New shark-detecting drums announced to protect NSW beach goers

New technology is being rolled out across NSW beaches to protect swimmers from sharks without the controversial use of nets or scheduled shark culls.

Listening drums will be placed in the water, complete with bobbing yellow beacons which send out alerts over Twitter when a tagged shark enters the area.

The floating drums will also have a chain attached, and a baited hook dangling a few metres below the water's surface, to catch sharks.

The sharks will be tagged and placed back into the ocean where their movements will then be tracked.

NSW Premier Mike Baird said the technology could be game-changing.

“This technology is cutting edge and indeed across the world they are looking at this,” he said.

“We're very happy to be leading but obviously we still need to prove it up.”

Along with the drums two eco barriers will be stretched out along Ballina and Lennox before February, with four more to be placed soon after.

The barriers, unlike shark nets, are permanent, and have mesh small enough not to endanger other sea creatures such as dolphins and turtles.

NSW Minister for Primary Industries Niall Blaire said both new procedures were being rolled out in order to tackle the shark risk from more than one angle.

“We know that there is not one size fits all, that’s why we have a suite of measures in our 16 million dollar shark mitigation strategy,” he said.