National Standard Operating Procedures - Jul 2022

a) Species (if known)
b) Length (approx.)
c) Number of animals
d) Distance from shore
e) Direction of travel (if known)
f) Establish whether water users in close proximity to the shark’s location have been
advised or not.
4.4 If the shark sighting is within 500m of the flag patrol, request all swimmers leave the
water as soon as practicable without unnecessarily alarming them.
4.5 Close the Flagged Area and place appropriate shark signage if available, and advise the
public and beach users to remain clear of the water.
4.6 Begin a scan of the water from an elevated position to observe the shark, starting from
the last known location and extending to 500m either side of the Flagged Area where
practicable.
4.7 Inform neighbouring Clubs, beaches and Surfcom where relevant.
4.8 Do NOT in any circumstance attempt to capture, kill or injure the shark.
4.9 Do NOT in any circumstance attempt to chase or drive the shark away using an IRB or
other craft, unless there is imminent risk of harm to water users.
4.10 The decision to reopen the Flagged Area to the public is at the discretion of the Patrol
Captain. It is recommended that the Flagged Area stays closed for a minimum of 30
minutes after the last sighting, once thorough observations have been completed from
an elevated location.
4.11 Once it has been determined that the Flagged Area is safe to reopen, then normal patrol
operating procedures should be re-established under the direction of the Patrol Captain.
NSOP
SHARK SIGHTING NSOP_FINAL 91