To maximise the return to fishers and wider areas of the Australian fishing industry better use of existing resources is needed. Southern fisheries have recently seen development of several marine oil based products. The potential may exist for a similar approach with northern fisheries, in this case specifically northern sharks.

Presently there is to our knowledge little information available on the oil composition of the livers from northern sharks. A prerequisite therefore in the consideration of the development of possible marine oil products is the characterisation of the oil resource. The proposed pilot project aims to address this key need. The proposed research aims to assist the fishing industry maximise the return on northern and other shark species at whatever levels are determined to be sustainable.