Recovery Plan for the Grey Nurse Shark (Carcharias taurus) in Australia

Commonwealth of Australia 2001 Commonwealth of Australia 2001

Commonwealth of Australia 2001

ISBN 0642547882

This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from the Commonwealth, available from Environment Australia. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to:

Assistant Secretary

Marine Conservation Branch

Environment Australia

GPO Box 787

CANBERRA ACT 2601

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For additional copies of this publication, please contact the Community Information Unit of Environment Australia on toll free 1800 803 772.

Cover Image Cover Image

Cover Image

Grey Nurse Shark

Photo Courtesy of David Harasti

Table of Contents Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments v

Recovery Team Membership v

List of Abbreviations vi

Summary vii

Part 1. Introduction

1.1 Conservation Status 1

1.2 Reasons for Listing 1

1.3 Benefits to Nontarget Species 1

1.4 Social and Economic Impacts of the Plan 2

1.5 Affected Parties 2

1.6 Evaluation and Review 3

Part 2. Biological Description

2.1 Description of Species 4

2.2 Distribution 4

2.3 Habitat and Diet 5

2.4 Life History 5

2.4.1 Reproductive Biology 5

2.4.2 Young 5

2.4.3 Longevity of Adults 6

2.5 Degree of Decline 6

Part 3. Threats

3.1 Commercial Fishing 8

3.2 Recreational Fishing 9

3.3 Shark Finning 11

3.4 Shark Control Activities 12

3.5 Ecotourism 14

3.6 Aquarium Trade 15

Part 4. Management Responses

4.1 Habitat Protection 17

4.1.1 Habitat critical to the survival of 19

Grey Nurse Shark

4.2 Research Activities 25

4.3 Population Modelling and Demography 27

4.4 Community Involvement and Education 28

4.5 Conservation Status 29

Part 5. Recovery Objectives, Actions and Criteria

5.1 Recovery Plan Objective 30

5.2 Specific Objectives 30

5.3 Recovery Actions and Criteria 30

Part 6. Costs of Recovery

6.1 Estimated Cost of Recovery Actions 36

References 40

Appendix A

Catches of Grey Nurse Sharks in Commonwealth 43

managed fisheries

Appendix B

Code of Conduct for Diving with Grey Nurse Sharks 45

Tables

Table 1. Legislation to protect Grey Nurse Sharks or identify 1

their status as needing particular conservation action

Table 2. Fisheries that impact or potentially impact on Grey 9

Nurse Sharks

Table 3. Commercial aquaria holdings of Grey Nurse Sharks 16

in Australia

Table 4. Habitat sites critical for the survival of the 20

Grey Nurse Shark

Table 5. Numbers of Grey Nurse Sharks observed during NSW 26

Fisheries surveys, 1998-01

Table 6. Summary table of objectives, actions and criteria for 31

the conservation of Grey Nurse Sharks

Table 7. Costs of Recovery Plan Recommendations 37

Maps

Map 1. Areas sampled by the scuba diving community in 7

cooperation with NSW Fisheries, 1998-01

Map 2. Habitat sites critical for the survival of Grey Nurse Shark 22

for Southern Queensland

Map 3. Habitat sites critical for the survival of Grey Nurse Shark 23

for Northern New South Wales

Map 4. Habitat sites critical for the survival of Grey Nurse Shark 24

for Southern New South Wales

Figures

Figure 1. Image of Grey Nurse Shark Carcharias taurus 4

Figure 2. Numbers of Grey Nurse Sharks caught in beach 12

protective shark meshing nets in NSW from 1950-1999

Figure 3. Total catches of Grey Nurse Shark from mesh nets 13

and drumlines - Queensland Shark Control Program

Acknowledgments

Environment Australia would like to thank the members of the Recovery Team, particularly Nick Otway and Dave Pollard for their assistance with the drafts. Members or groups of members and colleagues from within their industries or government sectors have also provided data and advice. Thanks are due to the Queensland Shark Control Program and Western Australia Department of Fisheries for providing data. Thanks also go to staff of Environment Australia, in particular David Harasti, Sara Williams and Sarah Johnstone for all their assistance and advice.

Recovery Team Membership

The list below has been compiled from the two meetings held to discuss and develop the plan. Representation was subject to some changes depending on availability of representatives from various sectors and location and timing of the meetings.

Sara Williams Environment Australia, Marine and Water Division (Chair)

David Harasti Environment Australia, Marine and Water Division

Nicola Beynon Humane Society International

Stephanie Lemm Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service

Geoff McPherson Queensland Department of Primary Industries

Barry Bruce CSIRO Marine Laboratories

John Stevens CSIRO Marine Laboratories

Rory McAuley WA Department of Fisheries

Nick Otway NSW Fisheries

Bill Talbot NSW Fisheries

David Pollard NSW Fisheries

Noel Hitchins Scuba Diving Industry

Ross Monash Recfish Australia

Katrina Maguire Australian Fisheries Management Authority

Joanna Fisher Australian Fisheries Management Authority

Andreas Fischer Aquarium Industry

Craig Bohm Marine and Coastal Community Network

List of Abbreviations

AFFA Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry - Australia

AFMA Australian Fisheries Management Authority

ANZECC Australia and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council

CALM Department of Conservation and Land Management, Western Australia

CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora

COFI Committee on Fisheries

cm centimetres

CSIRO Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation

EA Environment Australia

EPBC Act Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

ESAC Endangered Species Advisory Committee

ESP Act Endangered Species Protection Act 1992

ESSS Endangered Species Scientific Subcommittee

FAO Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations

IPOA International Plan of Action for Conservation and Management of Sharks

IUCN World conservation Union (formerly International Union for the Conservation of Nature)

km kilometres

m metres

MPAs marine protected areas

NRSMPA National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas

NSW New South Wales

NSW NPWS New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service

PIRSA Primary Industries and Resources South Australia

QDPI Queensland Department of Primary Industries

QFS Queensland Fisheries Service

QPWS Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service

TSSC Threatened Species Scientific Committee

USA United States of America

WA Western Australia

Summary

Current Species Status Current Species Status

Current Species Status

The Grey Nurse Shark, Carcharias taurus, is listed as two separate populations under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act 1999). The east coast population is listed as critically endangered and the west coast population is listed as vulnerable under the EPBC Act. The EPBC Act 1999 and EPBC Regulations 2000 (section 7.11) identify the need for preparation of a recovery plan and specifies the content of the plan.

Grey Nurse Sharks are protected under Fisheries Legislation in New South Wales, Western Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and Queensland. The decline of Grey Nurse Shark numbers has been recognised by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which has listed Grey Nurse Sharks as globally vulnerable. They are also fully protected in South Africa, Namibia and Florida (USA).

Habitat and Distribution Habitat and Distribution

Habitat and Distribution

Grey Nurse Sharks are often observed just above the sea bed in or near deep sandy-bottomed gutters or rocky caves in the vicinity of inshore rocky reefs and islands. The diet of the adult Grey Nurse Shark consists of a wide range of bony fishes such as jewfish and kingfish, other sharks and rays, squids, crabs and lobsters.

Grey Nurse Sharks have a broad inshore distribution, primarily in sub-tropical to cool temperate waters around the main continental landmasses. In Australia, Grey Nurse Sharks have been regularly reported from Mooloolaba in southern Queensland around most of the southern half of the continent (excluding the Great Australian Bight), and northward to Shark Bay in Western Australia. The Grey Nurse Shark has been recorded as far north as Cairns in the east, the North West Shelf in the west, and also in the Arafura Sea. The distribution of Grey Nurse Sharks is now confined to coastal waters off southern Queensland, the entire New South Wales coast and the south-west coastal waters of Western Australia.

Threats Threats

Threats

Historically, due to their fierce appearance and being mistaken for other sharks that pose a danger to humans, large numbers of Grey Nurse Sharks were killed by recreational spear and line fishers and in shark control programs, particularly in south-eastern Australia. Major threats to the recovery of Grey Nurse Sharks include:

• incidental capture by commercial and recreational fisheries;
• shark control activities;
• shark finning; and
• ecotourism.

The life history characteristics of Grey Nurse Sharks have left the remaining populations vulnerable to any small scale changes, and populations in NSW waters have not recovered since their protection in 1984. The total number of individuals on the east coast of Australia is low and estimated to be less than 500 individuals. The number of Grey Nurse Sharks in NSW could be as low as 292; the highest number of individuals observed during a single survey period at all sites where these sharks are currently known to occur in NSW. There are concerns that this population has fallen to such critically low numbers that individual animals are now failing to find mates and successfully reproduce. In addition, fishing activity, particularly recreational line fishing are thought to be impacting severely on the existing Grey Nurse Shark population.

Biodiversity Benefits Biodiversity Benefits

Biodiversity Benefits

The benefits to biodiversity of the actions identified in this plan will be varied. Some benefits to other marine species can be immediately identified, such as:

• the effective management of bycatch in fisheries;
• the effective management of bycatch in shark control activities;
• the protection of marine habitat; and
• the additional protection for other threatened marine species.

Recovery Team Membership Recovery Team Membership

Recovery Team Membership

Representation on the Recovery Team was drawn from a cross-section of affected and interested parties, including government departments, non-government organisations and people involved in or interested in shark conservation and management.

Recovery Objectives Recovery Objectives

Recovery Objectives

The overall recovery objective is:

To increase Grey Nurse Shark numbers in Australian waters to a level that will see the species removed from the schedules of the EPBC Act.

The specific objectives are to:

1. Reduce the impact of commercial fishing on Grey Nurse Sharks.
2. Reduce the impact of recreational fishing on Grey Nurse Sharks.
3. Reduce the impact of shark finning on Grey Nurse Sharks.
4. Reduce the impact of shark control activities on Grey Nurse Sharks.
5. Manage the impact of ecotourism on Grey Nurse Sharks.
6. Eliminate the impact of aquaria on Grey Nurse Sharks.
7. Identify and establish conservation areas to protect Grey Nurse Sharks from threatening activities such as commercial and recreational fishing.
8. Develop research programs to assist conservation of Grey Nurse Sharks.
9. Develop population models to assess Grey Nurse Shark populations and monitor their recovery.
10. Promote community education about Grey Nurse Sharks.
11. Develop a quantitative framework to assess the recovery of the species.

Actions and Recovery Criteria Actions and Recovery Criteria

Actions and Recovery Criteria

To fulfil the specific objectives of this plan, actions are designed to identify and reduce the threats to Grey Nurse Sharks, determine levels of mortality and reduce that mortality. The assessment of the actions against the criteria for success is essential to measure the recovery of Grey Nurse Sharks. These actions and criteria can be found in Table 6 and are summarised as:

• assess commercial and recreational fisheries data to determine current levels of Grey Nurse Shark bycatch;
• modify fisheries logbooks to permit recording of Grey Nurse Shark catch and biological data;
• ensure existing fishery observer programs record interactions with Grey Nurse Sharks;
• prevent unregulated shark finning;
• quantify and reduce levels of Grey Nurse Shark take in shark control activities;
• minimise ecotourism and aquaria impacts on Grey Nurse Sharks;
• develop appropriate mechanisms to protect habitat critical for the survival of Grey Nurse Sharks;
• establish community based programs to identify and monitor key sites for Grey Nurse Sharks;
• collect biological and genetic information to assess the population size and status of Grey Nurse Sharks; and
• develop a community education strategy for Grey Nurse Sharks.

Evaluation and Review

The life of the recovery plan is 5 years. The EPBC Act states the need to evaluate the performance of the plan. A review will be carried out annually by the recovery team. The recovery team will also undertake an evaluation of the plan within 5 years.

Part 1. Introduction

Part 1. Introduction

1.1 Conservation Status

The Grey Nurse Shark, Carcharias taurus (Rafinesque 1810), is listed as two separate populations under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). The east coast population is listed as critically endangered and the west coast population is listed as vulnerable. This species became the first protected shark in the world when the NSW Government declared it a protected species in 1984 (Pollard et al. 1996). Grey Nurse Sharks are now protected under fisheries legislation in New South Wales, Western Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and Queensland and is listed as vulnerable globally on the IUCN Red List of Threatened species 2000 (Table 1).

Until recently the Grey Nurse Shark had an undeserved reputation in Australia as a man-eater. Harding (1990) and many others before him, found that the species is not a threat to divers or swimmers unless provoked. Many shark attacks in Australia have been attributed incorrectly to the Grey Nurse Shark (Whitley 1983), often due to its fierce appearance. The Grey Nurse Shark's reputation led to indiscriminate killing of the species by spear and line fishers (Last & Stevens 1994). During the 1950s and 60s there was a concerted effort among spear fishers to wipe out Grey Nurse Sharks along the NSW coastline (Cropp 1964, Ireland 1984). Cropp (1974) speculated that at the time of publication, close to 300 Grey Nurse Sharks had been taken since the use of powerheads became widespread in skin diving circles. He also reported taking 24 grey nurse from a single gutter at Seal Rocks and earlier reflected that the Grey Nurse Shark would soon become rare as a consequence of the introduction of powerheads (Cropp 1974).

Current threats to the species are believed to be incidental catch by recreational fishing and various commercial fisheries (such as NSW Ocean Trap and Line and WA Shark Gillnet Fisheries), and to a much lesser extent protective beach meshing (Pollard et al. 1996, Krogh 1994, and Pepperell et al. 1993).

Table 1. Current legislation to protect Grey Nurse Sharks or identify their conservation status.

| Jurisdiction | Legislation | Status | | --------------------------------- | -----