105 results

Towards an assessment of natural and human use impacts on the marine environment of the Abrolhos Islands - Phase 1: Data consolidation and scoping

Project number: 2000-166
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $143,898.00
Principal Investigator: Chris F. Chubb
Organisation: Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) WA
Project start/end date: 29 Dec 2000 - 29 Mar 2004
Contact:
FRDC

Need

The management plan for the Houtman Abrolhos; system (Anon. 1998, section 10) identified a number of objectives. In essence these relate to understanding human-use impacts on the marine environment of the Abrolhos Islands and the evaluation of the effectiveness of present and future management strategies to ensure ecologically sustainable multiple use of Western Australia's first Fish Habitat Protection Area. Also it is important to recognise the more general responsibilities that the state of Western Australia will likely have with respect to the Commonwealth under its Oceans Policy statement and to the ongoing environmental stewardship considerations that the conferring of accreditation by the Marine Stewardship Council on the western rock lobster fishery entails.

Specifically, within the context of the Abrolhos Islands management plan there is a need to quantify the physical impacts of current human activity on Abrolhos marine habitats and subsequently establish a monitoring programme central to the ecologically sustainable management of this unique area. However, in order to determine such impacts and monitoring schemes, a number of preliminary steps need to be taken.

1) There is a need to collate, from diverse sources, existing research information relating to the ecology of the Abrolhos Islands, the effects of natural perturbations and to gather information on the types and effects of previous human use on Abrolhos marine habitats where it is documented. This synthesis of information will perform two functions: the first will be a statement of the current status of environmental impact research at the Abrolhos and the second will be as a background document for use in current deliberations and decision making by the Abrolhos Islands Management Advisory Committee.

2) A small amount of survey (field) work is required to establish precisely the timing and locations where commercial (potting, trawling, handlining, aquaculture) and recreational fishing and diving occurs particularly in relation to environmentally sensitive areas of the Abrolhos This information is not available from existing reporting systems such as log books etc. In addition some survey work is necessary to determine and provide general descriptions/ground truth of the various habitat/community types. The results from this field work will facilitate discussion on the scope of the issues to be assessed and methods to be used in long term monitoring programmes.

3) A workshop of community representatives and technical experts (representatives from AIMS, the universities, etc.) is needed to allow the formulation of a dedicated research/monitoring programme that will take into account issues raised by all stakeholders, and the legislated requirements of state and federal governments in relation to ecologically sustainable management.

Objectives

1. To collate existing research information relating to human use impacts and natural perturbations in Abrolhos marine habitats to provide a detailed overview of the status of current knowledge about the marine ecosystem of the Abrolhos Islands.
2. To conduct limited field work to determine the spatial and temporal distribution of commercial fishing and recreational activities and provide general descriptions/ground truthing of habitat/community types at the Abrolhos as baseline/background data for presentation at the workshop.
3. To conduct a scientific workshop including community representatives and technical experts to determine the objectives and formulate a dedicated research programme to provide quantitative monitoring data for use in the sustainable management of the Abrolhos Islands Fish Habitat Protection Area.

Final report

Environment
PROJECT NUMBER • 2012-016
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

RAC WA: Demographic Performance of Brownlip Abalone: Exploration of Wild and Cultured Harvest Potential

The report provides a comprehensive evaluation of Brownlip Abalone biology and fisheries assessment to date. For wild populations, it has provided the most reliable estimates of natural and fishing mortality, size composition and the first to model growth throughout all stages of life. The project...
ORGANISATION:
Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) WA
Environment
PROJECT NUMBER • 2001-061
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Identifying nursery areas used by inner bay and oceanic snapper stocks in the Shark Bay region, in relation to the effect of prawn trawling on inner bay snapper stocks

This study examined two aspects of the chemical composition of snapper otoliths from Shark Bay Western Australia as an aid to determining the spatial relationship among juveniles and to better understand the spatial relationships between juveniles and adults. Otoliths were collected from...
ORGANISATION:
Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) WA
SPECIES
Environment
PROJECT NUMBER • 2009-019
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Evaluating the potential use of change-in-ratio and index removal techniques for determining harvest rates and efficiency increases in the Western Rock Lobster Fishery

This project developed and explored methodology intended to enable the production of more reliable estimates of fishing efficiency increases and harvest rate, such that these estimates might be available for use by fisheries scientists, thereby improving the quality of the management decisions...
ORGANISATION:
Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) WA
Environment
Environment
PROJECT NUMBER • 2003-027
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Evaluating the recreational marron fishery against environmental change and human interactions

The distribution of marron in the southwest of Australia has seen many changes since European settlement. Reconstructions of their range from historical records suggested that marron inhabited the waters between the Harvey River and Denmark River. Due to translocation, their range has expanded as...
ORGANISATION:
Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) WA
SPECIES
Environment
PROJECT NUMBER • 2003-052
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Spatial scales of exploitation among populations of demersal scalefish: implications for wetline management

West Australian dhufish is endemic to shelf waters of south-western Western Australia (WA). In contrast, snapper (known as "pink snapper" in WA) has a continuous distribution around the southern coastline of mainland Australia and in New Zealand. Dhufish and snapper are the two most important...
ORGANISATION:
Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) WA

Enhancement of yabbie production from Western Australian farm dams - BCA

Project number: 1994-075.80
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $4,394.73
Principal Investigator: Gerry Geen
Organisation: Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) WA
Project start/end date: 30 Oct 2000 - 1 Jan 2009
Contact:
FRDC

Objectives

1. To increase harvests from WA farm dams by providing farmers with: Population control method(s) which increase the proportion of yabbies of marketable weights
2. Quantified methods for reducing dam environmental factors limiting yabbie production and causing variation in dam productivity
3. a manual of methods for stocking and managing farm dams to increase harvest per dam

Final report

Final Report • 2009-01-01 • 1,015.68 KB
1994-075.80-DLD.pdf

Summary

This report describes the results of an ex-post benefit cost analysis of the FRDC ­funded project 'Enhancement of yabby production from Western Australian farm dams' (Project No. 1994-075). The project was carried out by the Western Australian Marine Research Laboratories.

The main findings of the project were that stocking density, feeding and male:female ratios were the most important factors which influenced growth rates.

The research station trials also showed that growth rates improved when ponds were stocked with males only. The project investigated yabby "varieties" from around Australia to assess the potential of producing a male only strain or hybrid. A number of hybrids were produced which showed preliminary evidence of hybrid sterility. Further research was recommended which was funded by a subsequent FRDC project.

Enhancement of yabbie production from Western Australian farm dams

Project number: 1994-075
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $350,948.14
Principal Investigator: Noel Morrissy
Organisation: Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) WA
Project start/end date: 20 Jul 1994 - 25 Mar 1999
Contact:
FRDC

Objectives

1. To increase harvests from WA farm dams by providing farmers with: Population control method(s) which increase the proportion of yabbies of marketable weights
2. Quantified methods for reducing dam environmental factors limiting yabbie production and causing variation in dam productivity
3. a manual of methods for stocking and managing farm dams to increase harvest per dam

Final report

ISBN: 0 7309 1984 6
Author: Craig Lawrence
Final Report • 1998-11-23 • 1.78 MB
1994-075-DLD.pdf

Summary

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 first harvested, after a number of years the proportion of large animals gradually decreases.

To identify why yabbies in farm dams stunted and how farmers could increase the size of small yabbies the project had three main experimental areas: Research station experiments, industry farm dam recording system, and Genetics and Reproduction Laboratory.

This project has shown that population control methods to increase the proportion of marketable yabbies are required. This study has also shown that it is possible to convert yabbies below market size (< 30) to high value animals by improving feeding and management practices. The application of these results will produce larger yabbies and directly result in increased returns to farmers. In addition the increase in market-sized yabbies from farm dams will provide a higher catch rate per unit of trapping effort.  Consequently, the harvesting of yabbies from more isolated dams will become economically viable. 

Keywords:  Cherax albidus, crayfish culture, pond culture, aquaculture techniques, feeding, stocking density, reproduction, hybrid culture.

Project products

Manual • 10.01 MB
1994-075 Yabby Farming Book Frequently Asked Questions Lawrence Morrissy2000.pdf

Summary

Yabbies are indigenous to central and eastern Australia and have created considerable aquaculture interest. Although some yabbies are produced in ponds on purpose-built farms, the vast majority of commercial aquaculture yabby production in Australia comes from trapping yabbies in farmers’ dams. This use of existing farm dams originally built to water stock has enabled rapid expansion of the industry due to low entry costs. The yabby industry currently harvests around 4,000 farm dams, with most spread throughout Western Australia’s  wheatbelt region.

The aim of this information is to assist farmers already engaged in this interesting and unusual new industry,  and to encourage more people to become involved.  Much of the information contained in this publication is the result of a research program jointly supported by Fisheries WA, FRDC, Aquaculture Development Fund (WA), the WA yabby industry, Agriculture WA and The University of Western Australia, Animal Science Group, Faculty of Agriculture. This document replaces Yabby Questions and Answers (1995) by N Morrissy, Aquainfo #1, Fisheries Department of WA.

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