Deadly shark attack prompts rare kill order in Western Australia

After a man was killed while on a morning swim at a popular beach on Friday, a rare catch-and-kill order has been issued for a great white shark off the coast of Western Australia.

Key points

• The swimmer has been identified as 63-year-old Greg O'Neill, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has documented.
• The incident, at Sorrento Beach in Perth's north, has reignited debate regarding how to keep beachgoers safe in Australia.
• Members of the public documented seeing a 2.5m-long (8ft 2in) shark at around the same time.
• Authorities in Perth's Joondalup area, where Sorrento is located, remarked all beaches were closed "as a precautionary measure" and would remain so until at least midday on Sunday.
• According to Authorities have, beaches along the state's coast, including in the capital Perth, will remain closed until at least Sunday as the search for the shark continues.

It is the second shark attack in Western Australia (WA) this week, and the third fatal attack in the state this year.

For context, the incident, at Sorrento Beach in Perth's north, has reignited debate regarding how to keep beachgoers safe in Australia.

For context, the swimmer has been identified as 63-year-old Greg O'Neill, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has documented.

"Greg loved the ocean and was known as a passionate swimmer, sports lover, dedicated worker and an all-round generous, witty guy, " his family remarked in an official note to the broadcaster.

Witness Jacqui Rapaic informed the ABC that two men were swimming, but only one produced it back to shore, and that she could see "a pool of blood" in the water.

Another witness informed WAtoday that she saw the man being "mauled" as the shark "tossed him around like a fish".

Pictures show the coastline being patrolled by a police boat and helicopter.

Catch-and-kill orders are rare and controversial in Australia, where great white sharks are a protected species.

According to WA Fisheries Minister Jackie Jarvis, she took the "extraordinary step" of issuing the order after the shark was spotted by water police on Saturday morning, and "positively identified as the shark involved in the incident".

Notably, the minister remarked she authorised fisheries officers to "destroy the shark" if it could be captured as of the "exceptional circumstances" of the attack and the "hazard posed by the shark".

It is believed to be the first time in 10 years that such an order had been issued in WA, Jarvis continued, emphasising that the order was not a widespread cull as the state has seen previously.

According to The minister additionally, the employ of drones and tagging would be climbed to support protect beachgoers.

Catching and killing sharks has a long and controversial history in Western Australia – there were months of massive protests in 2014 when the state administration authorised a cull after a spate of attacks.

Meanwhile, the incident in Sorrento is the second in WA this week – on Monday a 56-year-old man was bitten while surfing off the coast of Geraldton, 430km (270 miles) north of Perth. He survived but lost part of his leg, another surfer who rescued him informed the ABC. There have been five fatal shark attacks in Australia this year.

Notably, a 12-year-old boy died after he was bitten in Sydney Harbour in January, and three divers were fatally mauled in separate incidents between May and June – two in Western Australia and the third in Queensland.

Taken together, the developments around deadly shark attack prompts rare kill order in Western Australia point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.