139 results
Industry
Environment
PROJECT NUMBER • 2003-002
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Spatial interactions among juvenile southern bluefin tuna at the global scale: a large scale archival tag experiment

Results have increased our confidence in the recruitment index based on the aerial survey in the Great Australian Bight (GAB) by confirming that the timing and duration are ideal, that the majority of juvenile SBT are likely to return to the GAB each summer, and that based on current evidence it is...
ORGANISATION:
CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere Hobart
Environment
PROJECT NUMBER • 2011-045
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Tactical Research Fund: Shark futures - a synthesis of available data on Mako and Porbeagle sharks in Australasian waters - current status and future directions

This project summarises the available information on the population biology of the shortfin mako, longfin mako and porbeagle sharks in Australasian waters and other parts of the world based on a workshop held at CSIRO Marine Laboratories, Hobart, Tasmania and via reviews of published literature. The...
ORGANISATION:
CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere Hobart

Marine oils from Australian fish: characterisation and value added products

Project number: 1994-115
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $178,862.00
Principal Investigator: Peter D. Nichols
Organisation: CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere Hobart
Project start/end date: 14 Sep 1994 - 30 May 1998
Contact:
FRDC

Objectives

1. To assist Australian industry develop new marine oil based, value-added products from existing or new fisheries including the bycatch and waste generated by the fishing and related industries (See Attachment to B4)

Final report

ISBN: 0643-061533
Author: Peter Nichols
Final Report • 1998-01-18 • 9.01 MB
1994-115-DLD.pdf

Summary

Fish contain an array of oils, which vary markedly between species. The waste, by-catch and by­products from the Australian :fishing industry can therefore be value-added to yield a range of marine oils. It is estimated that 100 000 tonnes per annum of the Australian fish catch goes to waste. Research from this Project ( and its forerunner 91/77) has focused on oil from deep water and pelagic fish, and as a result of this work several companies have commenced production of marine oils for export and local use. Our research involved characterization of marine oils from Australian species, searching for new sources of commercially sought-after oils, development of new or refinement of existing processes suitable for Australian oils, and transfer of know-how to industry. Strong links exist with industry, giving an increased return for both the fishermen and oil processors, without increasing catch effort. Oils examined include: (i) wax esters derived from orange roughy, oreo dories and other fishes, (ii) shark liver oils containing squalene and diacylglycerol ethers, and (iii) triacylglycerol oils rich in essential omega-3 fatty acids. The oils are used as lubricants, in degreaser and hand cleaner products, in cosmetics and nutraceuticals.

The strengths of the Australian Marine Oils industry include: (i) relative sustainability of raw material (some countries show resources in decline), (ii) a clean and green image of the local resource, (iii) closeness to Asian markets, (iv) uniqueness of composition of several marine oils, (v) an increasing knowledge of marine oils and (vi) development of appropriate technologies. Opportunities exist based on these strengths and the Marine Oils industry has taken several products into the international market place. Together these features provide the Australian fishing and associated industries with the capacity to better utilize existing resources.

Project products

Report • 1998-01-18 • 1.13 MB
1991-077and1994-115-DLD.pdf

Summary

This report describes an ex-post cost/benefit analysis on two FRDC projects:

•  1991-077, Orange Roughy and Other Marine Oils: Characterization and Commercial Applications; and
•  1994-115, Marine Oils from Australian Fish: Characterization and Value Added Products.

The initial 1991 project was framed in the context of the boom orange roughy catches of the late 1980s-early 1990s and widespread concern over the amount of wastage that was occurring in terms of the landed orange roughy catch and the deep water sharks that were taken as bycatch by the orange roughy fleet.

Accordingly, project 1991-077 was focused on characterising the oil composition of orange roughy, oreo dories and deep sea sharks, on identifying processing techniques to extract and purify orange roughy and shark liver oils, and on identifying potential commercial products based on orange roughy-type oils and shark liver oils.

Project 1994-115 continued these general themes, though with less focus on the orange roughy-type oils and greater emphasis on the polyunsaturated omega-3 type fish oils. New species were characterised - with particular reference to their omega-3 content - and attention was given to developing processes to purify omega-3 type oils. The shark liver work continued - more species of shark were characterised - and further efforts were made at improving processes to extract and purify shark liver oils.

Environment
PROJECT NUMBER • 1993-077
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Quantitative interpretation of fine-scale SBT catch per unit effort for south east Australia

An analysis of spatial and temporal variations in catch rates of Southern Bluefin Tuna (SBT) in relation to environmental factors was conducted for the region south of Tasmania up to 1he southern half of New South Wales. Substantial temporal and spatial variations were evident in...
ORGANISATION:
CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere Hobart
Environment
PROJECT NUMBER • 1995-058
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Seamount fauna off southern Tasmania: impacts of trawling; conservation and role within the fishery ecosystem

In September 1995, the deepwater trawl fishing industry agreed not to trawl in an area of 370 km2 on the continental slope south of Tasmania for three years, as stated in a Memorandum of Understanding between the former Australian Nature Conservation Agency (now Environment Australia) (EA) and the...
ORGANISATION:
CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere Hobart
Environment

Use of archival tags for studying the movement and swimming behaviour of school sharks

Project number: 1996-128
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $257,962.00
Principal Investigator: John Stevens
Organisation: CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere Hobart
Project start/end date: 16 Oct 1996 - 5 Apr 2001
Contact:
FRDC

Objectives

1. To determine the frequency and extent of movements of individual school sharks within the fishery leading to an improved understanding of spatial structure required for regional assessment of school shark stocks.
2. To determine whether the total population of mature female school sharks migrate to Tasmania and Victorian waters to pup and consequently whether recruitment is dependent on south-eastern pupping areas. Answering this question will also address the effectiveness of the current rolling fishery closures (aimed at protecting aggregating pregnant females) which are based on an eastward pupping migration.
3. To provide information on the swimming depth of school sharks and to estimate the amount of time they spend off the bottom and unavailable to commercial fishing gear. This information is required in assessing the relative impact of current fishing effort directed at school and gummy shark.

Final report

ISBN: 0-643-06226-2
Author: John Stevens
Final Report • 2001-02-12 • 11.90 MB
1996-128-DLD.pdf

Summary

There has been serious concern over the status of the school shark fishery for many years, and it has been the subject of numerous stock assessments (Punt & Walker 1998). It is a well researched species: Olsen (1954) showed that school shark can make extensive migrations, and that females moved to pupping grounds in the south-east of Australia to give birth. However, despite their apparent ability to move freely through the fishery, there are regional differences in size, age and reproductive condition, together with different catch-rate trends in different regions of the fishery. Originally stock assessment models were based on the assumption of a single freely-mixing stock, in light of the ability of the species to move long distances. However, Prince (1992) argued that the biological and catch data was incompatible with the assumption of a single stock, and was instrumental in having spatial structure in the fishery taken into account. Punt et al. (2000) developed a model that takes account of the spatial structure of the population, allows for multiple stocks and which uses catch-rate data and information from tagging studies to derive values for the parameters of the model.

In this study it was the longitudinal movements of the fish that were of greatest interest, and although daily longitude estimates from the archival tags were highly variable, weekly median estimates appeared reliable. Latitude estimates were based on bathymetry except around Tasmania where none were possible. One fish appeared to move to New Zealand, but the clock in the archival tag was found to be seriously defective when tested upon its return. Although conventional tagging shows movements of school shark between Australia and New Zealand, we conclude that there was no evidence of any movement of archival-tagged fish further east than 149–150° E. No school shark migrated across the entire range of the Australian fishery in the time they were at liberty (<1.5 y), and there was limited mixing between the eastern and western regions of the fishery in this time frame. The restricted movement shown by the archival-tagged sharks provides additional support for the move to spatially-structured stock assessments. Although these results seemed at odds with the impression of wide-ranging movements shown by earlier conventional tagging, re-analysis of tag returns from the 1947–56 tagging program (Olsen 1954) provided support for restricted longitudinal movements. For school sharks ≥ 95 cm total length at release tagged in Victoria and Tasmania, the percentage recaptured in South Australia did not peak until after 4–6 y at liberty for females (~70%) and 12–14 y for males (~40%). These results however depend upon the relative fishing effort in these two areas at the time.

View Filter

Organisation