A 17-year-old surfer was attacked by a great white shark at Lighthouse Beach in Ballina, New South Wales, on Tuesday morning, reigniting debate over the effectiveness of a controversial eco-barrier project. The teenager, Cooper Allen, was surfing above the concrete bases of a half-built shark barrier that the state government had promised would protect surfers. The installation was halted months ago after the surf began dismantling the structure and scattering metal parts along the coast.
This is the fourth serious shark attack within one kilometre of the beach since February 2015. Witnesses reported the shark was about 3.5 metres long and struck from behind, leaving deep gashes on Allen's upper thigh. He is now in hospital. The attack has heightened community anxiety, with local surf shop sales dropping by 90 per cent last year, according to a friend of ABC NSW North Coast journalist Bruce MacKenzie.
The eco-barrier, designed to avoid netting sharks and marine life, was trialled at Coogee Beach in Western Australia in early 2014 but failed at Ballina due to excessive sand movement. Founder Craig Moss of Eco Shark Barrier said divers could not install moorings because sand covered their work overnight. Local surfers had warned the government of this problem, said Don Munro, president of the local boardriders club. A second barrier, the Aquarius Barrier at nearby Lennox Head, became what locals called an 'environmental disaster,' with nylon netting fraying and plastic debris scattered for kilometres.
The New South Wales Department of Primary Industries admitted both barriers posed a 'moderate' risk to surfer safety. The trials were part of a $16 million government package that also included aerial surveillance and listening buoys, but critics say these measures have been inadequate. MacKenzie noted that the surveillance helicopter was far away near the Queensland border during the attack, and the buoys only detect tagged sharks.
