By Jesinta Burton
A two-metre bronze whaler stuck inside a new shark barrier at Cottesloe Beach has been freed after a 27-hour operation, but the probe into the animal allegedly being shot with a speargun continues.
An aerial survey confirmed the shark had vacated the protected swimming enclosure around 11am on Thursday after contractor Eco Shark Barrier created four small openings in the barrier.
The beach was reopened between the area south of the Cottesloe Groyne and North Cottesloe Surf Club this afternoon after divers reconnected the barrier walls and lifeguards deemed it safe.
The beach was shut shortly after 7.40am on Wednesday after swimmers spotted the shark circling 60 metres offshore, prompting Surf Life Saving WA to order beachgoers out of the water.
But less than 90 minutes later, SLSWA advised the state’s Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development that the animal was injured after being shot.
The area falls within a Fish Habitat Protection zone where spearfishing is strictly prohibited.
A DPIRD spokesperson told this masthead fisheries officers were still in the process of interviewing the person who allegedly fired the gun to determine whether a breach occurred.
Town of Cottesloe chief executive Matthew Scott extended his thanks to Surf Life Saving WA, DPIRD, the contractor and his staff for their tireless efforts.
The incident marks the first time a shark has entered the protected swimming enclosure since it was first installed at the popular Perth beach in 2019.
While acknowledging the incident “wasn’t ideal”, Town of Cottesloe mayor Lorraine Young told 6PR on Wednesday that the local government was doing everything possible to minimise the risk to the hundreds of thousands of visitors that attend the beach each year.
“We have surf life-saving services and patrols seven days per week during the summer months, and we also have really well-understood protocols for dealing with all manner of incidents, including shark sightings,” she said.
“I really do think the barrier, together with the other mitigation steps that we take reduce the risk of encountering a shark and also provide peace of mind to swimmers — and I think our visitors would attest to that.”
History of the barrier
Perth-based manufacturer Eco Shark Barrier was awarded the initial five-year contract to install the structure, which extends 170 metres north along the coastline from Cottesloe Groyne and 140 metres back to shore.
The original barrier was removed between May and October and reinstalled for the summer months yearly until 2024, when it reached the end of its useful life.
The company was reengaged after a tender process by the Town of Cottesloe to build a new $400,000 eco-friendly barrier, a project bankrolled by the state government.
The new structure was installed in November.
Eco Shark Barrier was contracted to build and install WA’s first shark net in North Coogee south of Perth in 2013, before installing similar barriers in Sorrento and Esperance.
How did the shark get in?
The eco shark barrier is made from nylon and extends from seabed to surface.
While the structure is rigid enough to prevent large animals from breaching the barrier, it is specifically designed to be flexible enough to allow the passage of small marine life.
At this stage, authorities have not determined whether the two-metre bronze whaler entered the enclosure via the flexible gaps in the barrier or by swimming beneath it.
The technology is considered more environmentally friendly than the mesh nets used on the eastern seaboard, which have drawn criticism over their efficacy and tendency to trap and kill stingrays, turtles, harmless sharks and dolphins.
WA scrapped the use of smart drumlines in 2021 following a $6 million two-year trial after the state’s top scientist concluded they were ineffective at reducing the risks posed by great white sharks.
How prevalent are sharks in WA?
Figures released by Surf Life Saving WA in 2024 reported a significant increase in shark sightings, with reports in the metropolitan area up 60 per cent from the prior year.
Over that time period, about 430 sharks were spotted and reported to SLSWA — with the majority of those sightings occurring in the summer months.
There were six shark attacks reported in Western Australia in 2024, none of which were fatal.
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