Catch-and-kill order issued after Perth shark attack

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A rare catch-and-kill order has been issued for a great white shark believed to have killed swimmer Greg O’Neill at Sorrento Beach in Perth, Western Australia, with authorities continuing to search for both the animal and the 63-year-old’s body.

O’Neill was attacked while swimming off the popular northern Perth beach on Friday, 18 September. His family has since identified him and described him as a devoted family man and keen ocean swimmer.

BBC News reported that the order was issued after the shark was spotted by water police and positively identified as the animal involved in the fatal attack.

The decision means fisheries officers are authorised to destroy the shark if it is captured, although Western Australia has ruled out a wider cull of white sharks.

The incident unfolded at Sorrento Beach, where O’Neill had been swimming with another man. Witnesses reported seeing a large shark in the area and emergency services launched a search involving boats and aircraft.

Western Australia Fisheries Minister Jackie Jarvis said the decision to authorise the capture and killing of the shark was based on the circumstances of the attack, its identification and the continuing risk it was considered to pose.

‘In making that decision, I considered the exceptional circumstances of the attack, the hazard posed by the shark, and the potential recovery of coronial evidence,’ Jarvis said.

The shark was later positively identified by Water Police after being spotted in the vicinity of the attack.

ABC News reported that capture equipment, similar to a drum line normally used to tag sharks, had been deployed in an effort to catch the animal. Unfavourable weather and rough conditions prevented the equipment from being deployed again on Saturday.

The incident has prompted the closure of beaches across Perth’s northern suburbs while authorities assess the situation and continue their search.

The City of Joondalup has kept beaches from Marmion through to Iluka closed, with the closures expected to remain in place until at least midday on Sunday.

Police boats and helicopters have been involved in the search, while authorities continue efforts to locate the shark.

The closure follows another shark attack in Western Australia earlier in the week, when a 56-year-old man was seriously injured while surfing near Geraldton.

Although the catch-and-kill order is unusual, Jarvis has stressed that it does not represent a return to a broader policy of killing white sharks.

The minister said she believed it was the first such order issued in Western Australia in about a decade. White sharks are protected internationally, and she said a widespread cull would not be appropriate in the circumstances.

‘This is not the return to the idea that we would cull all apex predators in the ocean,’ Jarvis stated.

She also cautioned that shark mitigation measures could not eliminate every risk faced by people entering the ocean.

The policy position comes as the latest fatality adds to a series of shark incidents in Western Australia this year.

ABC News reported that O’Neill’s death was the third fatal shark attack in the state during 2026 and the second shark attack there in the same week.

The incident has also prompted renewed consideration of how Western Australia monitors sharks near populated beaches.

Jarvis said the government would examine whether more drones could be used to identify sharks close to shore, while the state’s existing tagging programme is also being reviewed.

More than 300 sharks have been tagged in Western Australia, including 227 white sharks. The state is also awaiting an updated scientific assessment of the white shark population.

The government already supports drone use by Surf Life Saving WA clubs for certain events, while other shark mitigation measures include warning systems, tagging, beach enclosures and personal deterrents.

A shark barrier at the northern end of Sorrento Beach was removed in 2020 because of structural problems and the cost of repairs. Jarvis said funding is available to local governments that want to establish beach enclosures and indicated that the option could be reconsidered.

Meanwhile, O’Neill’s family visited Sorrento Beach on Saturday as members of the public left flowers at the site.

In a statement, the family said they were ‘deeply shocked and devastated’ by his death and described him as a passionate swimmer, sports lover and dedicated worker.

They also said O’Neill was a ‘generous, devoted family man’ who had given his children ‘so much love, care and opportunity’.

His body had not been recovered as authorities continued the search earlier today.

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