Killing order

a fatal decision. This is how conservationists describe a new plan as per which sharks will be killed in Perth city if they threaten swimmers. Kim Chance, the state fisheries minister of the Western Australian state, said that officers and water police have been given authority to shoot sharks longer than three metres if swimmers are endangered and the predators cannot be driven offshore. The move follows a shark attack at Perth's popular Cottesloe beach in November 2000, which killed a 49 year old man and seriously injured his friend. The shark was followed by fisheries officials for some time after the attack, but they were unable to kill it because no such response plan was in place. Chance said the new plan would avoid any such future incident.