Shark Mitigation Systems (ASX:SM8), an ASX-listed company focussed on ethically reducing the risk of shark attacks, has announced positive results from independent scientific testing of one of its key visual pattern technologies, known as SAMS.

SAMS is a series of designs based on scientific analysis of shark’s visual systems that can be applied to a variety of applications, including neoprene wetsuits, to disrupt sharks’ ability to visually detect its prey.

As the leader in shark mitigation technology, Shark Mitigation Systems has been successfully marketing and licensing its SAMS technology for 5 years. This technology has now been further validated by scientific testing which has been conducted at Mossel Bay in South Africa in partnership with one of the world’s leading research universities, the University of Western Australia (UWA).

Mossel Bay is well-known as a site with an active population of white sharks. UWA testing compared more than 111 great white shark interactions on specialised equipment with unbaited neoprene material. Sharks took an average of 90 seconds to engage with a “control” black neoprene, while interactions between sharks and SAMS disruptive colouration design took between five to six minutes.

“We’ve known and trusted how effective our technology can be to aid in saving human lives in our oceans. And now with the completion of live scientific testing adding to the body of significant evidence demonstrating its effectiveness, the company takes a major step forward,” said Craig Anderson, Co-founder of Shark Mitigation Systems.

“Unbaited testing is the best way to replicate real-life scenarios. This testing has shown that our technology can increase the time taken before a shark encounter by up to 400% and has some obvious safety implications.”

The company continues to commercialise its SAMS technology, having already signed licencing agreements with a number of water apparel companies, including leading global swimwear brand Arena.

Professor Shaun Collin of the UWA Oceans Institute said: “We have been testing SAMS visual technology for several years now, and it is fantastic that we now have a data set of interactions with white sharks that is large enough to be statistically valid and capable of scientific analysis. The outcome is compelling and it is exciting to see results from our scientist’s new knowledge of shark visual systems making an impact on practical outcomes.”

The completion of these results is well timed for Shark Mitigation Systems as the company has attended the Global Diving Equipment and Marketing Association (DEMA) Trade Show in the USA over the past week, which is a major event for the industry, attracting approximately 9,000 diving industry experts.

In addition to SAMS, Shark Mitigation Systems is also developing its Clever Buoy technology, which uses sonar equipment and specialised software attached to a surface buoy to monitor nearby shark activity. Clever Buoy has been used by the World Surf League and the company is also fielding interest from a variety of governments, private beach resorts and the commercial aquaculture industry.

For more information, visit www.sharkmitigation.com.