Bull sharks are swarming in the Brisbane and Bremer Rivers

Original story by Joel Gould, Queensland Times

BULL sharks are swarming in the Brisbane and Bremer rivers and Cr Paul Tully has warned residents using the waterways to be wary.

The QT has received reports of increased numbers of sharks being seen and caught in the rivers, with fishermen regularly pulling them out.

Cr Tully has also been receiving similar feedback and urged boaties and those using the river to exercise caution.

He said children paddling in the water, or assisting their parents putting a boat or jet ski into the river, were most at risk.

“There are regular reports of bull sharks being caught in the Brisbane and Bremer rivers,” Cr Tully said.

“It is a warning to parents to be very, very careful.

“The bull sharks are around and there have been fatalities on the Gold Coast.

“It is probably only a matter of time before there could be a fatality.

“They have been seen up as far as Colleges Crossing and one regular fisherman reckons they are teeming in the Brisbane River.

“I asked him how many and he said, ‘Imagine if you kicked a bull ants’ nest and they just swarmed everywhere’.

“His impression was that bull sharks are just swarming on the bottom of the river.

“It is a timely reminder. It is summer and with people out on the river, putting out boats and fishing…just don’t dangle your feet. Be very careful.”

The QT accompanied Cr Tully to the Goodna boat ramp to try and pull a shark out for ourselves using a live catfish and a favourite rod of Cr Tully’s that he hadn’t used since the 2011 flood.

But the tide, the wind, the time of the day and the 40-degree heat on Tuesday were against us.

“But we’ll catch one.

“It might take a couple of days,” Cr Tully said.

“Dusk and dawn is when we might hit the jackpot.”

North Ipswich resident Shannan Landy did land a young bull shark near the Mt Crosby Weir on Sunday night.

He caught the shark using live mullet as bait.

“The little ones put up a good fight too,” he said.

“There are a lot of little ones around but I am sure there are some of the big mothers around.

“There must be something out there laying the pups.

“The one I caught was about half-a-metre long but I have caught them up to a metre long in the Brisbane River.

“The bigger ones I have caught down towards the junction of the Bremer and Brisbane River and down at Kookaburra Park.”

Mr Landy said he had heard of bull sharks of 1.2m being caught up at Mt Crosby.

“I think there have always been lots of them,” he said.

“It is just that people are becoming more aware of it now.

“Guys are out there chasing bass. They catch the bass and bring them in and, the next thing you know, the shark comes up and sees it as an easy meal…and they are hooked onto a shark. A lot of people aren’t targeting sharks but they are ending up catching them.”