Cairns fishing: Bull shark population explosion angers fisherman

Bull sharks will destroy the Far North’s recreational fishing unless action is taken, warns a veteran professional angler.

BULL sharks are out of control in Far North waters and will devastate the recreational fishing industry if left unchecked, a leading fishing guide and educator says.

Ryan Moody has been on the water for 36 years and said the restrictions on commercial fishing of bull sharks had caused an alarming explosion in numbers.

“Numbers might have been suffering in areas overseas, but not in waters here, and recreational and professional fishermen are losing a massive percentage of their catch to bull sharks,” he said.

Increasing bull shark numbers are a concern to Ryan Moody fisherman and wife Karen a marine biologist, at their boat at Bluewater. Picture: Brian Cassey

“They are spiralling out of control, sharks have always been smart and come to the boat, but there’s so many more of them now.

“They are very resilient, a very tough shark, aggressive, and they have heaps of pups,” Mr Moody said.

“They’re definitely a pest, and the problem is the government won’t listen to us, they don’t care that more spear fishermen are getting bitten, more swimmers are getting munched.

“Recreational anglers have had enough, they spend money on fuel, bait and tackle, head to the reef only to lose 80 per cent of their catch – the sharks just eat it all, they’re an apex predator that’s been able to thrive.”

He said commercial fishermen didn’t want bull sharks anymore anyway as they were too big and full of mercury.

The rule is that one shark per person or two per boat can be caught and they must be less than 150cm.

Nets and drumlines are in place at Buchan Point, Clifton Beach, Ellis Beach, Palm Cove. Trinity Beach, Yorkeys Knob, and Holloways Beach but they do not form an impenetrable barrier, according to the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.

Last December, Innisfail teen Jack Shinn survived a terrifying encounter with a 4m bull shark after it torpedoed his fishing kayak and flipped him into the water off the coast of Kurrimine Beach.

While the grey nurse shark, great white shark, and some species of sawfish and mako are protected, bull sharks are not a protected species in Australia.

Mr Moody said bull sharks ate infant sharks that were threatened species.

Bull sharks like tropical shorelines and venture far inland via rivers and tributaries.

They get their name from their short, blunt snout, as well as their pugnacious disposition and a tendency to headbutt their prey before attacking.

Last October, retired US navy master diver Rick Bettua suffered near-fatal injuries after he was attacked by a 3.5m bull shark on Britomart Reef off Lucinda.

Most of the world’s fatal shark attacks in 2020 happened in Australia – and nearly half of those in Queensland, according to an international study compiled by the University of Florida.

It states white, tiger and bull sharks are responsible for most attacks, with teeth designed to shear rather than hold.

In 2020, bull sharks worldwide were responsible for 92 attacks – 25 of them fatal.

Originally published as Cairns fishing: Bull shark population explosion angers fisherman