Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2014L01089:reg:20:p2
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2014L01089
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 20 (pt 2/33)
Character Range: 5799–8693

legislation, the species is protected in the coastal waters of Tasmania, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia, and protected in the coastal waters of New South Wales and Queensland with exemptions or a defence to prosecution for shark control programs for bather protection (e.g. beach meshing and/or drumlining).

The principal threats and likely contributors to the lack of grey nurse shark recovery in Australia are mortality resulting from incidental (accidental and/or illegal) capture by commercial and recreational fishers and from shark control activities. Other potential threats to the species include impacts from ecotourism, collection for public aquaria, pollution and disease and ecosystem effects as a result of habitat modification and climate change.

This recovery plan sets out the research and management actions necessary to stop the decline of, and support the recovery of, the grey nurse shark in Australian waters.

The overarching objective of this recovery plan is to assist the recovery of the grey nurse shark in the wild, throughout its range in Australian waters, with a view to:

  • improving the population status, leading to future removal of the grey nurse shark from the threatened species list of the EPBC Act

  • ensuring that anthropogenic activities do not hinder the recovery of the grey nurse shark in the near future, or impact on the long term conservation status of the species.

An accompanying issues paper has also been developed to provide background information on the biology, population status and threats to the grey nurse shark. Both the issues paper and the recovery plan can be found at: www.environment.gov.au/resource/recovery-plan-grey-nurse-shark-carcharias-taurus

2 Background

    2.1 Species description and distribution in Australian waters

The grey nurse shark (Carcharias taurus) is one of three species belonging to the family Odontaspididae. It is known as the sand tiger shark in the United States of America, and the spotted ragged-tooth shark in South Africa. The grey nurse shark is reported to have separate and distinct populations and is found mostly in inshore regions in cool temperate to sub-tropical waters (Compagno, 1984; Last & Stevens, 2009). Significant declines have occurred throughout its range, resulting in grey nurse shark populations now being restricted to the east coasts of North and South America, South Africa and the east and west coasts of Australia (Musick et al., 1993; Lucifora et al., 2002; Otway et al., 2004).

The grey nurse shark is considered to have slow growth, be long-lived, present late onset sexual maturity and have low fecundity. While the average life span of the grey nurse shark in the wild is unknown, studies in captivity in South Africa indicate they may live up to 35 years (Smith et al., 1998).

In Australia, the grey nurse shark has an inshore coastal