Great whites caught in NSW shark trial

Four great white sharks have become the first of their species to be caught under a NSW trial of "smart" drum line technology.

The first great white sharks have been caught, tagged and released under a NSW trial of "smart" drum lines."

Primary Industries minister Niall Blair says the two male and two female sharks were caught off Evans Head Beach on the far north coast this week, after aerial surveillance detected them in the region.

The trials are part of the government's $16 million strategy to protect beach-goers from the risk of shark attack.