South Australia’s sharks and rays now have extra protection thanks to new legislation aimed at preventing overfishing and inhumane treatment of the animals.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regions recommended the changes following consultation with various key stakeholders including those in recreational fishing and conservation after concerns were raised by the community about the treatment of sharks and rays incidentally caught throughout the state.

Though rare, there have been instances of deliberate mutilation, and these new measures will support the protection of vulnerable species.

The changes, which will be implemented from 16 December 2024, are:

• Recreational and commercial fishers will be prohibited from taking the following specified endangered or critically endangered shark and ray species: Whitefin swellshark, oceanic whitetip shark, green sawfish, greeneye spurdog, southern dogfish, basking shark, grey nurse shark, all stingaree species of genus Urolophus (including coastal stingaree) and all skate species of genus Dipturus or Dentiraja (including grey skate).
• Recreational fishers will have a combined bag limit of one for the following specified vulnerable shark and ray species: Common thresher, shortfin mako, Melbourne skate, broadnose sevengill shark, hammerhead shark, smooth stingray, black stingray, bigeye thresher, bronze whaler, dusky whaler, and school shark.
• Recreational fishers will have a combined bag limit of two for other shark and ray species.
• Recreational fishers will be subject to maximum size limits for five ray species (southern eagle ray, smooth stingray, black stingray, southern fiddler ray and western shovelnose ray).
• Commercial and recreational fishers will be prohibited from the intentional damage and mutilation of non-noxious aquatic resources that aren’t being retained.

The prohibition on taking white sharks, as a protected species, remains, as do existing maximum hook and metropolitan shark fishing restrictions.

RecFish SA Deputy Chair Barry Brown said that the group supported the ethical and humane treatment of all aquatic species.

"Inappropriate handling of sharks and rays is unacceptable, and the proposed new regulations should make this evident to the very small minority who mistreat these species," Mr Brown said.

"Most caught sharks and rays are released, and RecFishSA recommends that they be released quickly and unharmed. There is no excuse for mutilating these creatures.

"While the new regulations are being introduced to protect allegedly vulnerable species, RecFishSA has advised PIRSA Fisheries that species such as school shark, bronze whaler and mako sharks needed to be retained, and this has now been included in the proposed new regulations."

More information about the changes can be found here (external site).