Non-lethal trial of SMART drumlines

Overview

The proposal is to undertake a trial of the SMART drumlines as a non-lethal shark hazard mitigation tool in Western Australian conditions.  In doing so, it is proposed to catch, tag, relocate and release white sharks.  The proposal is located in waters offshore from Gracetown (offshore from Shire of Augusta Margaret River), in the Ngari Capes Marine Park.  The duration of the trial will be for 15 months.

Where possible, the proposed WA SMART drumline project has been aligned with the NSW SMART drumline operations to provide greater opportunities for comparative data analysis.

White sharks are listed as ‘Vulnerable’ and are protected by both State and Commonwealth legislation. 

Note: SMART is acronym for (Shark Management Alert in Real Time).

Why your views matter

At this initial stage of the EIA process, comment is simply sought on whether or not the EPA should assess a proposal and, if so, what level of assessment is considered appropriate.

What happens next

Following the seven day public comment period and consideration of any comments received, the EPA will decide whether or not this proposal requires environmental impact assessment and, if so, what level of assessment will be applied.

The EPA's decisions on level of assessment are released each Monday on the EPA's website.