[Praise Mariallah]

...A 16-24ft Great White Shark problem.

With the search called off on Sunday afternoon (WST) for the great white believed to have killed 24-year-old Perth man Ben Linden on Saturday, WA Fisheries Minister Norman Moore said he was "very distressed" by the death and the state's shark attack toll of five deaths in 10 months.

He issued orders on Saturday for staff from his department to kill any sharks measuring four to five metres in length - the estimated size of the shark that attacked Mr Linden - in the area of the latest attack.
The 4m killer, dubbed Brutus by surfers near Wedge Island, 180km north of Perth, mauled Mr Linden as he surfed with a mate about 9am.

"Five fatalities in Western Australia (in 10 months) is unprecedented and cause for great alarm," Mr Moore said.

"It won't be helping our tourism industry and those people who want to come here to enjoy an ocean experience will be turned away because of this situation."

Mr Linden's girlfriend Alana Noakes said yesterday she had been left devastated by the tragedy.

On her Facebook page she said of her boyfriend: “Ben was the most amazing man, he lit up the lives of all who knew him.”

“He was the most talented, good-natured, beautiful person I've ever met. He was the love of my life, my best friend, my rock and my soulmate.”



A jet-ski rider who tried to retrieve Mr Linden's body said yesterday it was a "massive, massive white shark" and "there was blood everywhere".

The shark tried to knock Matt Holmes, 22, off his jet ski as he attempted to pull the man on to the back of his craft.

Then the shark returned to take the lifeless body for a second time.

Holmes said that Linden's body was cut in half.

"By the time I got out there half of him had been taken and the shark was circling," Mr Holmes said of the attack.

"I tried to lean off the side and pull him on the back, but as I did that, the shark came back and nudged the jet ski to try to knock me off.

"When I came back the second time, he took the rest of him. I just thought about his family and if he had kids. I just wanted to get him to shore. I gave it everything I had."

Yesterday's fatal mauling comes just three months after 33-year-old diver Peter Kurmann was killed by a shark off the South-West coast.

Bodyboarder Kyle Burden, 21, was killed near Bunker Bay in September, Bryn Martin, 64, disappeared while swimming off Cottesloe in October and American George Thomas Wainwright, 32, died after an attack while scuba diving off Rottnest Island, also in October.

Last month, 62-year-old surf lifesaver Martin Kane was rescued by a fellow paddler when a shark attacked his surf ski at Mullaloo Beach.

Local resident and volunteer nurse Anne McGuiness, who has lived on Wedge Island for 36 years, was among the first to arrive on the scene yesterday.

"It was very, very sad indeed," she said.

Australian officials are considering lifting the protection order on Great White Sharks.

SOURCES:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0...n_1677290.html
http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/nati...-1226426810385
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...=feeds-newsxml

[Nicole]

I read about this yesterday. It bit a surfer in HALF on Saturday

[skyler]

[GreasyBruce]

Humans are meant for land...this is what happens when we intrude in the natural habitat of other animals. I believe that Earth is an interconnected system and mother nature fights back because of all the harm humans have brought upon her. I would NEVER do anything in waters where sharks have been sighted and tempt the planet.

[Konichiwa]

But it looks so cute. It's even smiling in the first picture.

[Rated R]

Am I the only one who thinks that that is just a risk you have to accept if you're going to go surfing in Great White areas?

Great White (and all fish in general) populations are on the verge of collapse by 2050 and going on shark killing sprees isn't going to solve the problem.

[ABEL-o-matic]

The scary things in nature. I hope they catch the shark and move it somewhere safe from people's lives.

[satellites.™]

Wow, hes huge.

I love sharks.

[jqnetto]

[Last Boy on Earth]

Sharks have always fascinated me so much

[Praise Mariallah]

Originally posted by GreasyBruce

Humans are meant for land...this is what happens when we intrude in the natural habitat of other animals. I believe that Earth is an interconnected system and mother nature fights back because of all the harm humans have brought upon her. I would NEVER do anything in waters where sharks have been sighted and tempt the planet.

!!!!!!!

I wish more people understood this

I still feel sympathy for the people murdered (especially when they're just kids ala the young girl in Florida a few years ago) by sharks, but at the same time it's a risk you, yourself take.

[WoozyFloozy]

That first picture is ****ing adorable.

[Яeo.]

He issued orders on Saturday for staff from his department to kill any sharks measuring four to five metres in length - the estimated size of the shark that attacked Mr Linden - in the area of the latest attack.

What kind of ****ed up logic

[Chemist]

This scares the hell out of me

[Praise Mariallah]

Originally posted by Last Boy on Earth

Sharks have always fascinated me so much

Originally posted by kingsatellites.

Wow, hes huge.

I love sharks.

My fascination turned to fear after I looked up pictures of shark attack survivors

Could you imagine being in the middle of the ocean, getting ripped to shreds by something that weighs more than a ****ing schoo bus? With teeth the size of your palm?

[ABEL-o-matic]

You guys know that certain magnets can easily repel sharks? The science is out there easily, but people just don't know about it, I'll find the video I got this from.

[RockStarShit101]

[Rentboy]

ugh thats my worst nightmare right there. I live by the sea but I cringe at the thought of being out there swimming in it. Not that we have sharks here but still.

[Praise Mariallah]

Originally posted by ABEL

You guys know that certain magnets can easily repel sharks? The science is out there easily, but people just don't know about it, I'll find the video I got this from.

I know what you're talking about, I saw it on the Discovery Channel.

Unfortunately it only works on certain, smaller sharks, not Great Whites

[Changes]

Why are they issuing to kill all the big sharks? Leave them alone.