Bid to tag shark fails

Scientists last night issued a fresh warning about a great white shark seen cruising Taranaki's coastline after attempts to tag it with a satellite tracker failed.

Marine scientist Clinton Duffy and former New Plymouth marine biologist Demian Chapman attempted to tag the shark with pop-off satellite tags to monitor its movements.

It would have enabled them to learn more about the species, the Taranaki Daily News reported today.

But their five-hour mission, which finished at 10pm, failed to lure the shark.

However, during the mission Mr Duffy did see a great white at least 4m long dive out of the water near Seal Rock, off Port Taranaki.

Berley tuna, used for snapper fishing, was put on the water surface to attract the shark to the boat but it never reappeared.

However, Mr Duffy cautioned kayakers and divers about going near the Sugar Loaf Islands.

He said they should avoid the area unless it was absolutely necessary to go there. A diver, kayaker or surfer could be mistaken for a floating seal, whale or dolphin.

Swimmers should also take care not to wander past the surf line. The newspaper said that Mr Duffy and Mr Chapman were heading out to sea to again try to tag the shark.

Mr Chapman, a research assistant at Peu Institute in Miami, donated three satellite tags, worth $5200 each, to tag white sharks in New Zealand waters.

The tags are placed below the dorsal fin, using a pole and thin needle, and after nine months are released to the water surface, transmitting data to a satellite which downloads the information to the scientist.

Last weekend one of the tags was used on a 2.2m great white at Manukau Harbour, the first of any shark species satellite-tagged in New Zealand waters, the newspaper said.

The Department of Conservation last week issued a warning to swimmers after another sighting of the 6m shark, dubbed the Taranaki Terror.

In the past two weeks, the shark has been sighted repeatedly by fishermen, surfers and yachties, from the White Cliffs in the north, to south of Oakura.

Taranaki Recreational Fishers Association chairman Kevin Moratti said he hoped people would not go chasing the shark.

"Leave it alone in its own environment. There is normally a lot of emotion around things like this, and the poor guy has a right to live in his own environment," Mr Moratti said.

- NZPA