Underwater cameras reveal the behaviours and interactions of marine wildlife around demersal shark fishing gear

Authors

Matias Braccini, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western AustraliaFollow
Abbey Shuttleworth, Curtin University of Technology
Jack Parker, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western AustraliaFollow
Sarah Jessop, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western AustraliaFollow
Daniela Waltrick, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western AustraliaFollow
Benjamin J. Saunders, Curtin UniversityFollow
Euan S. Harvey, Curtin UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2-2026

Journal Title

Fisheries Research

ISSN

0165-7836

Keywords

Shark Conservation, Gillnets, Longlines, Sustainability

Disciplines

Fresh Water Studies | Marine Biology | Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology

Abstract

Commercial shark fisheries use mostly demersal gillnets and demersal longlines to catch the target species. However, they also interact with non-target species and Endangered, Threatened and Protected species (ETPs), with gillnets generally having a negative connotation. We used underwater cameras (>3500 h of footage) on 52 fishing shots to document the behaviours and interactions of marine wildlife with the demersal gillnets and longlines used in Western Australia to target several shark species. We observed > 25,000 individuals from a range of taxa (5 invertebrates, 11 rays, 20 sharks, 156 scalefish, 1 sea turtle, 1 seabird, and 2 marine mammals) and identified 10 different behaviour/interaction types. ‘Swim past’ was the only observed behaviour/interaction for invertebrates and the most observed for scalefish (66 %), rays (64 %) and sharks (62 %), including ETPs (63 %), which were rarely seen (< 0.6 % of the observed individuals). Our results revealed an overall low incidence of detrimental (gear capture) marine wildlife interactions, contributing to the broader understanding of demersal gillnet and longline selectivity and impacts on marine biodiversity. This methods study provides a framework for quantifying wildlife interactions in commercial fisheries, offering a novel tool for future research to inform ecological risk assessments.

Recommended Citation

Braccini, M, Shuttleworth, A, Parker, J, Jessop, S, Waltrick, D, Saunders, B J, and Harvey, E S. (2026), Underwater cameras reveal the behaviours and interactions of marine wildlife around demersal shark fishing gear. Fisheries Research, 294 (107673).
https://library.dpird.wa.gov.au/fr_fja/498