Question Without Notice No. 394 asked in the Legislative Council on 16 May 2018 by Hon Ken Baston
Parliament: 40 Session: 1
RECREATIONAL FISHERS — SHARK INTERACTIONS — NINGALOO
394. Hon KEN BASTON to the minister representing the Minister for Fisheries:
I refer to an article published on PerthNow on 22 February 2018 about research into the level of interaction between sharks and recreational fishing activities in the Ningaloo region.
(1) Has the department undertaken any recent research to determine fish stock levels and shark numbers in the Ningaloo region?
(2) Has the department collected data from recreational fishers regarding the ratio of fish successfully caught to hooked fish lost to sharks in the Ningaloo region?
(3) Has the department commenced any work on developing a strategy to reduce the level of interaction between recreational fishers and sharks?
Hon ALANNAH MacTIERNAN replied:
I thank the member for the question. The Minister for Fisheries has provided the following answer.
(1) The department monitors the status of fish stocks in the Gascoyne region, which includes the Ningaloo region. This status is reported each year within the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development annual report.
(2)–(3) Yes.