42 results
Environment

Australian salmon (Arripis trutta): Population structure, reproduction, diet and composition of commercial and recreational catches in NSW

Project number: 2006-018
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $629,386.00
Principal Investigator: John Stewart
Organisation: Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (NSW)
Project start/end date: 29 Sep 2006 - 30 Sep 2009
Contact:
FRDC

Need

The eastern Australian salmon stock appears to have increased substantially in recent times and is believed to be under-utilized. Despite this, management of this species in NSW has been contentious, and is restricted by a lack of knowledge on biology and population dynamics. Specifically, managers require information that will assist their decision making concerning: (i) the status of the stock; (ii) potential expansion of the commercial fishery; (iii) impacts of resource allocation, and; (iv) ecosystem effects of salmon population expansion.

There is a lack of information on the sizes and ages of salmon being harvested and little knowledge of their biology. Research on age and growth in the 1970’s was based on scales, which have since been shown to be inaccurate (Egglestone 1975). Studies on reproduction have been limited to the timing of spawning in the southern regions. Results from this project will provide the necessary information on the composition of landings, age, growth, reproduction, movements and diet to enable informed management of the salmon resource. This project aims to address issues directly related to NSW management, however the baseline information will be valuable for management across the range of the stock.

The project outcomes of improved knowledge and management of salmon will directly address the FRDC R&D program “Natural Resources Sustainability” and the strategic challenge to “Improve the sustainability of natural resources supporting wild-catch and aquaculture”. At the state level, this project will satisfy three priority areas of research listed under the key document “Planning strategic research, aquaculture and aquatic conservation in New South Wales, 2004-2009.” These are: (i) to examine the predatory impacts of Australian salmon on other commercially important fish species; (ii) information on age and growth of recreationally important species, and; (iii) development of stock assessments for target species in the ocean hauling fishery.

Objectives

1. Determine whether eastern Australian salmon comprise a single stock along SE Australia
2. Describe the catch composition of eastern Australian salmon taken by commercial and recreational fishers in NSW, including spatial patterns in sizes and ages
3. Describe the reproductive biology of eastern Australian salmon in NSW, including their size/age at maturity and where and when they spawn
4. Model growth (using otolith derived estimates of size-at-age) of eastern Australian Salmon
5. Develop yield per recruit and spawner-biomass per recruit models at present levels of fishing mortality
6. Analyse existing tagging data for patterns of movement and potential stock delineation
7. Describe diet and potential localised impacts on prey items
8. Describe the totemic and cultural significance of Australian salmon to the Aboriginal people of NSW

Multi-fishery collaboration to assess population abundances and post release survival of threatened Sawfish captured in commercial fishing operations in Northern Australia

Project number: 2022-068
Project Status:
Current
Budget expenditure: $528,552.00
Principal Investigator: Richard Pillans
Organisation: Reef and Rainforest Research Centre Ltd
Project start/end date: 31 Dec 2022 - 29 Jun 2026
Contact:
FRDC

Need

Commercial in confidence. To know more about this project please contact FRDC.

Objectives

Commercial in confidence
Environment
PROJECT NUMBER • 2017-047
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Understanding environmental and fisheries factors causing fluctuations in mud crab and blue swimmer crab fisheries in northern Australia to inform harvest strategies

This project investigated relationships between environmental factors and harvests of crabs in the Gulf of Carpentaria (GoC), northern Australia. Desktop correlative analyses clearly indicated that recent fluctuations in the catches of Giant Mud Crabs in the GoC are most likely driven by...
ORGANISATION:
Department of Primary Industries (QLD)
Environment
PROJECT NUMBER • 2018-034
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Effects of climate change and habitat degradation on Coral Trout

Fishes are at considerable risk from changing environmental conditions because they are, for most part, unable to regulate their body temperature. Exposure to high temperatures may therefore compromise critical biological functions, resulting in reduced performance, fitness and ultimately survival....
ORGANISATION:
James Cook University (JCU)
Industry

Genetic diversity audit of farm held stocks of Greenlip and Blacklip abalone

Project number: 2016-142
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $35,204.79
Principal Investigator: Jan Strugnell
Organisation: James Cook University (JCU)
Project start/end date: 2 Apr 2017 - 30 Oct 2017
Contact:
FRDC

Need

The abalone aquaculture industry requires a genetic audit of farm held stocks of greenlip and blacklip abalone to be conducted in order to identify current levels of genetic diversity, effective population sizes, and levels of coancestry/relatedness captured within individual farms and the wider industry.

This fundamental information is needed to guide future approaches to genetic improvement of farmed abalone.

Objectives

1. Conduct a genetic audit of farm held stocks of greenlip and blacklip abalone to identify current levels of genetic diversity, effective population sizes, and levels of coancestry/relatedness captured within individual farms and the wider industry.

Final report

Author: Jan Strugnell and Catarina Silva
Final Report • 2017-10-31
2016-142-DLD.pdf

Summary

Following the AVG virus, the number of broodstock that were available to produce hybrids was drastically reduced. This project was undertaken in order to ascertain the genetic diversity present within farm held broodstock of greenlip and blacklip abalone and to determine the degree of genetic differentiation of stocks within and between farms. A genetic audit of farm held stocks enables farmers to gain an understanding of the genetic resources held across the industry.
 
This report provides a genetic audit of farm held stocks of greenlip and blacklip abalone from six Australian farms across three states. Thousands of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were used to calculate genetic diversity, genetic differentiation, effective population size and relatedness within and between farms and are reported for each species. A mate allocation plan is also presented which optimises the available genetic resources across farms in order to minimise kinship. The audit was carried out in 2016 and 2017 by Associate Professor Jan Strugnell and Dr Catarina Silva based within the Department of Marine Biology and Aquaculture at James Cook University, Australia.
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