Eco-friendly barriers to protect ‘shark-attack capital’ Posted on 7 August 2019 Tags:attacks, Indian Ocean, Reunion, sharks Despite the beaches, excellent surf and beautiful scenery, the French isle of Réunion has grown infamous for its propensity for shark attacks occurring in its pretty warm waters. A tiger shark The common practice of deploying nets and baited drumlines (which have been used along Durban’s coastline) poses a threat to sharks, but a new eco-friendly barrier has been tested to keep both people and sharks safe. A University of Stellenbosch researcher (Dr Conrad Matthee) and a diving friend Mike Rutzen helped design and have been testing an eco-friendly prototype modelled on kelp forests off the Cape coast and around Gansbaai. Seals were observed darting into these thick forests that provide coverage and helped them evade the sharks, which seemed to lose interest rather than enter the tangled webs of seaweed. The Sharksafe Barrier ‘bio-mimics the visual effects of a kelp forest’ by using dark pipes which are arranged in a designated, box-like area in the waters. The poles are anchored to ocean floor and float vertically, poking out above the surface of the water. Surfers, swimmers and divers aren’t the only ones who’d benefit from having these safety barriers. Marine biologists working in the waters off the island’s Saint-Paul coast can’t always be alert or vigilant when engrossed in their work. The creators believe the Sharksafe Barrier is the first product of its kind to protect both humans and sharks. Also read: Watch: Saving Jaws Image: supplied/media gallery Related Posts The Lady in the Landy: Carla Geyser 7 February 2023 "We cannot sit back and wait for a miracle to happen; every one of us... read more 88 countries agree on shark fin regulation in historic vote 22 November 2022 Panama was host to CITES in November 2022. For the first time in history, 88... read more The big question after Plett’s fatal shark attack: Why? 27 September 2022 By now, we know that sharks are not the mindless killing machines that horror movies... read more PREV ARTICLE NEXT ARTICLE
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