Flinders University student Bridgette O’Shannessy became the third victim of a serious shark attack in South Australian waters in just over a month when she was bitten on the face while diving off Port Noarlunga jetty in Adelaide on Friday.

An SA Health spokesperson on Monday said the 32-year-old remains in a stable condition at Flinders Medical Centre.

On October 25, 55-year-old Tod Gendle was taken by a suspected great white while surfing near Streaky Bay on the west coast, while Pamela Cook, 64, suffered serious leg injuries after being bitten by a shark at Beachport in the state’s south east on October 2.

Surf Life Saving SA chief executive Damien Marangon recommended a comprehensive management plan, including tagging sharks and deploying beacons along the coast, to prevent sharks approaching beaches.

“We’ve seen these systems implemented with success along the east coast in popular areas like Bondi Beach in Sydney,” he said.

The organisation’s new Geographic Information System and State Operations Centre would also play a key role in data tracking and assist in the deployment of resources and assets to monitor and manage shark responses.

Marangon acknowledged there was likely to be a level of heightened anxiety given the recent increase in bites, but said shark sightings were rare and attacks even rarer.

Eastern states like NSW currently use a range of shark mitigation measures, including drone surveillance, tagging and Smart drumlines, which use bait hooks to catch sharks that are then tagged and released back into the wild.

Marangon advised against using shark nets, warning they would unintentionally trap other marine life and require significant resources to maintain.

“We believe a broader tracking, surveillance and mitigation strategy, led by SLSSA with the support of the state government, will provide a more wholistic and safer solution to beachgoers and other marine life,” he said.

Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson urged the state government to subsidise the rollout of personal shark deterrent devices for surfers, swimmers and divers.

The measure has already been implemented in Western Australia, where the government has subsidised more than 4000 devices.

“Safety in our oceans and the protection of vulnerable species, such as white sharks, aren’t binary options,” Whish-Wilson said.

“Both are possible and can be done much more effectively.”

A state government spokesperson said aerial patrols will begin next month, but drumlines or tagging are not currently used to manage sharks.

“The state government will continue to monitor the situation to see if any improvements to our prevention methods need to be made,” the spokesperson said.

-with AAP