Broome shark attack: WA Fisheries Minister Peter Tinley says police bullets could help find killer predator

The dozens of bullets fired at the shark that fatally mauled Broome hotel worker Charles Cernobori could help find the predator, according to Fisheries Minister Peter Tinley. The 59-year-old Mr Cernobori was body boarding early in the morning when he was mauled by the 3m shark, about 2km north of the rocks at the popular Cable Beach. A Pilbara couple dragged the bloodied and screaming Mr Cernobori from the water as police officers fired at the shark to keep it away. Mr Tinley said the attack was both “deeply tragic and very surprising” and that authorities were conducting DNA testing to determine what species the 3-4m shark was. “I understand there were shots fired by a police officer but we’re waiting to see from the incident report whether there’s a wounding or not. That may determine whether we find the shark subsequently,” he said after touching down in Broome on Monday.. “Fisheries are all focussed on determining the safety of the public using the beach and from there we can make a choice as to how they deal with the shark if it turns up. “The process and protocols of the Government of Western Australia towards shark mitigation has always been lethal action last, public safety first. “If the two come together, then clearly we will use lethal action but, in this case, it’s a monitoring arrangement only.” Mr Tinley has travelled to the northern tourism mecca to meet with community in the wake of the tragedy, including Shire President Harold Tracey and first responders. “The shark risk prior to yesterday ultimately would have been very, very low,” he said. “Nobody has it in the realms of possibility here when their frame of reference is crocodiles or poisonous jellyfish.” A fatal attack hasn’t been recorded in Broome since November 21, 1993, when pearl diver Richard Bisley, 27, was presumed killed by a tiger shark off Roebuck Bay. Mr Bisley had been working as a pearl diver for four years and was in water 14m-deep with poor visibility at the time he disappeared. WA Fisheries monitored the stretch of coast via vessel throughout Monday, with no sighting of the shark. Land-based patrols are expected to continue while all local beaches have since reopened. “I understand the visibility in the water is not so good so an asset on the water is probably going to have a limited effect,” Mr Tinley said. The reopening of the beach is done in consultation with the incident control, the police, the fisheries officers and the local government. “The Shires all across the State are the ones that manage the beaches and their safety.” When asked whether a beach enclosure could be a mitigating measure, Mr Tinley said it was a consideration “shires need to think carefully about”. “It’s one thing to put them in but they need to be maintained so people have the confidence that they work. The State Government has the capacity to provide some capital towards that but that has to come from the local government,” he said.