Efficacia e impatto ecologico della SharkSafe Barrier

In the last few decades, the interaction between humans and sharks in the coastal areas has become increasingly popular as a topic in scientific papers and in social interest, in particular in areas such as South Africa, where the presence of large shark species overlaps with balnear touristic activities. Historically, the management of the risk of shark encounters is based on the use of traditional shark-nets, used to limit the number of incidents. However, numerous studies have highlighted how this type of net has a significant environmental impact, as the elevated shark mortality and the bycatch of non-target species, with negative consequence of marine ecosystems. In the context, the SafeShark barrier technology emerges as a non-lethal alternative, developed to guarantee the safety of people and reduce the impact on the marine fauna. This type of barrier is based on biological principles and shark behaviour, resulting physically permeable to most marine species and contributing at the same time to the creation of structures similar to artificial barriers. The aim of this thesis is to evaluate the efficacy of the SafeShark Barrier in comparison to the traditional shark-nets, with a specific highlight to three specific aspects. The protection of marine fauna, the safety of the coastal ecosystems, and coastal safety. Through a critical revision of the scientific literature and a comparative analysis of case studies related to South Africa, the results are examined for both mitigation strategies. The results suggest that the SafeShark Barrier represents a valid alternative to the traditional shark-nets, offering an elevated level of safety for humans and at the same time a significant decrease in the bycatch and in the ecological impacts. In light of this evidence, the SafeShark Barrier emerges as a sustainable solution and is compatible with the aims in marine conservation and the management of costal areas

In the last few decades, the interaction between humans and sharks in the coastal areas has become increasingly popular as a topic in scientific papers and in social interest, in particular in areas such as South Africa, where the presence of large shark species overlaps with balnear touristic activities. Historically, the management of the risk of shark encounters is based on the use of traditional shark-nets, used to limit the number of incidents. However, numerous studies have highlighted how this type of net has a significant environmental impact, as the elevated shark mortality and the bycatch of non-target species, with negative consequence of marine ecosystems. In the context, the SafeShark barrier technology emerges as a non-lethal alternative, developed to guarantee the safety of people and reduce the impact on the marine fauna. This type of barrier is based on biological principles and shark behaviour, resulting physically permeable to most marine species and contributing at the same time to the creation of structures similar to artificial barriers. The aim of this thesis is to evaluate the efficacy of the SafeShark Barrier in comparison to the traditional shark-nets, with a specific highlight to three specific aspects. The protection of marine fauna, the safety of the coastal ecosystems, and coastal safety. Through a critical revision of the scientific literature and a comparative analysis of case studies related to South Africa, the results are examined for both mitigation strategies. The results suggest that the SafeShark Barrier represents a valid alternative to the traditional shark-nets, offering an elevated level of safety for humans and at the same time a significant decrease in the bycatch and in the ecological impacts. In light of this evidence, the SafeShark Barrier emerges as a sustainable solution and is compatible with the aims in marine conservation and the management of coastal areas