`Yes — it’s real’: Monster shark hooked by fishing vessel near NSW border is genuine says local

The Byron Bay-based group Positive Change for Marine Life is reporting the shark was caught off Nine Mile Reef by a licensed commercial shark fishing boat. the reef extends 60km from Byron Bay

The Tiger shark, which can grow up to 7m, is understood to be up to 4m long and likely caught on a shark drum line.

The photos, which show the animal taking up the bulk of the deck on a fishing vessel, first appeaed on social media and the Northern Star.

Byron Bay resident Geoff Brooks, who posted the photos, claims they are authentic, alleging it was killed either in nets or was targeted on the weekend.

“Yes — it’s real,” Mr Brooks claims.

Nicholas Morley claimed he was given the image from a “mate that works in the fish industry”.

“It was caught 3 or 4 days ago off 7 mile,” Mr Morley said.

The Northern Star, however, is reporting that a local fisherman named “Matthew” caught the Tiger shark.

Matthew said he caught the shark off the Tweed coast and kept a tooth as a souvenir.

He also debunked claims by conservationists the Tiger shark was caught on the weekend.

Other fishermen have told The Daily Telegraph the shark photos were taken “ages ago”.

“I was the one that took that photo and I was the one that caught that fish,” he said.

“I caught it fourteen miles off Tweed Heads.

“I just had to confirm with a bloke that it was a Tiger and not a Great White and I used those photos to show him.”

A DPI spokeswoman told The Daily Telegraph the shark appeared to be a Tiger shark, “around 4 metres in length”.

“It appears to have been captured by a long-line,” the spokeswoman said.

“This size is not unusual for a Tiger shark. DPI cannot confirm reports of where it was caught or taken to.

“DPI is not investigating this incident, as no illegal activity has occurred.”

CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere communication manager Dr Simon Torok said none of their shark researches had been handed a shark.

Southern Cross University marine ecologist Dr Daniel Bucher agreed.

“Definitely a tiger shark — the cocks-comb teeth are quite different to the symmetrical triangular teeth of a great white,” Dr Bucher said.

 

Local fishermen said there have been hundreds of large tiger sharks roaming the coast between Coffs Harbour and the border scavenging for food and following the whales.

Cooly Dive describes Nine Mile reef as a “sharky spot”, which attracts grey nurse and leapard sharks, along with bullrays, eaglerays and turtles.

The top of the reef sits in about 13m and drops off to 30m at the sandy bottom.

Questions have also been raised about the timing of the emergence of the photographs given the spate of recent attacks in the region and debate about shark culling.

Only last night Lennox Head hosted a fiery community meeting where the issue of shark culling was debated.

Surfer and conservationist Karl Goodsell said culls made no impact on “shark/human interactions”.

“These high incidences of attacks are freak occurrences and have been known to happen in other parts of the globe,” Mr Goodsell said.

“The reality is that we need apex predators to ensure a healthy ecosystem balance in the oceans

But veteran fishermen and surfers in the popular tourist region have supported a cull on white pointers and bull sharks, citing a massive spike in numbers off northern NSW.

 

There have been dozens of sightings and incidents involving large sharks up to 5m in size cruising between Yamba and Pottsville over the past year.

UK-expat Paul Wilcox and Japanese surfer Tadashi Nakahara were killed by white pointers in attacks off Byron Bay and Ballina beaches.

Ballina bodyboarder Mat Lee and Evans Head surfer Craig Ison — both recovering in the Gold Coast University hospital — were also savagely mauled in attacks off the north coast.