Report following fatal SA shark attacks highlights concerns over fishing, cage diving
Granites Beach south of Streaky Bay on the western side of SA's Eyre Peninsula has been the site of two recent fatal shark attacks. (ABC News: Che Chorley)
In short:
The District Council of Streaky Bay will consider restrictions on cray pots near Granites following a report into shark mitigation.
The report comes after two recent fatal shark attacks in the area.
What's next?
The council wants more state government funding for shark mitigation measures.
A community reeling from two fatal shark attacks has expressed concerns that recreational activities, such as cage diving, could be impacting shark activity in the area.
Two months on from the death of 28-year-old Lance Appleby, who was taken by a shark at Granites beach near Streaky Bay, the local council and Surf Life Saving South Australia (SLSSA) have released a report with 28 recommendations for shark mitigation.
Previous community-led mitigation efforts include cardboard signs and a $24 air horn, but the council is now considering bigger changes, including the exclusion of cray pots at Granites.
Among the concerns covered in the report, the influence of human activity on shark behaviour and inadequate communication due to "black spots" around Streaky Bay both featured heavily.
Shark conditioning
During community consultation, residents raised concerns that activities like cray fishing, cage diving, and shark sighting tours could be "conditioning" sharks.
The idea of shark-related tourism inadvertently "conditioning" sharks has been supported by studies in the past.
Shark cage diving is one of many community concerns raised in a report into shark mitigation on the Eyre Peninsula. (Supplied: Calypso Star Charters)
The concern is that by increasing sharks' exposure to humans, and using bait to attract them for tourism purposes, sharks could begin to associate boats and humans with food.
Such baiting is regulated by the Department for Environment and Water.
Exclusion zones
Conditioning related to fishing practices was another source of concern among Eyre Peninsula locals, with several residents, including Mr Appleby's father, suggesting cray pots near reef breaks at Granites could attract sharks.
The council is now considering excluding cray pots near Granites, the location of two fatal attacks.
"While this proposal requires further consultation with stakeholders, many in the community view it as a potential solution and an opportunity to explore broader protections for surf zones across South Australia," the report said.
The Fisheries Management Act allows for such temporary restrictions to be placed on fishing practices.
A lack of communication
Poor mobile reception along key access points, including Surfers Beach, Pinnacles, and Granites, was found to "hinder emergency response efforts", with new infrastructure flagged as a possible solution.
Unreliable communication was found to not only increase risk for visitors unable to contact emergency services, but also complicate response coordination, "potentially delaying critical intervention".
The report recommended a state government feasibility study into priority coverage locations and technology suitability.
Emergency services on Granites Beach in January 2025 searching for Lance Appleby, who was fatally attacked by a shark while surfing. (ABC News: Trent Murphy)
A call for support
Streaky Bay Mayor Travis Barber said the community was seeing the effects of the recent attacks.
"Ocean users are now too afraid to enter the water, tourism has been impacted, and some residents are even considering leaving the region," he said.
"We need effective shark mitigation measures to restore public confidence and ensure our coastline remains safe."
The council is calling for more support from the state government to implement the recommendations, following $500,000 announced by Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development Clare Scriven in November.
That funding was aimed at coastal risk assessments such as this one, signage, trauma kits and drones to be delivered by Surf Life Saving SA.
A shark bite first-aid kit on a clifftop at Elliston on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula. (ABC News: Che Chorley)
Ms Scriven said in a statement that the government and SLSSA had "prioritised Streaky Bay and coastal communities on the Eyre Peninsula as priority given the attacks and sightings in 2023 and 2024".
"SLSSA are continuing to complete coastal risk assessments across key coastal communities, and once this work is complete it will assist with consolidating both short and medium to long-term measures for the future," she said.
"Our state government remains committed to ensuring our regional and metro communities understand and are educated of the full risks whenever entering the ocean."
The New South Wales government pledged $85 million in funding from 2022-2026 for shark mitigation, while the Western Australian government allocated $17 million in its 2024-25 budget.
South Australian MP Tom Koutsantonis said the government was acting in accordance with expert advice.
"We base our expenditure on science and we listen to the experts, so what we've done is given Surf Life Saving $450,000 for greater drone activity and other activities to monitor our beaches, and we've given of course, more money for helicopter surveillance over our beaches," he said.
"As we need to expend money we will to keep people safe, but ultimately there's no level of expenditure that will fully protect people from swimming in the open ocean.
"In the end, our coastlines are very, very different. It's no good comparing what occurs in New South Wales to what's occurring in South Australia — so it's horses for courses."
Editor's note (26/03/2025): An earlier version of this story stated "The District Council of Streaky Bay will consider restrictions on recreational fishing following a report into shark mitigation". The story has been updated to make clear the restrictions being considered relate specifically to cray pot fishing near Granites Beach, not other recreational fishing activities.