WA rescinds rare shark kill order after failed hunt for great white at Sorrento Beach

A great white shark that attacked 63-year-old Greg James O’Neill at Sorrento Beach prompted Western Australia’s Fisheries Minister Jackie Jarvis to issue an exceptionally rare catch-and-kill order, launching a weekend-long search. The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development announced on Monday that the operation would cease, noting the absence of recent white shark activity and a markedly reduced likelihood of capturing the specific animal.

Patrols on water and land were also ended, and beaches spanning Marmion to Iluka in the City of Joondalup reopened at 10 a.m. Surf Life Saving WA now conducts daily helicopter surveillance and advises heightened vigilance around Sorrento Beach. Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti, who had defended the lethal order amid public criticism, reiterated that the decision was taken under exceptional circumstances and offered the government’s full support to O’Neill’s family and his community.