THE SUCCESS of a recent sharking spotting trial at Watego’s Beach has been so successful that Byron Shire Council will request its continuation.
Mayor Simon Richardson said the trial completed recently was an incredible success.
Ballina MP, Tamara Smith and NSW State Minister, Niall Blair, will be asked to support Council’s initiative to undertake trials at Broken Head, Tallow beach, The Pass and Main Beach.
The study, funded by Byron Shire Council and Ballina MP, Tamara Smith, was led by Sea Shepherd’s National Shark Campaign Coordinator, Natalie Banks.
Ms Banks says she has no qualms in stating that the program would offer Watego’s Beach visitors a lot more security than they have without shark spoting, and “surfers would feel completely comfortable knowing that someone had their backs should a more permanent spotting program be provided.”
Expert advice was provided by representatives of the Shark Spotters program in Cape Town, South Africa.
“At a time when northern NSW is looking for solutions to shark mitigation in the region, I am personally proud to be a part of offering the community scientific and proven solutions that could potentially be the way forward for Byron Bay,” she says.
The program was the only one that met eight assessment criteria including; a whole-of-beach solution, poses no risks to humans or wildlife, would be suitable for NSW beaches, has been tested on white sharks (and a variety of other shark species), has been peer reviewed, and the costs for the program are low.