Perth Closes 17km of Beaches After 63-Year-Old Killed, Orders Great White Caught and Killed
Updated
Updated · The Independent · Sep 19
Perth Closes 17km of Beaches After 63-Year-Old Killed, Orders Great White Caught and Killed
3 articles · Updated · The Independent · Sep 19
Summary
Perth authorities kept 17km of northern beaches shut until at least noon Sunday after a great white killed a 63-year-old swimmer near shore at Sorrento Beach; his body has not been recovered.
Witnesses said the shark repeatedly pulled the man under in front of dozens of beachgoers, prompting Western Australia to issue a rare catch-and-kill order after the animal was positively identified.
Capture gear was deployed Friday to target the untagged shark, but choppy seas prevented its use on Saturday; land patrols continue and more drone surveillance is under consideration.
The order is believed to be Western Australia's first in 10 years, and Fisheries Minister Jackie Jarvis said it does not signal a broader cull because white sharks are internationally protected.
The death is Western Australia's third fatal shark attack of 2026 and follows a non-fatal surfer attack near Geraldton earlier this week.
Can non-lethal technologies truly protect ocean lovers from fatal shark encounters, or is a controversial catch-and-kill order our only effective defense?
As great white populations recover, must humans accept the deadly risks of entering their aquatic territory instead of seeking lethal retaliation?