Fears of ‘rogue’ great white shark off WA


AAP

Fears are building that a “rogue shark” is prowling WA’s southwest coast as the hunt intensifies for a great white suspected of killing an American diver.

It was the third assumed great-white fatality in WA in less than two months and the fourth in just over a year.

Historically, sharks kill fewer than one swimmer a year on average in Australian waters.

Saturday’s attack happened off the holiday island of Rottnest, 12km west of Perth.

The 32-year-old US citizen was diving alone off an eight-metre boat when two people on board noticed bubbles breaking the surface, 500m northwest of Little Armstrong Bay.

A short time later, the man’s mutilated body floated up.

Those aboard said a three-metre great white had nudged their vessel following the attack.

Police on Sunday said they expected to release the man’s name later in the day (WST).

WA fisheries officers have been given orders to hunt and kill the shark.

They have set a number of baited hooks where the attack took place.

“At this stage there has been no sign of any sharks attempting to take the baits,” WA Fisheries metro regional manager Tony Cappelluti said.

“Local authorities closed all the beaches on Rottnest Island for an initial 24 hours.

They will remain closed while the area continues to be monitored.

“As time progresses, it becomes more difficult to assess whether any sharks that turn up are in fact the same shark that killed the diver yesterday,” Mr Cappelluti said.

“However, we need to remain vigilant in the interest of public safety.”

A decision on whether to remove the hooks from the water was to be made on Sunday afternoon.

If the hooks are removed, fisheries vessels will continue to monitor the waters around Rottnest.

Mr Cappelluti said the vessels had gear aboard to track and either tag or destroy the shark, “depending on operational decisions and safety considerations”.

Police earlier said the shark victim was in Australia on a work visa and had been living at North Beach.

He was the fourth man to be killed by a shark off WA’s southwest coast in 14 months.

Earlier this month, 64-year-old businessman Bryn Martin disappeared while swimming at Perth’s popular Cottesloe Beach.

Last month, 21-year-old bodyboarder Kyle Burden was killed near Bunker Bay by a 4.5m shark and in August last year, surfer Nicholas Edwards, 31, was killed by a shark at a popular surf break near Gracetown, about 280km south of Perth.

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