News & Alerts

Fisheries and Marine Officers will reset shark capture gear this morning near the site of a fatal shark incident that occurred one kilometre offshore from Mindarie marina late Sunday morning.

Given the unprecedented circumstances of two fatal shark bite incidents off Perth Metropolitan Coastal Waters in the last week, the Department of Fisheries has taken a cautious approach to the safety of water users in this instance.

While weather conditions meant it was unsafe to set capture gear, and continue the fishing operation on Tuesday, the department has reassessed the situation with the changed conditions on the water and will re-deploy gear from late this morning. 

Situation:

• An order has been issued by the Director General of the Department of Fisheries to deploy capture gear in the vicinity of Sunday’s fatal shark bite incident, to fish for the shark.
• Given the nature of the injuries and the location of the incident, it is likely that a large white shark, greater than 3m in size is responsible.
• Beaches were closed by the City of Wanneroo after the incident, and beaches remain closed.

No shark capture equipment will be set tomorrow morning, Tuesday 7 June, as it has been more than 24 hours since the last shark sighting and the fatal shark incident at Mindarie on Sunday. 

Weather conditions are deemed unsafe on 7 June for the Department of Fisheries to continue water-based monitoring. 

Beaches remain closed in the area, and water users are advised to stay out of the water in the Mindarie area.

The Department of Fisheries will continue to assess the situation on Tuesday and Wednesday this week, and will reassess the situation if conditions change.

The department will provide updated information as it becomes available.

Update:

The Department of Fisheries has removed shark capture gear from the water near the site of a fatal shark incident yesterday at Mindarie.

Capture gear has been removed late this afternoon and will not be redeployed today.

Conditions on the water for deployment and monitoring of shark capture gear off Mindarie became unsafe after 3.30pm today. 

Beaches in the area remain closed and further information will be provided as it becomes available.

Department of Fisheries officers will this morning reset shark capture gear, near the site of a fatal shark incident that occurred one kilometre offshore from Mindarie marina yesterday.

The department will set capture gear at sunrise, given there has been a determination that a serious threat to public safety exists.

Situation:

• A person has died, with significant injuries that are consistent with a shark attack, however the cause of the injuries are yet to be confirmed. The Department of Fisheries is treating the incident as a fatal shark incident.
• An order has been issued by the Director General of the Department of Fisheries to deploy capture gear in the vicinity of the incident, to fish for the shark from early this morning.
• Given the nature of the injuries and the location of the incident, it is likely that a large white shark, greater than 3m in size is responsible.
• The City of Wanneroo has closed the beach and it is to remain closed today.

What to do:

• The City of Wanneroo has closed beaches either side of Mindarie Boat ramp, south from Claytons Beach and Surf Spot and north to Quinns Beach. Beaches will remain closed for the remainder of today.
• Stay out of the water in the Mindarie area until further advice is issued.
• Keep informed of the latest detection and sighting information by checking the SharkSmart website or Surf Life Saving WA’s Twitter feed.
• If you see a shark, report it to Water Police on 9442 8600. All shark sighting information reported to Water Police is provided to response agencies and to the public on the SharkSmart website and Surf Life Saving WA Twitter feed.

Department of Fisheries officers will tomorrow reset shark capture gear near the site of a fatal shark incident that occurred one kilometre offshore from Mindarie marina today.

The department will re-set capture gear at sunrise tomorrow, given there has been a determination that a serious threat to public safety exists.

Situation:

• A person has died, with significant injuries that are consistent with a shark attack, however the cause of the injuries are yet to be confirmed. The Department of Fisheries is treating the incident as a fatal shark incident.
• An order was  been issued by the Director General of the Department of Fisheries to deploy capture gear in the vicinity of the incident, to fish for the shark from late this afternoon. Nothing was caught.
• Given the nature of the injuries and the location of the incident, it is likely that a large white shark, greater than 3m in size is responsible.
• The City of Wanneroo has closed the beach and it is to remain closed tomorrow.

What to do:

• The City of Wanneroo has closed beaches either side of Mindarie Boat ramp, south from Claytons Beach and Surf Spot and north to Quinns Beach. Beaches will remain closed for the remainder of today and tomorrow.
• Stay out of the water in the Mindarie area until further advice is issued.
• Keep informed of the latest detection and sighting information by checking the SharkSmart website or Surf Life Saving WA’s Twitter feed.
• If you see a shark, report it to Water Police on 9442 8600. All shark sighting information reported to Water Police is provided to response agencies and to the public on the SharkSmart website and Surf Life Saving WA Twitter feed.

Department of Fisheries officers will set shark capture gear near the site of a reported shark incident today, that occurred approximately one kilometre offshore from Mindarie marina, after a determination that a serious threat to public safety exists.

Situation:

• Initial information is that a person has died, with significant injuries that are consistent with a shark attack, however the cause of the injuries are yet to be confirmed. The Department of Fisheries is treating the incident as a fatal shark incident.
• An order has been issued by the Director General of the Department of Fisheries to deploy capture gear in the vicinity of the incident, to fish for the shark from late this afternoon.
• Given the nature of the injuries and the location of the incident, it is likely that a large white shark, greater than 3mtrs in size is responsible.
• The City of Wanneroo has closed the beach.

What to do:

• The City of Wanneroo has closed beaches either side of Mindarie Boat ramp, south from Claytons Beach and Surf Spot and north to Quinns Beach. Beaches will remain closed for the remainder of today and tomorrow. 
• Stay out of the water in the Mindarie area until further advice is issued.
• Keep informed of the latest detection and sighting information by checking the SharkSmart website or Surf Life Saving WA’s Twitter feed.
• If you see a shark, report it to Water Police on 9442 8600. All shark sighting information reported to Water Police is provided to response agencies and to the public on the SharkSmart website and Surf Life Saving WA Twitter feed.

The Department of Fisheries is currently involved in assisting WA Police with a possible shark incident at Mindarie in the City of Wanneroo.

Situation:

• About 11:50am this morning, Sunday 5 June 2016, Police received information that an injured person was found in the water off Mindarie, and was being taken to a boat ramp in Mindarie.
• Police and St John Ambulance personnel attended the scene and located a female person deceased.
• The deceased person has significant injuries that are consistent with a shark attack, however the cause of the injuries are yet to be confirmed.
• Inquiries are continuing at the scene.
• The persons that brought the injured person ashore reported sighting a shark, size and species unknown in the area.
• Department of Fisheries is treating the incident as possible shark attack, and a vessel will attend to assess the situation.

What to do:

• City of Wanneroo has closed beaches either side of Mindarie Boat ramp, south from Claytons Beach and Surf Spot and north to Quinns Beach. 
• Stay out of the water in the Mindarie area until further advice is issued.
• Keep informed of the latest detection and sighting information by checking the SharkSmart website or Surf Life Saving WA’s Twitter feed.
• If you see a shark, report it to Water Police on 9442 8600. All shark sighting information reported to Water Police is provided to response agencies and to the public on the SharkSmart website and Surf Life Saving WA Twitter feed.

Department of Fisheries’ shark scientists have examined two pieces of a surfboard recovered by WA Police following a serious shark incident at Falcon on Tuesday.

The scientists have confirmed that the damage to the board was as a result of a bite from a white shark, however there is insufficient evidence to determine the size of the shark responsible.

No biological material or tooth fragments were detected during the scientists’ inspection of the surfboard pieces.

Should any further parts of the board be recovered, the Department of Fisheries may be able to provide a further assessment.

Beaches around Surf Break Lookout, Falcon – where a serious shark incident occurred on Tuesday – will be reopened later this morning, when closure signs are removed by City of Mandurah rangers.

Fisheries and Marine Officers will continue to monitor the area.

The Department of Fisheries said it has been more than 24 hours since the last shark sighting, and more than 48 hours since the incident which resulted in a man sustaining serious injuries while surfing.

Although beaches will be re-opened, given the severity of Tuesday’s incident, the department advises water users to take additional caution in the Falcon area.

Beaches around Surf Break Lookout, Falcon, near Mandurah, will remain closed today after a serious shark incident in the area on Tuesday.

Department of Fisheries officers captured a white shark close to the area yesterday afternoon and will continue to patrol the water today.  Capture gear was removed from the water yesterday afternoon and consideration to deploying capture gear will be made if there are further shark sightings.

Departmental officers say the shark captured yesterday, estimated to be 4.2 metres in length, was not a tagged shark.

The captured white shark died on the line, and the carcass was disposed of at sea, after measurements and samples were taken.

At this time we are unable to confirm that the shark captured was the shark involved in the incident on Tuesday.

Further information on the department’s operational response will be made available later today.