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Shark species in Queensland

You may have heard of white sharks, wobbegongs or grey nurse sharks, but did you know more than 100 sharks species live in Queensland coastal waterways? View the sharks, rays and sawfish identification guide to learn more about shark species in Queensland.

Shark bites in Queensland happen rarely. Most shark species do not pose a risk to people, but the sharks that do are identified on the target species list.

Target shark species list

Our target shark species list:

  • includes shark species associated with unprovoked shark bites in Australia causing serious injuries or death
  • guides the fate of sharks captured on nets and drumlines in Queensland coastal areas outside the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
  • does not apply within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

Target shark species list

Tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier)
Bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas)
White shark (Carcharodon carcharias)
Australian blacktip shark (Carcharhinus tilstoni)
Common blacktip shark (Carcharhinus limbatus)
Dusky whaler shark (Carcharhinus obscurus)
Grey reef shark (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos)

Treatment of captured animals

All sharks and other animals captured on drumlines in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park are released alive, whenever possible and safe to do so. Bull, tiger and white sharks are also tagged before release, whenever possible and safe to do so.

Target shark species caught on nets and drumlines in all other Queensland coastal areas outside the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park are euthanised. All non-target shark species and other animals are released alive whenever possible.

Also consider...

Last updated: Unpublished