Shark Shield: the latest and possibly greatest innovation in shark determent
Those who have our app downloaded to their phones know that the number of shark incidents in Australia is quite high. In fact, some may think it is the area of the world with the most. Not true. Florida actually is rated the highest; Australia being second. The reason why one might think Australia leads the pack is because the incidents occurring there mostly involve great white sharks whose exploratory bite is more significant, at times deadly. This fact does not go unnoticed.
Australia has put a great amount of effort into keeping surfers, spear fishermen, snorkelers and swimmers safe by attempting to control where sharks swim. From shark nets to culling and everything in between, the Australian government has yet to find a truly effective means to not only protect swimmers but sharks as well.
The answer might be here. Shark Shield is an organization that has developed an entire product line which uses electrical impulses do deter sharks from enjoying you as much as you enjoy the water. So whether you are a scuba diver, surfer, enjoy spear fishing or swimming, they have a product for you.
According to their website, back in 1995 it was discovered that sharks have a heightened sensitivity to close-range, low frequency electrical fields. Two decades of intensive global research has developed this knowledge into a reliable and essential piece of equipment that protects visitors to the ocean and the sharks that live there
Shark Shield consists of two electrodes which, when both are submerged, emit a three-dimensional electronic field that surrounds the user. When a shark comes within a few meters of the Shark Shield, the strong electronic pulses emitted by the device cause the shark to experience muscle spasms
This does NOT harm the shark in any way, but merely causes it to experience a high level of discomfort. From testing, the closer the shark is to the Shark Shield field, the more spasms occur in the sharks’ snouts, which results in it turning away from the electronic field, thereby protecting the user.
According to an independent scientific study, Shark Shield could very will eliminate the need for culling and create a safe haven for ocean activities. In a nutshell, out of 322 encounters with sharks, 41 being great white, all but one turned away from the bait with equipped with Shark Shield technology and the one that did get through was only after several attempts.
I feel with the amount research and successful tests, the Australian government should consider investing in this product. Purchasing this product in its various forms for the citizens of their county that enjoy water sports would make sense. Australia has spent literally millions of dollars on various means of deterring sharks. Relatively speaking, Shark Shield products would be a minimal investment.
Lindsay Lyon, Shark Shield Managing Director will be posing the question, “Can sharks be taught to not attack humans” at the International Surfing Symposium on the Gold Coast Australia. I think the government should take a good listen and consider embracing the technology that could solve the on-going issue of what to do about sharks its country faces. Shark Shield could very well be the answer to improving shark and human relations and allowing both to co-exist in harmony.
Sharkbytes founder and CEO Eric Knox spoke with Lyon at the Surf Expo in Florida back in January. Between the wealth of knowledge he provided and the research proven success of this product, we support and encourage its use. We feel it is endorses our mission of improving shark-human relations; coupled with our app it could be a contributing factor in helping people beach safely.
