The mother of a man killed by a shark in Western Australia has expressed anger at a newspaper's front page showing children in the ocean with a superimposed fin in the background.

The West Australian featured a picture of a shark fin moving towards a boy and a girl playing in the water.

The mocked up image, published on Wednesday June 8, pointed to a story on the debate over a shark cull in the wake of two fatal attacks in WA waters within a week.

Sharon Burden, whose son Kyle Burden died near Dunsborough in 2011, said she found the picture disturbing.

"Anger. Absolute anger and disgust, to be honest. It adds nothing to the debate.

"Would we similarly sit down at a desk and say it's alright to put a photograph like that of two children and, you know, someone chasing after them with a knife? Photoshopped in?

"Or chasing after them in a speeding vehicle or a drunk-driver, I would find that abhorrent and I suspect if that sort of image appeared on the front page of any newspaper it would be similarly viewed."

Dr Burden, who has a PhD in psychology, said focusing on children was counter-productive, and did not add value to the effort to find solutions.

"This idea of measuring the grief of loss based on the age group is insensitive. That image on the front of the page was essentially implying that somehow we value our children more or less depending on the age they are, and therefore we act on that as a result," she said.

"I don't see, if you're looking for a well-balanced and logical and thoughtful debate, that that has any productive value in that space."

Sharon Burden (R) says she is disgusted by The West Australian's front page. ( Supplied: Rich Morrant )

Dr Burden said that while she noted the editor said it was intended to help foster debate about a major public safety issue, it seemed there were no boundaries in the way such information was presented.

The State Government abandoned its catch and kill policy of setting drum lines off beaches in summer months, after the Environmental Protection Authority recommended against it.

Premier Colin Barnett has ruled out a return to the policy trialled in 2014, saying it did not prove effective in catching great whites.

However, Mr Barnett has said the Government would continue to deploy temporary drum lines whenever there was a serious threat to the public.

Speaking out against drum lines policy

Despite the death of her 21-year-old son, who was attacked while bodyboarding at Bunker Bay, Dr Burden has spoken out against killing sharks.

Kyle Burden died after he was attacked by a shark at Bunker Bay in 2011. ( Supplied: Sharon Burden )

Dr Burden and the Sea Shepherd organisation lodged an application for a judicial review of the WA Government's use of drum lines in 2014.

She has extended her sympathies to the family and friends of Ben Gerring, who died after being attacked near Mandurah on May 31, and Dorren Collyer, who was attacked on June.

But Dr Burden said she still believed laying drum lines to catch sharks after the deaths made no sense.

"I think I'm fairly clear on the record of believing it's an ineffective policy, I think it's money that is better spent on more effective controls than that.

"There has to be some accountability so that if you are going to catch the sharks and kill them, there should be scientific examination so that there is some evidence of whether or not they are actually catching sharks that are proven to have been involved in an attack."

Dr Burden said she would prefer to see other options explored, such as providing more detailed information about what people can do to avoid sharks.