Fishermen catch bull shark close to site of Sydney Harbour attack
A pair of fishermen have hooked a bull shark just a few hundred metres from the site of an attack last week, proving how common the creatures are.
Angler Billy Loxsom and his mate Myles Lever caught the two-and-a-half metre shark in the same Elizabeth Bay waters where Sydney woman Lauren O'Neill was bitten.
The pair said they often see bull sharks in the waters around Garden Island in Sydney Harbour while they're out fishing.
READ MORE: Three juveniles arrested over stabbing death of grandmother in shopping centre
Angler Billy Loxsom and his crewmate Myles Lever caught a two-and-a-half metre bull shark in Sydney Harbour. 9News
"We've seen them coming up for our fish all the time, and we didn't want to go for them. Now we are out here just to prove there's some real monsters in Sydney," Lever said.
Recreational fishermen play a crucial role for researchers, helping track population numbers and locations of sharks.
Where possible, anglers tag sharks so they can be recorded into a Department of Primary Industries database.
READ MORE: Australian writer given suspended death sentence in China
The creature was hooked just 500 metres from where Sydney woman Lauren O'Neill was attacked last week. 9News
"This is really great information not just for us ... in the government and department from a scientific perspective, but it's great information for the community who use the harbour," Minister for Agriculture Tara Moriarty said.
"This is publicly available information they can check for sharks before they take a dip."
After battling the bull shark for more than an hour, it was safely released by the fishermen. A special hook that is designed to rust and fall out was used.
"It was a massive fight and you don't expect a fish that big would live in the water where people swim in," Loxsom said.
He added he hopes such catches "really show everyone what's down there, and act as a big old warning that if you're swimming, you're in their domain".
Last Monday Lauren O'Neill was taking a dip in the shallow waters at a private wharf at Elizabeth Bay when she was bitten just before 8pm.
Neighbours came to her aid and she was rushed to hospital. Analysis confirmed it was a bull shark that mauled her leg. She is expected to make a full recovery.
Share a tip-off, video or photo with us
