Report period: 8 Dec 2016 – 7 Jan 2017
It is a requirement for data on catches of all fauna to be reported by the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) as part of the Management Plan for the NSW North Coast Shark Meshing Trial (PDF, 428.6 KB).
The initial deployment of five nets at five beaches under the trial commenced on 8 December 2016.
Contractors and DPI trained observers check the mesh nets twice a day (generally in the morning and afternoon) to remove and record catches. When weather or bar conditions prevent safe access to mesh nets then fewer checks are undertaken.
Method | Beach | Number of days nets were deployed | Number of times nets were checked |
---|---|---|---|
Mesh nets | Seven Mile, Lennox Head | 30 | 29 |
Sharpes, Ballina | 30 | 31 | |
Shelly, Ballina | 30 | 32 | |
Lighthouse, Ballina | 30 | 32 | |
Main, Evans Head | 30 | 45 |
During the first month, a total of 41 individuals across 12 species (plus one shark and one turtle which escaped before they could be identified) were caught in the mesh nets.
- 72% were released alive.
- 28% were deceased (tissue samples were retained for analyses) (Table 2).
- of the three target shark species (White, Tiger and Bull Sharks), a total of one White Shark and two Tiger Sharks were caught in the mesh nets at Sharpes Beach and were relocated and released alive.
- one Bull Shark was caught at Lighthouse Beach, this was dead and samples were retained for analysis.
Beach | Common Name | Number alive | Number dead |
---|---|---|---|
Seven Mile, Lennox Head | Australian Cownose Ray | 1 | 1 |
Longtail (Northern Bluefin) Tuna | 0 | 1 | |
Whitespotted Guitarfish | 1 | 0 | |
Great Hammerhead Shark | 0 | 2 | |
Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin | 0 | 1 | |
Manta Ray | 1 | 0 | |
Sharpes, Ballina | White Shark | 1 | 0 |
Tiger Shark | 2 | 0 | |
Australian Cownose Ray | 1 | 0 | |
Loggerhead Turtle | 1 | 0 | |
Unidentified Turtle | 1 | 0 | |
Shelly, Ballina | Whitespotted Eagle Ray | 1 | 0 |
Loggerhead Turtle | 1 | 0 | |
Lighthouse, Ballina | Great Hammerhead Shark | 0 | 2 |
Australian Cownose Ray | 3 | 1 | |
Whitespotted Guitarfish | 1 | 0 | |
Bull Shark | 0 | 1 | |
Loggerhead Turtle | 1 | 0 | |
Main, Evans Head | Green Turtle | 0 | 1 |
Australian Cownose Ray | 10 | 2 | |
Whitespotted Guitarfish | 1 | 0 | |
Whitespotted Eagle Ray | 3 | 0 | |
Unidentified Shark | 1 | 0 | |
TOTAL | 31 | 12 |