A Rapid Assessment Technique to Assist Management of the White Shark (Carcharodon Carcharias) Cage Dive Industry, South Australia

Abstract

Port Lincoln, South Australia is the departure port for the only white shark, Carcharodon carcharias, cage dive industry in Australia. Established in the early 1960's as a niche tourism venture, the industry has recently undergone a rapid expansion to accommodate greater passenger numbers, more tourism operators, and additional infrastructure aimed at capturing a greater proportion of the tourist dollar. However, to date, there has been no assessment of growth in the industry. We have used the operator logbook system, introduced in 2000, as the basis for a rapid assessment of the maturity as well as a conservative estimate of the economic value of the industry, with a focus on 2011. From the logbook system the number of days on-site has increased from an average of 67 days per year prior to 2007 to 287 days on-site in 2011. In 2011 the industry accommodated approximately 5200 passengers with a direct domestic expenditure estimated to be in excess of 6 million AUD. Changes in shark behaviour have been observed following the increase in days on-site. The white shark cage dive industry has reached a stage in its development where increased management is required in order to ensure a viable industry into the future. The rapid assessment technique described herein will allow managers to track changes in cage dive participation rates and quickly respond to changes in the industry.

Segregation or aggregation? Sex‐specific patterns in the seasonal occurrence of white sharks Carcharodon carcharias at the Neptune Islands, South Australia

“…carcharias to approach the platform used for observation either making them more likely or less likely to be observed. Shark‐cage diving, involving chumming, has been a feature of the Neptunes Islands environment for over three decades (Bradford & Robbins, ). Cage‐diving operations have been shown to influence local residency times and distribution of C .…”

“…The Neptune Islands hold some of the largest aggregations of pinnipeds in Australian waters (Shaughnessy & McKeown, ) and have been the site of an active cage‐dive industry for C . carcharias since the 1970s (Bradford & Robbins, ). Acoustic and satellite‐based telemetry tagging at the Neptune Islands have identified that C .…”

Effects of non-consumptive wildlife-oriented tourism on marine species and prospects for their sustainable management

“…The income from these activities contributes millions of dollars annually to local and regional economies (Topelko and Dearden, 2005;Vianna et al, 2012). For example, at Port Lincoln (South Australia), the only white shark cage diving industry in Australia, the industry grew from an average 67 days per year prior to 1997 to 287 in 2011 when it was estimated that approximately 5200 passengers spent USD 5.28 annually to view the white shark (Bradford and Robbins, 2013).…”