunshine Coast (Alexandra Headland and Coolum North), two beaches on the Gold Coast (Southport Main Beach and Burleigh Beach) and one beach on North Stradbroke Island (NSI; Ocean beach) as well as two beaches in North Queensland (NQ) (Alma Bay, Magnetic Island, and Palm Cove in Carins). After the 12-month trial period, an evaluation was conducted on the effectiveness of drone operations across these seven locations (Mitchell et al., 2022a,b). Following the recommendations of this report, drone operations were continued at all of the South-East Queensland (SEQ) beaches and four extra beaches in SEQ were added to the trial (Rainbow Beach, Noosa, Bribie Island and Kurrawa). In NQ, flights continued at Alma Bay, but Palm Cove was discontinued due to high water turbidity levels. Drones were operated by SLSQ pilots on weekends, public holidays and school holidays, with two flights per hour from approximately 7am until midday.
Flights lasted 20 - 30 minutes and followed a 400 m transect behind the surf break. All footage was collected in 4K resolution and securely archived for later analysis. Key operational and environmental data were collected for every flight. When a shark was sighted, the pilot lowered the drone to determine the species and size while estimating distance of the animal from water users. The current report presents results from the SharkSmart drone trial, from the beginning of the trial in September 2020 until 30 April 2024.