HASTINGS is the epicentre of a 'shark fight' after more than 350 angry anglers packed Westernport Angling Club's lawn last Wednesday evening to oppose a ban on shark fishing.

Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett has listed for protection two types of mako shark and the porbeagle shark in the Government's main environment protection law, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.

Mr Garrett claims the shortfin mako, longfin mako and porbeagle have an "unfavourable conservation status", but the fishing fraternity says there is no scientific evidence the three species are at unhealthy levels in Australian waters, although they are under threat in the northern hemisphere, particularly in the Mediterranean.

The ban on catching the three types will come into effect at the end of this month.

Banding together to fight the ban are members of the Bass Strait Game Fishing Club, Game Fishing Association of Victoria, Victorian Saltwater Fishing.com and local clubs such as Hastings.

Spokesman John Willis, a Seaford resident and lifetime angler, says Victorian anglers have been recording and collating data from a voluntary tagging program for more than 20 years.

"There is no evidence the three types of shark move between northern and southern hemispheres."

At the Hastings meeting, anglers called on Mr Garrett to delay the ban until a flaw in the EPBC Act is remedied.

Mr Willis said: "Under legal advice sought by the state's peak representative body for anglers, VRFish, Mr Garrett can grant an interim exemption. "The sharks have been placed on the international endangered migratory species listings due to low numbers in Mediterranean waters."

He said anglers were upset as Mr Garrett had promised to delay the decision until after a review of the Australian legislation. A 2009 report commissioned by VRFish has found the recreational fishing industry in Victoria is worth more than $2.3billion to the economy, and shark fishing is a large part of the figure.

Ben Scullin of VRFish said that in Victoria, makos were one of only three species sought by offshore game fishermen, the others being southern bluefin tuna and yellowtail kingfish. "This ban will have a devastating effect on our local economy."

The meeting was attended by Hastings state MP Neale Burgess, who cut short a holiday in Queensland to attend, and Hastings-based Flinders federal MP Greg Hunt, who said the ban was a "massive overkill" and there was "no way he [Garrett] needed to go to that position".

Mr Burgess said the State Government had not objected to the ban and Mr Willis said: "We call on Mr Garrett to act with utmost urgency to overturn this most destructive, divisive, nonsensical and scientifically unsubstantiated attack on our sport."

Mr Garrett claims the economic effect of the ban will be minor, but Opposition fisheries spokesman Richard Colbeck said the minister was "fooling himself" and it could cost Victoria up to $150million in lost income.

California and New Zealand have granted exemptions for mako shark fishing.