Aussie surfers seek shark cull

The fisherman claims to have spotted sharks well over 7 metres off the Tweed coast, commenting that this specific monster was “only a little one”.

The Northern Star reports that Byron Bay-based group Positive Change for Marine Life said the shark was hauled in off the coast from Pottsville off Nine Mile Beach.

However, community group No NSW Shark Cull says it’s “unacceptable to cull animals that are threatened with extinction”.

He added it looked like a sexually mature shark and that the commercial fisherman who hauled in the massive shark would have been operating under Ocean Trap and Line Fishery regulations.

“DPI is not investigating this incident, as no illegal activity has occurred”, a spokesman said.

Sharks continue to terrify and amaze humans with their incredible size and awe-inspiring antics.

Geoff Brooks posted the photos onto Facebook today. He said he was trying to bring in a smaller shark which was swallowed by the tiger shark shortly before he caught it.

While the Facebook post said the shark had been handed over to the CSIRO, but the science organisation told Business Insider that it didn’t have the shark and doesn’t know where the picture was taken or by whom.

Matthew, whose second name is unknown, said he wasn’t sure of the exact shark species.

“I caught it fourteen miles off Tweed Heads”.

He said that he originally caught a hammerhead shark that was about six feet long. “You can’t turn around and go no, don’t touch, to something like that”.

He said it was a legal catch, which highlighted the problem with commercial shark fishing in Australia.

There was some debate over whether it was a great white shark, but an expert confirmed that it was indeed a tiger shark.

‘We’ve seen the photos but we haven’t got any information that it has been handed in or where it was caught, ‘ he said.

The shark emerged as a local group of surfers – who typically resist efforts to control the creatures – called for a cull to prevent beach closures.

Surfer Tadashi Nakahara was mauled to death in February and 11 others have been attacked, including bodyboarder Matt Lee and surfer Craig Ison, who both remain in hospital with serious injuries.

“Surfers and all beachgoers, there was more than just surfers at last night’s meeting, were pretty much in general agreement, about a limited shark cull”, he said.