News & Alerts

Situation:

• A two metre wide section of carcass was reported by a member of the public at 12:01 hours this afternoon.
• It has been described as being at the old Augusta River Mouth which is 2.5 kilometres east of the current river mouth of the Blackwood River.
• Officers from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development are currently coordinating with other agencies to determine further information about the carcass.
• It is possible the carcass may act as an attractant that could lead to sharks coming close in to shore along this stretch of coast.
• While it’s not uncommon for sharks to be present off the Western Australian coast throughout the year, people should exercise additional caution while authorities deal with this situation.

What to do:

• Take additional caution in the waters near the mouth of the Blackwood River Augusta.
• Adhere to beach closures advised by Local Government Rangers or Surf Life Saving WA.
• Keep informed of the latest detection and sighting information by checking the SharkSmart website or Surf Life Saving WA’s Twitter feed.
• If you see a shark, report it to Water Police on 9442 8600. All shark sighting information reported to Water Police is provided to response agencies and to the public on the SharkSmart website and the Surf Life Saving WA Twitter feed. 

What authorities are doing: 

Officers from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development are in contact with the authorities and are available to assist where required.

The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions has deployed a ranger to the area to inspect.

Extra information: 

Keep informed of the latest detection and sighting information by checking the Shark Activity Map on the SharkSmart website – www.sharksmart.com.au/shark-activity or the Surf Life Saving WA Twitter – twitter.com/SLSWA.Check www.sharksmart.com.au/news for current alerts and warnings.