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Bull shark tagging
In 2023, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) expanded its shark tagging program to better understand the movement patterns of bull sharks throughout Western Australian waters.
DPIRD is researching the broad scale movement of bull sharks to understand the connectivity of animals that may move between coastal and estuarine waters in the north and south-west of WA. While it is not known whether bull sharks in WA move from tropical to temperate waters and river systems, this behaviour has been demonstrated for bull sharks on the east coast of Australia.
DPIRD is working with the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) to build on its research program that includes tagging and tracking movements of juvenile bull sharks in the Swan Canning Estuary.
Understanding the movements of bull sharks is critical to informing what shark hazard mitigation measures may prove effective and will allow government to better inform water users of the presence of bull sharks in coastal and estuarine waters.
Frequently asked questions
Where will bull shark fishing operations take place?
During the 2023/24 bull shark tagging program, fishing operations took place in the North Coast, Gascoyne and South-West regions (including the Swan Canning Estuary).
During 2024/25, DPIRD is continuing its bull shark tagging research in the Swan Canning Estuary from late spring through to early autumn.
How many bull sharks were caught during the 2023/24 tagging operations?
DPIRD has caught and tagged 4 bull sharks. Bull sharks were tagged in the East Kimberley (3) and Collie River (1).
DBCA tagged and released 2 juvenile bull sharks in the Swan Canning Estuary.
The low catch rate of bull sharks is consistent with DPIRD’s historical research information. In the last 24 years (2000-2023) there have been 104 recorded bull shark captures in Western Australia. This excludes recreational and commercial fishing activity.
What bull sharks will be tagged?
DBCA is tagging juvenile bull sharks to understand their movement within the Swan Canning Estuary. DPIRD will be targeting larger bull sharks to investigate movement patterns throughout WA waters.
What fishing techniques will be used?
A combination of netting, longline and other fishing methods will be used by DPIRD and DBCA to capture bull sharks.
When will I know if a shark has been tagged?
Bull sharks which are tagged and released will be reported to Water Police and published via the shark notification system to the SharkSmart WA app and SharkSmart website.
For more information on bull sharks refer to our species information.