Official shark sightings and taggings are one thing, but it's the anglers who get up close and personal with the creatures of the deep who have a unique insight into what's going on beneath the surface.

The consensus among the Hunter, NSW, fishing community is that there are more and bigger sharks stalking the coast than there were just five years ago.

They are backed by dozens of social media posts featuring encounters with sharks, big and small, in the region's waterways.

Opinions vary on why, but one theory is that the ban on taking sharks greater than 1.5 metres in Queensland has had a knock-on effect.

The ban was introduced in 2009 as a conservation measure aimed at protecting vulnerable shark populations and promoting a sustainable marine ecosystem.

But it appears it is having u

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