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06/09/2005: "SEAL ROCKS VILLAGE New South Wales"

Across the street from Mrs Horgan's shop is this view of the 2nd beach where local pro fishermen land their catch through the surf in boats of various size and vintage.

Net and trap fishing for school fish and lobster has been the industry here. Steadily it all has been going into decline.

When grey nurse sharks began re-appearing in large numbers (more than 100 in a school) at the offshore islets known as big seal and little seal (rock) the door opened for regular commercial scuba school visits.

The divers became detectives with cameras keen to record anything. Obviously sharks with hooks in their mouths was a newsworthy subject for magazine articles.

Set lines for wobbegong sharks also became photographic evidence and steadily a case for the complete protection of grey nurse sharks state wide was established and later introduced.

The regulations banned fishermen from working near the shark habitats - territory which they had fished for decades. No compensation for fishermen was considered.