‘No evidence’ of more sharks in WA waters as second fatal attack reignites culling debate

Two fatal shark attacks on spearfishermen in the space of three weeks has reignited the debate over shark culling in Western Australia’s waters.

Daniel Turpin, 35, was attacked about 11.20am on Saturday morning while 10 metres off the coast of Michaelmas Island, in King George Sound, on the state’s southern coast.

Authorities are working to determine the species of shark that attacked Turpin, but it was believed to be as large as 4.5 metres.

Turpin’s death came three weeks to the day after 38-year-old Perth father Steven Mattaboni was killed in an attack off the western coast of Rottnest Island.

Both men had been spearfishing when they were attacked, with Mattaboni taking part in a pelagic pairs competition at the reef.

WA Nationals fisheries spokeswoman Kirrilee Warr urged a review of the state’s shark mitigation strategy in the wake of the tragedies.

“Are current approaches being tested, and is there a clear and credible response from government?” she said.

“At a minimum, the government should immediately release the advice it is relying on and explain whether it has identified any changes in risk or whether its current mitigation measures are actually working.

“The Cook Labor government cannot simply point to existing measures and move on. It must demonstrate what is working, what is failing, and what additional action is being considered.”

However, Fisheries Minister Jackie Jarvis accused the Nationals of politicising the tragedy in Albany, and defended the state’s shark mitigation strategy as one of the best in the world.

Jarvis also said there was no evidence shark culling would reduce the risk for oceangoers.

A controversial catch-and-kill policy targeting large sharks near popular WA beaches under the former Barnett Liberal government was dumped in 2014 after public outcry.

Under that policy, baited drumlines would have been set up about a kilometre offshore at dozens of beaches across the state’s south-west, and any shark larger than three metres that was caught would be shot.

At the time, the government admitted it had no scientific evidence to back up the efficacy of the program.

Meanwhile, a $200 rebate scheme for ocean users to buy personal shark deterrent devices had been available to West Australians, but the scheme collapsed when the state’s only approved provider of the device closed down in 2024.

On Sunday, Jarvis said there was “certainly no data” to suggest there had been an increase in shark activity compared to recent years.

“My understanding is we’ve had around 10 reported interactions with sharks this year to date.