Australian spearfisher killed in shark attack off Great Barrier Reef

A 39-year-old man from Mount Sheridan, a suburb of Cairns, died from a bull shark attack while spearfishing near Kennedy Shoal in the Great Barrier Reef on May 21, authorities confirmed. The victim was part of a group of four spearfishermen when the attack occurred, and his friends hauled him onto their 23-foot boat before rushing him to shore. First responders met them at the Hull River boat ramp, but medical efforts were unsuccessful. This is the second fatal shark attack in Australia in less than two weeks, following a May 13 incident in Western Australia where a Perth man was killed by a shark while spearfishing. Queensland Police Inspector Elaine Burns described the incident as tragic, noting that the witnesses were deeply affected by what they experienced. Local politician Bob Katter condemned the attack, calling for shark culling and criticizing government inaction. He shared accounts from a charter boat operator who reported seeing six bull sharks fighting over a Spanish mackerel, questioning their classification as an endangered species. Katter urged authorities to address what he described as an out-of-control shark population in North Queensland. However, marine biologist Richard Fitzpatrick from James Cook University cautioned that the true size of bull shark populations remains unknown. He stated that researchers are only beginning a comprehensive study of bull shark populations along Australia’s East Coast, aiming to determine population structures through pooled data sets. The study, involving school and government partners, is expected to provide clearer insights into shark numbers and behavior.