Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Research shows great white sharks head to Tonga and New Caledonia

Posted at 20:49 on 24 September, 2012 UTC

A NIWA scientist says new research will hopefully help protect the great white shark from being fished.

The research shows where the sharks go when they leave New Zealand waters.

NIWA has changed its system so scientists overseas can accurately track sharks tagged in New Zealand.

A scientist, Malcolm Francis, says that will help researchers identify shark hotspots and warn fishing boats to avoid those areas.

He says the research accurately shows they head for Tonga, New Caledonia, the Great Barrier Reef and Bondi beach in Sydney.

He says the great white has been protected under the Fisheries Act since 2007.