Drum lines will be removed from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park after the state government lost a challenge in federal court to continue culling sharks.
The Administrative Appeals Tribunal ordered the Department of Fisheries could no longer shoot dead 19 species of shark caught in its 173 drum lines offshore from north of Cairns to just south of Gladstone.
The tribunal found overwhelming evidence that killing sharks did nothing to reduce the risk of unprovoked attacks.
Fisheries Minister Mark Furner is said the government wants to appeal the decision and has written to the federal court to ask for Queensland to keep its culling permit.
“I am calling on the Federal Government to step in and protect human safety and our tourism industry," Mr Furner said.