A new program launched by scientists in Australia involves scientists hooking up several hundred sharks to transmitters which automate once the sharks swim near a beach.
The tweets then go on to be shared by Surf Life Saving Western Australia’s (SLSWA) Twitter feed.
To date scientists have implanted transmitters in more than 320 sharks, including bronze whalers and great whites. When one of the tagged sharks swims within 1 kilometer (about 0.6 mile) of a beach, the transmitter pings a computer, which then posts a tweet that includes the type of shark, alert time and location.
The automated system argue scientists a much quicker method of informing the public of shark sightings in the area — one of the deadliest regions in the world for shark attacks.
Told Department of Fisheries principal research scientist, Dr Rory McAuley, acoustic tags provided knowledge on sharks, as well as alerts.
“These detections and WA’s extensive receiver network are contributing to important research to help the Government to better understand the movements of white sharks through WA waters, as well as playing a major public safety role,”
“The battery life of internal acoustic tags is up to 10 years so the scientific data that may be collected from this shark is unprecedented.”
After a slew of recent shark attacks, including the Nov. 23 death of a 35-year-old surfer near the coast of Western Australia, government officials considered shark culling to curb the number of fatal attacks. Under the highly controversial mass hunting plan, which the Western Australian government ultimately approved, baited hooks will be set up on beaches to catch and kill sharks.
Ross Weir, from the group Western Australians for Shark Conservation (WASC), said: “This is a simple knee-jerk reaction, based on zero science.
“It’s not going to have any positive benefit for beach goers and their safety and it’s certainly going to have a decimating effect on any great white sharks or other endangered shark species.”
above image found here
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