Australian Coral Reef Society Inc. A society promoting scientific study of Australian Coral Reefs Address:

Tel: Fax: Email:

ACRS Correspondence c/- Biological Sciences The University of Queensland St Lucia QLD 4072 (07) 3365 1686 (07) 3365 1655 [email protected]

    To:    Great  Barrier  Reef  Marine  Park  Authority     Assessments  and  Permissions  Team  PO  Box  1379   Townsville  QLD  4810       29  November  2015     RE:  Comments  on  the  Expansion  of  the  Great  Barrier  Reef  Marine  Parks  Shark  Control   Program  Associated  with  application  G33288.1         Dear  Sir/Madam:   The  Australian  Coral  Reef  Society  is  the  professional  organisation  for  coral  reef  scientists   and  managers  in  Australia  and  is  focused  on  the  study  and  protection  of  coral  reefs.  We   have  approximately  300  members  and,  since  our  inception  in  1922,  have  played  a   prominent  role  in  bringing  major  conservation  issues  to  the  attention  of  governments  and   the  general  public.  The  society  regularly  provides  advice  on  marine  issues  to  governments   and  agencies.     The  Australian  Coral  Reef  Society  would  like  to  write  in  strong  opposition  to  further   deployment  of  nets  and  drumlines  on  the  Great  Barrier  Reef.  Since  the  inception  of  the   Queensland  Shark  Control  Program  (QSCP)  in  1962,  there  have  been  over  3300  large  sharks   killed.  The  sharks  targeted  in  this  program  are  apex  predators  on  coral  reef  ecosystems,  and   serve  a  valuable  and  important  role  in  population  control  of  lower  trophic  levels  (Estes  et  al.   2011).  By  removing  these  important  animals,  cascading  effects  will  be  felt  on  reefs  along   the  GBR  (see  below).  The  efficacy  of  these  procedures  have  been  called  into  question   before  (Curtis  et  al.  2012),  and  should  be  addressed  before  additional  impacts  to  the  health   of  the  GBR  are  felt.  In  particular  there  are  3  areas  of  main  concern  to  the  Australian  Coral   Reef  Society:     1.  The  Mortality  of  Bycatch   Bycatch  is  a  fish  or  other  marine  species  that  is  caught  unintentionally  while  targeting   certain  species  (e.g.,  sharks).  According  to  the  statistics  released  by  the  QSCP,  over  one-­‐ third  of  bycatch  on  drum  lines  deployed  for  the  Shark  Control  Program  resulted  in  death   President: Hon Secretary: Hon Treasurer:

Prof David Booth; Tel: 02 9514 4053; Fax: 02 9514 4079; Email: [email protected] 1 Dr O. Selma Klanten; Tel: 0417 341 941; Fax: 02 9514 4079; Email: [email protected] Dr Jennifer Donelson; Tel: 0402 062 046; Fax: 02 9514 4079; Email: [email protected]

Australian Coral Reef Society Inc. A society promoting scientific study of Australian Coral Reefs Address:

Tel: Fax: Email:

ACRS Correspondence c/- Biological Sciences The University of Queensland St Lucia QLD 4072 (07) 3365 1686 (07) 3365 1655 [email protected]

(Table  1).  Furthermore,  the  condition  of  the  bycatch  animals  released  alive  is  unknown,  and   their  ability  to  survive  after  release  is  likewise  highly  uncertain.  Among  the  animals  caught   are  federally  protected  species  of  turtles  and  fish.  Listed  species  that  have  been  caught  as   bycatch  include  EPBC  listed  vulnerable  species  of  humpback  whales,  green,  hawksbill  and   flatback  turtles,  and  the  Queensland  sawfish.  Additional  animals  that  are  listed  as   vulnerable  on  the  IUCN  red  list  that  were  caught  include  dugongs,  dolphins,  and  rays.       Table  1.  Data  collated  from  Tables  2-­‐6  of  the  public  information  packet  of  the  Great  Barrier   Reef  Marine  Parks  Shark  Control  Program,  associated  with  application  G33288.1.  Figures   represent  numbers  of  animals  caught  between  a  10-­‐year  period  (2005-­‐2014)   #  Caught  in