Qld shark catches from 2020 to 2025: Every region mapped

Queensland’s most sharky beach has been revealed in the wake of the Sunshine State’s latest shark attack. SEE THE MAP

A tiger shark.

Queensland’s most sharky beach has been revealed in the wake of the Sunshine State’s latest shark attack this week.

Monday’s tragic fatal attack on Bribie Island teenage surf lifesaver Charlize Zmuda, who was mauled by a suspected bull shark while swimming off protected Woorim Beach, has focused renewed attention on the state’s shark population and control program.

More than 4800 sharks have been caught in baited drum lines and nets off the Queensland coast in the last five years, according to latest QFish data.

And Tannum Sands has easily emerged with the dubious distinction as Queensland’s shark capital.

The figures reveal 343 sharks were caught off Tannum Sands between 2020 and so far this year, eclipsing the 220 caught off Kellys Beach at Bargara.

The Tannum Sands haul included the largest recorded great white shark ever caught in Queensland waters - a 5.62m behemoth bigger than a dual-cab ute. The female, with four pups, was found dead on a drumline off the beach near Gladstone last August.

Also recording hefty shark catches were idyllic Horseshoe Bay on Magnetic Island (212), Harbour Beach at Mackay (207) and popular Rainbow Beach (203).

Frighteningly, tourism hotspot Noosa was the most sharky of the busiest South East Queensland beaches, with 146 sharks caught between 2020 and 2025 - including 26 tiger sharks bigger than 2m.

Kellys Beach also recorded the largest number of big sharks (44), ranging in size from 3-4m to 5m-plus. They included 43 tiger sharks.

Nine monster sharks measuring 5m-plus have been caught off the Queensland coast in nets and drumlines since 2001, according to the shark control program figures.

Two have been caught at Tannum Sands - one Great White and the other a tiger shark - while Harbour Beach and Lamberts Beach also recorded 5m-plus tiger shark catches.

Other 5m-plus tiger sharks were hauled in at Cooee Bay, Emu Park, Fishermans Beach and Rainbow Beach, while a 5m-plus spot-tail whaler was caught at Ellis Beach north of Palm Cove.

A total of 10 sharks have been hooked by a network of 18 drumlines off Woorim Beach, where Charlize was attacked, over the past five years - including five 2m-plus tiger sharks.

Drum lines have been in place on Bribie Island since the shark control program began in 1962.

Meanwhile, changes could be made to the program after a review by consultants KPMG.

The current five-year shark management plan is due to expire in July and it’s understood the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries is preparing a report for Cabinet based on the KPMG findings.

Successive governments have consistently ruled out calls from environmentalists to pull up the shark nets and drumlines which critics say provide a false sense of security and also catch large numbers of other marine creatures including whales and turtles.

But the government has been trialling other technology including drones which spotted almost 700 sharks during a trial which ran between 2020 and April last year.

Commenting on the Bribie Island tragedy, Primary Industries Minister Tony Perrett said: “The focus should always be the safety of Queenslanders.”

Sharks continue to be a threat across Queensland.

“Our hearts are with the family, friends, and community of this young woman (Charlize Zmuda) whose life has been cut tragically short,’ he said.

“I also want to acknowledge the heroic efforts of the police, paramedics, surf life savers and witnesses who went to her aid.”

A total of 16,350 sharks have been caught in drum lines and nets off the Queensland coast since 2001, according to the available data.

Originally published as Qld shark catches from 2020 to 2025: Every region mapped