The advances of tagging technology

to investigate shark ecology

Dr. Charlie Huveneers

SARDI – Aquatic Sciences

Flinders University

Tagging technology

• Satellite tags (large-scale)

– Position

– Position/depth/temperature

• Archival satellite tags (large-scale)

– Light/depth/temperature

• Acoustic tags (fine- and large-scale)

Satellite tagging

• 20,000 km in 9 months

Mako shark

Pop-up satellite archival tags

South Australian whaler shark fishery

• ‘Bronze whaler’ fishery in South Australia

– ~100 tonnes/year (state fishery)

– ~40 tonnes/year (Commonwealth)

– ~43 tonnes/year (recreational)

• Important fishery during the summer months

• Marine Scalefish Fishery triggers

– 2008 (5 incl. 3rd highest effort, 3rd lowest

CPUE)

– 2009 (4)

• Whalers, especially duskies, potentially susceptible to extensive fishing

• Dusky whaler listed in EPBC Act priority assessment list

• Unknown catch composition (sex, size, and species)

• Unknown connectivity between stocks (WA to NSW)

• Unknown resilience of bronze whaler

• Unknown suitability of management regulations

Dietary analysis of by-catch species from a commercial rock lobster fishery

Acoustic telemetry

© Andrew Fox / Rodney Fox Shark Expeditions

Acoustic receiver

CoastNo detection

Organism detected

Receiver locations

AATAMS