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Environment

Tactical Research Fund: assessing technology changes and risks to the sustainable management of deepwater line fisheries in southern Queensland

Project number: 2010-053
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $45,000.00
Principal Investigator: Wayne Sumpton
Organisation: Department of Primary Industries (QLD)
Project start/end date: 31 Dec 2010 - 30 Jan 2012
:

Need

There is a risk that Queensland’s deepwater (>200m) fish stocks are being fished at levels that are not sustainable Increased effort by commercial fishers in deep waters under normal line entitlements and the lack of knowledge of many of the targeted deepwater species (many of these species are presumed to be long-lived, schooling species susceptible to overexploitation) are key threats.

There is also anecdotal evidence that recreational fishers are fishing further offshore in deeper water and that recent improved fishing technologies have increased the effective effort on deepwater fish by all sectors. It is imperative that basic information on these deep-water stocks is collected at a time when management arrangements are being updated for rocky reef species (both shallow and deepwater).

The DEEDI Fisheries Observer Program has 100 days allocated to the deepwater fishery next calendar year, providing a unique opportunity to gather additional biological information on deepwater species that would not normally be collected as part of the routine core functions of the program. The provision of resources via a short-term “Tactical Research Fund” proposal would provide additional information at a time that is critical in the management cycle. It would also enable an assessment of the impact of improvements in vessel and gear technology (braided line, soft plastic lures, GPS etc) that could be used to better standardise catch rates. This is an essential requirement in any future stock assessments.

Fisheries Queensland is currently undertaking a gap analysis to identify information needs for completing an ecological risk assessment of this fishery. The proposed research is critical as it is designed to address the data deficiencies identified by that analysis.

Fisheries Queensland has identified this issue as a priority to be addressed over the next 18 months with a view to review management arrangements in 2012.

Objectives

1. Quantify recent changes in fishing technology in the commercial, recreational and charter line fishing sectors and evaluate the extent to which these changes could impact on the sustainability of deepwater fish species.
2. Collect and analyse biological data on key deep-water line caught fish species in collaboration with the fisheries observer program and collate information identified by the gap analysis currently being undertaken by Fisheries Queensland.
3. Assist Fisheries Queensland in developing an ecological risk assessment for deepwater fin fish species.

Strategic plan for fisheries research in QLD

Project number: 1993-252
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $26,000.00
Principal Investigator: John Glaister
Organisation: Department of Primary Industries (QLD)
Project start/end date: 28 Jun 1995 - 30 Oct 1996
:

Objectives

1. To develop a ten year strategy for fisheries R&D that supports the sustainable utilisation, development and management of fisheries resources and a process for reviewing and revising the strategy.
2. To agree on the role, membership and operating procedures of the Queensland Fishing Industry Research Advisory Committee (QFIRAC).
3. To develop an agreed process for priority setting and monitoring progress on current R&D for the use of QFIRAC and stakeholders in fisheries resources.

The proposed workshop - "Population Dynamics for Fisheries Management" - will focus on what are the processes leading to the development of management advice

Project number: 1993-199
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $214,531.30
Principal Investigator: Stephen Thrower
Organisation: Department of Primary Industries (QLD)
Project start/end date: 25 Oct 1993 - 18 Feb 1997
:

Objectives

1. To maintain existing databases and continue provision of services whilst ex
ploring new avenues for dissemination and technology transfer
2. To implement a program of promotion and marketing of the NSIS throughout Australia with a view to maximising the level of cost recovery.

International Workshop on ciguatera management

Project number: 1991-091
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $40,000.00
Principal Investigator: Richard Lewis
Organisation: Department of Primary Industries (QLD)
Project start/end date: 28 Jun 1992 - 30 Jun 1994
:

Objectives

1. Hold international workshop specifically on ciguatera management issues. Attract key workers to present topics.

Final report

Author: Richard Lewis
Final Report • 2017-09-29 • 3.15 MB
1991-091-DLD.pdf

Summary

An International Workshop on Ciguatera Management was held at QDPI's Joondoburri Conference Centre on Bribie Island, 13-16 April 1993. This meeting provided the first opportunity for discussion of issues related to ciguatera at an international forum in Australia. Fifty-six registrants participated in the scientific programme which included 41 contributions (either oral or poster presentations) from local and overseas researchers. The latest research on ciguatera was discussed, especially research with implications for the management of ciguatera.

The Workshop covered a broad range of topics through presentations from invited speakers and included two workshop sessions that addressed the clinical management of ciguatera and the detection of ciguateric fish. The Workshop reinforced the need for further research on (i) the detection of ciguateric fish and (ii) the environmental factors contributing to outbreaks of ciguatera.

Project products

Proceedings • 1994-08-01 • 10.30 MB
1991-091 Memoirs of the Queensland Museum.pdf

Summary

This issue of the Memoirs of the Queensland Museum is devoted to the International Workshop on Ciguatera Management that was held on Bribie Island near Brisbane on 12-16 April, 1993. The Workshop was sponsored by the Australian Fisheries Research and Development Corporation and the Queensland Department of Primary Industries (QDPI). Scientists, medical practitioners and fisheries managers with an interest in ciguatera attended the Workshop which focused on current research having implications for the management of ciguatera.

Fifty six registrants from Japan, USA, France, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Germany and each of the eastern sea-board states of Australia attended. The Workshop comprised talks, posters and two discussion sessions which specifically addressed (i) the detection of ciguateric fishes and (ii) the management of ciguatera cases. P. Scheuer opened the scientific program with an historical perspec­tive of modem ciguatera research initiated by the late A.H. (Hank) Banner and outlined some of the challenges for the future.

Major themes of the Workshop were: 1. Chemical and immunological aspects of the detection of toxins involved in ciguatera. 2. Pharmacology and treatment of ciguatera. 3. Origin of the toxins involved in ciguatera. 4. Clinical aspects and epidemiology of ciguatera.

Addressing uncertainties in the assessment and management of Queensland east coast Spanish Mackerel

Project number: 2021-111
Project Status:
Current
Budget expenditure: $1,026,558.00
Principal Investigator: Jonathan D. Mitchell
Organisation: Department of Primary Industries (QLD)
Project start/end date: 20 Oct 2022 - 12 Feb 2026
:

Need

As one of the most prominent species sold in northern Queensland fish shops, Spanish mackerel is iconic to seafood consumers as well as commercial, recreational, and charter fishers. However, a recent assessment of the Queensland East Coast stock raised significant concern about its sustainability, with a spawning biomass estimate below 20% of unfished levels (Tanimoto et al. 2021). Historical analyses indicate a substantial contraction of the spawning aggregations of Spanish mackerel in North Queensland, with those off Cairns being extirpated in the 1990s (Buckley et al. 2017). Previous stock assessments have also shown a trend of declining abundance over the last 20+ years (Welch et al. 2002, Campbell et al. 2012, O'Neill et al. 2018). This historical sustained decline, combined with the recent low biomass estimates, raise substantial uncertainty over the continued viability of the fishery.

This stock assessment result indicates the need to rebuild the stock in line with State and National policy objectives to reduce the number of overfished stocks. The high social and economic importance of Spanish mackerel in Queensland has led to significant public debate around uncertainty in the stock assessment, and the issue being debated in Queensland State Parliament.

As a result, key research gaps need to be addressed to increase the precision of future assessments and reaffirm stakeholder confidence in the stock assessment process. This project aims to address the following research gaps highlighted by the stock assessment: (1) determine the feasibility of using a CKMR method for estimating abundance of Spanish mackerel, (2) quantify cryptic mortality from shark depredation and post release survival, (3) improve catch and effort standardisation by better adjusting for potential hyperstability occurring at spawning aggregations and make the catch rate robust against potential management change, (4) assess the influence of key environmental variables on abundance and recruitment variability. This project will inform more accurate Spanish mackerel stock assessment, thereby increasing stakeholder confidence in line with Outcomes 4 and 5 of the FRDC R&D Plan (‘optimising benefits for the Australian community through fair resource sharing based on evidence-based management’ and ‘transparent decision-making tools that demonstrate best practice in fisheries management’). The project will also directly address the high priority research needs identified by the Queensland Spanish Mackerel Fishery Working Group.

Objectives

1. Determine the feasibility of a fisheries-independent CKMR-based approach to estimate absolute abundance of the Queensland East Coast Spanish mackerel stock
2. Quantify shark depredation rates (percentage of catch lost) across the fishery and provide an estimate of post-release survival
3. Improve the fisheries-dependent index of abundance through the application of Effort Signature techniques and increase its robustness to future management changes
4. Identify and quantify the effect of key environmental conditions on recruitment rates, year class strength, and abundance of Spanish mackerel in Queensland East Coast waters
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)
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