▲ Police boats and helicopters search for a shark after a fatal shark attack off the coast of Perth, the capital of Western Australia (WA), on the 18th (local time).
Following a series of fatal shark attacks in Western Australia, local authorities have issued an unprecedented order to capture and kill the shark in question.
According to Australia's public broadcaster ABC and the UK's BBC, a 63-year-old man swimming at Sorrento Beach, a popular beach in the WA capital of Perth, was bitten and killed by a great white shark on the morning of September 18.
A witness told the ABC that two men were swimming, but only one returned to the shore, adding that they saw "blood spreading thickly" in the water.
Another witness reported seeing the shark attacking the man, "tossing him around like a fish."
At the time of the incident, citizens also reported seeing a shark about 2.5 meters long.
This incident marks the second shark attack in Western Australia this week and the third shark-related fatality this year.
It is the first time since 2020 that three people have died from shark attacks in Western Australia in a single year.
In response, Jackie Jarvis, Western Australia's Minister for Fisheries, stated the previous day that WA marine police spotted the shark, "positively identified it as the shark involved in this incident," and ordered it to be captured and killed.
Minister Jarvis explained that this "unusual" measure was taken considering the exceptional circumstances of the attack and the danger posed by the shark, noting that she believes this is the first shark-cull order in Western Australia in 10 years.
However, she drew a line by stating, "Great white sharks are internationally protected species," adding that it would not be appropriate to cull all great white sharks other than the specific target.
Consequently, local authorities have installed floating fishing gear used for catching sharks in the water.
They have also temporarily closed major beaches in Perth and mobilized police boats and helicopters to search for the shark.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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