Capes miss out on shark buoy trial

Capes coastlines have been overlooked in a $500,000 State Government trial of new shark monitoring technology, despite support from Vasse MLA Libby Mettam.

On Saturday, City Beach was announced as the site of a three-month trial of the Clever Buoy shark detection and notification system, which uses solar-powered sonar-equipped buoys to transmit information to lifeguards during patrol hours.

In September, Mrs Mettam urged Premier Colin Barnett and Fisheries Minister Joe Francis to consider the region as part of the trial, but told theTimes she understood why City Beach was selected.

“I was initially disappointed, but I accept that this is new technology and there is considerable testing and validation that needs to occur, which is more easily done in the metropolitan area given the resources required,” she said.

Mr Francis said City Beach’s geographic configuration and regular patrols made the site ideal.

The trial will run from mid-December to March and will assess the technology’s effectiveness, potential integration with current systems, and its suitability at other sites along the WA coast.

Mrs Mettam said she would push for the system’s local implementation if the trial proved successful.

“If this technology works as well as it’s proposed, can be integrated into existing operational requirements and is cost effective, I will of course continue to push for its implementation here,” she said.

The Clever Buoy system was developed by Perth-based company Shark Mitigations Systems, and was successfully trialled at Bondi Beach earlier this year.

The technology is endorsed by the Australian Professional Ocean Lifeguard Association and Surfing Western Australia.

Company ambassador and Yallingup-based professional surfer Taj Burrow told theTimes in September the technology was a better alternative to current shark mitigation technology.

TheTimes understand the Government’s current acoustic receivers detect only tagged sharks, estimated to be just 5 per cent of all sharks.

The Clever Buoy trial forms part of the Government’s $33 million WA Shark Hazard Mitigation Strategy.