Marine Protected Areas
The east coast population of grey nurse shark is listed as critically endangered and highly vulnerable to extinction due to its low reproduction rate and fishing related mortality. The area known as the Cod Grounds is a series of underwater pinnacles which is a significant aggregation site for the grey nurse shark. The Cod Grounds provide prime habitat for the sharks which are often observed in unusually large numbers in or near deep sandy-bottomed gutters between the Cod Ground pinnacles. The Cod Grounds support a large proportion of female sharks compared to other aggregation sites surveyed off the New South Wales coast and also provide habitat for prey species preferred by the grey nurse shark.
The Recovery Plan for the Grey Nurse Shark recommends that the Cod Grounds be declared as a sanctuary zone as it provides critical habitat for the grey nurse shark in terms of feeding and reproduction.