Operation
During March 2018, SMART drumlines were deployed for 13 days at Ballina-Lennox Head and Evans Head, 27 days at Kiama, and 28 days at Ulladulla. The fewer number of days on the North Coast resulted from strong winds, large swell and shallow river entrances preventing deployment. Environmental conditions determined how long SMART drumlines were deployed on any given day, ranging from 4:31h to 11:58h. On average, SMART drumlines were deployed daily for 8:51h at Evans Head, 8:52h at Ballina-Lennox Head, 8:58h at Kiama, and 10:00h at Ulladulla.
Total catches
During March 2018 the target sharks caught were four Tiger Sharks from three locations − Kiama (2 females), Ulladulla (1 female), Ballina-Lennox Head (1 male) (Tables 1 and 2).
A total of fourteen non-target animals were caught (Table 1 and 3), including one Shortfin Mako (Kiama), one Smooth Hammerhead (Ulladulla), three Common Blacktips (1 x Ballina-Lennox Head and 2 x Evans Head) and nine Dusky Whalers (2 x Kiama and 7 x Ulladulla). The Smooth Hammerhead was found dead on arrival by the contractor at the end of the day during retrieval of the SMART drumlines; all other animals were released alive and in good condition.
Comments
When the contractor responded to eight alerts that had no catch, they found that seven hooks had no bait and one hook had the bait fully intact. On four occasions when the contractors retrieved the SMART drumlines at the end of the day small sharks had been caught without triggering the alert; 3 x Dusky Whaler and 1 x Smooth Hammerhead at Ulladulla (Table 1). All Dusky Whalers were tagged and released immediately.
All other caught animals triggered an alert to the DPI contractors who responded and were at the SMART drumline within an average of 19 minutes.
Table 1: The date and time of capture of species and their sizes (total length in m), sex and status during the month of March 2018. * indicates where no alert was received and the shark was found during retrieval at the end of the day.
Beach name | Date | Time | Species | Size (TL) and sex | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ballina to Lennox Head | |||||
Lennox Head Beach | 04/03/18 | 13:26 | Tiger Shark | 1.6; Male | Alive |
Lennox Point | 19/03/18 | 16:00 | Common Blacktip | 2.0; Female | Alive |
Evans Head | |||||
Airforce Beach | 18/03/18 | 14:54 | Common Blacktip | ~1.5; unknown | Alive |
Main Beach | 17/03/18 | 10:15 | Common Blacktip | 1.8; Female | Alive |
Kiama | |||||
Easts Beach | 02/03/18 | 08:10 | Tiger Shark | 2.1; Female | Alive |
Jones Beach | 03/03/18 09/03/18 | 15:16 15:40 | Tiger Shark Dusky Whaler | 1.9: Female 1.4; Male | Alive Alive |
Minnamurra Beach | 17/03/18 | 13:39 | Dusky Whaler | 1.7; Female | Alive |
Ulladulla | |||||
Racecourse Beach | 09/03/18 | 16:00* | Smooth Hammerhead | 1.7; Female | Dead |
Collers Beach | 10/03/18 11/03/18 | 14:06 17:01* | Dusky Whaler Dusky Whaler | 1.1; Female 1.2; Male | Alive Alive |
Mollymook Beach | 01/03/18 18/03/18 25/03/18 27/03/18 | 16:44* 14:35* 14:03 16:25 | Dusky Whaler Dusky Whaler Dusky Whaler Shortfin Mako | 1.1; Male 1.1; Male 1.1; Male 1.4; Female | Alive Alive Alive Alive |
Narrawallee Beach | 08/03/18 09/03/18 25/03/18 | 13:06 12:03 11:36 | Tiger Shark Dusky Whaler Dusky Whaler | 1.9; Female 1.5; Female 1.6; Female | Alive Alive Alive |
Table 2: Cumulative total of target shark species caught on SMART drumlines since December 2016 at Ballina-Lennox Head (BL), Evans Head (EH), Coffs Harbour (CH), Forster (F), Kiama (K) and Ulladulla (U).
| White Shark | Tiger Shark | Bull Shark | TOTAL | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BL | EH | CH | F | K | U | BL | EH | CH | F | K | U | BL | EH | CH | F | K | U | ||
8/12/16 – 7/1/17 | 4 | 5 | - | - | - | - | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 11 |
8/1/17– 7/2/17 | 4 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 5 |
8/2/17– 7/3/17 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 |
8/3/17– 7/4/17 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 1 |
8/4/17– 7/5/17 | 7a | 3b | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 12 |
8/5/17– 31/5/17 | 2 | 5 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 7 |
1/6/17 – 30/6/17 | 5 | 11 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 17 |
1/7/17 – 31/7/17 | 11 | 16 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 27 |
1/8/17 – 31/8/17 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 16 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 30 |
1/9/17 – 30/9/17 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 15 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 39 |
1/10/17 – 31/10/17 | 9 | 10 | 3 | 15 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 39 |
1/11/17 – 30/11/17 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 |
1/12/17 – 31/12/17 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
1/1/18 – 31/1/18 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
1/2/18 – 28/2/18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
1/3/18 – 31/3/18 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
SUB TOTAL | 60 | 74 | 16 | 65 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 18 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
TOTAL | 219 | 35 | 5 | 259 | |||||||||||||||
a 1 individual died
b 1 individual was found dead on Airforce Beach, Evans Head on 12 May 2017 after being tagged and released on 7 May 2017
Note:
- Ballina and Evans Head trial started 8 December 2016 (18 month trial)
- Coffs Harbour and Forster trial started 14 August 2017 and was completed on the 13 February 2018 (6 month trial)
- Kiama and Ulladulla trial started 3 November 2017 (6 month trial)
Table 3: Cumulative total of non-target species caught on SMART drumlines since December 2016 at Ballina-Lennox Head (BL), Evans Head (EH), Coffs Harbour (CH), Forster (F), Kiama (K) and Ulladulla (U).
| Spinner Shark | Greynurse Shark | Dusky Whaler | Whaler Shark - unidentified | Loggerhead Turtle | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BL | EH | CH | F | K | U | BL | EH | CH | F | K | U | BL | EH | CH | F | K | U | BL | EH | CH | F | K | U | BL | EH | CH | F | K | U | |
8/12/16 – 7/1/17 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 2 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
8/1/17– 7/2/17 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
8/2/17– 7/3/17 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
8/3/17– 7/4/17 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
8/4/17– 7/5/17 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
8/5/17– 31/5/17 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
1/6/17 – 30/6/17 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
1/7/17 – 31/7/17 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
1/8/17 – 31/8/17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - |
1/9/17 – 30/9/17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - |
1/10/17 – 31/10/17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - |
1/11/17 – 30/11/17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1a | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
1/12/17 – 31/12/17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
1/1/18 - 31/1/18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
1/2/18 – 28/2/18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
1/3/18 – 31/3/18 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 |
SUB TOTAL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
TOTAL | 1 | 20 | 43 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
a Loggerhead Turtle was tangled in the trace (but not hooked)
Table 3 (continued): Cumulative total of non-target species caught on SMART drumlines since December 2016 at Ballina-Lennox Head (BL), Evans Head (EH), Coffs Harbour (CH), Forster (F), Kiama (K) and Ulladulla (U).
| Thresher Shark | Shortfin Mako Shark | Bronze Whaler | Common Blacktip Shark | Silky Shark
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BL | EH | CH | F | K | U | BL | EH | CH | F | K | U | BL | EH | CH | F | K | U | BL | EH | CH | F | K | U | BL | EH | CH | F | K | U | |
8/12/16 – 7/1/17 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | |
8/1/17– 7/2/17 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | |
8/2/17– 7/3/17 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | |
8/3/17– 7/4/17 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | |
8/4/17– 7/5/17 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | ||
8/5/17– 31/5/17 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | |
1/6/17 – 30/6/17 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | |
1/7/17 – 31/7/17 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | |
1/8/17 – 31/8/17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - |
1/9/17 – 30/9/17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | - | - | 0 | 1b | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - |
1/10/17 – 31/10/17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | - | - | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - |
1/11/17 – 30/11/17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
1/12/17 – 31/12/17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
1/1/18 - 31/1/18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
1/2/18 – 28/2/18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
1/3/18 – 31/3/18 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 |
SUB TOTAL | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
TOTAL | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
b 1 individual was found dead on the line after an alert
Table 3 (continued): Cumulative total of non-target species caught on SMART drumlines since December 2016 at Ballina-Lennox Head (BL), Evans Head (EH), Coffs Harbour (CH), Forster (F), Kiama (K) and Ulladulla (U).
Sandbar | Black Ray | Smooth Hammerhead | Black Marlin | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BL | EH | CH | F | K | U | BL | EH | CH | F | K | U | BL | EH | CH | F | K | U | BL | EH | CH | F | K | U | |
8/12/16 – 7/1/17 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | - | - | - | - | |
8/1/17– 7/2/17 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
8/2/17– 7/3/17 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | |
8/3/17– 7/4/17 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
8/4/17– 7/5/17 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
8/5/17– 31/5/17 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
1/6/17 – 30/6/17 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
1/7/17 – 31/7/17 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
1/8/17 – 31/8/17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
1/9/17 – 30/9/17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
1/10/17 – 31/10/17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
1/11/17 – 30/11/17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
1/12/17 – 31/12/17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
1/1/18 - 31/1/18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1b | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
1/2/18 – 28/2/18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
1/3/18 – 31/3/18 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 |
SUB TOTAL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
TOTAL | 1 | 4 | 12 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
b 1 individual was found dead on the line after an alert.