Aussie company to deploy world-first shark warning technology at surfing events

An Australian company which developed a shark-detecting "Clever Buoy" has on Wednesday won a contract to protect surfers at the now-infamous J-Bay Open in South Africa, a year after Australian surfer Mick Fanning was attacked by a great white shark.

Shares in Shark Mitigation Systems (SMS) surged following the news which will result in a number of the Clever Buoys being strategically placed around the bay during the tournament to be held next month.

The smart buoys use sonar transducers to scan nearby water for marine life, and alert operators in real-time to any threat posed by a nearby shark, while SMS also collaborated with the University of Western Australia (UWA) to design a patterned wetsuit which is perceived as dangerous and unpalatable to sharks.

SMS co-founder Craig Anderson said recent developments in shark deterrent technology could make waters safer for everyone in the future, but said interest from the professional surfing circuit was a great leap forward for competitor safety.

"We are very excited to be working with the pro surfing league to showcase our technology," Anderson told News Corp on Wednesday.

"This will help place our technology on the world stage, showing what it can do to keep surfers and other ocean users safe in the water."

It's the first time the company's products will be used internationally, after a local trial was deemed "highly successful" earlier this year.

The technology could also be implemented to protect hobby surfers, who are increasingly at-risk of shark attack -- particularly in Australia.

In the last month alone, two people have been attacked and killed by sharks in the Australian state of Western Australia (WA). Endit