Some anglers in northern WA target larger sharks such as tiger or mako sharks for sport fishing. In the south, a few beach anglers catch whalers, gummy sharks and wobbegongs, sometimes accidentally when sharks take bait intended for other species.
There is a Statewide total ban on catching grey nurse, white, speartooth or whale sharks.
Other species of sharks may be taken as part of a mixed species bag of large pelagic finfish.
The 'inter-dorsal fin' measurement must be no more than 700 mm measured from the front of the dorsal fin on the top of the shark to the back of the smaller rear dorsal fin.
The limit has been imposed due to overfishing of larger sharks, however, bigger sharks may also be unsuitable for human consumption because of the risk of higher than recommended concentrations of heavy metals in their flesh.
Whaler shark species include the dusky shark, bronze whaler, sandbar ‘thickskin’ shark, bull shark, spinner shark and tiger shark.
Fishing rules
Information on fishing rules for sharks including size and bag limits can be found online or in our Statewide 
Recreational fishing guide.