Seven species of shark have been removed from a Queensland government kill list.
The school, whitetip reef, Galapagos, thresher, pelagic thresher, bigeye thresher and blacktip reef shark species have been removed from the state government's list of those considered dangerous to people.
It means they will no longer be shot on sight by government contractors who monitor baited hooks installed under the shark control program.
Fisheries Minister Mark Furner said the sharks were dropped from the list after a review by a group created by his department and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority last year.
"A similar process has been undertaken in previous years to ensure the shark control program is appropriately targeted," he said.
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Nets and drumlines were introduced to Queensland waters in 1962.
Environmental groups say hooks baited to catch sharks off the Queensland coast as part of a measure to protect beachgoers are indiscriminate and lead to the deaths of other animals.
Nicola Beynon, head of campaigns at Humane Society International, said culling sharks was an outdated way to address the "very low risk" of shark bites.
"Sharks that don't die on the hook and are on the target list are shot by a contractor employed to check the drumlines," she said.
"Animals not on the target list such as rays and turtles are also hooked and often die."
Humane Society International is taking legal action against the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and the state government.
Lawyers for the body will make their case for the removal of baited hooks from the Great Barrier Reef in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal in January.
