Date: December 13, 2018
Source: University of Queensland
Queensland's
coastal shark numbers are continuing a 50-year decline, in sharp contradiction
of suggestions of 'exploding' shark populations, according to an analysis of
Queensland Shark Control Program data.
University
of Queensland and Griffith University researchers analysed data from the
program, which has used baited drumlines and nets since 1962 to minimise
human-shark interactions, and now spans 1760 km of the Queensland coastline.
UQ School
of Biological Sciences researcher Dr George Roff said historical baselines of
Queensland shark populations were largely unknown, despite a long history of
shark exploitation by recreational and commercial fisheries.
"Explorers
in the 19th century once described Australian coastlines as being 'chock-full
of sharks', yet we don't have a clear idea of how many sharks there used to be
on Queensland beaches," he said.
"Shark
populations around the world have declined substantially in recent decades,
with many species being listed as vulnerable and endangered."
By
analysing the Queensland Shark Control Program data, the research team
reconstructed historical records of shark catches to explore changes in the
number and sizes of sharks over the past half century.
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