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DR SARA ANDREOTTI PRESENTS HER SHARKSAFE BARRIER AT UNOC25 IN NICE & BEFF IN MONACO
As a preface to his “Ocean” documentary, Sir David Attenborough made a profound statement: “After living for nearly 100 years on this planet, I now understand the most important place on earth is not on land, but at sea.” His voyage of natural discovery on earth, spanning his entire adult life, brought him to an aha moment: the firm conviction that if we save the sea, we save our world. Another fervent believer in the importance of the ocean to our planet’s health is marine biologist Dr Sara Andreotti, who, for the past few years, has been guiding us on a deep dive into shark conservation. We are privileged to see through her eyes the crucial role her beloved Great White Sharks play in the health of the ocean.
Sara and her Stellenbosch University teams have been perfecting and refining her invention – the SharkSafe Barrier – developed to create a more harmonious co-existence between humans and sharks (“the shepherds of the sea”). Her unique barrier structures are now in place around Réunion and in the Bahamas, and have garnered much admiration around the world. Recently, she was invited to present the SharkSafe Barrier Project – a scalable, nature-inspired innovation that protects both people and fragile marine life – at UNOC25 in Nice, and the BEFF (Blue Economy and Finance Forum) in Monaco. She shares her experiences and insights with us here:
I have just returned from Nice and Monaco, where I had the honour and opportunity of being invited to the United Nations Ocean Conference 2025 (UNOC25), as well as the Blue Economy and Finance Forum in Monaco (BEFF).
We would think that these United Nation events are a common occurrence, but UNOC25 is only the third time in history where representatives from all over world came together to discuss how to accelerate global commitments to protect and sustainably use the ocean, seas, and marine resources, in line with Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG14).
Both events were in fact a pivotal moment in the global ocean agenda, and what emerged, more strongly than ever, is that protecting our Oceans is no longer a choice, but a necessity for the survival of the human species. Marine biologists, climate scientists, oceanographers, conservationists and pretty much anyone who ever put their head below the ocean surface, know that: without a healthy ocean, there can be no healthy planet.
It was inspirational to hear the same message echoed by government leaders, investment funds, banks, insurance companies, and shipping industry representatives; all of whom committed to putting their money, influence and effort into action together, urgently and at scale, to safeguard our ocean for future generations.
We have felt for so long that only a bunch of ocean-lovers were carrying the burden alone on their shoulders, so it was wonderful to realise that responsibility is now being shouldered by all levels of our society, on a global scale!
Now that the dust has settled I must say it was an intense but incredibly inspiring week.
In fact, UNOC25 really was more than a conference; it was a true call to action. A space where scientists, policymakers, indigenous leaders, innovators, youth and funders came together under the same roof, to listen to each other, air complaints and concerns together, and explore solutions together.
I feel that the President of Costa Rica is the person who best summarised the group sentiment. He said: “Vision without action is just hallucination”.
So, we were building bridges together. We looked where the gaps for finances are, we helped each other by sharing our networks, and worked to build the frameworks and partnerships necessary to drive real change.
From the outside, it might have looked like a lot of talk and no action, but the talks were, for once, very driven by the urgency for tangible actions, to the point that we will see the next 6 months what the first movements will be.
As someone who’s worked in shark conservation and ocean innovation for almost two decades, these events also reaffirmed what I’ve always believed: science alone is not enough. We need collaboration. We need funding. We need public support.
We explored how regenerative models of tourism, climate-resilient infrastructure, and community-driven innovation can all contribute to both economic development and ocean health; and I was particularly reassured by seeing more and more local solutions being scaled globally. Conservation is increasingly being seen not as a cost, but as an investment in our collective future.
Thanks to our OceanHub Africa (https://www.oceanhub.africa/) and Uplink Economic Forum (https://uplink.weforum.org) affiliations, our SharkSafe Barrier solution was given many platforms. It was discussed at the Impactful Innovation Day organised by Katapult Ocean (https://katapult.vc/ocean/). It was showcased in the 1000 Ocean Start-Ups (https://www.1000oceanstartups.org/) Reef. It was pitched at the Innovation in an Ocean World, hosted by the Schmidt Ocean Institute (https://schmidtocean.org/) and Ocean Impact Organisation (https://www.ocean-impact.org/). You could say I was all over the place, sharing with more and more people that we have a much better, harmonious alternative to tackle the shark-human conflict than the existing shark-nets and drumlines.
I have recently been told that I am living in a “dream world”. The truth is, I am very much living in the real world, just working every day to change it. UNOC25 and the BEFF were both good reminders that despite different languages, cultures, and sectors, the entire world can come together, beyond borders and politics, to preserve what connects us all: the ocean.
—Dr Sara Andreotti
Marine Biologist, Stellenbosch University Associate, Co-Founder of SharkSafe Barrier, SharkWise Project and Founding Director of the SCAR Trust
Dr Sara Andreotti’s work is a local iteration of an international call for action with a clear message: Protecting the ocean is no longer optional, it’s crucial. From scientists to investors, momentum for sustainable ocean solutions is building fast. At Italtile, we’re proud to be a small but meaningful part of the Blue Economy, and as an Italtile customer, you should be, too: for every Tivoli Tap we sell, a donation of R2 goes to Dr Sara Andreotti’s SharkSafe Barrier work, through our SharkWise Project. Explore more here: https://www.italtile.co.za/blog/post/italtile-launches-the-sharkwise-project.html
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