Anglers reject responsibility for shark woes

Recreational fishers say they are not to blame for dwindling numbers of grey nurse sharks on the east coast of Australia.

The Humane Society says more key areas on the north coast must be declared sanctuary zones to protect the sharks from line fishing.

It says the species could disappear within a decade if nothing is done.

But Ken Thurlow from ECOfishers New South Wales says the grey nurse shark has had its day.

"The grey nurse shark is an animal that is 70 million-years-old and it may have reached its use-by-date in terms of evolution. It has serious problems reproducing," he said.