Colin Barnett, Western Australia premier, unveiled a Aus$6.85 million (4.4 million) package in shark mitigation strategies, including a track, catch and destroy programme, in the wake of five fatal attacks over the past year.

A further Aus$2 million would be set aside for shark research, while the remaining funding would be devoted to extra jet-skis for life guards, a study and trial of enclosures and a smartphone application for shark alerts.

"These new measures will not only help us to understand the behaviour of sharks but also offer beachgoers greater protection and confidence as we head into summer," said Barnett.

Western Australia's government has come under growing pressure to increase protection measures after the five deaths over the past year an unprecedented number for such a short period.

The most recent fatality was in July, when a surfer was bitten in half in a savage attack near Wedge Island, north of Perth, with another mauled but escaping alive last month at far-flung Red Bluff.

Most fatal attacks in the region involve great whites, among the largest shark species in the world and made famous by the horror movie "Jaws". They can grow up to 20 feet and weigh up to two tonnes.

Sharks are common in Australian waters but deadly attacks have previously been rare, with only one of the average 15 incidents a year typically proving fatal.

Experts say the average number of attacks in the country has increased in line with population growth and the popularity of water sports.

Source: AFP

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Sharks that stray too close to beaches to be killed