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The Advertiser
5 days ago
- General
- The Advertiser
Jaw-dropping video of shark snacking at Lake Macquarie emerges as anglers suspect numbers surge
JAW-DROPPING footage of a hammerhead shark biting bait clean off a line has emerged as anglers suspect numbers have surged at Lake Macquarie. The footage, captured and shared by Hunter Shark Jaw Restoration, shows the hammerhead circling the bait before taking a bite and dragging it down to the murky depths of the lake. NSW Recreational Fishing Alliance of NSW recreational fishing safety officer Malcolm Poole said he believed shark numbers had grown in the lake, which was a known nursery for young hammerheads. He not only thinks that the number of sharks is growing, but so is 'shark depredation' or 'shark bite-offs', where a shark eats or damages a fish that has been caught before it can be landed. The phenomenon, which Mr Poole says the fishing fraternity refers to as the "grey-suited tax man", impacts both recreational and commercial fishers. "Who wouldn't want a free feed?" he said. "The grey-suited tax man is certainly getting his fair share out there." Mr Poole said he suspected shark numbers had grown as a result of the lake becoming a net-free area and artificial warming due to power stations at its southern end. "Today, Lake Macquarie is known to be a nursery for young hammerheads," he said. "It's always been known for many, many years, and being the biggest lake in the southern hemisphere, there's bound to be a number of other secrets it holds too." The NSW Shark Management Program does not monitor sharks in Lake Macquarie as shark mitigation in harbours, rivers and estuaries is the responsibility of the landowner, for example, councils, private entities and property owners. A Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development spokeswoman said there was no scientific evidence to suggest an increase in shark numbers in the area. "The SharkSmart app has recently reported catches of white sharks along ocean beaches within the Lake Macquarie LGA and in other parts of the NSW coast, consistent with the annual movement patterns for white sharks on our coast, as demonstrated by the tagging program," she said. "Lake Macquarie is a coastal saltwater lagoon and, as such, many sharks may be present in these waters, including white, bull and tiger sharks, which are the three sharks that are most frequently involved in serious shark bites in NSW and are the focus of the NSW government's tagging and tracking and shark mitigation programs. "Other species may include hammerheads, wobbegongs, Port Jacksons, small whalers and grey nurse sharks." Mr Poole said anecdotally, shark sightings have increased over the years, particularly in shallow waters, and the occasional great white shark will mosey down the Swansea Channel. "They're following food webs, such as the Australian salmon that come in from the ocean into the lake," he said. Mr Poole said hammerheads were generally foraging fish, and there were rules and regulations around the size, number and types of sharks anglers were allowed to catch. "There are some dedicated shark fishers out there, not so much in the estuary systems," he said. "We do find some young teenagers test their testosterone out on sharks, heading down to the local public wharf and throwing a 150-pound string and half a mullet to try to pick up a shark and land it. "Sharks are one of those interesting animals that are very powerful, and if you can stay on the wharf, then good luck. "My suggestions to those young kids is grab a seat belt or a piece of rope to tie yourself down if you want to try to tackle a shark in Lake Macquarie, and be prepared to hang it out there for several hours while you play tug of war between the shark and the angler." JAW-DROPPING footage of a hammerhead shark biting bait clean off a line has emerged as anglers suspect numbers have surged at Lake Macquarie. The footage, captured and shared by Hunter Shark Jaw Restoration, shows the hammerhead circling the bait before taking a bite and dragging it down to the murky depths of the lake. NSW Recreational Fishing Alliance of NSW recreational fishing safety officer Malcolm Poole said he believed shark numbers had grown in the lake, which was a known nursery for young hammerheads. He not only thinks that the number of sharks is growing, but so is 'shark depredation' or 'shark bite-offs', where a shark eats or damages a fish that has been caught before it can be landed. The phenomenon, which Mr Poole says the fishing fraternity refers to as the "grey-suited tax man", impacts both recreational and commercial fishers. "Who wouldn't want a free feed?" he said. "The grey-suited tax man is certainly getting his fair share out there." Mr Poole said he suspected shark numbers had grown as a result of the lake becoming a net-free area and artificial warming due to power stations at its southern end. "Today, Lake Macquarie is known to be a nursery for young hammerheads," he said. "It's always been known for many, many years, and being the biggest lake in the southern hemisphere, there's bound to be a number of other secrets it holds too." The NSW Shark Management Program does not monitor sharks in Lake Macquarie as shark mitigation in harbours, rivers and estuaries is the responsibility of the landowner, for example, councils, private entities and property owners. A Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development spokeswoman said there was no scientific evidence to suggest an increase in shark numbers in the area. "The SharkSmart app has recently reported catches of white sharks along ocean beaches within the Lake Macquarie LGA and in other parts of the NSW coast, consistent with the annual movement patterns for white sharks on our coast, as demonstrated by the tagging program," she said. "Lake Macquarie is a coastal saltwater lagoon and, as such, many sharks may be present in these waters, including white, bull and tiger sharks, which are the three sharks that are most frequently involved in serious shark bites in NSW and are the focus of the NSW government's tagging and tracking and shark mitigation programs. "Other species may include hammerheads, wobbegongs, Port Jacksons, small whalers and grey nurse sharks." Mr Poole said anecdotally, shark sightings have increased over the years, particularly in shallow waters, and the occasional great white shark will mosey down the Swansea Channel. "They're following food webs, such as the Australian salmon that come in from the ocean into the lake," he said. Mr Poole said hammerheads were generally foraging fish, and there were rules and regulations around the size, number and types of sharks anglers were allowed to catch. "There are some dedicated shark fishers out there, not so much in the estuary systems," he said. "We do find some young teenagers test their testosterone out on sharks, heading down to the local public wharf and throwing a 150-pound string and half a mullet to try to pick up a shark and land it. "Sharks are one of those interesting animals that are very powerful, and if you can stay on the wharf, then good luck. "My suggestions to those young kids is grab a seat belt or a piece of rope to tie yourself down if you want to try to tackle a shark in Lake Macquarie, and be prepared to hang it out there for several hours while you play tug of war between the shark and the angler." JAW-DROPPING footage of a hammerhead shark biting bait clean off a line has emerged as anglers suspect numbers have surged at Lake Macquarie. The footage, captured and shared by Hunter Shark Jaw Restoration, shows the hammerhead circling the bait before taking a bite and dragging it down to the murky depths of the lake. NSW Recreational Fishing Alliance of NSW recreational fishing safety officer Malcolm Poole said he believed shark numbers had grown in the lake, which was a known nursery for young hammerheads. He not only thinks that the number of sharks is growing, but so is 'shark depredation' or 'shark bite-offs', where a shark eats or damages a fish that has been caught before it can be landed. The phenomenon, which Mr Poole says the fishing fraternity refers to as the "grey-suited tax man", impacts both recreational and commercial fishers. "Who wouldn't want a free feed?" he said. "The grey-suited tax man is certainly getting his fair share out there." Mr Poole said he suspected shark numbers had grown as a result of the lake becoming a net-free area and artificial warming due to power stations at its southern end. "Today, Lake Macquarie is known to be a nursery for young hammerheads," he said. "It's always been known for many, many years, and being the biggest lake in the southern hemisphere, there's bound to be a number of other secrets it holds too." The NSW Shark Management Program does not monitor sharks in Lake Macquarie as shark mitigation in harbours, rivers and estuaries is the responsibility of the landowner, for example, councils, private entities and property owners. A Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development spokeswoman said there was no scientific evidence to suggest an increase in shark numbers in the area. "The SharkSmart app has recently reported catches of white sharks along ocean beaches within the Lake Macquarie LGA and in other parts of the NSW coast, consistent with the annual movement patterns for white sharks on our coast, as demonstrated by the tagging program," she said. "Lake Macquarie is a coastal saltwater lagoon and, as such, many sharks may be present in these waters, including white, bull and tiger sharks, which are the three sharks that are most frequently involved in serious shark bites in NSW and are the focus of the NSW government's tagging and tracking and shark mitigation programs. "Other species may include hammerheads, wobbegongs, Port Jacksons, small whalers and grey nurse sharks." Mr Poole said anecdotally, shark sightings have increased over the years, particularly in shallow waters, and the occasional great white shark will mosey down the Swansea Channel. "They're following food webs, such as the Australian salmon that come in from the ocean into the lake," he said. Mr Poole said hammerheads were generally foraging fish, and there were rules and regulations around the size, number and types of sharks anglers were allowed to catch. "There are some dedicated shark fishers out there, not so much in the estuary systems," he said. "We do find some young teenagers test their testosterone out on sharks, heading down to the local public wharf and throwing a 150-pound string and half a mullet to try to pick up a shark and land it. "Sharks are one of those interesting animals that are very powerful, and if you can stay on the wharf, then good luck. "My suggestions to those young kids is grab a seat belt or a piece of rope to tie yourself down if you want to try to tackle a shark in Lake Macquarie, and be prepared to hang it out there for several hours while you play tug of war between the shark and the angler." JAW-DROPPING footage of a hammerhead shark biting bait clean off a line has emerged as anglers suspect numbers have surged at Lake Macquarie. The footage, captured and shared by Hunter Shark Jaw Restoration, shows the hammerhead circling the bait before taking a bite and dragging it down to the murky depths of the lake. NSW Recreational Fishing Alliance of NSW recreational fishing safety officer Malcolm Poole said he believed shark numbers had grown in the lake, which was a known nursery for young hammerheads. He not only thinks that the number of sharks is growing, but so is 'shark depredation' or 'shark bite-offs', where a shark eats or damages a fish that has been caught before it can be landed. The phenomenon, which Mr Poole says the fishing fraternity refers to as the "grey-suited tax man", impacts both recreational and commercial fishers. "Who wouldn't want a free feed?" he said. "The grey-suited tax man is certainly getting his fair share out there." Mr Poole said he suspected shark numbers had grown as a result of the lake becoming a net-free area and artificial warming due to power stations at its southern end. "Today, Lake Macquarie is known to be a nursery for young hammerheads," he said. "It's always been known for many, many years, and being the biggest lake in the southern hemisphere, there's bound to be a number of other secrets it holds too." The NSW Shark Management Program does not monitor sharks in Lake Macquarie as shark mitigation in harbours, rivers and estuaries is the responsibility of the landowner, for example, councils, private entities and property owners. A Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development spokeswoman said there was no scientific evidence to suggest an increase in shark numbers in the area. "The SharkSmart app has recently reported catches of white sharks along ocean beaches within the Lake Macquarie LGA and in other parts of the NSW coast, consistent with the annual movement patterns for white sharks on our coast, as demonstrated by the tagging program," she said. "Lake Macquarie is a coastal saltwater lagoon and, as such, many sharks may be present in these waters, including white, bull and tiger sharks, which are the three sharks that are most frequently involved in serious shark bites in NSW and are the focus of the NSW government's tagging and tracking and shark mitigation programs. "Other species may include hammerheads, wobbegongs, Port Jacksons, small whalers and grey nurse sharks." Mr Poole said anecdotally, shark sightings have increased over the years, particularly in shallow waters, and the occasional great white shark will mosey down the Swansea Channel. "They're following food webs, such as the Australian salmon that come in from the ocean into the lake," he said. Mr Poole said hammerheads were generally foraging fish, and there were rules and regulations around the size, number and types of sharks anglers were allowed to catch. "There are some dedicated shark fishers out there, not so much in the estuary systems," he said. "We do find some young teenagers test their testosterone out on sharks, heading down to the local public wharf and throwing a 150-pound string and half a mullet to try to pick up a shark and land it. "Sharks are one of those interesting animals that are very powerful, and if you can stay on the wharf, then good luck. "My suggestions to those young kids is grab a seat belt or a piece of rope to tie yourself down if you want to try to tackle a shark in Lake Macquarie, and be prepared to hang it out there for several hours while you play tug of war between the shark and the angler."
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Aussies warned of major shark danger: 'Huge numbers'
As millions of Aussies brace for the impact of Tropical Cyclone Alfred, experts are warning of a hidden danger that could linger in the water for days after the wild weather disappears. From Thursday to Saturday, Brisbane locals can expect wind gusts of up to 125km/h and rainfalls of up to 150mm each day – more than three times the total rainfall for the entire month of February. While rainfall may be heaviest around south-east Queensland, it's also scattered down the coast of NSW, prompting a warning for swimmers to 'stay out of the water' after the rain. For up to a week after heavy rainfall, the number of bull sharks in rivers and waterways spikes, driven largely by the shark's instinct to scavenge. 'It is likely that dead things get washed out of rivers during heavy rainfall. So obviously they are looking for a free lunch,' Professor Culum Brown from Macquarie University told Yahoo News. 'The other theory is that the freshwater plumes coming into the ocean bring with them lots of nutrients which ultimately encourage plankton growth, which in turn attracts fish. The sharks then chase the fish.' Prof Brown said there is often a lag between the rain and when the number of sharks spike. But, as shown in a number of studies, the link between the rain and shark activity is clear. 'Several studies, including our own, show that bull sharks do respond to heavy rainfall,' he said. 'One study conducted in Sydney showed that male bull sharks move upstream almost immediately after rainfall and females follow a few days later, but in general bull sharks are attracted to estuaries and rivers during and after heavy rainfall. 'Another study in Queensland found that bull sharks are most often caught in the shark nets when rainfall exceeds 100mm between one and eight days after rainfall. Our own study based in South East Queensland based on data from 1996 - 2022 also found that sharks are more likely to be caught in the shark nets after rainfall. "In our paper, we also found that 14 out of 15 shark bites in SEQ occurred between one and seven days after rainfall. 'So the take-home message is pretty simple... stay out of the water after rainfall. Particularly stay away from estuaries.' Over his years as a fisherman and owner of Hunter Shark Jaw Restoration, Joel Nancarrow has noticed an increase in shark activity after rain events and expects "huge numbers" following the Cyclone Alfred's downpours. "I'm lucky because I'm one of the few remaining shark jaw taxidermists left in Australia, so I'm usually kept up to date on what's being caught," Joel told Yahoo News."In the last two weeks I have received 12 bull sharks, eight tigers and six mako sharks. After this rain, I would expect that they are almost all bull sharks and the numbers will be huge." Joel feels bull shark numbers have steadily increased over the past decade, and while rain can create more shark activity, he believes the predators are now easily found in any weather conditions. "If you had asked me the difference in fishing success due to rain 10 years ago, I would have hands down said the flood waters were better. These days, I could take you to any reef along the coast in any weather conditions and guarantee you that we would catch multiple large bull sharks in a short period of time. "You will find the mid range sharks 200-250kg will be in very big numbers after this rain, in my experience. The XL sharks – 300kg plus – will still be on the reefs and beaches." In a sandy, protected bay popular with swimmers in NSW, Joel said he's recently caught three bull sharks "well over 300kg" after the beachgoers leave in the late afternoons. The amount of large sharks he's seen and caught close to shore has led to his choice to no longer swim in the ocean. "I used to stay out of the water after rain and the usual 6am/6pm feeding times, but things have changed," he said. "I would honestly not swim anymore and while I let my children make up their own mind, they don't either. There's a video on my page from last week where I put a large bait out in the middle of the day and hooked a 300kg shark in under a minute. "That stuff is terrifying, I don't think I'll ever be back [swimming] in salt water again, the last few years has really opened our eyes. The shark situation that used to be a Queensland thing has well and truly spilled over into NSW." Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.