Tackling shark depredation for Queensland fishers

• Shark depredation impacts fishers off Queensland’s coastline.  
• A Miles Government-led project is looking at ways to mitigate the impact. 
• Stakeholders in Indigenous, commercial, recreational and charter fisheries will be consulted in a national online survey.

The Miles Government is leading research into ways to reduce shark depredation affecting fishers off the state’s coastline.

Shark depredation occurs when a fish caught in fishing apparatus is completely or partially consumed by a shark before it can be caught.

It can have negative socio-economic impacts on fishers in certain fishing sectors due to the loss of target catch and fishing gear.

Researchers from Queensland’s Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) are leading the project, which is co-funded by the Australian Government through the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC).

The project, running from March 2024 to October 2026, involves 3 phases:

Phase 1: The identification of potential solutions from measures currently or previously trialled around the world, utilising information from scientific papers, technical reports and fishers. Stakeholders in Indigenous, commercial, recreational and charter fisheries will be invited to participate in a national online survey to gather additional information about potentially suitable solutions.

Phase 2: A series of stakeholder workshops will be conducted at regional centres in Queensland, Western Australia, Northern Territory and New South Wales (where shark depredation has been identified as a common issue). The workshops will involve fishers, fishery managers, researchers, Indigenous representatives and other stakeholders, and explore the impacts of shark depredation on fishing, and what mitigation measures have been or are currently being tested or used. The workshops will develop a robust experimental design for testing potential mitigation solutions in a quantitative and comparable way. We encourage anyone interested in taking part in the workshops to email jonathan.mitchell@daf.qld.gov.au.

Phase 3: If promising mitigation solutions are identified, trials will be considered in different states and under different fishing scenarios to assess their effectiveness.

Other partners in this project include Western Australia’s Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, the Northern Territory’s Department of Tourism, Industry and Trade, Bond University, James Cook University and Flinders University.

Queensland fishers have already been supporting the collection of data to try and quantify depredation through DAF’s Boat Ramp Survey program.

There are more options for fishers to submit their depredation data with the latest reporting enhancements available in the recently updated Qld Fishing 2.0 app, which is free to download from your favourite app store.

The Queensland Government also invests in other projects to learn more about the behaviour and species of sharks that live in our waterways, and how we interact with them. You can find more information here.

Quotes attributable the Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries and Minister for Rural Communities Mark Furner: 

“We’ve listened to commercial, recreational and charter fishers who’ve nominated shark depredation as a major concern,” Minister Furner said.

“Nobody likes their catch being taken by a shark, so developing effective mitigation methods to reduce shark depredation is a ‘win-win’ for all.

“It will allow for better co-existence between fishers and sharks, while ensuring our world-class fisheries continue to thrive.

“I look forward to seeing the outcomes of this important research, and the positive impacts it will have for fishers and industry.”

Quotes attributable to Crispian Ashby, FRDC General Manager Research and Development Investment:

“Shark depredation has been reported as a significant issue in several jurisdictions around Australia.

“FRDC is pleased that this research will build on previous workshops and studies undertaken to identify whether potential solutions exist.”

ENDS

Media contact: Bryce Heaton 0427 781 920