26 results

Tactical Research Fund: Cost-effectiveness of mitigation measures to reduce interactions between commercial fishing gear and whales

Project number: 2013-037
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $65,934.00
Principal Investigator: Jason How
Organisation: Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) WA
Project start/end date: 18 Aug 2013 - 16 Aug 2014
Contact:
FRDC

Need

Whale entanglements are a key performance indicator (KPI) for the WRL fishery in Commonwealth
assessments. Entanglements in 2012 (13 in WRL gear) exceeded this KPI. The KPI breach resulted in
the Commonwealth removing the WRL fishery from the List of Exempt Native Species which is a five
year export approval without conditions and issuing a two year Wildlife Trade Order (WTO) with
conditions and recommendations relating to whale entanglement. This included a condition: "by 31
March 2014, complete a robust evaluation of longer term operational management measures to
reduce the risk of whale entanglements, which could include the removal of some restrictions on
western rock lobsters, spatial and seasonal closures and potential gear modifications". If this condition
isn't met, the WTO may be revoked and therefore the
fishery will not be able to export. The WRL is almost exclusively an export fishery with an estimated
annual GVP of $200 million.
The reason for increased entanglements is a combination of whale population growth (10% p/a) and
an increase in winter fishing resulting from a relaxation of input controls after a move to quota. A
closed season, removing winter fishing would somewhat elevate this issue, although at an economic
cost to the industry as it would no longer be able to attain the high beach prices paid in winter. This
would result in a conservative loss of about $50 million p/a in GVP. Therefore to meet the SEWPaC
conditions, and still allow winter fishing, entanglement mitigation measures are needed.

Objectives

1. Examine the effectiveness of potential gear modifications to the float rigs of fishing pots/traps to reduce their likelihood of entangling whales.
2. Start to collect additional information required to determine the spatial and temporal extent of migrating whales and how this overlaps with commercial fishing gear.

A study of fishery-induced mortality of under-sized rock lobsters

Project number: 1977-021
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $0.00
Organisation: Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) WA
Project start/end date: 28 Dec 1981 - 31 Dec 1981
Contact:
FRDC

Objectives

1. Collect & analyse data on fishing practice in handling under-sized western rock lobsters
, &
2. study behaviour, survival rate & subsequent growth rates after return to sea
3. effect of fishing practice on survey & subsequent growth of eff-bearing ("berried") rock lobsters
Industry
Industry
Environment
Environment
PROJECT NUMBER • 2012-237
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Tactical Research Fund: Decision tree and rapid assessment methodology for new fisheries

The objective of this report is to provide a Rapid Appraisal Methodology process for assessing proposals for new fisheries. If adopted, the methodology could extend to the receipt and assessment of new fishery proposals which may potentially encompass aquaculture, in line with...
ORGANISATION:
Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) WA
Industry
PROJECT NUMBER • 2018-178
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Species identification of Australia’s most significant octopus fishery – the Western Australian Common Octopus

This report summarises the scientific and consultation work undertaken to identify a new species name (Octopus djinda) and new common name (Western Rock Octopus) for the species that supports Australia’s largest octopus fishery, with 734 tonnes harvested in 2022. The species had been...
ORGANISATION:
Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) WA
SPECIES
Industry
Industry
PROJECT NUMBER • 1994-075
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Enhancement of yabbie production from Western Australian farm dams

Farmers receive higher prices per kilo for large yabbies. Yabby farmers have reported that the majority of yabbies trapped from farm dams are below market size (< 30 g) and therefore of no economic value. In addition, farmers also report that while dams produce large yabbies when...
ORGANISATION:
Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) WA
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