A fisherman was seriously injured when a shark bit his hand on Tuesday, November 29th near the Australian coast, an official said.

The 73-year-old man was alone in a boat off Queenscliff, southwest of Melbourne in Victoria state, when he was bitten by a 1.5-metre shark, Ambulance Victoria paramedic team manager Brad Pole said in a statement.

"The man has a serious injury to his hand," Mr Pole said.

"Given the nature of the injury an air ambulance helicopter was dispatched."

The man had caught the shark - believed to be a broadnose sevengill shark - and was bitten as he attempted to pull it into the boat, ABC News reported.

Mr Pole said the injured man drove the boat 1.2 miles to Queenscliff Harbour Marina. He had lost a lot of blood but was conscious when paramedics arrived.

He was then flown to a Melbourne hospital in a serious condition, the statement said.

Australia has seen a number of shark attacks this year, mostly around Ballina in New South Wales.

The New South Wales state government has been pressed to adopt lethal preventive measures, such as poison baits or hired shooters, and surfers are increasingly backing a cull.

Critics argue that culls are ineffective and cause the death of non-threatening sharks and other marine life.