The area at Coogee Beach to be protected and (below) what the barrier will look like.
Camera IconThe area at Coogee Beach to be protected and (below) what the barrier will look like. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Rigid shark barrier backed

Bryce Luff, Fremantle GazetteFremantle Gazette

The society issued a release on July 26 calling for a re-think of shark nets after a humpback whale became tangled off Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.

The whale was eventually freed, but the group said it was a timely reminder that nets did not work and that an alternative had to be found.

But after taking a look at the proposal put forward by Bibra Lake company Form Designs, they might have found that alternative.

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Supporters co-ordinator Asia Armstrong said the Coogee enclosure looked the goods. She said she was happy that it would not be too far out to sea and would be less likely to interact with migrating whales.

‘Our view is that the Coogee Beach proposal poses less risk of accidentally capturing marine species,’ she said.

‘The shark nets deployed in Queensland are quite different to the barrier proposed at Coogee Beach. The nets used in Queensland are essentially floating shark fishing nets set a way out from shore and so pose a much higher risk to whales.’

Lead designer of the Eco Shark Barrier Edward Khoury said he was confident the patented design would stand up against all tests.

‘We have gone in with a basic concept and developed a product that will revolutionise the shark barrier industry. It ticks all the boxes for marine life and people using the beach as well,’ Mr Khoury said.

Craig Moss, the barrier’s inventor, said protecting marine life was key to its design.