City of Fremantle explores shark barrier options

The City of Fremantle is exploring suitable locations for a shark barrier to be installed along its coastline or river to address community concerns following the recent fatal shark attack at North Bank. 

Year 11 student Stella Berry, aged 16, had been riding a jet ski at Fremantle on 4th February when she jumped in the water and was fatally attacked by what was suspected to be a bull shark.

Fremantle Council has this week agreed to appoint a qualified consultant to investigate options for protected swimming areas in Fremantle and provide a report which can be assessed by Council and information that can be used to apply for the state government funding that is available to cover the cost of the infrastructure.

The State Shark Hazard Mitigation Program funding sees up to $400,000 per year allocated to local government projects for the purchase and installation of shark barriers at either river or ocean locations, while the ongoing maintenance and operational costs would be managed by the relevant councils.

It was extended to include river locations following the tragic death of Berry in the river in February.

A protected swimming spot would help address community concerns following two fatal sharks in the last two years in Fremantle.

Fremantle Mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge commented "Our community has been rocked by two devastating losses of life in the last 18 months, and people are increasingly nervous about swimming in both the ocean and river.

"Protected swimming areas are popular and give people a sense of safety that sadly is missing for many right now.

“Being in the water is a key part of our Freo lifestyle and this opportunity is definitely worth exploring.

“I’d love to see a decision made in time for us to potentially have a barrier in by next summer."

Other shark safety measures in place in Fremantle include the Shark Warning System tower at Port Beach, which is automatically triggered when a tagged shark passes the beacon within an 800-metre radius.

Leighton Beach also has a manual alarm, which is sounded when a shark sighting occurs, and has recently been approved for a second Shark Warning System tower.

Surf Life Saving WA aerial patrols and Fremantle Surf Life Saving Club weekend patrols also actively monitor for sharks.

Mayor Fitzhardinge added “the City’s Community Safety Officers do an excellent job and are quick to close the beaches and help patrol the area when a shark sighting is reported.”

Fremantle’s beaches and rivers include South Beach, Bathers Beach, Port Beach, Sandtrax Beach, Leighton Beach, North Bank, Harvey Beach and parts of the Swan River.

The City will now enter into a procurement process to engage a consultant to investigate suitable locations, preferred technology, environmental considerations and expected capital and operational cost.