What do sharks want – and why do they bite?
Explainer
Sharks

What do sharks want – and why do they bite?

Tracking programs have started to piece together a new picture of the ocean’s most fearsome predator. Here’s what we know about the secret lives of sharks.

  • bySherryn Groch

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Mick Fanning:'I don't have any ill will towards sharks'

Mick Fanning:'I don't have any ill will towards sharks'

The former professional surfer discusses his close encounter with a finned predator,how he remembers his two late brothers,and the way he dealt with making so much money at a young age.

  • byBenjamin Law
Study shows surprising diet of sharks with little interest in mammals
Exclusive
Animals

Study shows surprising diet of sharks with little interest in mammals

White sharks are pickier eaters than previously thought,altering their diet to meet changing needs as they grow,with humans likely to be bitten by mistake.

  • byPeter Hannam
'We fear the very dramatic thing':Shark nets found to be ineffective

'We fear the very dramatic thing':Shark nets found to be ineffective

Nets off NSW beaches trap 16 times more non-target species than the three dangerous sharks they are aimed at,with little measurable benefit in terms of improving human safety.

  • byPeter Hannam
Attacked by a croc,a marine researcher now prefers diving with sharks

Attacked by a croc,a marine researcher now prefers diving with sharks

Media reports make shark attacks seem more common than they are,which,says Melissa Marquez,prevents us from seeing them as'intelligent,very important animals'.

  • byBrad Newsome
Tiger sharks in troubled waters as Queensland population plummets

Tiger sharks in troubled waters as Queensland population plummets

Researchers say the steep decline in"resilient"tiger shark numbers in Queensland waters should prompt a rethink in the way sharks are managed.

  • byStuart Layt
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Win for endangered animals at global wildlife conference

Win for endangered animals at global wildlife conference

Endangered species this week got new protections under an agreement between most of the world's countries at a conference on saving plants and animals from the ravages of international trade.

Western smart drumlines rollout could dwarf costs of eastern states:Fisheries
Exclusive
Sharks

Western smart drumlines rollout could dwarf costs of eastern states:Fisheries

A confidential ministerial briefing suggests that when it comes to rolling out smart drumlines,WA and New South Wales are chalk and cheese.

  • byEmma Young
A Queensland exporter sent 30 sharks to a French aquarium. They all died

A Queensland exporter sent 30 sharks to a French aquarium. They all died

The shark deaths prompted international legal action and calls for the federal government to stop the capture and trade of fragile and vulnerable species.

  • byRobyn Wuth
'Smart'shark drumlines to be launched in February

'Smart'shark drumlines to be launched in February

The government is trialing non-lethal drumlines to see if it can truly deter sharks from heading too close to WA beaches.

  • byDakshayani Shankar
Legal challenge to Great Barrier Reef shark cull

Legal challenge to Great Barrier Reef shark cull

Humane Society International will push for the removal of the 173 lethal drumlines installed in the world heritage-listed marine park.

  • byAaron Bunch