WA Government rejects calls for shark cull after Greg James O’Neill mauled by great white at Sorrento Beach

The WA Government has ruled out a shark cull despite three fatal attacks in the state in four months — the latest being the death of 63-year-old man on Friday — but says increasing shark spotting drones will be considered.

Fisheries Minister Jackie Jarvis revealed on Saturday she had issued a “catch and kill order” to destroy a Great White Shark that took the man’s life at Sorrento Beach.

But the minister was adamant that the catch and kill order, the first in 10 years in WA, would not be extended to a mass cull, despite questions being asked of the State Government’s shark mitigation strategy.

“I appreciate that the public is concerned,” Minister Jarvis said.

“It is very unusual to make this catch and kill order.

“I think it’s the first time in 10 years that this has been done.

“But given the circumstances here, I think it was entirely appropriate.”

A 63-year-old man was fatally attacked by a shark while swimming in shallow water at Sorrento Beach near Perth.

The man was swimming with a friend about 15 metres offshore when he was attacked at about 10.15am.

Ms Jarvis said the shark was “very large, over three metres”.

“Capture gear, which is essentially a form of drum line (has been) deployed,” Ms Jarvis said.

“As you can imagine, it is incredibly difficult to capture a very large shark.

“Fisheries officers need to be mindful of their safety in doing so, and obviously we need to make sure that everyone is safe.

“That capture gear was deployed yesterday.”

Asked by The Sunday Times, whether an extended shark cull would be considered, Ms Jarvis said: “This is not a return to the idea that we would cull all apex predators in the ocean.

“They are a protected species.

“I don’t want to give people a false sense of security.

“I cannot mitigate all risks.

“I have considered the exceptional circumstances of the attack, the hazard posed by the shark, and potential recovery of coronial evidence.

“I have ordered a catch and kill order for this shark.

“(But) a widespread cull is not appropriate in these circumstances.”

Beaches in the vicinity of the attack remained closed on Saturday, with a WA Police Force Water Police vessel remaining in the order.

Police conducted a search of the shoreline on Saturday.

In May this year, 38-year-old Steven Mattaboni, 38, was killed in a shark attack while spear fishing at Horseshoe Bay, off the coast of Rottnest Island.

A month later, Daniel Turpin, 35, was killed by a 4.5 metre shark while spearfishing about 10 metres off the coast of Michaelmas Island in King George Sound, near Albany.

Now, a shark attack has claimed another life in WA at a popular swimming beach.

The Cook Government has long lauded its shark hazard mitigation strategy as “one of the most comprehensive approaches in the country.”

The strategy includes a dedicated shark tagging programme — but the shark that killed the 63-year-old swimmer was not tagged.

Ms Jarvis said an increase in drone surveillance and shark tagging would be considered as a result of the recent attacks.

“We have already been focusing on what more we can do,” Ms Jarvis said.

“We will certainly be looking at the use of drones in the future.

“We have (already) funded drones for Surf Lifesaving WA which they use when they have kids in the water and will absolutely look at our tagging programme to see if that can be increased.”

Another measure used by the government to protect beach goers is co-funding beach enclosures with local councils.

Ironically, the beach enclosure situated just north of where the Sorrento Beach attack took place, was taken down several years ago and never replaced.

“In November 2020 Council decided to remove the beach enclosure at Sorrento Beach after an independent assessment found the barrier structure to have significant damage and structural faults, and its integrity could no longer be guaranteed,” Joondalup Mayor Daniel Kingston told The West Australian.

“Despite ongoing monitoring and maintenance, the extent of the damage meant the enclosure could not safely remain in place.

“Council subsequently resolved in 2021 not to pursue a replacement until a reliable commercial option became available.”

Meanwhile, the Cook Government is now being implored to go back to the drawing board and consider all options – including culling

Former Fisheries Minister Joe Francis said “everything should be on the table” to try and better protect beach goers.

“As human beings we enter the ocean at risk – we accept that,” Mr Francis said.

“You can’t keep everyone safe all the time.

“But clearly, there is something wrong with the balance of apex predators in the ocean - which is Great White Sharks – and us enjoying that beach lifestyle.

“They are the most lethal killing machine in the seas.

“Something is out of whack here.

“When they (shark attacks) keep happening so much, you have got to start considering whether we have got something wrong with the way we manage fisheries.

Asked whether culling was a solution, Mr Francis replied: “Everything should be on the table.

“You should be open minded.

(But) I don’t know how you would do that (culls) — it would come down to fisheries.

“It comes down to fisheries: Are we taking away food and that brings them closer into shore.

“Are the numbers too great?

“Are there more of them out there now because there is less food for them?”

Ms Jarvis claimed on Saturday that the most recent CSIRO figures indicated there was around 1500 sharks off the WA coast.

“The 2018 stock assessment from CSIRO indicated there was probably around 1500 white sharks of the coast of Western Australia – a lot less than the number on the east coast.”

But Dr Jim Penn, a former chief scientist with the Department of Fisheries, said on Saturday that the 1500 figure was grossly underestimated — saying the number of Great white sharks off the WA coast was as high as 10,000.

He said the Federal Government’s decision to make it illegal to harm or kill white sharks across all Australian state and Commonwealth had resulted in numbers growing.

“The idea of a cull makes sense, but it is nearly impossible to do,” he said.

“What has become clear is that the shark attacks in Western Australia have escalated above the rest of Australia.

“The Federal ban has coincided with an increase in shark numbers and an increase in shark attacks.

“The latest information is that along the west coast we are talking about something in the order of 5000 to 10,000.

“I have no idea where the government is getting that figure of 1500 from – it’s a nonsense figure.”

Former WA Premier Colin Barnett said the ill-fated baited drum line hooks programme in 2014, showed the public was not in favour of culls.

But he said sharks should be destroyed if they posed a risk to beach goers.

“There was really strong opposition to that (a cull),” Mr Barnett said.

“We tired (a cull) to see if it could be successful. But it wasn’t.

“There were 166 tiger sharks hooked - and not one Great White.

“What I was Hoping to do at the time was reduce the numbers of sharks coming in close.

“I think when a shark comes in and there is a threat, I would support destroying the fish.”