Legal Action Urged To Protect Endangered Shark

October 6, 2006

Release from: Wendy Frew
Sydney Morning Herald (Australia)

Conservationists and diving groups may take Federal Court action against the NSW Government for what they say is its failure to protect the critically endangered grey nurse shark.

With fewer than 500 sharks on the east coast of Australia and one shark killed by human activity each month, the species could become extinct within 10 years, conservationists say.

It is already listed as an endangered species under state and federal law. But conservationists want the Government to ban line fishing - recognised in NSW law as a key threat to the species - in all 16 main NSW habitats.

Both the state and federal governments yesterday dismissed the legal threat, saying it would not help the species.

A Humane Society International representative, Nicola Beynon, who attended an emergency meeting of scientists, conservationists and diving groups in Sydney yesterday, said it was not too much to ask anglers to give up some fishing spots to save the species.

"The population at South West Rocks is one of the most critical because it is the biggest … but 70 per cent of the sharks there will be trailing fishing hooks," she said.

South West Rocks is not protected by marine park status.

Ms Beynon acknowledged the State Government was considering sanctuary-level protection at six of the sites in marine parks being created at Port Stephens and Batemans Bay but worried the Government would scale back the sanctuaries under pressure from recreational fishing groups.

The NSW Greens MP Ian Cohen criticised the Government's efforts to establish a breeding program that involved artificial wombs and test tube pups, saying there was no evidence it would work.

"We are dealing with a species that is on an international level with the snow leopard and the white tiger," Mr Cohen said.

"So on a global scale it will be a real loss to biodiversity.

"The minister has been warned and pleaded with … but he is prepared to sacrifice the grey nurse shark to politics."

The NSW Minister for Natural Resources, Ian Macdonald, defended the Government's efforts to protect the shark and the artificial breeding program.

"We believe the population has stabilised," Mr Macdonald said. "You would find there would always be some deaths [from fishing hooks and nets] but we believe we have limited that by banning the key threat, which is set line fishing."

He said those who accused the Government of giving in to recreational fishing groups "demonstrate an unreasonable paranoia".

"We are trying to find a balance where people can enjoy recreational fishing in our waters while ensuring protection [of the shark] … our advice is that extreme measures won't help," he said.

A spokesman for the federal Minister for the Environment, Ian Campbell, said the Commonwealth "would strongly encourage NSW to do what they need to do" but said threats of legal action "would do nothing to protect the species".