Wobbegong sharks (Orectolobidae)
Grey nurse (Charcharius taurus) Draft recovery plan fails to protect grey nurse. Have your say!!
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Welcome
to my shark research page!! This web site may be of interest to keen amatuers as well as professional marine biologists. I'd love to hear observations or constructive criticism. The site is intended to highlight on-going shark research projects I am contributing to, as well as my own projects and observations. I would also like to compile a list of shark related links to include on this page, so please send me your links.
 Wobbegong sharks (Orectolobidae) About wobbegongs
The grey nurse shark (Charcharius
taurus)
Breaking news!! Draft recovery plan fails to protect
grey nurse from recreational line fishing. For more information see...
Images of grey
nurse injured by recreational fishing
In my opinion zoning schemes proposed for "key
habitat" areas are inadequate and unnecessarily complicated. While
I believe the identification of key habitats is suspect (given that
sharks are only detected in sites visited by divers) common sense dictates
sharks be protected where they are known to occur. Particularly when
shark numbers continue to decline. The current recovery plan allows
some line fishing to continue in these area. This is unacceptable given
the difficulty in identifying the type of fishing activity undertaken
and subsequent problems with management. Banning line fishing completely
is the only way to ensure compliance and simplify enforcement. If you
are fishing in these areas you are doing the wrong thing - simple. Further,
I beleive there is insufficient evidence to say one type of fishing
has less impact than another - why take the risk, the vast majority
of Australian coastal water
(over 99.95%) have no restrictions on
recreational fishing. What's the big deal? Have your say on the draft
recovery plan...
http://www.fisheries.nsw.gov.au/conservation/species/grey-nurse/
The grey nurse shark is currently listed as endangered
under the Fisheries Management Act 1994 in New South Wales and
the Endangered Species Protection Act 1992 (Commonwealth). The
species also appears on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Charcharius
taurus has very low fecundity and suffered significant population
declines in NSW from spearfishing and other causes in the 1960's and 70's.
Despite protection since 1987 research shows adult population numbers
to be much lower than when the shark was listed. Key issues in conservation
of the species include identification and protection of important habitat
and the impacts of recreational and commercial fishing and shark control
programs.
There are a number of projects concerning the grey nurse shark being
conducted through New South
Wales Fisheries at present (surveys listed here focus on New South
Wales waters extending into southern Queensland and Victoria in some
cases). The following is a list and brief description of projects I
am aware of (or have contributed to):
This project was originally coordinated by Pamela Parker, a former
student of the School of Environmental Science and Management who did
her integrated project on grey nurse sharks. The project is now coordinated
by Natalie Morrison from the NSW Fisheries Department. Natalie can be
contacted via email at morrison@fisheries.nsw.gov.au
or on (02) 49163831 (fax: (02) 49822265).
The project is being undertaken by a Masters student from the University
of Waterloo. Forms have been destributed to most dive shops up the NSW
coast, contact Leigh Edgar (email lcedgar@fes.uwaterloo.ca)
or Pam Parker (see contact details above).
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Preliminary
survey of wobbegong population dynamics in NE NSW (on going study)