WA fishing experts and Recfishwest have welcomed the opportunity to have their say on beginning to combat the wicked problem of shark bite-off at a series of workshops throughout WA and several other states.
The workshops, supported by the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC), and organised by the Department of Primary Industries and Development (DPIRD), drew together experts from the recreational and commercial fishing sectors, as well as fisheries managers and scientists, to share views and ideas on how this major issue can be better dealt with.
Included in the workshops, which are also taking place across the Northern Territory and Queensland, was analysis of shark behavioural changes, touting technical solutions, and sharing education tips that can be passed down to fishers to help avoid lost fish, gear and profanity-riddled fishing trips.
So far, WA workshops in Exmouth, Karratha, Hedland, Broome, Geraldton and Perth saw Recfishwest’s attendance along with several fishing club, tackle, charter and commercial representatives, with attendees providing positive feedback.
Leading Shark Scientist Marcus Drymon from Mississippi State University also attended all workshops to provide a valuable insight into how they are combating this issue in the Gulf of Mexico.
It’s a sickening feeling hooking a great fish only for it to be “taxed by the men in grey suits”, and Recfishwest has been calling on Government for years to invest in research and develop policies significantly tackling what is the number one issue for fishing in the northern half of the state and increasingly becoming a problem further south.
“These workshops reflect what Recfishwest has constantly called for and while they are long overdue – these collaborations between knowledgeable and passionate fishers, fisheries scientists and managers are certainly a step in the right direction for helping tackle the shark bite-off issue,” said Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland.
“Shark bite-off has been the biggest issue facing recreational fishers for years in WA’s northern waters and we want to see more Government funding towards this issue to help boost research and development of proven shark depredation mitigation techniques for all fishers.”
Exmouth Game Fishing Club Events Manager, Ben Knaggs, attending the Exmouth workshop said,
“These workshops included the best minds from fishing clubs, tackle stores, commercial fisheries, industry leaders and renowned recreational fishers who all shared their experiences and ideas to come up with some solid mitigation measures for tackling this,” said Ben.
“Fishers have had enough and being sharked puts a dampener on what should be a great time out on the water. There is no silver bullet solution yet, but we’re glad this issue is receiving the desperate attention it deserves.”
Helping you axe being taxed
Informed by the outcomes of the workshop series set to continue across WA’s coastal areas, FRDC will fund further research to better capture the range of mitigation practices or technologies that have been used in Australia or overseas, to assess their effectiveness on shark bite-off.
Dr Jonathan Mitchell from the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries said, “It’s clear from the workshops there are a lot of ideas out there. What’s needed now is to build an understanding of what might work, do some validation work around that, then give our fishing sectors the information to make investment decisions.”
A national survey allowing fishers to have their say on shark bite-off experiences and ways to combat this will be made available in the coming months and we will keep you updated on when this survey is made public.
Want to reduce your odds of shark bite-off on your fishing trips? We’ve compiled all the best tips from fishing experts on how to help keep your fish away from the taxman. Click here to view our webpage on how to avoid shark bite-off.