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BYRON SHIRE Council is putting its money where its mouth is in providing funding for a shark spotting program by Shark Watch in the Byron shire.
The council recently rejected an offer from the state government to have shark nets installed along its coastline, whereas neighbouring Ballina shire is taking up the offer of nets.
Byron mayor Simon Richardson said his council supported non-lethal measures, and this morning announced that the council would provide funding to set up its first site at Cosy Corner, at Tallow Beach.
Shark Watch is a community group which uses volunteers and a drone to scan the sea near surfers and swimmers at beaches for any shark activity. If sharks are spotted, the group uses an agreed alert system to warn people in the area that sharks are present, so that surfers and swimmers can leave the water.
Cr Richardson told Echonetdaily that the council would provide $11,000 for the first site, with the money going to purchase a drone, sun shelter and a solar panel to power a computer that analysed pictures from the drone.