Grey nurse sharks

[Caitlin]

For some reason, sharks fascinate me. And I think it'd be a real shame if we failed to protect them. That, and the terrible effects it would have on our marine ecosystems!

So, I wanted to spread the word about a submission you can make to the NSW Primary Industries Minister Katrina Hodgkinson. She has recently rolled back protection for the Grey nurse shark at Fish Rock and Green Island, which is a really important habitat for these critically endangered sharks.

I'm hoping to go diving at Fish Rock later this year, and it'd be a real shame if i went knowing that any of the Grey nurse sharks I see there aren't being protected.

Have a read of the NSW DPI Discussion paper on Grey nurse shark protection here: http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries/...ark/gns-review

And then get your submissions in by Friday 26 August, 2011 here: http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries/...iew/submission

[Bel_C]

I have dived with this critically endangered species and they are gentle, magestic and beautiful to watch and photograph, let's help this species

[MarineJay]

Grey Nurse Sharks along with all the other shark species are an important part of the marine ecosystem, keeping the complex marine food web in order. The protection of these non agressive shark species should be fast tracked, providing greater protected areas and greater penatly for those that violate protection laws.

Sharks through tourism (diving, photography tours) can provide much needed money into local economies, money that would be lost through the demise of the Grey Nurse Species.

[ocelot007]

I really hope people will put in submissions. When you put in a submission as part of a braoder organisation i.e. an environmental group, they tend to get treated as 'form' submissions and don't get as much weight.

We really need lots of people to start having their say- even a small email is counted, you don't have to go through the whole submission process.

Some really great info is available on this website: http://www.nccnsw.org.au/content/hav...ark-protection

Anyway, I'll be writing and hoping my voice is heard in amongst the very vocal voices that are the recreational fishers that have our politicians ears at the moment.

[Ylvan]

How did it go?
(I came to Australia six month ago to study sharks, and they sure need better protection, along with many other marine animals and plants, all over the world.)

[bungto]

I can move across the sea