Both listed species of hammerhead sharks are totally protected and cannot be taken by recreational or commercial fishers in NSW.
Which sharks are protected in Australia?
Several species of shark are protected in Australia.
These include:
- grey nurse shark.
- great white shark.
- dwarf sawfish.
- green sawfish.
- shortfin mako.
- porbeagle.
- school shark.
- Harrisson’s dogfish.
Are hammerhead sharks protected in Western Australia?
Great and smooth hammerheads have no protection under the EPBC Act and are not listed to date. By contrast, the IUCN, an international body that assesses the conservation status of wildlife, assessed great and scalloped hammerheads as critically endangered and smooth hammerheads as vulnerable (3, 4).
Are hammerhead shark protected?
About the Species
Two distinct population segments of the scalloped hammerhead shark are listed as endangered and two are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). NOAA Fisheries is committed to conserving and protecting scalloped hammerhead sharks.
Are there hammerhead sharks in Australia?
They are found throughout the seas around northern Australia and have been recorded occurring as far south as Sydney (34°S). Globally hammerhead sharks have been targeted for their meat and valuable fins and have suffered serious declines in abundance in many geographic regions around the world.
Is it illegal to catch sharks in Australia?
In Australia, most sharks can be legally caught by commercial and recreational fishers. However, due to declines in numbers, a handful of species are now listed as ‘threatened’ under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
Can you keep a shark if you catch it?
Fishermen must release any prohibited shark immediately, without removing it from the water and in a manner that maximizes its chances of survival. There are also several species—including sandbar, silky, and porbeagle sharks—that can only be kept in limited circumstances.
What sharks are protected in Western Australia?
Any protected species that are caught must therefore be returned to the water immediately.
Some examples of totally protected fish in Western Australia include:
- Whale shark.
- Potato cod.
- Humphead Maori wrasse.
- Leafy and weedy seadragons.
- Sawfish.
- White shark.
Can you catch hammerhead shark?
Shooting a Hammerhead
So fishing for hammerheads in federal waters on the Atlantic coast is perfectly legal, so long as anglers have the proper permit. And shooting the shark?
How many people have hammerhead sharks killed?
But, despite their common presence in coastal waters, hammerhead sharks very, very rarely attack humans. But, that’s not all. There have only been 16 recorded cases of hammerheads biting humans, and not one of those cases resulted in a fatality. Despite the size of certain species, hammerheads pose no threat to humans.
Can you eat a hammerhead shark?
Humans often eat the meat of hammerhead sharks; however, consumers should be aware that large specimens may have high levels of mercury and other pollutants. Fins, skin, and teeth are also harvested from sphyrnids, and many larger hammerhead sharks are prized as sport fish.
Are hammerheads endangered 2022?
The great hammerhead shark is categorized as “critically endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Can hammerhead sharks hurt you?
With its large size and cutting teeth, the great hammerhead could seriously injure a human, so caution should be exercised around them. This species has a (possibly undeserved) reputation for aggression and being the most dangerous of the hammerhead sharks.
Are hammerhead sharks protected in NSW?
Once a species is listed, offences are established for harming, buying, selling or possessing threatened species and for damaging the habitat of threatened species. Both listed species of hammerhead sharks are totally protected and cannot be taken by recreational or commercial fishers in NSW.
What is the most common shark in Australia?
tasselled wobbegong
The tasselled wobbegong is the most common species to Australia, feeding on fish and jellyfish.
Are there hammerhead sharks in Sydney?
The Great Hammerhead Shark has a circumglobal distribution in tropical and warm temperate seas from latitudes 40° N to 35° S, however the species has been recorded as far south as Sydney (34°).
Are tiger sharks protected in Australia?
In Australia, tiger sharks are protected by the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
Are great white sharks protected in Australia?
This species is now protected in all Australian states and territorial waters. The White Shark is also protected in many places around the world. South Africa was the first to protect this species in 1992, followed by Namibia, the Maldives, Florida and California and Australia.
Does Australia have great white sharks?
White sharks occur in coastal, shelf, and continental slope waters around Australia, from north-western Western Australia and south around the coast to central Queensland.
Do you have to throw sharks back?
For instance, all sharks caught in U.S. waters must be brought to shore with their fins still attached according to the 2010 Shark Conservation Act .
Should you bleed out a shark?
And Now the Don’ts: Never remove the head or the fin. Florida does not allow bleeding out a shark which is a common practice of cutting off its head. When fishing, the entire shark needs to be kept intact when caught.