Great White to Be Killed Preemptively in Australia

On Wednesday, the West Australian Fisheries Department ordered the killing of a great white shark after coming to the conclusion that repeated shark sightings along a stretch of unpatrolled beach were all the same animal. The decision marks the first hunt for the protected species since the government introduced “imminent threat” guidelines in 2012 in response to five fatal shark attacks. The sightings have occurred almost every day for the past 10 days, about 150 miles south of Perth. The Conservation Council of Western Australia questioned whether the hunt was justified. “These sharks have been causing pretty big inconveniences, but they haven’t actually displayed any threatening behavior,” Tim Nicol, the council’s marine coordinator, said. Officials have taken up patrol in two boats and set baited lines with the order to kill any shark in the area they believe poses a serious threat.

Via The Australian