Great white sharks — there’s an app for that
A Coroner’s call for more research into Great White sharks, made in the wake of the death of Kaelah Marlow, is set to be realised, but only thanks to the efforts of marine biologist Dr Riley Elliott and more than $30,000 in public donations.
More research into the shark population was one of the key recommendations made by Coroner Michael Robb in his report into the fatal attack at Waihī beach on January 7, 2021.
‘‘Research is the key to preventing or at least reducing the risk of a similar death or injury occurring in the future,’’ he said.
However, the research is only being made possible thanks to public donations totalling, at present, $32,000.
Elliott, who provided expert testimony for the inquiry, said he is set to embark on a project from December 1 to attach satellite tags onto the sharks. Elliott had spoken to Stuff in the past about his battle to secure Department of Conservation permission to commence research.
He had initially requested a DOC permit in December 2020, required as Great White sharks are a protected species under the Wildlife Act making it ‘‘illegal to interact, disturb or harm a Great White in any way without a permit’’.
He said a permit was finally issued 18 months later in June 2022.
‘‘However during this processing time a significant increase and persistence of Great Whites has occurred in the region.’’
He said being asked to provide information for the Marlow inquiry brought back earlier frustrations.
’’I saw the writing was on the wall,’’ he said. ‘‘Research knowledge, and communicating that to people is the answer.’’
Elliott said it’s become something of a personal mission, too, as he said he lives close to where Marlow was killed.
He said the project would see him
sail out to known shark locations and, with the help of burley bags, he said they would try and draw the sharks in before using what he described as a broomsticklike device to ‘‘dart’’ the satellite tag into the shark fin.
’’The real beauty is I’m creating an app and website so the public can see where the sharks are,’’ he said. ‘‘You can then make your own decisions.’’
He said the aim is to tag 20 sharks, so he still needs to raise an additional $48,000 for 12 more of the $4000 satellite tags. He said the project aimed to both help protect the endangered shark species, and help prevent public risk.
‘‘Shark attacks can instil fear and trauma, that’s why [research] is so important.’’
He also said he was disappointed ‘‘it’s taken three summers for this’’ and contrasted his efforts to secure funding against other wildlife funding drives, such as kiwi conservation efforts.
‘‘If these were Kiwis in danger . . . that’s a frustration.’’
He also said he believed there may be a growing population of juvenile Great Whites in the region’s waters, citing three factors: decades of conservation work for sharks, climate change and La Nina weather patterns creating warmer waters and changes to fishing methods.
More information about the research project, and how to help fund the tagging work, can be found online at Sustainable Oceans Society.
In a written statement to Stuff, DOC acting aquatic director Kirstie Knowles said they had not received a funding application from Elliott, and that their limited resources are mostly used for ‘‘research initiated by the department’’.