Grey Nurse Shark - 300 left and counting

Grey Nurse SHark, Carcharias taurus

The Grey Nurse Shark (Carcharias taurus), like all sharks, is a top order predator that plays a very important role in the marine food chain. It is one of Australia's most popular sharks and a favourite among divers. Growing to 3.6m in length, the Grey Nurse is a slow but strong swimmer and thought to be more active at night. Its body is grey to grey-brown in colour with a paler off-white under belly. Reddish or brownish spots may occur on the posterior half of the body, particularly in juveniles.

Once thought to be a man eater because of its ferocious appearance, this placid shark was almost hunted to extinction. While protection against its deliberate killing has been banned for over a decade, the grey nurse shark regularly meets its fate today through continued incidental and illegal capture by commercial and recreational fisheries. This is particularly true at the last remaining 20 critical habitat sites where the sharks are known to aggregate. Once prolific along the east-coast of Australia, the population of grey nurse sharks is now thought to be as few as 300 individuals. At any one time, most of the 300 individuals can be found at one of the 20 critical habitats.

In recognition of this desperately poor state of the grey nurse shark, the species is listed as Critically Endangered under Commonwealth legislation, and Endangered under NSW legislation. The Queensland government is looking to provide a similar listing under the Nature Conservation Act 1992.

Unfortunately, these listings alone does little to protect the grey nurse shark when fishing is allowed to occur in areas where these sharks gather to feed and breed. Even with restrictions on fishing gear type at critical habitats in NSW, the grey nurse is still being hooked and killed at a rate this critically endangered population cannot sustain. It is clear that current protection must be increased to save the Grey Nurse Shark.

This could be our last chance to save the species. Help Stop the Road to Extinction.

WRITE NOW!

Have your say to save the Grey Nurse Shark and send in a submission to the NSW Fisheries Grey Nurse Discussion Paper. It is essential that as many submissions are received as possible to show the Minister for Fisheries that the community wants better protection for the critically endangered Grey Nurse Shark.

Submissions were due 29th August 2003 - but you can still send submissions to: Threatened Species Unit (Grey Nurse Shark), NSW Fisheries, Private Bag 1, Nelson Bay 2315; or fax: 02 4916 3880; or online at www.fisheries.nsw.gov.au

Key points to include in submission:

Each identified key habitat site must be fully protected from all forms of fishing in 'No-Take' Marine Sanctuaries
'No-Take' Marine Sanctuaries should extend out to 1.5km to assist in reducing accidental hooking, fishing-related mortality and to protect the food sources of the Grey Nurse Shark
Sufficient funding should be provided to ensure ongoing research and compliance.

Note: A management Plan for the grey nurse shark in Queensland is expected to be released in the near future and will be open for comment.

Alternatively, if youíve missed this due date, please write a short letter the NSW or QLD Fisheries Ministers and the Environment Minister anytime.

For more information on Grey Nurse Shark, visit www.amcs.org.au or www.nccnsw.org.au

Photos © Tim Hochgrebe from Planula Divers Retreat in Byron Bay