A pair of fishermen have hooked a bull shark just a few hundred metres from the site of an attack last week, proving how common the creatures are.
The pair said they often see bull sharks in the waters around Garden Island in Sydney Harbour while they’re out fishing.
“We’ve seen them coming up for our fish all the time, and we didn’t want to go for them. Now we are out here just to prove there’s some real monsters in Sydney,” Lever said.
Recreational fishermen play a crucial role for researchers, helping track population numbers and locations of sharks.
Where possible, anglers tag sharks so they can be recorded into a Department of Primary Industries database.
“This is really great information not just for us … in the government and department from a scientific perspective, but it’s great information for the community who use the harbour,” Minister for Agriculture Tara Moriarty said.
“This is publicly available information they can check for sharks before they take a dip.”
After battling the bull shark for more than an hour, it was safely released by the fishermen. A special hook that is designed to rust and fall out was used.
“It was a massive fight and you don’t expect a fish that big would live in the water where people swim in,” Loxsom said.
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He added he hopes such catches “really show everyone what’s down there, and act as a big old warning that if you’re swimming, you’re in their domain”.
Neighbours came to her aid and she was rushed to hospital. Analysis confirmed it was a bull shark that mauled her leg. She is expected to make a full recovery.
