Industry news

Grey Nurse Sharks

 

The following is an extract from a letter from Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service about new management arrangements to protect grey nurse sharks. New fishing and diving restrictions aimed at protecting the endangered grey nurse shark in south east Queensland came into effect on 19 December 2003. Details of the new arrangements and a map of the areas to which they apply can be found on the Queensland Environmental Protection Agency web site at http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/wildlife-ecosystems/index.html and follow the link under "Threatened species".

 

The new restrictions apply to 4 grey nurse shark aggregation sites in south east Queensland; Flat Rock, Henderson Rock and Cherub's Cave in Moreton Bay Marine Park and Wolf Rock off Double Island Point. At this point diving restrictions will only apply to the three sites in Moreton Bay Marine Park.

 

The new diving management measures are aimed at minimizing direct disturbance of sharks at key aggregation sites. Regulations that apply to individual divers and involve a direct individual responsibility, include prohibitions on:

• night diving (between 6 pm and 6 am)
• touching, feeding, harassing or interfering with the natural behaviour of sharks
• blocking cave entrances or gutters, and
• using mechanical or electro acoustic apparatus when diving near grey nurse sharks.

The equipment referred to in (4) includes, for instance, shark deterrent devices but does not include scuba equipment or any equipment required for diving under Queensland Workplace Health and Safety legislation.

 

Operators of tourist programs at the grey nurse shark sites must ensure that all of their clients are aware of the new diving requirements prior to entering the water. Dive shop operators who promote or organize dive trips must display a sign (see enclosed) in their shops and also on boats that take divers to the actual sites. In dive shops the sign should be permanently displayed. On boats, the sign must be displayed at least for the duration of trips to grey nurse shark areas.

 

The new legislation limits the number of divers that may dive in a group (from a single boat at the same time) within grey nurse shark areas. The limit is 10 divers, although 12 divers may dive from the same boat at the same time if the extra two divers are either guides or instructors. Written permission is required from QPWS for more than 12 divers to dive at the same time from the same boat within a grey nurse shark area. Consideration to granting such permission will be made in the context of a visitor management strategy, which will be developed by QPWS in consultation with dive and charter operators.

 

The legislation also gives power to the QPWS to prohibit entry to grey nurse shark areas as a temporary measure if urgent action is needed to meet a significant threat to grey nurse sharks. The closure powers are intended for situations when minimizing disturbance to sharks is considered critical (e.g. female sharks within the area have just given birth).

 

To assist you to fully understand the new rules pertaining to grey nurse shark areas, staff from the QPWS are available to meet with individual dive operators to explain the new provisions in more detail and to answer any questions you may have. Should you wish to arrange such a meeting, or have any queries regarding the new grey nurse shark areas, please contact Miles Yeates on (07) 3821 9022.