An online survey showed over half of the respondents were opposed to the trial of SMART drumlines that began in the Bega Valley earlier this month.
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Last December, the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) ran an online survey and held consultation sessions with the Far South Coast community to inform residents about the drumlines.
Once a shark is caught on a SMART (Shark-Management-Alert-in-Real-Time) drumline, a contractor is alerted who catches, tags then relocates the animal 1km offshore.
The DPI's online community survey received 237 responses, with 43 per cent supporting the trial and 57 per cent opposed to it.
But a DPI spokesperson said staff also spoke with an estimated 135 people at drop-in stands, information sessions and made visits to local businesses and observed around 70 per cent of those initially opposed to the trial became supportive after having received more information about it.
"As per the resolution of the Bega Valley Shire Council meeting on 21 November 2018, the outcome of the community survey and consultation, and the value of testing the SMART drumlines in southern NSW, DPI decided to undertake the two-month trial," the spokesperson said.
"The trial will provide a valuable opportunity to educate the community further about SMART drumlines and show how the non-lethal technology can operate in their local area to protect beachgoers, while having a minimal impact on the local marine ecosystem."
The trial is taking place on Tathra, Short Point, Pambula and Merimbula beaches until April 28.
The DPI said it began later than the initial proposed commencement date in January due to procuring a suitable contractor in the area.
On its website, the DPI states each morning 20 SMART drumlines will be set across two areas at Tathra and Short Point, Merimbula and Pambula beaches depending on the weather, then collected in the evening.
The target sharks in the trial are white, bull and tiger sharks.
The DPI spokesperson said the results of the trial will be shared with Bega Valley Shire Council and the community.