Shark Shield maker defends failed test

SYDNEY, Feb. 29 (UPI) -- The Australian manufacturer of electronic shark deterrent devices says a model that was eaten by a shark off the coast of South Africa had malfunctioned.

Sea Change Technology Director Rod Hartley said at an inquest into the death of a man who was killed by a great white shark in South Australia in 2005, that the failed South African test was the result of a problem with the electrode's configuration, the Sydney Daily Telegraph reported Friday.

Hartley said his products bear a disclaimer that explains the Shark Shield only repels the animals while the user is stationary.

"The surf product only can be guaranteed to work when it's stationary, not when it's surfing in the wave or paddling," Hartley said.

The inquest into diver Jarrod Stehbens' death has heard several concerns about Shark Shields, including concerns that the products may attract, rather than deter, sharks, the newspaper said.