Large bull shark pulled from river days after fatal attack
The shark was caught in the Swan River where 16-year-old Stella Berry died last weekend after a suspected shark attack.
A young fisherman says he pulled a three-metre bull shark from the Swan River days after a Perth teen was fatally attacked.
Kai Boyle, in his early 20s, is a renowned shark catcher in Western Australia and has been catching and releasing the predators for years. On Thursday, he shared photos of a large bull shark which he estimates was longer than three metres.
It comes after the death of 16-year-old Stella Berry, who was killed while swimming in a suspected bull shark attack in the Swan River on Sunday.
Boyle suggested he had received backlash for sharing the photos but wrote on Facebook: "Why not let people know what's in the Swan River?"
He said it was a reminder of "how big they get" and warned female bull sharks, which grow bigger than males, are currently in the Swan River to have their pups.
The post triggered a wave of comments from users in disbelief, with the shark described as "massive".
"And this is why I don't swim in there," one person wrote. "Crazy," another said.
Death reignites shark control discussion
Stella's death has reignited debate over shark control, but authorities have stressed attacks in the river are rare.
The Department of Fisheries are investigating the death and will look at ways to improve safety measures, Premier Mark McGowan said.
The state government has ruled out reintroducing drum lines, having abandoned a trial aimed at catching white sharks off the southwest coast.
Fisheries Minister Don Punch said it was too early to say whether the state's tagging program would be extended to include bull sharks. The program was introduced to collect information about white shark movements off of the WA coast.
"They may well be in the mix," he said.
"But we do need to do our research and make sure that what we do doesn't lead to that false sense of security."
Installing shark barriers in parts of the river could also be an option, he said.
On Wednesday, Surf Life Saving WA said a 2.5 metre bull shark was caught and released at East Fremantle Boat Ramp.
With AAP
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