Shark Spotters set to spread their wings
SA duo in Australia to share knowledge on how project works
THE SHARK Spotters programme which has been successfully run on several Cape Town beaches for 11 years could soon be replicated in Australia and parts of the US. Project manager Sarah Waries and field manager Monwabisi Sikweyiya are currently in Australia for a two-week trip to explain how the scheme works and to determine whether local beaches would be suitable for a similar programme. They were brought over by conservation groups Sea Shepherd and No Shark Cull.
It is the only programme of its kind in the world and since being implemented in 2004 there has only been one fatal shark attack on beaches covered by spotters.
It was started by a group of local surfers after then teenager John Paul “JP” Andrew was attacked by a great white shark, and was later adopted by the City of Cape Town.
Spotters use a system of flags and sirens to warn beachgoers if sharks are in the vicinity but they are also involved in education, research and provide emergency care in the event of an attack. So far they have recorded nearly 2 000 shark sightings since the programme began.
Waries said: “We did seven site visits today (yesterday), three of which show potential for shark spotting.
“We have two community forums here in Western Australia this week as well as meetings with local government departments, politicians and lifesaving organisations, then we head over to Queensland and New South Wales on Saturday.”
Dr Alison Kock, the programme’s research manager, said there had been a lot of debate in Australia recently on lethal versus non-lethal methods when dealing with sharks. She said that in Queensland they used shark nets and drum lines, much like the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board.
In Western Australia, following several attacks, a controversial culling system was introduced. “It received a lot of debate but was eventually cancelled. But they still go out and hunt sharks after an attack.”
She said Western Australia also had an “imminent threat policy”.
“So if there is a large white shark patrolling they will go out and try to catch it even if it hasn’t attacked anyone.”
Kock said a review had been done in New South Wales looking at possible options like exclusion nets, shark spotters and electric cables.
“The Shark Spotters programme was the only method that got the green light for all the criteria which included effectiveness and cost.”
Kock said it was a fantastic opportunity for South African representatives to share the message of shark spotting which finds the balance of keeping people safe without killing sharks or harming the environment.
She added that shark spotting could never be 100 percent effective because it depended on visibility and weather conditions. “It is also only as good as people listening to warnings.”
Kock did a similar trip in January in Cape Cod in the US where roleplayers had noticed a spike in great white sharks.
Numbers had risen from five individuals in one year to 150 five years later.
She met with scientists and government officials who were interested in the Shark Spotters programme.