Fishermen To Tag Sharks

November 29, 2005

Release from: The Australian

Shark fishermen committed to put the industry on a sustainable footing have agreed to start tagging in northern Australian waters.

The Australian Research Council has granted more than $220 000 to a three-year research collaboration between a range of research institutions.

The funding will combine with contributions from the fishing industry to allow assessment of the current impact of fishing on shark populations in the north of Australia.

The aim is to devise management recommendations and monitoring protocols to ensure long-term sustainability of the industry.

Australian Institute of Marine Studies spokesman Dr Mark Meekan said sharks were extremely valuable economically, with the landed catch in the Northern Territory alone exceeding $8 million in 2004.

Similar fisheries operate in the Queensland sector off the Gulf of Carpentaria, and off the Kimberly region of Western Australia.

A large illegal harvest by foreign fishers cannot be quantified, but is also likely to be important, Dr Meekan said.