A man has died after being bitten by a shark off the south coast of Michaelmas Island in Western Australia. The 35-year-old was spearfishing with his family near the town of Albany when the attack occurred, police said.

The victim was treated by paramedics but succumbed to his injuries. A witness reportedly spotted a 4.5-meter (15-foot) shark of an unknown species near Michaelmas Island, a remote area that receives few visitors.

The state's Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development urged people to exercise "additional caution" in the area and stay informed about shark sightings.

This marks the fourth fatal shark attack in Australia this year. Last month, a man died after being attacked by a great white shark off Rottnest Island near Perth, and another man was killed in a shark attack off the coast of Queensland.

In January, a 12-year-old boy was killed by a shark in Sydney Harbour. Australian scientists believe that increasingly crowded waters and rising ocean temperatures are altering sharks' migratory patterns, potentially contributing to a rise in attacks.

According to the Institute of Health and Welfare, the majority of shark attacks occur along Australia's east and southeast coasts, with an average of about 20 incidents recorded annually.

Source: www.aljazeera.com