This was the third shark related death at a WA beach this year. Photo: Alex Steyn // Unsplash
Australian authorities have turned to unprecedented measures in response to a shark attack last week. Following the death of a swimmer at a Western Australia beach, local authorities have issued a rare catch-and-kill order for the animal responsible.
The initial incident occurred at Sorrento Beach, located 12 miles northwest of Perth, at 10:30 a.m. on the morning of September 18. In a scene witnessed by dozens of onlookers and described by some as “straight out of Jaws,” a male swimmer was dragged out to deeper water and mauled to death by a great white shark. Since then the man has been identified as Greg O’Neill. “Our family is deeply shocked and devastated by the terrible tragedy that took the life of father, grandfather-to-be, brother, uncle, husband and friend, Greg James O’Neill,” his family said in a statement, as reported by ABC News. “”He was a generous, devoted family man that gave his children so much love, care and opportunity. Greg loved the ocean and was known as a passionate swimmer, sports lover, dedicated worker and an all round generous, witty guy.”
In response, Western Australia fisheries minister Jackie Jarvis issued a rare catch-and-kill order for the shark. Though she stopped short of ordering a full shark cull, saying the measure would be “inappropriate,” the decision was still unusual. Jarvis said she believed it was the first time in 10 years that such an order had been issued in the state. “In making that decision, I considered the exceptional circumstances of the attack, the hazard posed by the shark, and the potential recovery of coronial evidence,” said Jarvis.
O’Neill’s death was the third fatal shark attack in Western Australia this year. This has led to a reevaluation of the region’s shark mitigation strategies, which up to now have focused on tagging and tracking, notifications via an app, warning sirens, shark enclosures and personal deterrents. “This is incredibly distressing and I will certainly be talking to my colleagues across emergency services and police to better understand what more we can do for shark mitigation,” said Jarvis.
However, the gear was promptly removed by Saturday afternon. A representative from the Western Australia Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) told 9 News “There was no evidence of white shark activity in the area yesterday and a significantly diminished chance of catching the individual shark involved in the fatal incident on Friday.”
