Mr Barnett said he got "no pleasure out of seeing sharks killed" and it was necessary to fulfil his "overriding responsibility" to protect West Australians. "It's underway and I'm pleased with that, hopefully it will prove successful and that we can reduce the risk to beachgoers." Authorities could not confirm the species of shark killed on Sunday morning, as media reports said it was a tiger shark. The shark was shot four times in the head, before its carcass was dragged out of the water and dumped at sea further away from the coastline than the drumlines that sit one-kilometre from the South West beach. A commercial fisher tasked with the catch-and-kill order will patrol the drumline from 6am to 6pm, Department of Premier and Cabinet spokesman Simon Beaumont said.

Mr Beaumont said the fisherman would receive confirmation from the Department of Fisheries before disposing or releasing any sharks that were caught on the baited hooks. Under the new WA policy, great white sharks, tiger sharks and bull sharks larger than three metres would be shot. Smaller sharks and any other marine life would be released. Despite the tender being awarded on Monday, the name of the Fremantle-based contractor has yet to be released to the public. Anger over first shark killed American wildlife ecologist David Steen decried the policy, which was was instituted in response to the seventh fatal shark attack in WA waters in three years, as a "shameful, archaic attempt to pre-emptively reduce conflict with people".

"So sad" and "shame", others wrote on social media. Sea Shepherd's Jeff Hansen said the shark was "believed to be a beautiful tiger shark" more than three metres long. "Can we expect [WA Premier] Colin Barnett to be sporting one of those Mick Dundee hats but with shark's instead of croc teeth soon?" the WA opposition's Paul Papalia tweeted. The controversial program went ahead after federal environment minister Greg Hunt granted WA an exemption under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, allowing the protected great white shark to be killed. In a notice to mariners warning of navigational hazards, the WA government said drumlines would soon be deployed in metropolitan waters, extending from Quinns Rock Beach to Warnbro beach.

It has been forced to rope in its own Department of Fisheries officers to do the work after commercial operators pulled out following threats from activists. The lines, which are attached to floating buoys, bear the warning: "No vessel is to approach, moor to or interfere with the above equipment at any time - modified penalties will apply." Plans to set drumlines off Perth beaches had been delayed, after potential contractors pulled out because of alleged threats from environmental activists. WA Fisheries officers have been ordered to perform that duty despite voicing concerns for their safety from activists. Protesters, however, are determined to disrupt those efforts, with a national rally planned for February 1.

Loading Mr Hunt confirmed that after this summer trial, which ends on April 30, there would have to be a full federal environment act assessment if the policy was to continue. - with AAP Follow WAtoday onTwitter