NOTE Chan et a\. Identification of Carcharhinus spp by DNA-based techniques 



913 



be extended to ensure that protected shark species such 

 as the grey nurse shark (Carcharias taurus), white shark 

 (Carcharodon carcharias), and the smalltooth sand tiger 

 shark (Odontaspis ferox) are not sold. 



This project is the first time that Carcharhinus spp. have 

 been formally identified to species level in the 60-year his- 

 tory of NSW protective beach meshing and only the second 

 time in NSW recreational fisheries after Stevens (1984). 

 The depositing of voucher specimens and all DNA biopsies 

 at the Australian Museum ensures that these valuable and 

 irreplaceable biological samples can be used in future re- 

 search. It is evident that DNA techniques can be used to 

 taxonomically identify "cryptic" specimens, especially Car- 

 charhinus spp., and Sphyrna spp. to species level that were 

 once recorded to genus level only in many fisheries based 

 in NSW (Pepperell, 1992; Reid and Krogh, 1992; Chan, 

 2001; Tanner and Liggins^). It is important that sharks 

 that are caught be recorded to the lowest taxonomic level 

 for management and conservation strategies. Long-term 

 routine sampling and recording to species level will provide 

 useful data on which conservation management strategies 

 can be developed as part of the Australian national plan of 

 action for the conservation and management of sharks. 



Acknowledgments 



The authors would like to acknowledge the assistance of 

 the NSW Game Fishing Association and all NSW recre- 

 ational gamefishing clubs, their officials and their anglers 

 who cooperated with the research, NSW protective beach 

 meshing contractors and observers, NSW Fisheries staff, 

 and the numerous volunteers (Joanne Bennett, Tanya 

 Compton, Rikke Dano, Paul Godfrey, Gary Henry, Andrew 

 Hodges, Alex Irwin, Jeff Murphy, Julie Needham, Milena 

 Rantala, and Clint Wilson) who helped collect samples. We 

 thank Ed Heist and Andrew Martin for their comments on 

 the manuscript and specially thank Bill Sherwin (UNSW) 

 and Marie Roseline Yardin for their assistance in this 

 project. This project was funded by NSW Fisheries and 

 the National Heritage Trust Coast and Clean Seas' Marine 

 Species Protection Program (CCS Project no. 9856). Voucher 

 shark specimens were retained at the Australian Museum, 

 Sydney, NSW, Australia (Collection Manager, Fish Section) 

 and NSW Fisheries, NSW, Australia (Dennis Reid). 



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