Australia authorizes killing of shark after swimmer’s death — ABC News Australia
In Western Australia, authorities have authorized the capture and killing of a great white shark that fatally attacked a 63-year-old swimmer near Sorrento Beach in Perth’s northern suburbs. State Fisheries Minister Jackie Jarvis has nevertheless ruled out a mass cull of sharks.
As ABC News reports, the attack occurred on Friday morning near the shore and in front of witnesses. Emergency services continue to search for the victim’s body, while beaches in Perth’s northern suburbs remain closed.
Order issued after shark was identified
According to Jarvis, permission to capture and kill the shark was granted after it was positively identified as the animal involved in the attack. She said she had taken into account the exceptional circumstances of the incident, the danger posed by the shark, and the possibility of obtaining evidence for a coroner’s investigation.
On Friday, gear similar to a drum line, usually used to tag sharks, was deployed to catch the untagged great white shark. On Saturday, it could not be installed because of adverse weather and rough seas.
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Drones and shark tagging
Jarvis suggested this may have been the first catch-and-kill order for a shark in Western Australia in ten years. She stressed that great white sharks are internationally protected and that a mass cull of these predators is not acceptable under the circumstances.
The state government plans to review coastal safety measures, including the possibility of more active use of drones to detect sharks and an expansion of the tagging program. More than 300 sharks have already been tagged in Western Australia, including 227 great whites.
The minister also said she was ready to discuss with the City of Joondalup the issue of a protective barrier at Sorrento Beach, which was removed in 2020. The swimmer’s death was the third fatality from a shark attack in Western Australia this year. All beaches in the City of Joondalup, from Marmion to Iluka, will remain closed while services assess the situation.
