Surf Life Saving WA confirms increase in shark sightings and numbers off South West beaches

Surf Life Saving WA says shark sightings increased yet again during the past year as the Westpac chopper winds down for the season.

Since September last year, sightings in the Capes region were up about 35 per cent, with a more than 80 per cent increase in the number of actual sharks recorded.

The biggest jump in sightings was in the month leading up to the mid-year break when patrols ceased.

The new figures underscored the importance of the Busselton-based service to the region, according to SLSWA lifesaving general manager Chris Peck.

“While in WA we are blessed with so many accessible beaches, it does provide a challenge when it comes to helping keep beachgoers safe,” he said.

“That is why the service’s unrivalled ability to cover vast expanses of coast in a relatively short period of time makes it such a vital piece of coastal safety initiatives and the State Government’s shark mitigation strategy.”

The figures were released on the heels of updated funding of $17.3 million for the WA shark mitigation strategy, which includes $12.6 million for SLSWA’s communication network and other strategies for the next four years.

Fisheries Minister Don Punch said the helicopter patrols were an “essential” part of the mitigation strategy.

“The community is also playing its part, embracing the benefits of our SharkSmart WA app and recognising the safety advantages of swimming at patrolled beaches or areas with beach enclosures, including the new Bicton Baths enclosure in the City of Melville,” he said.

Local surfers remain hopeful the State Government will invest more funding into the Capes region for emergency response capacity in the case of shark attacks, with the burden predominantly left to other surfers.

Margaret River Recreational Surfers have called for lifeguard patrols at the increasingly busy and unsafe Redgate Beach, as well as extending the SLSWA contract for Margaret River’s River Mouth Beach to nearby areas of the coast.