Based on logbook records the sand crab commercial pot fishery in Moreton Bay is worth in the vicinity of $2 million wholesale annually. Sand crabs are also taken as an incidental by-catch by otter trawlers and in addition Moreton Bay supports a substantial recreational fishery.
Sand crabs are caught...
The papers published in this book were all presented at the Symposium "Making the Most of the Catch..." held in Brisbane, Australia, 25-27 July 1996.
The contributors came from many countries and from many different institutions. They were selected in an endeavour to present a broad spectrum of...
In recent years, increased interest has been shown in the Queensland beche-de-mer industry. As a consequence, there has been a number of initiatives taken to ensure the industry will have a sustainable future. The industry, traditionally a 'cottage' industry in the past, has not been able to access...
1. Determine whether the Australian spanish mackerel resource, comprising four main species of the genus Scomberomorous, is exploited recreationally and commercially in three distinct areas of tropical Australia, in each of which the stock of each species is an autonomous stock
2. To determine if the species composition of the resource is the same in the 3 areas
3. To determine if the three unit stocks of search of the 3 smaller species differ as to growth rate, reproductive potential or survival rate under average environmental conditions or in consequence in composition as to sex age and size
4. To determine if the resultsobtained from Deuel surveys will be sufficient basis for allocating fishery access as between commercial and recreational fishers
5. To determine if the Deuel special survey method can yield a reliable estimate of the amount of the fishing for the small mackerels by commercial and recreational fishers in remote regions of northern Australia.
The small mackerels comprising school mackerel (Scomberomorus queenslandicus), spotted mackerel (S. munroi) and grey mackerel (S. semifasciatus) are important and valued species to recreational and commercial fishers in northern Australia. Prior to this project very little was known about the basic biology of, or fisheries for, small mackerels. Each species was found to exhibit distinct life history patterns with differing stock structures. Though there is some overlap between fisheries, there was much spatial and temporal separation of the fisheries, with gill net specialisation for each species targeted by the commercial fishery. Recreational hook and line fisheries for school mackerel and spotted mackerel were important with most of the grey mackerel harvest taken by the commercial sector.