New Shark Enclosures for two Beaches in Reunion Island

Helmut Nickel (mail), Shark Year Magazine,
09. December 2015

The authorities in Reunion Island have designated the beaches of Boucan Canot and Roches Noires as locations for new seabed-to-surface barriers that are supposed to protect people by preventing sharks from entering the enclosed area. The two beaches are located in the commune of Saint-Paul on the island’s west coast, where a number of severe shark incidents have occurred in recent years.

The new shark enclosures are up to 11 metres high and designed as a system of chains, floats and nets with a mesh size of 40 cm.

In Boucan Canot, the underwater fence has already been installed recently and it covers the area between the natural pool of Boucan and hotel Saint Alexis.
Although, a few additional days are still needed to completely finish the work on the barrier.
So in the meanwhile, beachgoers are urged to avoid this area and to stay out of the water.

Regarding the other location in Roches Noire, the work on this non-lethal shark mitigation measure is scheduled to commence between end of December and mid-January.

The installed barrier in Boucan Canot measures about 626 metres in length (other source: 680 m) and the second one at the beach of Roches Noires will be about 531 metres long. So, together, both shark barriers will have a total length of approx. 1.157 metres and shall secure a surface area of ca. 141.000 m² for water users.

According to local officials, these newly invented shark enclosures will guarantee the safe operation of water activities (like swimming but also surfing, kayaking, and diving) for at least 320 days a year.
They are operating effectively in sea conditions with up to 4 metres wave height.

Embedded below is a video clip ( uploaded by the YouTube-poster ‘Guillaum’ on 04. December 2015 ) that shows us the scene off Boucan Canot.

Sources: Préfecture Réunion, IPReunion.

 

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