The killing of a white shark in Australia is punishable by a fine of up to $11,000 and a two-year jail sentence, according to The Telegraph.

It was reported that some of the people on the scene claimed that the shark (seen in this photo) was a mako (Isurus oxyrinchus), which is not protected in Australia. A spokesperson for the Department of Primary Industries, who are investigating the incident, said that thinking the shark was a mako was “not an excuse.”

To read the full article head over The Telegraph.

Australia’s ABC News is reporting that a 28-year-old man sustained a shark bite to the arm while surfing off North Avoca, NSW yesterday.

The Herald Sun reports that witnesses described the shark as being brown in color and about 1.8m in length. The surfer was taken to Gosford Hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening. According to the Herald Sun, a hospital spokesman said that the victim was in a satisfactory condition and might not even need stitches.

Neff questions the effectiveness of shark nets noting that from 1937-2008 of the recorded shark attacks in New South Wales, 63% of them occurred at beaches using shark nets. He also points out that only one fatal attack has occurred at a netted beach in the state, but cautions that associating low fatality rates with the nets might be questionable, as there was a three year period in which the nets were removed and no fatalities were reported.

While the Neff certainly seems to lean in the direction of opposing the nets he admits that the issue of Australia’s shark nets is not a simple matter. Neff stresses the need for public safety measures and points out that the consequences from shark attacks can be “terrible.” However, he notes that public dialog and education are necessary to move away from outdated tactics that are leaving Australia behind.

You can check Neff’s full article at The Conversation.

According to Ten News a white shark has been filmed and photographed unusually close to the shore at Hawks Nest, NSW. Images and video show what the Ten News describe as a 3.5m great white shark swimming among the waves at Bennett Beach. Lifeguards believe that bait fish are attracting sharks close to the shore.

A surfer injured in a shark attack off of Crowdy Head, New South Wales, is recovering after 5 hours of surgery, according to The Telegraph. Dave Pearson suffered injuries to his arm and forehead after being bitten by a shark while surfing around dusk on Tuesday evening.

Fellow surfer and friend, Aaron Wallis, helped Pearson to shore after the attack happened. Wallis used the a surfboard leash as a makeshift tourniquet, and Crowdy Head surf club caretaker, Adam Eady, administered oxygen to Pearson, while they waited for emergency medical help to arrive.

Pearson’s wife told Australia’s Ten News, he was able to move his fingers as of yesterday. Eady told Ten News that the attack “won’t stop” Pearson and that he would be back in the water.

Australian shark scientists are investigating the injuries to Pearson, as well as bite marks on his surfboard, to determine the species and size of the shark involved.

Australia’s Ten News is reporting that a “shark warning” has been issued as a result of heavy rains in Queensland, which are washing bait fish down toward river mouths and attracting bull sharks to these areas, according to Trevor Long of Sea World.

Long advises swimmers to avoid canals and river mouths, especially where there is low visibility in the water. Instead, he encourages people stick to protected beaches and netted areas in the broadwater.

Ten News recently ran a feature about a shark tagging program aimed at increasing safety at Australia’s beaches. The program involves catching, tagging, and releasing sharks in order to track the movement of the sharks to better understand shark behavior. Bull sharks, tiger sharks, and great white sharks are mentioned in the report as targeted species of the study. The report also makes a couple of “monster” shark references for good measure.

After calling the coastguard, a ranger, the Clarence Valley Council, and the police, Moerman said her husband eventually killed the dying shark with a sledgehammer, after an hour had passed with no action on the part of the authorities.

The Northern Star interviewed a professional fisherman about the incident who stated that he did not condone the act and believed the finning was likely the handiwork of an amateur. Cutting the fins off of a live shark is illegal in Australian waters. Penalties for doing so can include automatic loss of a professional license, which the fisherman said was worth a “six-figure sum.” He went on to say that no professional fisherman would risk such a loss for “$70 worth of fins.”

Wendy McFarlane of Organisation Cetacea (ORCA) said that it is likely that scavenging sharks (she mentions tiger sharks, in particular) will be attracted to the carcass and the general surrounding area. She warned swimmers and surfers to keep a safe distance after there were reports of surfers swimming “quite near” the whale carcass.

Australian teen surfer Jake Davies was bitten on the foot by a bull shark according to Ten News. After the shark initially bit his foot, it “attempted two more attacks” according to a news.com.au report. Despite the news.com.au story claiming that Davies “almost had his leg bitten off,” the teen did not suffer any life-threatening injuries. Davies did suffer puncture wounds requiring stitches which he hopes to have removed on Monday. After the stitches are removed, Davies said he’ll likely be “straight back out there in the water.” Kudos to Davies for the positive attitude.