Overview
- Tradies’ video and SharkSmart reports over the past three days show a group of sharks circling near the Fremantle Traffic Bridge, close to the site of a 2023 fatal attack.
- The City of Fremantle closed river beaches from Crab Bay to Pier 21 and authorities urged people to take extra caution and report sightings to Water Police.
- Public reports identify the animals as bull sharks, a local commercial fisher suggested bronze whalers, and DBCA scientists are reviewing footage to confirm the species.
- DPIRD noted three public reports since Monday and highlighted existing acoustic receivers in East Fremantle, Blackwall Reach and near Canning Bridge for near real-time alerts.
- Researchers are increasing patrols under a tagging program that has caught only two juvenile bull sharks in the estuary to date, with scientists citing heavy rainfall and salinity shifts as a likely driver of recent river activity.