Description

Recreational, charter and commercial fishers in Western Australia (WA) are reporting significant increases in shark depredation (bite-offs), particularly in the Gascoyne and Pilbara regions.

Shark depredation is an issue across Northern Australia, with similar reports in Queensland and the Northern Territory. Managing shark depredation is complex, and WA is leading the country in research to better inform our management decisions.

Recent research by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development’s (DPIRD) has found that:

  • a range of shark species are responsible for bite-offs, including blacktip, dusky, milk, pigeye, sandbar and tiger sharks;
  • the probability of sharks taking fish is reduced by 65 per cent when using deterrents;
  • sharks arrive within 15-30 minutes of fishing commencing, so moving spots helps decrease shark bite-offs; and
  • depredation rates are higher in areas where more people are fishing, for example, close to boat ramps.

Publication Date

4-2022

Publisher

Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western Australia

City

Perth

Number of Pages

8

Keywords

shark depredation, bite-offs, commercial fisheries, recreational fisheries, Western Australia

Disciplines

Aquaculture and Fisheries | Environmental Indicators and Impact Assessment | Environmental Monitoring | Natural Resources Management and Policy | Sustainability

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