At least 8,000 great white sharks roam the waters off Australia, according to research released Friday that is likely to renew debate about balancing conservation efforts with mitigating attacks. Great white sharks have been a protected species in Australia since 1999, when signs emerged of a long-term decline in their population Great whites have been a protected species in Australia since 1999, when signs emerged of a long-term decline in their population in waters around the continent. But an increase in attacks on surfers and swimmers has prompted some Australian states to push for the culling of the apex predator despite their protected status. Researchers have struggled to get an accurate census of adult great whites as they are few in number and difficult to track. Previous sources of figures such as historical catch data were also patchy. But using groundbreaking genetic and statistical analysis of juvenile sharks, scientists from Australia and New Zealand led by national science body CSIRO have been able to produce a total population estimate in Australian waters of at least 8,000, including about 2,210 adults. “Now that we have a starting point, we can repeat the exercise over time and build a total population trend, to see whether the numbers are going up or down,” the CSIRO’s principal research scientist Rich Hillary said in a statement. “This is crucial to developing effective policy outcomes that balance the sometimes conflicting aims of conservation initiatives and human-shark interaction risk management.” The landmark analysis involved extracting DNA from… [Read full story]
A fisherman caught an 80kg shark when he was netting crabs, 200 meters from Quy Nhon beach in the central Binh Dinh province this morning. The fish, thought to be a juvenile great white shark, was stuck in the net of 36-year-old Nguyen Thanh Hai. Hai said two strong men assisted him to bring the shark ashore. "We often call it great white shark because they are violent," said Nguyen Van Nhan, 55, a local experienced fishermen. Swimmers were attacked in the waters off Quy Nhon beach more than 10 times between 2009 and 2010 in which at least two…... [read more]
An Australian man who killed a great white shark by ramming it with his boat and beating it with a pole has been fined A$18,000 ($16,000; £9,000). The 40-year-old man was found guilty of harming a threatened species by a court in New South Wales (NSW) on Thursday. The incident occurred in January 2012 at Sussex Inlet, south of Sydney. One other man has also been charged. Great white sharks are protected in Australian waters. Officials say they are important to the local ecosystem. According to witnesses, the man herded the young shark into shallow water and deliberately hit it…... [read more]
A fisherman has captured a juvenile white shark measuring 1.5 meters in length and weighing around 60 kilograms off the central province of Binh Dinh Sunday. It was stuck in the net of Phan Van Dau, 52, of Quy Nhon city. People flocked to the beach to see the animal. Six swimmers were attacked by sharks between July 2009 and May 2010 off Quy Nhon and fishermen have captured at least one creature weighing more than half a ton in that period.... [read more]
A fisherman netted a Great White Shark while fishing off the coast in the south central province of Binh Dinh early Sunday. Nguyen Van Hai, 36, said the shark swam into a fishing net he had cast into the ocean some 200 meters from Quy Nhon City. Hai then called two other fishermen to help him pull the shark ashore. The three dragged the shark, which weighed around 80 kilograms, ashore at 6 am and immediately attracted huge crowds of fishermen who said the shark may be pregnant given the size of its belly. Hai did not explain what he would do with the 2-meter-long shark. Local fishermen…... [read more]
In just two weeks a fisherman in the central Quy Nhon city has caught six sharks thought to be juvenile great white sharks. Swimmers were attacked in the waters off Quy Nhon beach several times between 2009 and 2010, and in at least one case juvenile sharks were thought to be the culprits. Nguyen Van Luyen, 48, captured two sharks last Monday near Hon Dat Island within two nautical miles of shore. Last week he had caught four in the same area. Local scientists have identified them as great whites, the same as a 40 kg specimen some fishermen had…... [read more]
