Global Shift in Marine Safety

The government of Queensland, Australia, has announced that shark-spotting drones will become a permanent feature of its beach safety program, following a comprehensive four-year study. The research, conducted between September 2020 and April 2024, found that drones are more than twice as effective at detecting sharks than the traditional combination of shark nets and drumlines. The trial, managed by Surf Life Saving Queensland (SLSQ), recorded 676 shark sightings by drone patrols across 10 beaches, compared to only 284 sharks captured by nets and drumlines at the same locations over the same period. In response to these findings, Queensland will expand its drone surveillance program from 10 to 20 beaches under its 2025-2029 shark management plan.

The Environmental Cost of Traditional Methods

Despite the proven effectiveness and negligible environmental impact of drones, Queensland's Department of Primary Industries has stated it will continue to use lethal shark nets and baited drumlines. This decision has drawn criticism from conservation groups, who highlight the severe toll these methods take on marine ecosystems. During the trial period alone, shark nets at the 10 monitored beaches trapped 123 non-target animals, a category known as bycatch. This included protected species such as 13 dolphins, eight whales, 45 sea turtles, and two dugongs, with approximately half found dead. Critics argue that nets function as indiscriminate fishing devices, creating a false sense of security while harming vulnerable marine populations. Research has also indicated there is no statistically significant difference in shark attack incidents between netted and non-netted beaches.

Implications for Kenya's Coastline

While Australia grapples with a high number of human-shark encounters—recording 15 unprovoked bites in 2024 alone—the situation in Kenya is markedly different. Historical data for Kenya shows a significantly lower risk, with only about 8 to 10 documented attacks since the 1940s, of which 5 to 6 were fatal. This lower incident rate explains the absence of widespread lethal control methods like nets and drumlines along the Kenyan coast.

However, the Australian case study presents a timely and relevant model for Kenyan authorities. As Kenya's coastal tourism at destinations like Diani, Watamu, and Malindi continues to grow, so does the need for proactive and sustainable beach safety protocols. The nation's marine parks, managed by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), are vital economic and ecological assets. The Queensland experience demonstrates that modern, non-invasive technology can enhance public safety without compromising the rich marine biodiversity that attracts tourists in the first place.

Current Technology Use on the Kenyan Coast

Currently, advanced aerial surveillance on the Kenyan coast is primarily used for tourism, not safety. Private operators in Diani, for instance, use microlight spotter aircraft to locate whale sharks for tourist snorkeling expeditions. This confirms the viability of aerial surveillance in local conditions but highlights a gap in its application for public safety.

The Kenya Wildlife Service has begun integrating drone technology into its conservation efforts, but the focus remains terrestrial. In September 2025, KWS received a donation of drones to enhance anti-poaching operations in the Tsavo Conservation Area. This adoption of modern technology for wildlife management on land could serve as a blueprint for expanding similar capabilities to the Marine Parks Unit. Furthermore, the Kenya Coast Guard Service has launched the 'Usalama Baharini' mobile app to improve communication and incident reporting with coastal communities, showing an official appetite for technology-driven safety solutions.

A Path Forward: Balancing Safety and Conservation

The global trend is shifting away from lethal shark control towards a suite of smarter, non-lethal alternatives. These include not only drones but also 'SMART' drumlines that alert authorities to a catch for tagging and release, personal electronic deterrents, and shark listening stations linked to public apps. As a regional leader in conservation, Kenya has an opportunity to bypass the environmentally damaging phase of nets and drumlines entirely and invest directly in these 21st-century solutions.

Adopting drone surveillance for beach safety would align with Kenya's national conservation goals and its Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), which identifies the blue economy and sustainable tourism as key drivers of growth. The technology offers a cost-effective tool for monitoring popular beaches, managing human-wildlife interactions, and providing rapid response for swimmers in distress, as demonstrated by Surf Life Saving Queensland. By evaluating the lessons from Australia, coastal counties like Kwale and Kilifi, in partnership with KWS, can develop a world-class beach management strategy that protects both people and the precious marine ecosystems vital to Kenya's future.