Ensuring that connectivity and stock dynamics are well understood is crucial to determining the appropriate scale for fisheries management and assessment.
There is strong industry and management interest in determining the extent to which connectivity and stock dynamics of snapper along the west coast might have changed over time reflecting changes in environmental conditions and stock abundance.
There is a need to reassess the most appropriate scale for management of the snapper resource in WA under the new Aquatic Resources and Management Act.
There is a need to evaluate whether active-acoustic methods can improve capacity to monitor the spatial distribution and abundance of snapper in key spawning aggregations and whether these methods are complementary to the existing approaches used to assess snapper stocks in the GCB and WCB and elsewhere in Australia.

The Ministerial-working group has recommended a package of measures aimed at recovering spawning biomass of the inner gulf snapper stocks to take effect in 2003. In the eastern gulf, in the first year following the fishery’s re-opening, a combination of daily bag limit, ‘slot’ size limit, and an extended seasonal closure will be used in an attempt to limit the catch to 12–15 tonnes. Although 3 tonnes has been allocated to the commercial sector (based on catch history), no decision has been made in relation to allocation of the remaining 12 tonnes (approximately 4000 individual fish) between the local charter sector and independent recreational fishers. This conventional management approach may achieve the objective of sustainability but a seasonal closure (to protect spawning fish) will alter the nature of the recreational fishery and is unlikely to be popular with many visiting fishers. To overcome this, the working group has agreed to trial an alternative, output-based approach in the eastern gulf in 2004 that would allow some snapper fishing during the peak winter period while still meeting sustainability objectives. A unique opportunity therefore exists, to develop and assess an alternative management approach, i.e. capable of constraining the recreational snapper catch to a sustainable level while preserving the seasonal aspect of the fishery. The daily egg production method, used to provide estimates of adult stock size since 1997, requires considerable resources (particularly in the laboratory) and is therefore relatively expensive. There is a need to investigate the potential of an alternative, independent measure of stock size that may be incorporated into a future research framework. At a broader scale, there is a need to compare the relative advantages and disadvantages of output-based (manage to predetermined catch) and more conventional models for the management of recreational and multi-sector finfish fisheries with a major recreational component. Such information will allow improved decision-making around the choice of research and management tools for similar marine fisheries elsewhere.

There is an urgent need to clarify whether the juvenile snapper taken in the Denham Sound sector of the Shark Bay Prawn Trawl Fishery recruit to the recreationally fished, depleted western gulf of inner Shark Bay stock or the sustainably (predominantly commercially) fished oceanic stock. This information is needed to ascertain whether changes to the management arrangements to the trawl fishery would significantly benefit the threatened inner bay snapper stocks. Successful resolution of this contentious issue (and management change if warranted) in the sensitive World heritage Area will refocus public debate onto the more critical issue of overall resource sustainability.

The size of the recreational catch for pink snapper together with information on the stock size from the egg production method (separate study funded by Fisheries WA) is required to estimate the proportion of the stock taken by recreational fishers over a one year period. This important information will be used to assess the sustainability of present levels of recreational fishing and to determine whether on not further management measured are required.

The Gascoyne Region Working Group has noted that a major obstacle to the resolution of fishery management and resource sharing issues in the region is the scarcity of data on recreational catches and activity. Additional monitoring beyond the previous creel survey, funded by Fisheries WA, which finished in March 1999 is required to estimate changes to the total catch, catch rates, size composition and mortality of these and other exploited marine species. This information, together with other studies funded by Fisheries WA to estimate the size of the pink snapper stocks, is required to develop strategies for the management of recreational fishing in Shark Bay.

An estimate of the recreational catch, fishing effort, catch rates and location caught for black snapper is required for the related FRDC project "The age growth and reproductive biology and stock assessment of black snapper, Lethrinus laticaudis in Shark Bay, WA" (FRDC 99/152).