Epic feeding frenzy caught on camera as sharks maul trawler catch

Jaw-dropping footage has emerged of hundreds of sharks and dolphins attacking the catch of a prawn trawler. 

Bundaberg fisherman Steven McDonald was hauling in his net when a large school of bronze whalers and bull sharks grabbed hold and broke it open, causing the catch to spill back into the ocean.

“When we winched the net up they attacked the tied ends where all the product was,” Mr McDonald said.

A feeding frenzy of epic proportions followed.

Mr McDonald said it was becoming all too common in his trawling patch between Bundaberg and the north coast of NSW.

“There were hundreds and hundreds of them; they are getting more abundant,” he said.

Ballina fisherman John Joblin said he could attest to the claim.

He said he had been out trying to catch mackerel but sharks grabbed the fish off the hooks faster than Mr Joblin could reel them in.

“There are just that many sharks,” Mr Joblin said.

“You get one or two fish in the boat and the sharks take probably 10 fish by the end of the day, so you’ve just got to give it up.”

He said the constant battle with sharks was sapping his will to wet a line.

“You just can’t do it; we didn’t even worry about going today,” Mr Joblin said.

“Everyone’s having the same problem, I speak with fishermen from the Tweed and Brunswick Heads, down to South-West Rocks and everyone’s having trouble [with sharks].”

Mr McDonald said it was hurting the fishing economy.

“It takes money out of our pockets because they rip our nets up and we lose our catch,” he said.

Are there more sharks?

Associate professor of environmental science at Bond University, Daryl McPhee, said more data was needed.

“We just don’t have good data on trends and populations, but certainly the anecdotal information from a large number of fishermen across most of the east coast [of Australia] is the number of shark interactions and the number of sharks they are seeing is increasing,” Dr McPhee said.

He said the probably biggest reason for the increase in shark activity was the “free feed” factor.

“The sharks have learned to associate boats with a free feed, and everybody loves a free feed,” Dr McPhee said.

He said while sharks seemed to have recently learnt the strategy, dolphins had known the benefits for some time and were hanging in there despite the competition.

“Yes, dolphins also habituate to prawn trawlers again for the free feed,” Dr McPhee said.

“They’re probably being squeezed out a bit as the sharks have taken on more of that role.”

Warmer waters

The ocean water temperature off northern NSW got to 28 degrees Celsius this week.

Dr McPhee said climate change was definitely at play.

“Obviously, changing climates, changing coastlines so we do expect to see some of those more tropical sharks moving into northern New South Wales as we’ve seen a lot of more tropical and sub-tropical fish move into New South Wales,” he said.

As for the shark and dolphin feeding frenzy recorded by Mr McDonald, Dr McPhee said he was not surprised.

“That video, that’s not an unusual event,” he said.

“I’m sure Steve could film that most nights as can many other prawn trawlers up and down the coast.”