Primary Industries and Fisheries within the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation

Tools

Accessibility

Skip to:

Primary navigation


Shark Control Program

Queensland's beaches are great places to swim and surf. However, it is important to be aware that sharks inhabit our coastline, as well as estuaries, rivers, creeks, canals and streams - both saltwater and freshwater.

Bather safety - follow these safety tips to minimise the chance of a shark attack:

  • Swim or surf only at patrolled beaches and between the flags
  • Obey the lifesavers' and lifeguards' advice, and heed all sign and safety warnings
  • Leave the water immediately if a shark is sighted
  • Do not swim or surf after dusk, at night or before dawn when sharks are most active
  • Do not swim or surf in murky waters
  • Do not swim in or near mouths of estuaries, artificial canals and lakes
  • Never swim alone
  • Never swim when bleeding
  • Do not swim near schools of fish or where fish are being cleaned
  • Do not swim near or interfere with Shark Control Program (SCP) equipment
  • Do not swim with animals.

Locations of SCP equipment

SCP equipment is currently installed at the following Queensland beaches:

Area Beaches
Bundaberg Bargara, Kelly's Beach, Nielson Park, Oaks Beach
Cairns Buchans Point Beach, Clifton Beach, Ellis Beach, Holloways Beach, Palm Cove, Trinity Beach, Yorkeys Knob
Gold Coast Broadbeach, Burleigh Beach, Bilinga Beach, Coolangatta Beach, Currumbin, Elkhorn Avenue, Greenmount Beach, Kirra Beach, Kurrawa Beach, Main Beach, Mermaid Beach, Sheraton Mirage Beach, Miami Beach, North Burleigh Beach, Northcliffe, North Kirra Beach, Narrow Neck, Nobby Beach, Palm Beach, Rainbow Bay, Staghorn Avenue, Surfers Paradise Beach, Tallebudgera Beach, Tugun Beach 
Mackay Blacks Beach, Bucasia Beach, Eimeo Beach, Harbour Beach, Lamberts Beach
Nth Stradbroke Is. Amity Point, Cylinder Beach, Ocean Beach
Capricorn Coast Cooee Bay, Emu Park, Farnborough Beach, Fisherman Beach, Kemp Beach, Lammermoor Beach, Mullambin Beach, Tanby Point, Yeppoon
Sunshine Coast Alexandra Headland, Bribie Island, Buddina Beach, Caloundra, Castaways Beach, Coolum Beach, Currimundi, Hyatt Regency Resort, Marcus Beach, Marcoola Beach, Maroochydore Beach, Moffat Beach, Mooloolaba Beach, Mudjimba Beach, Noosa, Peregian Beach, Point Cartwright, Sunrise Beach, Sunshine Beach, Surfair Resort, Twin Waters Resort, Wurtulla, Yaroomba Beach 
Gladstone Tannum Sands
Townsville Alma Bay, Florence Bay, Horseshoe Bay, Kissing Point, Nelly Bay, Pallarenda Beach, Picnic Bay, Radical Bay
Rainbow Beach Rainbow Beach

Maritime Safety Queensland issues 'Notices to Mariners'- these are notices which provide marine safety information, including advice of where SCP equipment is located throughout the state. To view the latest SCP notice, visit the Maritime Safety Queensland website.

Contacts

Occasionally, small numbers of marine animals (other than sharks) are caught in SCP equipment, and during rough weather conditions equipment can break free.

If you see an animal caught in SCP equipment, find equipment on the beach or notice equipment has broken free, please contact:

  • SCP hotline on 1800 806 891 (24-hour, free-call)
  • DPI&F on 13 25 23

For more information about the SCP see:

About the program
Information about the program, SCP equipment, and research and development.

Publications
Shark books, posters and reports.

Shark identification


Last updated 21 December 2006


 

© The State of Queensland, (Primary Industries and Fisheries within the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation) 1995-2009.
Copyright protects this material. Except as permitted by the Copyright Act, reproduction by any means (photocopying, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise), making available online, electronic transmission or other publication of this material is prohibited without the prior written permission of The Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, Queensland. Inquiries should be addressed to copyright@dpi.qld.gov.au (Queensland residents phone 13 25 23; non-Queensland residents phone 61 7 3404 6999).