A second fatal shark attack, believed to be by a Great White, has occurred off the Australian west coast – the second such attack in 12 days. A 32-year-old US man was mauled to death off Perth’s Rottnest Island on Saturday. By Sunday, Australian authorities were hunting the shark.

In a completely new approach to dealing with such attacks, Fisheries Minister Norman Moore issued an order for the shark to be hunted down and killed.

Fisheries officials baited six large hooks and laid them in the waters off the island in the hope that they would snare the animal, believed to be three meters in length.

On top of this, Colin Barnett, Western Australia’s Premier, said he would be considering a shark cull because shark numbers were increasing.

There’s a lot of anecdotal evidence about the numbers of sharks increasing. Culling could be considered if those sharks are staying around popular beach swimming areas.

I think most people who fish and dive understand this is the domain of marine life and the shark is the top predator.

Paradoxically, Barnett, although clearly concerned with the increase in attacks, stated he knew that practically, little could be done because the Great White is still a protected species.

Tony Cappelluti, a regional manager for the fisheries ministry, later told the Associated Press the hooks had been removed from the water after six hours for fear the tuna bait would attract more sharks to the area.

Cappelluti went on to explain the hunt would continue with fisheries vessels monitoring the waters around Rottnest Island.

For obvious reasons, the decision by the Australian authorities has sparked heated debates amongst naturalists and authorities alike.

[Source: BBC]