Drum lines used to kill sharks will be removed in Queensland's Great Barrier Reef Marine Park after the State Government lost a challenge in the Federal Court to continue its culling program in the protected area.

Key points: The Federal Court upheld a ruling that killing sharks did nothing to reduce the risk of unprovoked attacks

The Federal Court upheld a ruling that killing sharks did nothing to reduce the risk of unprovoked attacks It means only sharks unlikely to survive being hooked on a drum line can be euthanased

It means only sharks unlikely to survive being hooked on a drum line can be euthanased Drum lines in the marine park will be removed, but the Queensland Government has asked the Federal Government to intervene

The Federal Court on Wednesday upheld a decision made by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal in April, brought forward by the Humane Society International.

The tribunal ordered the Department of Fisheries could no longer shoot dead 19 species of shark caught in its 173 drum lines offshore from popular beaches in the marine park, from north of Cairns to just south of Gladstone.

It found the evidence that killing sharks did nothing to reduce the risk of unprovoked attacks "overwhelming".

Fisheries Minister Mark Furner said the state could not "immediately or safely comply with the conditions" of the tribunal but would "remove Shark Control Program equipment from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park."

A tiger shark still alive after being caught on a drum line. ( Supplied: Humane Society International )

While Mr Furner said the state did not have grounds to appeal the decision, he has written to the Federal Government to change the law to allow Queensland to keep its culling permit.

"Today I am calling on the Federal Government to step in and protect human safety and our tourism industry," he said.

Mr Furner said former federal environment minister Melissa Price agreed that human safety was a priority. He did not reveal the stance of new minister Sussan Ley, who took over in May.

Mr Furner has written to the Federal Environment Minister to intervene. ( ABC News: Patrick Williams )

Queensland is now forced to rethink its culling methods, which has been running in the marine park since 1962.

Under the tribunal's ruling, no sharks can be killed and only those that are unlikely to survive release due to injury can be euthanased.

Sharks should be released where they are found, except tiger, bull and white sharks, which must be tagged and relocated.

Drum lines inside the marine park must be checked daily and SMART drum lines, which use GPS to alert authorities in real time to a catch, should be trialled and implemented as soon as reasonably possible.

Research must also be undertaken into the declining tiger shark population and alternative non-lethal shark control measures.

There are 173 drum lines in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park at 80 locations. ( Supplied: HSI )

Evidence presented by the Humane Society International to the courts showed that only tiger and bull sharks were a real concern for swimmers in Australia, and the remaining 17 were on the kill list because of overseas incidents.

Marine campaigner Lawrence Chlebeck said the Queensland Government should now be forced to implement modern techniques that can reduce shark and human interactions.

"No longer will sharks be senselessly killed for a misguided sense of safety," he said.

"The culling program was not protecting swimmers and it was a detriment to the Great Barrier Reef.

"They need to do a much better job at doing that [managing wildlife].

Ms Jones said they took their appeal to the Federal Court for tourists and visitors, some seen here on Fitzroy Island. ( ABC News: Greg Nelson )

"When they're not, they need to listen to the science, because the science is clear.

Ms Barwick cuts a shark cake at a fundraiser for the RACQ CQ Rescue Service at her workplace in northern Tasmania this month. ( Supplied: Dale Cumming )

"With culling well and truly thrown out of court, we now call on the Queensland Government to cease the culling of sharks on all of its coast line and to remove all nets and lethal drumlines."

Queensland Tourism Minister Kate Jones said she was "deeply concerned", adding the laws were in place to protect swimmers.

"I know that the tourism industry will be deeply disturbed by this decision today," she said.

"There are 27 beaches that currently have shark nets in the Great Barrier Reef area and, as I said, we have been fighting on behalf of the safety of tourists and visitors."

Justine Barwick was attacked by a shark in the Whitsundays and said she was planning to return to the tourist area this year to go sailing.

She has been able to return to work where she lives at Burnie in northern Tasmania, but said she will have lifelong disabilities from her shark bite.

"I'll never be as good as I was, but I think I am doing pretty well to make a new me," she said.

"At the end of the day I was a tourist who suffered a misadventure."