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Oversized shark caught during contest

Oversized shark caught during contest

An oversized tiger shark was taken to the weigh-in of a fishing competition in Bunbury on Sunday after a fisheries officer gave incorrect advice to an entrant.

The shark, believed to be about 2.4m, was caught during the Millard Classic Fishing Competition but was ruled ineligible because it was oversized.

Whaler sharks, which include bronze whalers, dusky sharks, bull sharks and tiger sharks, caught off Bunbury cannot be taken if the measurement between the front of the first dorsal fin and the end of the second dorsal fin is greater than 700mm.

The Department of Fisheries has confirmed the fisherman rang a fisheries officer before he brought the shark into shore.

Department compliance manager Richard Petty said the officer made a mistake by not telling the fisherman of the maximum size limit.

“The fisher will not be subject to any punitive action in this matter, but there is an opportunity to raise public awareness and education on the fishing rules as a result of this occurrence and let fishers know they should be aware of rules that apply to their activity before they go fishing,” Mr Petty said.

“Fisheries officers often receive calls from the public, who have with questions about rules and we generally supply information to assist the callers as part of the department’s emphasis on education and the role that officers play in that regard.

“Nevertheless, the onus does lie with the fisher needing to know catch sizes, bag limits and other rules that apply to the type of fishing they are doing and the area where the fishing may occur.”

Mr Petty said the department would review the incident.