Heat Tipped To Bring Sharks Towards Shore

November 14, 2007

Release from: Margaret Wenham
News.com.au (Australia)

Beach-loving Queenslanders have been warned sharks will be more active this holiday season as warm weather and migrating whales bring them closer to the coast.

Hundreds of sharks were caught in nets and drumlines off the state's coast in 2006-07, including a 4.8m monster tiger shark off Emu Park in central Queensland.

Primary Industries Minister Tim Mulherin told State Parliament yesterday 550 sharks were snared - 11 of them more than 4m long and 201 more than 2m.

Mr Mulherin said he was releasing the annual shark statistics to encourage swimmers not to be complacent as sharks were more active in the hot and wetter summer months.

"The biggest shark recorded caught in the control equipment in the last financial year was a 4.8m tiger shark captured off Emu Park on the Capricorn Coast," he said

Other 4m-plus sharks were caught at Fisherman's Beach on the Capricorn Coast, Kelly's Beach at Bundaberg, Coolum Beach on the Sunshine Coast, Lambert's Beach at Mackay, Harbour Beach at Mackay, Rainbow Beach, Alma Bay at Magnetic Island, Point Cartwright on the Sunshine Coast, Cooee Bay on the Capricorn Coast, and Tannum Sands off Gladstone.

The statistics also showed the most commonly caught species was the tiger shark, while the Capricorn coast, near Rockhampton, boasted the highest number of sharks caught in 2006-07 with 80 snagged in the area over the 12 months.

Mr Mulherin said swimming near river mouths, in canals and artificial lakes and waterways was risky.

As well, the bigger, more aggressive sharks, particularly tigers, followed whales migrating south at this time of year, bringing them closer to shore.

More than 80 beaches along the Queensland coast have had shark nets or drum lines installed since the control program was introduced in 1962.

Last year's catch was slightly down on the previous year, when 553 sharks were hooked.

Shark control manager Tony Ham said shark catch numbers had declined significantly in recent years and scientists believed the drought might be affecting feeding habits.