Gill-net mesh selectivities for two species of commercial carcharhinid shark taken in northern Australia

Abstract

Experiments designed to estimate gill-net mesh selectivities for two species of commercially important sharks in northern Australia were carried out between 1983 and 1984. A gamma distribution model was used to obtain length-specific selectivities for Carcharhinus tilstoni and C. sorrah caught in nets with stretched-mesh sizes of 10, 15, 20 and 25 cm. Captured sharks were categorized as gilled or rolled (tangled) in the nets. The model provided a better fit to the data for C. sorrah than for C. tilstoni.