New Caledonia Resumes Shark Culls, Beaches Closed After Fatal Wing-Foiler Attack

A 55-year-old man who sources describe as wing-foiling was found dead near Anse Vata beach in Nouméa, and authorities in New Caledonia’s Southern Province and the City of Nouméa moved to resume targeted culling of tiger and bull sharks while closing popular swimming beaches. Officials said the measures were taken after what they called a serious tragedy and in response to a rise in shark sightings in areas used daily for swimming, boating and water sports.

The timeline reported by regional outlets places the restart of culling in February: Hawai‘i Public Radio said the operation began in mid-February after the fatality, while The Guardian reported the cull began on 23 February; several outlets described the victim’s death as occurring on a Sunday. City and provincial orders banned swimming and water activities in specified coastal strips, with 7NEWS and The Guardian citing a 300-metre restriction and Hawai‘i Public Radio describing a roughly 1,000-foot coastal strip, and RNZ reporting some bans were to remain in force until 4 March.

Counts from the operation vary by source. Hawai‘i Public Radio reported officials saying seven tiger sharks and one bull shark had been caught since the cull began, and that sharks measuring under 7 feet were being released. RNZ, by contrast, reported three four-metre-long tiger sharks killed after two recent attacks. Preliminary estimates of the size of the shark involved in the Anse Vata attack also conflict: Hawai‘i Public Radio said investigators indicated a tiger shark of at least 6 feet, while The Guardian cited a preliminary figure of about three metres for the attacking shark.

The cull’s resumption reopened a legal and political fight that had paused prior operations. Environmental group Ensemble Pour La Planete launched a legal challenge that led to court orders blocking culling: ABC reported a December 2023 court order to stop culling, while RNZ said an administrative tribunal ruling came in October 2023 and also voided a decision to remove bull and tiger sharks from protected status. EPLP told 7NEWS, “Indiscriminate shark culls resume when two elected officials decide to ignore even the courts,” and called the move “a contempt for court rulings.”

South Province president Sonia Backes framed the decision in terms of public safety and legal constraints, ABC quoted her social media post: “If there are any appeals against our decision, I hope the court will take the situation into account.” 7NEWS reported Backes called the attack a “tragedy” and said the victim “was a doctor visiting the area.” Those descriptions and the victim’s residency remain matters for confirmation with police and family.

Scientists and critics urged different responses. RNZ reported the province would resume a scientific study to tag 200 sharks with transmitters to better track movements, while ABC quoted shark behaviour expert Eric Clua saying, “I'm very frustrated because I know very well the place and I think that New Caledonia is not implementing the right strategy to face the problem they have,” and described indiscriminate culling as “an ineffective and unscientific strategy for preventing human-shark interactions.” The Guardian quoted Lagarde saying alternative measures such as permanent drone surveillance and exclusion nets were unaffordable: “New Caledonia is not Australia. These systems are extremely expensive, and we simply cannot afford them.”

Public reaction has been heated: RNZ documented protests over beach closures and The Guardian noted the issue has become politically sensitive during local elections, with the main pro-independence coalition condemning the cull and calling for non-lethal prevention. Authorities point to a string of 2023 incidents, including the death of Australian tourist Chris Davis, as background for the campaign.

As of the beach closures and cull resumption, officials had not reconciled differing tallies of sharks removed, nor released a definitive forensic confirmation of the attacking species and size; those items, plus the exact calendar date of the attack and the Mayor of Nouméa’s formal authorization text, remain open for verification as legal challenges and the tagging program proceed.