Great white sharks are swimming in increasing numbers along the WA coastline, as well as increasingly close to shore, so it’s little surprise the WA Government has again turned to an Aussie company to install solar-powered tagged-shark detection receivers in the region.

Experts suggest the increase in shark numbers is due to great whites having had 23 years of recovery as a protected species in WA waters, combined with an explosion of their food source in shallower waters, with whales increasingly hugging WA bays on their migratory journeys.

The WA Government announced last week that it will deliver $5.1 million for shark mitigation strategies in 2022/23, including installing and upgrading shark detection receivers and shark warning towers.

Spectur (ASX: SP3) was on site at Sorrento Beach on Friday for the official unveiling of its most recently installed tagged-shark detection receiver – a high-tech device linked to a new onshore Shark Warning System tower to improve safety at the popular swimming area.

The new receiver – which can detect sharks within a larger range and operate on the digital phone network instead of by satellite – provides detection information directly to the SharkSmart WA app, Surf Life Saving WA and the SharkSmart website.

New shark alert tower at Sorrento. Credit: Spectur

It is one of four next-generation receivers between South Mullaloo and Ocean Reef, all of which are linked to new towers that are equipped with lights, sirens and audio messages to alert beachgoers of tagged shark activity in real time.

City of Joondalup rangers can also manually activate any of the warning towers from a mobile device, following reported shark sightings in the area.

There are currently 37 tagged-shark detection receivers along the metro coast and in regional locations, with plans underway to upgrade all the state’s receivers.

“Shark hazard mitigation in WA is a shared responsibility between the State Government and local governments, and I congratulate the City of Joondalup on its work to keep the community safe at their beaches,” WA Fisheries Minister Don Punch said.

In June, Australian councils were urged to review their beach safety measures after a Spectur device played a crucial role in the rescue of a drowning fisherman. At the time, the incident in northern NSW marked at least the third time since February that Spectur’s internet and AI-enabled camera platforms had assisted lifesavers on Australia’s coastlines.

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Sources:

• washarkattacks.net, Shark attacks and whale migration in Western Australia
• mediastatements.wa.gov.au, Improved shark hazard mitigation along Joondalup coast