--- title: Shark Control Program catches by length and sex, Queensland resource: https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/ publisher: Department of Primary Industries licence: CC BY 4.0 licence_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ version: 2026-06-19 rows: 26391 fields: 16 source: https://www.data.qld.gov.au/dataset/cdb218fa-6add-48e7-ad42-ed8aaf8bff60/resource/a9dbdcb4-cb23-4ba0-af66-017d28fcac96/download/scp_length-caught.xlsx source_sha256: 1809019d4b2274c7eb6a0eac42ef09043609ec0bce3cf52e80ae52fb0e691cd1 language: en-AU operator: National Digital not_endorsed: true --- # Shark Control Program catches by length and sex, Queensland The length and sex of each shark and other animal caught by Queensland's shark nets and drumlines since 1996. Published by Department of Primary Industries under CC BY 4.0 and republished here in other formats, with cells typed and suppressed values made null. Department of Primary Industries has not endorsed this site. Also called: Queensland Shark Control Program biological information, Size of sharks caught in Queensland shark nets. ## Download Latest version, redirects to `https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/v/2026-06-19/`: - csv: https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/latest/data.csv (4.0 MB) - xlsx: https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/latest/data.xlsx (1.7 MB) - json: https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/latest/data.json (9.0 MB) - parquet: https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/latest/data.parquet (147 KB) - sqlite: https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/latest/data.sqlite (3.8 MB) - duckdb: https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/latest/data.duckdb (600 KB) - ndjson: https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/latest/data.ndjson (9.0 MB) - arrow: https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/latest/data.arrow (1.3 MB) - csv.gz: https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/latest/data.csv.gz (246 KB) Pinned version 2026-06-19: `https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/v/2026-06-19/data.`. Dated versions never change. ## Query The query API returns only the rows you ask for, as JSON, NDJSON or CSV, from the same typed rows as the files. It needs no key. Rows: https://publicdata.au/api/v1/datasets/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/rows. Counts and sums: https://publicdata.au/api/v1/datasets/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/aggregate. - Rows: https://publicdata.au/api/v1/datasets/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/rows?species_group=eq.SHARK&limit=5 - Aggregate: https://publicdata.au/api/v1/datasets/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/aggregate?group=common_name&metric=count&species_group=eq.SHARK Each filter is `field=operator.value` in the query string, and every filter must match. A number or date field compares as a number or date, and a text field compares as text. Values are case-sensitive except with `ilike`. Prefix `not.` to negate a filter, as `not.eq.value`. Operators: `eq.value`, `neq.value`, `gt.value`, `gte.value`, `lt.value`, `lte.value`, `like.*text*`, `ilike.*text*`, `in.(a,b,c)`, `is.null`. - `select`: Fields to return, comma-separated. Every field when absent. - `order`: `field.asc` or `field.desc`, comma-separated. The publisher's row order when absent. - `limit`: Rows per page, 1 to 10,000. 100 when absent. - `offset`: Rows to skip. The `next` URL in each answer sets it for you. - `group`: On `aggregate`, fields to group by, comma-separated. - `metric`: On `aggregate`, `count`, `sum.field`, `avg.field`, `min.field` or `max.field`, comma-separated. `count` when absent. - `format`: `json`, `ndjson` or `csv`. JSON carries the provenance header, and the others carry it in response headers. Without a version the API answers from the newest loaded version, and that answer changes when the publisher releases again. Put `versions//` before `rows` or `aggregate` for an answer that never changes. `/api/v1/datasets//versions` lists the loaded versions. The API allows 60 requests in 10 seconds from one address. Above that it answers 429 for 10 seconds with a `Retry-After` header, a `RateLimit-Policy` header and a JSON body that gives the limit. Every API answer carries the same `RateLimit-Policy`. A client should wait the `Retry-After` seconds, or read the files, which have no limit. OpenAPI for this dataset: https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/openapi.json ## Explore Charts and dashboards in the browser: https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/explore/. A dashboard can be shared as a link or embedded. ## Smaller files - by `area`: https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/v/2026-06-19/by/area/index.json lists 12 files ## Fields | field | type | publisher's header | note | |---|---|---|---| | `year` | integer | Year | | | `month` | integer | Month | | | `month_name` | string | MonthName | | | `area` | string | Area | | | `beach` | string | BeachName | | | `gear` | string | Gear | Drum (drumline), Net or Other. | | `marine_park` | string | MarinePark | The marine park the gear lies in. Null outside a marine park. | | `species_group` | string | SpeciesGroup | SHARK, TURTLE, MAMMAL or OTHER. | | `caab_code` | string | CaabCode | Codes for Australian Aquatic Biota species code. | | `common_name` | string | CommonName | | | `scientific_name` | string | ScientificName | | | `alive_deceased` | string | Alive/Deceased | | | `fate` | string | Fate | What happened to an animal found alive, such as Released Alive or Euthanised. Null when no fate is recorded. | | `fate_reason` | string | FateReason | The reason for the fate, such as Target Species or Safety. The publisher writes NA where it does not apply, kept as published. | | `length_m` | number | Length(m) | Length in metres. A few values look like centimetres, such as 90 for a humpback whale and 84.5 for a loggerhead turtle. | | `sex` | string | Sex | F female, M male, U unknown. | ## Versions - 2026-06-19: 26391 rows, 16 fields, sha256 1809019d4b22. https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/v/2026-06-19/ Machine-readable: https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/versions.json, https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/changes.json, https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/datapackage.json, https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/schema.json, https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/history.tar.zst ## Part of Queensland Shark Control Program catches - [Shark Control Program catch numbers, Queensland](https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-catch-numbers/) - [Shark Control Program catches in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park](https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-gbr-catches/) ## Same subject, other publishers - [Australian Shark-Incident Database](https://publicdata.au/d/au-shark-incidents/) (NSW) ## By area - [Bribie Island](https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/in/bribie-island/): 115 rows - [Bundaberg](https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/in/bundaberg/): 1,993 rows - [Cairns](https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/in/cairns/): 2,632 rows - [Capricorn Coast](https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/in/capricorn-coast/): 3,311 rows - [Gladstone](https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/in/gladstone/): 1,602 rows - [Gold Coast](https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/in/gold-coast/): 2,781 rows - [Mackay](https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/in/mackay/): 3,973 rows - [Nth Stradbroke Is.](https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/in/nth-stradbroke-is/): 701 rows - [Rainbow Beach](https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/in/rainbow-beach/): 1,691 rows - [Sunshine Coast North](https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/in/sunshine-coast-north/): 2,239 rows - [Sunshine Coast South](https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/in/sunshine-coast-south/): 926 rows - [Townsville](https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/in/townsville/): 4,427 rows ## Attribution and citation Department of Primary Industries, Queensland Government, Queensland's Shark Control Program Data and Information, sourced 3 October 2026, https://www.data.qld.gov.au/dataset/fisheries-queensland-s-shark-control-program-information-and-data, licensed under CC BY 4.0. The licence requires the publisher's attribution. We ask that you also name publicdata.au and link to the version you used. Plain text: Department of Primary Industries, Queensland Government, Queensland's Shark Control Program Data and Information, sourced 3 October 2026, https://www.data.qld.gov.au/dataset/fisheries-queensland-s-shark-control-program-information-and-data, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Serialised and versioned by National Digital at publicdata.au, https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/v/2026-06-19/ Harvard: Department of Primary Industries (2026) Shark Control Program catches by length and sex, Queensland, version 2026-06-19 [data set], CC BY 4.0, sourced 3 October 2026. Serialised and versioned by National Digital at publicdata.au. Available at: https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/v/2026-06-19/ Markdown: Data: [Queensland Shark Control Program catches](https://www.data.qld.gov.au/dataset/fisheries-queensland-s-shark-control-program-information-and-data), Department of Primary Industries, [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), sourced 3 October 2026. Files: [publicdata.au](https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/v/2026-06-19/) by [National Digital](https://nationaldigital.com.au/). ## Questions ### How do I download Shark Control Program catches by length and sex as a CSV file? Open https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/latest/data.csv. It redirects to the newest dated version, which is https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/v/2026-06-19/data.csv today. The same path serves Excel, JSON, Parquet, SQLite, DuckDB, NDJSON, Arrow. A dated URL never changes, so use it when the file must stay the same. ### Can I open Shark Control Program catches by length and sex in Excel? Yes. https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/v/2026-06-19/data.xlsx is a workbook with the 26,391 rows on a records sheet, the field list on a second sheet and the provenance on a third. The CSV also opens in Excel. https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/v/2026-06-19/data.csv.gz is the CSV at about a tenth of the size. ### What years does Shark Control Program catches by length and sex cover? The current version covers 1996 to 2025. Each release from DPI becomes a new dated version here, and earlier versions stay online. ### How often is Shark Control Program catches by length and sex updated? DPI releases it irregularly, about twice a year. This site checks the portal every week and adds a dated version when the file changes. ### Can I use Shark Control Program catches by length and sex commercially? Yes. CC BY 4.0 allows commercial use, redistribution and derived works as long as the attribution is kept. The attribution string is in this page's side column and inside every file. ### Is this the official source for Shark Control Program catches by length and sex? No. The publisher is Department of Primary Industries, and its page is https://www.data.qld.gov.au/dataset/fisheries-queensland-s-shark-control-program-information-and-data. This site republishes the publisher's file without changing its content. The original sits beside every version as source.xlsx with its SHA-256, so the two can be compared. ### How do I get only the rows for one area? Every version has one JSON file per value of area, 12 files in the current version, listed with row counts at https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/v/2026-06-19/by/area/index.json. For example https://publicdata.au/d/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths/v/2026-06-19/by/area/townsville.json holds the 4,427 rows where area is Townsville. ### What is in each row? Each row is one animal caught by the Shark Control Program, with the year and month, area, beach, gear, marine park, species, whether it was alive or deceased, its fate, its length in metres and its sex. ### What do the sex codes mean? F is female, M is male and U is unknown. The publisher writes NULL where no sex was recorded, which is null here. ## What this site did to the data Cells were typed, headers were renamed to snake_case and the encoding was made UTF-8. Rows were left alone. Nothing is derived. The publisher's file is beside every version as `source.xlsx`. ## Improve this dataset This page is built from [register/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths.yaml](https://github.com/National-Digital/publicdata.au/blob/main/register/qld-shark-control-catch-lengths.yaml) on GitHub, and a fix to it is welcome as a pull request. https://publicdata.au/contribute/ explains how.