Shark-specific barrier technology manufactured in the Western Cape and developed by marine biologists from Stellenbosch University (SU) and their collaborators is now being used at a private island in the Bahamas.
The barriers, known as the SharkSafe BarrierTM, combine biomimicry of thick kelp forests and the use of magnetic fields to keep humans and sharks apart without harming them or any other large marine species.
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After 15 years of development, the nature-inspired barrier technology is currently the only eco-friendly alternative to shark nets and is a lot safer. Often referred to as ‘walls of death’, shark nets have been in use since 1950 and kill thousands of harmless sharks, dolphins, whales, sea turtles and other large bony fish every year.
This is according to Dr Sara Andreotti, extraordinary marine biology lecturer at Stellenbosch University and founding director of the SharkSafe Barrier. She explains that the kelp-like forest created by the barrier technology has been designed to remain underwater for at least 20 years, with minimal maintenance required, while eventually changing into a reef-like haven for local sea life.
‘We now have the technology to allow the rightful inhabitants of the oceans to survive and thrive, and for sea-loving humans to enjoy their time in the water safely,’ said Andreotti.
‘This is a win-win situation, especially for areas that rely on ocean recreation as a main source of revenue, such as beach towns in South Africa, Brazil, New Caledonia, the Bahamas and Reunion,’ she added.
Andreotti explained that between 2012 and 2021, the technology has been tried and tested extensively in the turbulent ocean waters along the South African coast, as well as in the tropical waters of Réunion Island and the Bahamas. Several of these case studies have been published in peer-reviewed scientific journals.
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The technology has since been internationally patented with the help of Innovus, Stellenbosch University’s innovation hub and is manufactured by KND Fabrications in Maitland, Cape Town, according to SU News.
In 2011, the Bahamas proclaimed the first shark sanctuary in the Atlantic Ocean and, in 2018, a Marine Action Partnership for Sustainable Fisheries. The 30-metre-long SharkSafe Barrier along a bay on one of the islands in the Bahamas constitutes the first commercial installation of this technology, intending to further strengthen marine conservation efforts in the region using two shark repellent strategies.
The first strategy is the bio-mimicking of kelp forests through overlapping rows of pipes. This has proven to be an effective deterrent for predatory sharks, as fish and many other marine animals use kelp forests as refuge. The second is the magnetic field generated by the ceramic magnets, which overstimulate the electro-magnetic receptors at the tips of sharks’ heads.
During installation in the ocean, the buoyant high-density polyethylene pipes are anchored on a grid-like structure one metre apart from each other, with large ceramic magnets staggered in the ocean-facing row. The grid is then weighted by limpet-shaped cement blocks and secured by rock anchors and sand.
Since the Bahamas, SharkSafe Barrier has been working with the Bitou municipality to find safe options to keep humans and sharks apart. Plettenberg Bay, the popular tourist destination, saw two fatalities related to shark attacks in the span of three months last year, according to News24.
Measures such as drones, shark spotters and other specialised technology were among the solutions being considered by the municipality.
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Picture: Sharksafe Barrier / Facebook