Racing to Tag Great Whites: How NSW's Smart Drumlines Keep Beachgoers Informed

Most people would flee from a great white shark, but off the coast of New South Wales a specialised team does the opposite: they race toward hooked sharks to tag and release them as part of a state-run protection programme.

How The Programme Works

Each day crews deploy 305 satellite-linked buoys—known as "smart drumlines"—at popular beaches in waters up to 15 metres (50 feet) deep. The baited devices alert tagging teams when a shark takes the bait, sending a signal that triggers a rapid response.

The Response And Tagging Procedure

A boat aims to reach the buoy within 16 minutes of an alert. If the captured animal is one of three potentially dangerous species—a great white, a tiger shark, or a bull shark—trained crew move in. To secure the animal they loop two ropes around it (one behind the tail and one ahead of the pectoral fins) to support the body, then bring the shark close to the side of the boat.

Careful handling places the shark on its side while ensuring seawater flows over its gills. This position typically induces a low-energy, trance-like state (tonic immobility) that reduces risk to both the animal and the team. Workers then measure the shark, collect tissue samples, and attach an acoustic tracker to its dorsal fin. After tagging the animal is released at least one kilometre offshore. The full procedure generally takes about 15 minutes.

Technology, Alerts And Coverage

Tagged sharks are detected when they pass one of 37 listening stations dotted along the coast. Detections trigger alerts on the SharkSmart app, sending real-time notifications to swimmers, surfers and fishers on phones and smartwatches. The tagging programme is one layer in a multi-faceted approach that also uses aerial drone spotters and conventional nets.

Scale And Results

Over the past decade the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries programme has tagged 1,547 white sharks, 756 tiger sharks and 240 bull sharks. Officials say the process has minimal impact on the animals and helps warn the public about nearby sharks.

Context: Incidents, Trends And Conservation

Australia has recorded more than 1,280 shark incidents since 1791, about 260 of them fatal. While shark encounters remain rare, fatal attacks have increased: there were 57 deaths in the 25 years to 2025 versus 27 in the preceding 25-year period. In November, a three-metre (10-foot) bull shark fatally injured a woman and injured her partner off a remote beach north of Sydney; the pair were reportedly filming dolphins.

Researchers point to several possible drivers: more people entering coastal waters, shifting shark migration patterns linked to rising ocean temperatures, and other ecological changes. At the same time, many shark species face conservation pressure—about 37% of oceanic sharks and rays are listed as endangered or critically endangered by the IUCN—underscoring the need to protect both people and sharks.

Paul Butcher, principal research scientist who has run the state tagging programme for 10 years, said: "The sharks are really benign. The process has little impact on those sharks."