A new trial of the Clever Buoy shark detection marine buoy instigated by the NSW Government could provide a major boost for Perth-based ASX listed Shark Mitigation Systems.
NSW Minister for Primary Industries, Niall Blair, announced this week that his department would team up with the University of Technology in Sydney to conduct a field trial of the Clever Buoy about 1km offshore near Hawks Nest at Port Stephens.
The Clever Buoy is a remarkable piece of innovation that uses sonar to detect moving underwater objects and then applies unique software to identify the distinctive movement patterns of particular sharks. Alerts are transmitted in real time to provide advance warnings to lifeguards.
The system has already won a string of plaudits for its ability to protect beachgoers from shark attacks with the most notably from the famous Bondi Rescue lifeguards in NSW.
Following a successful trial at Bondi Beach earlier this year, the system was formally endorsed by the Australian Professional Ocean Lifeguard Association as “the only commercially available detection system capable of deployment in high surf zones to provide real-time information for lifeguards.”
The new trial at Hawks Nest will involve the installation of a series of underwater stereo video cameras that will record for up to five hours each day for a four-week period. The collected images of white sharks will be compared to the alert information generated by the Clever Buoy, making it the ultimate test of the system’s effectiveness.
Shark Mitigation Systems’ managing director, Craig Anderson, said “This technology continues to prove itself across many applications, and we very much look forward to further independent validation confirming Clever Buoy’s capability in detecting white sharks. We expect this collaboration to accelerate the rollout of Clever Buoy deployments globally.”
Clever Buoy attracted global attention earlier this year when it was deployed in South Africa for the JBay Pro Open, the scene of last year’s unforgettable encounter between Mick Fanning and a great white shark.
Shark Mitigation shareholders will no doubt ride a renewed wave of optimism that could translate into global revenue opportunities if the Hawks Nest trial proves to be a success.
By Matt Birney
