ACTION ALERT: Critically Endangered Grey Nurse Sharks Need Your Help

Grey nurse sharks (Carcharias taurus) along Australia's east coast are assessed as a critically endangered species under the New South Wales Fisheries Management Act 1994. This species aggregates at a number of sites along the New South Wales and Queensland coast, where they are threatened from accidental hooking by fishermen.

IUCN Red List: Carcharias taurus

Fishing closures were enacted earlier this year to protect the aggregations, but they were subsequently revoked. The New South Wales Government is accepting testimony on fishing rules for these areas and Shark Defenders is supporting Project AWARE’s testimony to fully protect these critically endangered sharks. Will you add your voice to help protect these important predators?

Project AWARE: Grey Nurse Shark Conservation

Please visit the Project AWARE website for more information and for links to the New South Wales Government website to deliver your testimony. Project AWARE has a sample testimony you can copy and paste into the government’s online submission form, but we urge you to write your own.

The best individual testimony will contain:

1. Your name.
2. Where you live.
3. Who you are and what you do.
4. Your reason for wanting to protect grey nurse sharks.
5. A request to “please create a network of no-take marine protected areas around grey nurse shark aggregations.”
6. Why not finish your letter saying something nice about Australia and the Pacific?

New South Wales Government Online Testimony Submission Form

Please forward your submission to David Roe at Project AWARE via email at david.roe@projectaware.org.au. You can also contact David if you have any questions or require assistance.

For more information on grey nurse sharks in New South Wales, Australia:

Beqa Adventure Divers blog: Grey Nurse Sharks
New South Wales Government: Grey Nurse Shark Conservation Discussion Paper
New South Wales Government: Critically Endangered Species – Grey Nurse Shark

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