The need for regular monitoring of recreational fishing activity in WA will increase substantially over the coming years. This increase will result from the overarching requirement for better data to enable the management of those fish stocks where recreational fishing takes a major component of the catch. In addition, these data will also be needed as inputs to the process of determining explicit sectoral allocations (e.g. between recreational, commercial, indigenous)through the Integrated Fisheries Management (IFM) processes which have recently been initiated (see DOF, 2003 for details). Moreover, some level of monitoring will be needed to determine if the outcomes of management arrangements do result in the catch of each sector (including the recreational sector) meeting these allocation decisions. One of the first fisheries to be put through this IFM process will be the west coast demersal (offshore) finfish fishery.

The traditional methods for estimating recreational catch and effort have been either creel-based or diary based surveys. Both of these methods can have a relatively high cost with each generating estimates that are subject to a number of different biases. Given that allocations decisions for these fisheries will be based on the estimates generated from surveys, all stakeholder groups are demanding that there is some assessment of the accuracy of any estimates produced. Such analyses are best completed by the simultaneous collection of data by alternative methods to allow suitable comparisons to be made of any differences in the estimates.

Furthermore, whilst there is little doubt that one or other of these intensive survey methods will need to be completed at periodic (eg 3 to 5 year) intervals, having information at a lower precision level between these intervals (i.e. annually) to provide an indication of whether recreational catches are remaining steady, increasing or declining within anticipated boundaries of any allocation will be of great benefit (possibly essential) to the effective management of the IFM outcomes.

Given that the IFM management of these offshore (boat-based) demersal fisheries is likely to be focused on only a relatively small number of indicator species, rather than trying to manage every species directly, ongoing indicator surveys may be able to use different sampling strategies to those used in the standard surveys. In addition, alternative methods of data collection are now more available. These include the use of remote monitoring technology (e.g. cameras), using information already collected by other agencies (boat ramp usage rates) and the potential to use data collected by the Department’s compliance staff in a more directed fashion.

Understanding the relative precision and accuracy of each of the various standard and innovative approaches along with their relative costs, benefits, limitations and interactions will be essential for determining what ongoing sampling methods need to be used to monitor the IFM outcomes for this fishery. If successful, these same techniques will be used to assist determine the appropriate sampling scheme for other fisheries requiring the ongoing collection of recreational data.

DoF (2003) Report to the Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries by the Integrated Fisheries Management Review Committee - Fisheries Management Paper No. 165