Fishing interactions represent a primary threat to shark populations globally, yet for Australia's Critically Endangered east coast grey nurse shark (Carcharias taurus), it remains unknown whether two decades of legal protection and 26 marine protected areas have meaningfully reduced these impacts. This species has exceptionally limited capacity to absorb ongoing anthropogenic mortality, yet no fisheries-independent assessment of injury prevalence has been conducted since 2008. Using a 20-year photo-identification dataset assembled through coordinated researcher surveys across Queensland and New South Wales, integrated with quality-controlled citizen science contributions through Sharkbook.ai, we present the first updated assessment of fishing-related injury prevalence for this population since 2008.
Of 493 photo-identified individuals surveyed across 18 sites spanning ~1,100 km of coastline (2020–2024), 42 (8.5%) exhibited visible fishing gear or injuries. Injuries were spatially concentrated at Broughton Island (23.8%), Bushrangers Bay (11.5%), and Fish Rock (10.3%), with recreational fishing the predominant identifiable gear source (40.0%). Comparing against 2004–2008 baseline data, injury prevalence has not declined significantly at the population level, with only one site showing a statistically significant reduction. Longitudinal tracking revealed that recovery is slow and incomplete, with only 36.4% of 66 injured sharks showing apparent recovery over 21 years. Shark control programs contributed additional mortality, with a 29.5% capture mortality rate recorded between 2020–2024.
These findings demonstrate that fishing interactions persist at pre-protection levels despite two decades of spatial management, and highlight the urgent need for expanded buffer zones, enhanced enforcement, and transition to non-lethal shark control at key aggregation sites.