2016 SoE Marine Chapter - Case Study - White shark status in Australasian waters

The Marine chapter of the 2016 State of the Environment (SoE) report incorporates multiple expert templates developed from streams of marine data. This metadata record describes the Case Study "White shark (Carcharodon carcharias) status in Australasian waters". The full Case Study, including figures and tables (where provided), is attached to this record. Where available, the Data Stream(s) used to generate this Case Study are accessible through the "On-line Resources" section of this record.----------------------------------------DESCRIPTION OF THE FOCUS OF THE CASE STUDYThe white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) is a large, globally distributed, apex predator and one of the few shark species responsible for fatalities to humans. They are a target species for ecotourism, with the South Australian industry valued at over $6M annually. In Australian waters, it occurs from northwest Western Australia around the south coast to central Queensland as two populations separated east and west by Bass Strait. Biologically important areas for white sharks occur in all Marine Regions with the exception of the North Marine Region A geographically discrete nursery area spanning 65 km of coast is centred around Port Stephens in central New South Wales and a second more geographically extensive nursery area is present off 90 Mile Beach in southeast Victoria. Movements are extensive across the range of each population, primarily focussed over continental shelf and slope waters with occasional open ocean excursions.ISSUES OF IMPORTANCEThe key factor for monitoring status is a lack of information on current population size and trend. Although impact has no doubt been reduced, white sharks are still taken as bycatch in commercial shark fisheries, shark control programs and targeted in response to shark attack/potential hazards. Impacts of shark cage diving operations on white shark physiology is unknown and subject to current research.DATA STREAM(S) USED IN CASE STUDYRelevant peer review publications and reports, aerial survey and tagging data.