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Improving bycatch reduction strategies and escape vents in Queensland Mud Crab fisheries

Project number: 2021-119
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $129,915.00
Principal Investigator: Julie B. Robins
Organisation: Department of Primary Industries (QLD)
Project start/end date: 30 Apr 2022 - 29 Jul 2023
:
SPECIES

Need

The proposed work directly targets the opportunity
• to benchmark bycatch reduction devices (including escape vents) and strategies currently in use in the Queensland Crab Fishery,
• to trial refined escape vents for better (i) retention of legal crabs and exclusion of non-legal crabs and fish bycatch.

Recommended refinements to the regulation of escape vents in commercial mud crab pots will be provided to Fisheries Queensland by October/November 2022 for potential inclusion in the next round of regulatory amendments to the Crab Fishery.

More appropriately specified escape vents will produce better commercial outcomes (i.e., retention of legal crabs) and better ecological outcomes (e.g. exclusion of sub-legal crabs and finfish prone to entrapment in crab pots). Reports from crabbers indicate that some of the regulated escape vents allow legal crabs to escape, whilst the small escape vent (75 x 60 mm) reportedly allows very little bycatch to escape. A quantitative study that encompasses regional variation in mud crab morphometrics (i.e., carapace depth/height ~carapace width) would provide empirical data upon which management decisions can be objectively made.

Better documentation on marine turtle entrapment in crab pots (which is currently of limited public access) and gear modification to efficiently reduce or prevent marine turtle entrapment would be of benefit to threatened and endangered marine turtle populations of Queensland (in particular loggerhead turtles) and would contribute to the development of a risk mitigation strategy for the fishery.

Objectives

1. Benchmark bycatch reduction devices and strategies currently in use in the Queensland crab fishery.
2. Trial alternate configurations and advise on potential changes to escape vent regulations achieve better commercial and ecological outcomes.
3. Collate information on marine turtle interactions with crab pots (including ghost pots) and consider pot configuration(s) that could contribute to a risk mitigation strategy for marine turtles in the Qld crab fishery.
4. Develop options for adoption of bycatch reduction devices and strategies in the recreational sector of the Qld crab fishery.

Final report

ISBN: 978-0-6456352-7-0
Authors: J.B. Robins N.J. Stratford S. Seghers and S.M. Leahy
Final Report • 2024-11-11 • 6.03 MB
2021-119-DLD.pdf

Summary

The Queensland Crab Fishery is an iconic fishery, which encompasses the harvest of mud crabs (Scylla serrata, the Giant Mud Crab, and Scylla olivacea, the Orange Mud Crab) and Blue Swimmer Crabs (Portunus armatus and Portunus pelagicus), predominately using baited crab pots of various designs. The Fishery has a limited entry commercial sector that requires a C1 symbol to catch these species of crabs, plus possession of appropriate quota to catch mud crabs on the Queensland East Coast (EC1), Queensland Gulf of Carpentaria (GC1) or Blue Swimmer Crabs anywhere in Queensland (BC1). The Fishery also has a significant recreational sector, that uses similar apparatus and does not require a licence, but does have in possession limits.
The current research investigated the performance of escape vents in crab pots targeting Giant Mud Crabs to determine if current Queensland fisheries regulations should be revised to provide better commercial outcomes (i.e., retention of legal mud crabs – male and 150 mm carapace width or greater), whilst minimising the bycatch of non-legal crabs, finfish and other bycatch species, such as water rats. The research focussed on the Giant Mud Crab as it comprises greater than 99% of the commercial harvest of mud crabs in Queensland
The ongoing issue of marine turtle interactions with crabbing apparatus, including a recent increase of stranding reports, led to the research also collating available information about these interactions to support a risk mitigation strategy for the fishery’s interaction with protected marine turtle species.
Results are to be considered by management, Fisheries Queensland and the Crab Working Group as part of the Harvest Strategy arrangements for the Queensland Crab Fishery.
Environment

World volunteer fishtag summit

Project number: 2023-079
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $1,500.00
Principal Investigator: Bill Sawynok
Organisation: Infofish Australia Pty Ltd
Project start/end date: 21 Sep 2023 - 5 Oct 2023
:

Need

A sponsor’s page including logos will be included at the start and end of each session (4 times) and will include acknowledgement at the start and conclusion of the summit.
Major sponsors will also be acknowledged in social media posts about the summit.
A media release prior to the summit will include acknowledgment of major sponsors.

People
Environment
Industry
PROJECT NUMBER • 2018-154
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

A market research-driven and co-management approach to developing an industry strategy for the SA Charter Boat Fishery

This project investigated the South Australian Charter Boat Fishery by conducting analyses to identify potential actions for growth to counter the declining level of activity and profitability in the industry. The SA Charter industry has shown declining in trends in economic returns and...
ORGANISATION:
BDO EconSearch
Communities
PROJECT NUMBER • 2017-063
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

NCCP: Remembering a life BC #Before Carp ;a collection of stories from Australians who have been impacted by Australia’s worst freshwater pest fish – the Carp!

The present study, undertaken by Invasive Animals Ltd, was developed to address a need for incorporating living memory of waterway changes resulting from cyprinus carpio introduction into public discussion surrounding potential use of cyprinid herpesvirus (CyHV-3) as a biocontrol measure. There is...
ORGANISATION:
Centre for Invasive Species Solutions
Industry
PROJECT NUMBER • 2017-014
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Informing the structural reform of South Australia's Marine Scalefish Fishery

This study was undertaken by the South Australia Research and Development Institute (SARDI) in collaboration with PIRSA Fisheries and Aquaculture, BDO EconSearch, the Marine Fishers Association (MFA), Fishwell Consulting and University of Canberra. This project guided the reform of South...
ORGANISATION:
SARDI Food Safety and Innovation
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