Skipper Meggs Amidships
Too much fun on and off the water

Mako Shark Ban Confusion – Can You Target, Take or Tag?

Posted by Meggs | Environmental Posts, Mako fishing ban | Posted on February 12th, 2010

Shortfin Mako Shark - not so prevalent in the Mediterranean and East Atlantic Oceans

Greetings all,

I recently wrote a blog about the environment minister Mr Peter Garrett proposing changes to the current legislation that has impacted recreational fishing for longfin mako, shortfin mako and porbeagle sharks. See;

http://skippermeggs.com/blog/index.php/mako-shark-fishing-ban-common-sense-prevails/

To recap, Australia is a signatory to an international treaty and “is prohibited to “kill, injure or take” members of a listed migratory species in Commonwealth waters”. The above sharks are in sharp decline in the Mediterranean Sea and the Eastern Atlantic ocean and have had bans placed on their capture and therefore we have been impacted as well. Trouble is they are not endangered locally and the Australian populations have nothing to do with Northern Hemisphere stocks.

So what is the current situation?


I contacted both NSW state and federal departments to check the current impact on recreational fisherman.

Here’s the drum…

1. There is a current ban in place on fishing for these species however you need to take into account the following points below
2. From an enforcement point of view there is no impact on catch and release fishing in state waters (usually three nautical miles off the coast)
3. In the Commonwealth zone (3-200 nautical miles off the coast) there will be no enforcement unless there is a significant impact on the species (ie a recreational fisherman is unlikely to make a “significant impact” and therefore can still target makos)
4. An amendment is being worked on now to take into account suitable exemptions
5. Parliament will sit on 22nd February and the amendments making fishing for the species in question legal will be introduced and hopefully approved.

Of course Mr Garrett is under fire at present due to the deaths of people involved in the insulation installation debacle. Let’s hope he keeps to the 22nd February deadline to clear the current mixed messages on the mako fishing ban.

Anyway, for now it seems like it is business as usual for mako fisherman around the country which is good news. Remember to fish responsibly and where possible tag and release and we will still be fishing for these great creatures for many years to come.

Sea you later,
Skipper Meggs