Four large sharks have been killed in Australia after a woman and a 12-year-old girl were attacked at a popular Great Barrier Reef tourist spot. Both were still in hospital on Sunday after being mauled in separate incidents just a day apart last week at the Whitsunday Islands.
Drum lines, which use baited hooks to catch the predators, ensnared four tiger sharks, one 3.7 m long and the others each between 2-3 m, a Fisheries Queensland spokesman said.
“While sharks of this size are potentially very dangerous to humans, it is unclear if they were responsible for injuries caused to two swimmers,” he said.
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The latest shark to be caught “has been humanely euthanised and will be taken further out to sea for disposal.”
The spokesman said it was clear “there are a significant number of active sharks in local waters and people are urged not to swim”.
The drum lines were to remain in place over the next week.
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Shark attacks are very rare in the Whitsundays — a collection of spectacular tropical islands at the heart of the Barrier Reef — with the last encounter reported to be eight years ago.
The attacks have revived debate about how best to reduce the risk of encounters between sharks and the people using the ocean for leisure.