Podcast

Shark Stories

Episode 1 – Jersey Shore Attacks

Up until around a century ago, people didn’t know about sharks and how dangerous they could be. That all changed in July 1916.

Episode 2 – Black December

In December 1957, nine people were attacked by sharks along the coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The government had a unique approach to stopping the carnage… but did it work? 

Episode 3 – The “Deadliest Shark Attack in History”

In 1945 – during WWII – the USS Indianapolis was sent on a top-secret mission, with over 800 soldiers on board. Only 320 survived

Episode 4 – Sole Survivor

Three people set out for a fishing expedition in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef in 1983. Only one of them would return.

Episode 5 – Deep Dive

In 1972, three divers faced a harrowing experience when one of them was attacked by oceanic whitetip sharks, while diving to the depths of the Caribbean.

Episode 6 – Two Surfers

In 1994, two friends went surfing at Nahoon beach in South Africa… but there was a Great White shark there too.


Home Dev Testing

THE FIRST NATURE-INSPIRED ECO-FRIENDLY TECHNOLOGY TO PROTECT PEOPLE AND SHARKS

WATCH VIDEO

INTRODUCTION

WHAT IS SHARKSAFE BARRIER™?

The SharkSafe Barrier™  has been developed to ensure the safety of beachgoers from shark related accidents.

Our product prevents the loss of tourism in areas visited by sharks and stop the environmental damage caused by shark cull policies.

VIEW INTERACTIVE MAP

Map of all shark related accidents from 1900 to 2020 – from the International Shark Attack File of the Florida Museum.

UNPROVOKED SHARK ATTACK

PROBLEM

DECLINE OF BEACH USAGE

The fear associated with shark attacks has been creating a worldwide decline of beach usage, and a subsequent decline of income for local businesses and national tourism activities.

The attack on a surfer on Ballina Beach (Australia), caused a US$200,000 loss in sales for a local surf shop. The 19 shark incidents from 2011 to 2016 in La Reunion Island resulted in a US$4.5 million loss per year in tourism revenue.

Risks associated with shark attacks on beachgoers have been internationally addressed by deploying drumlines and shark nets: technologies developed to minimise shark attacks by reducing shark numbers. Shark nets in particular are not shark specific, and responsible for high levels of biodiversity loss by causing mortality of harmless sharks, whales, dolphins, sea turtles and large bony fishes.

SOLUTION

Our innovation provides an eco-friendly alternative that will aid in biodiversity conservation and will reduce shark attacks and anxiety for beachgoers.

The eco-friendly SharkSafe Barrier™ biomimics the visual effect of a kelp forest (large marine seaweeds), and generates a strong magnetic field through ceramic magnets; this forms a double barrier (visual and magnetic) that keeps sharks from swimming through it. It is made of staggered rows of vertical HDPE pipes containing proprietary magnetic technology that creates a unique repellent to large sharks. Anchored to the seafloor, the SharkSafe Barrier™ allows any other marine life, such as seals and bony fishes, to swim through it, the same way they naturally utilize the kelp forest as a refuge. It also allows for boats to easily pass through.

Watch Video

WHAT WE DO

Our Services

  • An in-depth survey of each area of deployment
  • South Africa manufactured SharkSafe Barrier™ kit
  • Installation in partnership with local, on the ground teams
  • Training of a local team for ongoing
    monitoring and maintenance
  • Shipped worldwide

The initial survey is crucial to optimize the SharkSafe Barrier™ design and installation to the specific site, and to provide a realistic cost estimate.

Due to the need to combine the knowledge in the field of shark behaviour with coastal engineering, the established SharkSafe Barrier™ team personally conduct all site surveys.


Research

SHARKS ARE KEY TO MAINTAINING A BALANCED AND HEALTHY MARINE ECOSYSTEM

RESEARCH

MISSION

Sharks are key to maintaining a balanced and healthy marine ecosystem. Unfortunately, the knowledge gap on the population status and distribution of shark species is hampering the implementation of effective conservation measures and policies.

Founded by marine conservationists and scientists, the SharkSafe Barrier™ company is true to its core value of preserving the marine environment and protecting sharks and it is fully committed to assisting and endorsing established research institutions, working to collect and publish scientific data needed to improve shark conservation globally.

OVERVIEW

RESEARCH ON THE
SHARKSAFE BARRIER™

The SharkSafe Barrier™ scientific testing was developed in three phases:

01 Magnets as shark deterrents

02 Visual and magnetic barrier deterrents

03 Exclusion capability of the barrier

All the phases of this study demonstrated that the SharkSafe Barrier™ successfully manipulated the swimming patterns of all interacting sharks and were published in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

We deployed prototypes in South Africa and The Bahamas, attracted the sharks with chum to motivate them to go through it and observed that none of them (84 white sharks and 41 bull sharks) swam through the barrier. By installing the SharkSafe Barrier™ around a beach, beachgoers will be protected and the marine life will not be harmed.

With the exclusion tests in South Africa and The Bahamas we could prove that SharkSafe Barrier™ can effectively keep sharks away from a food source. This was the last step of the scientific tests to prove that SharkSafe Barrier™ can effectively protect a swimming area, by keeping sharks separated from people.

WATCH VIDEO

PUBLISHED WORK

SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS

The SharkSafe Barrier™ is the only eco-friendly alternative to anti-shark nets that has been scientifically tested. The different tests spanning from 2011 to 2016 have been published in the following peer reviewed articles:

Testing the exclusion capabilities and durability of the SharkSafe Barrier™ to determine its viability as an eco-friendly alternative

VIEW PUBLICATION

The use of permanent magnets to reduce elasmobranch encounter with a simulated beach net. 1. The bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas)

VIEW PUBLICATION

The use of permanent magnets to reduce elasmobranch encounter with a simulated beach net. 2. The great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias)

VIEW PUBLICATION

Effects of the SharkSafe Barrier™ on white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) behavior and its implications for future conservation technologies

VIEW PUBLICATION

Bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) exclusion properties of the SharkSafe Barrier™ and behavioral validation using the ARIS technology

VIEW PUBLICATION

UPCOMING

FUTURE PROJECTS

  • Environmental impact studies aimed at improving the design of the permanent anchorage system, for enhancing biomass growth.
  • Independent study in collaboration with the Reunion Shark Security Centre on the exclusion of bull sharks in New Caledonia.
  • Engineering research to adapt the technology to be installed on more coastlines and sea substrates.

FOUNDER PUBLICATIONS

RESEARCH ON SHARK POPULATION STATUS AND ECOLOGY

The founders of SharkSafe Barrier™ Pty have been involved in shark research for more than a decade. Below are some of the publications (full list available on request).

2020

ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION

Effective number of white shark (Carcharodon carcharias, Linnaeus) breeders is stable over four successive years in the population adjacent to eastern Australia and New Zealand.

Davenport, D., Butcher, P., Andreotti, S., Matthee, C., Jones, A., & Ovenden, J.

VIEW

2019

OCEAN & COASTAL MANAGEMENT

The effect of kelp density on white shark movements in the Dyer Island Nature Reserve, South Africa

O’Connell CP, Andreotti S, Rutzen M, Meÿer M, Matthee C.A

VIEW

2017

MARINE BIODIVERSITY

Semi-automated software for dorsal fin photographic identification of marine species: application to Carcharodon carcharias.

Andreotti S, Holtzhausen P, Rutzen M, Meÿer M, Walt S van der, Herbst B, Matthee CA

WATCH VIDEO

2016

MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES

An integrated mark-recapture and genetic approach to estimate the population size of white sharks in South Africa.

Andreotti S, Rutzen M, Walt S van der, Heyden S Von der, Henriques R, Meÿer M, Oosthuizen H, Matthee C

WATCH VIDEO

CURRENT PROJECTS

WHAT WE ARE WORKING ON NOW

SharkSafe Barrier™ Pty is supporting Stellenbosch University Shark Conservation Action Plan, with a strong focus on the collection of field data, to monitor the status of shark populations in South Africa and the training and supervision of aspiring marine scientists, to ultimately guide conservation policies by publishing the research results in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

The latest publications and news will be posted here


Conservation

FIND OUT WHY WE NEED TO PROTECT SHARKS

SHARK

CONSERVATION

The SharkSafe Barrier Company is working with several conservation organizations to improve public knowledge about sharks. People tend to fear most what they don’t know and sharks are among the most misunderstood and wrongfully persecuted creatures on our planet. With myths and legends spreading faster than scientific knowledge, sharks are often unfairly represented by media and documentaries alike.

Fear and misconception of sharks have been justifying their inhumane treatment by the public and government for decades, from finning practices to the deployment of shark nets and drumlines. We believe that providing a solution for safe surfing and swimming is just a small piece of a large puzzle, and only a combined effort between innovation, conservation and education will bring the much-needed change to existing shark-management policies.

ECOSYSTEM

WHY CONSERVE SHARKS?

Sharks preserve the health of marine ecosystems and their numbers have been declining worldwide due to human activities. Conserving sharks results in a long term social, economic and ecological benefit. Sharks can be a socio-economic resource for a region as an eco-tourism attraction.

References

  1. International Shark Attack File. Available at: https://www.qt.com.au/news/every-shark-attack-ever-recorded-captured-map/2674734/.
  2. O’Connell, C. P. et al. Effects of the Sharksafe barrier on white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) behaviour and its implications for future conservation technologies. J. Exp. Mar. Bio. Ecol. 460, 37–46 (2014).
  3. Kwazulu Natal Shark Board. KNSB Website. Available at:  http://www.shark.co.za/Pages/ProtectionSharks-NetsDrumlines.
  4. Report into the NSW Shark Meshing Program. (2016).
  5. Rosenblatt, A. et al. The Roles of Large Top Predators in Coastal Ecosystems: New Insights from Long Term Ecological Research. Oceanography 26, 156–167 (2013).
  6. Baum, J. K. & Worm, B. Cascading top-down effects of changing oceanic predator abundances. J. Anim. Ecol. 78, 699–714 (2009).
  7. Heithaus, M. R., Frid, A., Wirsing, A. J. & Worm, B. Predicting ecological consequences of marine top predator declines. Trends Ecol. Evol. 23, 202–210 (2008).
  8. Gallagher, A. J. & Hammerschlag, N. Global shark currency: The distribution frequency and economic value of shark ecotourism. Curr. Issues Tour. 14, 797–812 (2011).
  9. Cisneros-Montemayor, A. M., Barnes-Mauthe, M., Al-Abdulrazzak, D., Navarro-Holm, E. & Sumaila, U. R. Global economic value of shark ecotourism: implications for conservation. Oryx 47, 381–388 (2013).
  10. Cliff, G., Elst, R. P. Van Der, Govender, A., Witthuhn, T. K. & Bullen, E. M. First Estimates of Mortality and Population Size of White Sharks on the South African Coast. in Great White Shark, the biology of Carcharodon carcharias (1995).
  11. Dudley, S. F. J. & Simpfendorfer, C. A. Population status of 14 shark species caught in the protective gillnets off KwaZulu-Natal beaches, South Africa, 1978-2003. Mar. Freshw. Res. 57, 225–240 (2006).
  12. https://orangefootballclub.com/news/mozambique-hunts-to-kill-deadly-shark.html

SHARK HUMAN CONFLICT

SOME FACTS

  • From 2011 to 2016 there have been 491 registered shark attacks worldwide (43 fatal). 1
  • For reducing the number of shark-human encounters the most used system has always been to cull the sharks by using shark nets and drumlines. 2, 3
  • Culling technologies don’t provide a physical separation between beachgoers and sharks. In fact, in New South Wales (Australia), 65% of shark bites occur at netted beaches. Shark nets also resulted in large scale unjustified killing of marine animals (3944 in NSW over the past 20 years. 40% of these weren’t sharks, but whales, turtles and dolphins). 4
  • The loss of sharks proved to also cause an imbalance in the prey/predator distribution: smaller sharks and marine mammals increase in number and, by eating smaller fish and crustaceans have a negative impact on local fisheries and the health status of the marine ecosystem. 5, 6, 7
  • A reduction in the number of sharks also results in a loss for the shark eco-tourism businesses, valued at an excess of US$ 314 Mil a year worldwide. 8, 9
  • In Durban, South Africa, seven gill nets were deployed in 1952 (each 130 m long) and in the first year of operation 552 elasmobranchs (e.g. sharks, rays and skates) were caught in these nets. Since 1989, some live sharks have been released from the nets but it is estimated that only 12,5% of the sharks captured in anti-shark nets survive. 3, 10, 11
  • To date this problem, mostly in poorly developed countries, has not been addressed. As a response to an incident in Mozambique involving a bull shark (22/10/2015), “The Mozambican Maritime Administration has deployed a team of around 60 fishermen, biologists and local officials to hunt and kill a dangerous shark which attacked and killed a woman in the Bay of Inhambane in the south of the country“. 12
  • Have a look at “The Shark-net Film”: a 2019 documentary explaining the Gold Coast Shark Nets in Queensland, Australia. The Shark Nets are explained by industry professionals in a 30 minute short film, collated by Holly Richmond and assembled by Drishti Studios (Qld) (link to the documentary).

WATCH THE SHORT FILM

GO TO WEBSITE

Check out the “Envoy: Shark Cull” Documentary website for more information about shark nets in Australia (featuring also the SharkSafe Barrier™).

ENVOY: SHARK CULL

Shark Stories

SharkSafe BarrierTM directors, Anthony Mederer and Dr. Sara Andreotti launched SHARK STORIES! A podcast series hosted on Cliff Central

LISTEN NOW

Contact Us

GET IN TOUCH WITH OUR TEAM

CONTACT US

CONTACT FORM

If you would like to contact the SharkSafe Barrier™ team, request an assessment or a quote, please fill out the form and the relevant team member will respond shortly.

ADDRESS

15 De Beer Street,
Stellenbosch
7600

POSTAL ADDRESS

P.O. Box 3354
Matieland
7602
Western Cape
South Africa

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    Product

    LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BARRIER THAT HELPS PROTECT PEOPLE & SHARKS

    ABOUT

    OUR PRODUCT

    SharkSafe Barrier™ successfully biomimics the visual effects of a thick kelp forest, and combines this with a series of permanent magnetic stimuli, to form a barrier that dissuades sharks from passing through.

    The SharkSafe Barrier™ is the first effective and eco-friendly solution to protect humans from sharks without harming the marine life.

    BENEFITS

    WHY SHARKSAFE BARRIER™?

    Being shark-specific, the SSB provides an environmentally friendly and sustainable alternative to conventional anti-shark devices such as shark nets and drumlines.

    TECHNICAL
    DESCRIPTION

    Research has indicated that large sharks avoid entering thick kelp forests. Furthermore, it has been proven that a strong magnetic field can deter shark species.

    The SharkSafe Barrier™ is thus composed of an array of multiple vertical tubes (SSB Units) that biomimics a thick forest of kelp. The proprietary magnetic technology, that creates a repellent unique to sharks, is embedded in the outer row of Units to create an effective magnetic screen.

    The SSB Units are manufactured from recycled HDPE, they are vertically buoyant, anchored to the seafloor, and extend up to 0.25 meters above the surface at high tide.

    COMMERCIAL INSTALLATION

    Bahamas Beach Protection

    The eco-friendly SharkSafe BarrierTM technology has now been installed at an island in the Bahamas. The installation of a 30 metre-long SharkSafe Barrier in August 2023 will further strengthen marine conservation efforts in the Bahamas. In 2011 the Bahamas proclaimed the first shark sanctuary in the Atlantic Ocean, and, in 2018, a Marine Action Partnership (MAP) for Sustainable Fisheries. Shark tourism currently contributes approximately US$100 million per year to the local economy.

    The SharkSafe BarrierTM consists of high-density polyethylene pipes manufactured locally by KND Fabrications in Maitland, Cape Town. During installation in the ocean, the buoyant pipes are anchored on a grid-like structure one metre apart from one another, with large ceramic magnets staggered in the ocean-facing row. The grid is then weighted by limpet-shaped 200-kilogram cement blocks and secured by substrate specific anchors.

    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 Réunion.

    More information LINK: https://www.sun.ac.za/english/Lists/news/DispForm.aspx?ID=10273

    Watch Video

    SCIENTIFIC TESTS

    PREVIOUS WORKS

    Earlier prototypes of the SharkSafe Barrier™ were installed in The Bahamas and in South Africa from 2012 to 2016. The purpose was to prove the efficacy of the technology to deter bull sharks and white sharks from entering a set area.

    The first commercial installation of the latest product design was successfully exported to Reunion Island in January 2019, for the Shark Security Centre (CSR). The installation in St Paul, Reunion, consisted of a 10mx10m square (on the inside) built with 200 SSB Units.

    The SSB Units required minimal maintenance for 24 months and withstood two years of winter storms at Reunion (See in video from 1:30). The installation was removed in April 2021, at the end of the project.

    Watch Video

    HISTORY

    THE ORIGINS OF

    SHARKSAFE BARRIER™

    The concept of the SharkSafe Barrier™ was conceived in 2011 when Mike Rutzen met marine biologist Dr. Craig O’ Connell.

    Mike, during his free diving sessions with white sharks, had noticed that sharks did not swim through the local kelp forests, even when pursuing cape fur seals. This inspired the idea for a visual barrier biomimicking a forest of kelp, to have the potential to become the first eco-friendly alternative to the conventional shark nets. Craig, who was exploring the use of electrosensory stimuli, such as permanent magnets, to repel sharks from commercial fishing gear and beach nets as part of his PhD project, came to South Africa to test his magnets on the white sharks. The two joined forces and combined their knowledge.

    The SharkSafe Barrier™ technology was developed and tested on bull sharks and white sharks from 2012 to 2016. The SharkSafe Barrier™ proved to be 100% effective in deterring sharks under controlled testing, and after years of rigorous trials, the results were published in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

    View Journals

    Home

    THE FIRST NATURE-INSPIRED ECO-FRIENDLY TECHNOLOGY TO PROTECT PEOPLE AND SHARKS

    WATCH VIDEO

    INTRODUCTION

    WHAT IS SHARKSAFE BARRIER™?

    The SharkSafe Barrier™  has been developed to ensure the safety of beachgoers from shark related accidents.

    Our product prevents the loss of tourism in areas visited by sharks and stop the environmental damage caused by shark cull policies.

    VIEW INTERACTIVE MAP

    Map of all shark-related accidents from 1900 to 2023 – from the International Shark Attack File of the Florida Museum.

    UNPROVOKED SHARK ATTACK

    OUR VISION

    PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE

    At SharkSafe Barrier™ our vision is to provide effective and sustainable solutions to mitigate the shark-human conflict, redefining the way humans interact with the world’s oceans

    OUR MISSION

    INNOVATION & SUSTAINABILITY

    Our mission at SharkSafe Barrier™ is to stop global shark cull policies through innovation, research, and education, all while contributing to social and economic growth. We are committed to developing innovative solutions to shark culling, grounded in thorough research, that contribute to ocean conservation

    OUR VALUES

    AT THE CORE OF SHARKSAFE

    INTEGRITY

    We are committed to cultivating and preserving a robust reputation. At our core, we prioritise honesty, transparency, and ethical behaviour in both customer service and internal management.

    PROFESSIONALISM

    Our team is our greatest asset. Each member of our team is aligned to our mission and contributes with their unique and invaluable skills.

    PASSION FOR THE OCEAN

    Marine conservation is critical to our decision-making.

    PROBLEM

    DECLINE OF BEACH USAGE

    The fear associated with shark attacks has been creating a worldwide decline of beach usage, and a subsequent decline of income for local businesses and national tourism activities.

    The attack on a surfer on Ballina Beach (Australia), caused a US$200,000 loss in sales for a local surf shop. The 19 shark incidents from 2011 to 2016 in La Reunion Island resulted in a US$4.5 million loss per year in tourism revenue.

    Risks associated with shark attacks on beachgoers have been internationally addressed by deploying drumlines and shark nets: technologies developed to minimise shark attacks by reducing shark numbers. Shark nets in particular are not shark specific, and responsible for high levels of biodiversity loss by causing mortality of harmless sharks, whales, dolphins, sea turtles and large bony fishes.

    SOLUTION

    Our innovation provides an eco-friendly alternative that will aid in biodiversity conservation and will reduce shark attacks and anxiety for beachgoers.

    The eco-friendly SharkSafe Barrier™ biomimics the visual effect of a kelp forest (large marine seaweeds), and generates a strong magnetic field through ceramic magnets; this forms a double barrier (visual and magnetic) that keeps sharks from swimming through it. It is made of staggered rows of vertical HDPE pipes containing proprietary magnetic technology that creates a unique repellent to large sharks. Anchored to the seafloor, the SharkSafe Barrier™ allows any other marine life, such as seals and bony fishes, to swim through it, the same way they naturally utilize the kelp forest as a refuge. It also allows for boats to easily pass through.

    Watch Video

    WHAT WE DO

    Our Services

    • An in-depth survey of each area of deployment
    • South Africa manufactured SharkSafe Barrier™ kit
    • Installation in partnership with local, on the ground teams
    • Training of a local team for ongoing
      monitoring and maintenance
    • Shipped worldwide

    The initial survey is crucial to optimize the SharkSafe Barrier™ design and installation to the specific site, and to provide a realistic cost estimate.

    Due to the need to combine the knowledge in the field of shark behaviour with coastal engineering, the established SharkSafe Barrier™ team personally conduct all site surveys.