Recently listed Perth shark deterrent an detection company Shark Mitigation Systems is now officially punching above its weight as an ASX junior after world surfing legend Taj Burrow agreed to lend his name to the brand as its world wide Ambassador.
Burrow will help focus global attention on Shark Mitigation Systems unique marine products that are embedded with particular patterns that have been scientifically designed to confuse a shark’s sense of vision in order to deter it from attacking.
The company’s principal products are wetsuits hence the involvement of Burrow however the shark deterrent patterns can also be applied to other marine products such as surfboards and general surf craft.
Shark Mitigation Systems designed and tested their shark deterrent patterns in conjunction with the University of Western Australia before listing on the ASX just a few weeks ago.
The company’s research that was undertaken in collaboration with the University of W.A’s Oceans Institute and School of Animal Biology, shows that sharks see in “contrasts” and that a monotone dark colored wetsuit is often mistaken for prey.
Shark Mitigation Systems have developed two wetsuit designs created to reduce the risk of shark attacks. The first consists of bold and brightly contrasting patterns specifically crafted from the research.
The boldly contrasting patterns are designed to confuse sharks into thinking an item may be dangerous or unpalatable and is targeted at surface swimmers or surfers wearing wetsuits or riding surfboards.
The other design mimics the color spectrum of deep water, effectively shielding a deep water diver from the contrasting vision of a shark by allowing him to blend into the color of the water.
Burrow will now use his considerable star power to alert the international market to the existence of Shark Mitigation’s technologically designed wetsuits and other marine craft.
He was the runner up world champion surfer in 1999 and then backed up again in 2007 to finish second on the leader board.
He has dispensed with some of the biggest names in the surfing business whilst on the world circuit including Kelly Slater and Adriano De Souza and he has won most of the bigger events. These include the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach, the Billabong Pipeline Masters in Hawaii and the Quiksilver Pro on the Gold Coast.
Mr Burrow said “I am extremely excited to get involved with a company that is committed to keeping surfers and swimmers safe. My interest has been fueled by Shark Mitigation Systems' scientific and ethical approach to developing technologies that improve methods to mitigate the chance of a shark attack.”
“The company’s technologies use modern science to help protect marine life, whilst at the same time they make the ocean safer for surfers and other beach users, and that’s got to be great news for all water users.” said Mr Burrow.
SM8 Co-founder Craig Anderson said: “We are delighted to welcome Taj as part of Shark Mitigation Systems as an ambassador. As a surfing legend, Taj knows better than anyone the risks of competing in and appreciating the ocean, and the importance of sharing the ocean with its natural inhabitants.”
The involvement of Burrow is a major coup for Shark Mitigation Systems that will no doubt create a good deal of world wide curiosity in their wetsuits and other marine products.
They are also in the process of commercializing their ‘Clever Buoy‘ technology that is essentially a big marine buoy that has been taught to detect the way sharks swim and raise the alarm onshore.
By Matt Birney
