Bicton Baths shark barrier to be installed by mid-December

A shark barrier is set to be installed at Bicton Baths by mid-December, in time for peak swimming season.

The tender for the enclosure was awarded to Bibra Lake-based Global Marine Enclosures, who have also installed similar enclosures at Wanneroo’s Quinns Beach and Middleton Beach, Albany.

The approximately 50m by 50m barrier will be attached to the existing jetty structure, and is designed to allow small marine life to pass through whilst preventing the entry of large marine animals such as sharks, minimising impact on the local ecosystem.

The enclosure has also been designed to withstand significantly higher wave energy, weather impacts, tides and currents than is expected at Bicton Baths.

The installation of the barrier was first announced in February 2023 in response to the fatal shark attack on 16-year-old Stella Berry at North Fremantle.

The Baths have been used extensively by the local community since the 1920s, including by local schools and for VacSwim classes, and are currently in the midst of an existing revitalisation program to upgrade change rooms, footpaths and more.

Image credit: City of Melville