Ocean Nets Catch 900 Great White Sharks

January 17, 2009

Release from: Hannah Martin
Courier Mail (Australia)

More than 900 great white sharks have been caught near Queensland's most popular beaches since nets were introduced in 1962.

Figures released exclusively to The Sunday Mail, reveal that more great whites have been caught off the Queensland coast than the NSW coast.

There were 577 great whites netted off NSW between 1950 and 2008, while 901 have been caught off Queensland since 1962.

A 2.9m great white was caught off the Gold Coast last year and another is believed to be responsible for the attack on a surfer at Fingal on the Tweed coast last week.

More than 45,000 sharks have been caught in Queensland nets since they were introduced, according to the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries.

Last year, 578 sharks – more than 260 of them longer than two metres – were netted off Queensland beaches, 18 more than in 2007, but significantly fewer than the 1025 taken in 1988.

Fifteen sharks have already been caught this year but authorities warn more are on the way.

"We would expect that the rain and warmer weather in recent weeks in southeast Queensland will see a further increase in shark movement, particularly bull sharks," Primary Industries and Fisheries Minister Tim Mulherin said.

During the past 50 years, 61 people have been killed by sharks in Australia.

The last fatal shark attack off Queensland was in January 2006, when 21-year-old Sarah Kate Whiley was killed by what is believed to have been a bull shark at Amity Point on North Stradbroke Island.

Mr Mulherin said the largest shark netted last year was a 5.3m tiger shark, taken off Lamberts Beach in Mackay.

Swimmers are warned to avoid river mouths, canals and artificial waterways, especially at dawn and dusk.