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SHARKS GET BITE OF THE ACTION AT MARINE WILDLIFE WORKSHOP9 February 2004 Sharks have more in common with marine mammals such as dolphins and dugongs than with other fish, and need specific management to ensure their ecological sustainability. This is the message CRC Reef Associate Student Mr Will Robbins from James Cook University will give Great Barrier Reef managers at a CRC Reef Marine Wildlife Workshop in Townsville tomorrow. Students at the workshop will brief managers and stakeholders about their research on large marine creatures including sea turtles, humpback dolphins and dugongs. They will outline how their findings can be used by managers to protect these species. “Sharks are not like other fish, because they have internal fertilisation, and give birth to fully developed pups after quite long pregnancies,” says Mr Robbins. “White-tip reef sharks, for example, live for up to 19 years, and only give birth to one or two pups every couple of years after they mature. This means that fishing can make a big difference to shark populations.” According to Dr Kirstin Dobbs, Manager of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority's Species Conservation Program, "Sharks appear to play an important part in the ecology of the Great Barrier Reef . Research on these shark species is essential to provide the best available information for fisheries and marine park managers.” “This shark research and other research by CRC Reef postgraduate students at the workshop will help inform management to protect marine wildlife on the Great Barrier Reef .” Mr Robbins hopes to calculate mortality levels that are sustainable for these species of reef sharks, and help managers develop strategies for managing their catch. “It depends on the type of shark,” he says. “In grey reef whalers, the older and larger sharks can have more pups at one time, so it makes more sense for fishers to target the smaller, less productive animals. White-tip sharks have a different reproductive strategy, and don't have more pups as they get larger. So, understanding the biology and life history of each species is very important to be able to manage it effectively.” The workshop will be attended by managers from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, and the Department of Primary Industries. Stakeholders from Indigenous, fishing and conservation groups, and scientists from James Cook University and the Museum of Tropical Queensland have also been invited. The CRC Reef Marine Wildlife Workshop is at University Hall Conference Room, James Cook University , Townsville, on Tuesday 10 February from 9am - 5pm. Speakers are available for interview from 11.10-11.30am and 12.40-1.40pm . For more information:
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