Waterproof labelling and identification systems suitable for shellfish and other seafood products
Sampling estuarine fish species for stock assessments
People development program: 2014 FRDC International Travel Award - Dr Ben Doolan
Inland fish stocking programs in NSW are administered by NSW DPI under the NSW Freshwater Fish Stocking Fishery Management Strategy (FMS) which outlines the rules, regulations and programs for fish stocking. The FMS is due for review in the near future and it is an opportune time to investigate the strategies used by international agencies for the management of their stocking programs. An extensive worldwide network of scientists and fisheries managers will be in attendance at the FSBI conference in Hull and it will be most beneficial to gain exposure on an international scale, obtain up to date information and share perspectives on inland fisheries management with experts from international agencies. In addition to attendance at the conference, I have made contact with several staff members from the Environment Agency and the Angling Trust to gain further insights into the management of inland fish stocking programs in the UK. I have organised to meet with these experts at various locations including Brampton, Reading and Frimley outside of the conference to gain further exposure and directly observe management practices and perceptions from both Government and non-Government organisations which may be transferable to existing NSW programs and other Australian jurisdictions developing or refining stocking policies. The project will assist in bridging the gap between management and research by potentially identifying key research priorities for stocking programs. The project will importantly enhance my international presentation, networking and analysis skills which are essential for my development as a future leader in fisheries management.
Effects of Trawling Subprogram: the interaction between fish trawling and other commercial and recreational fisheries
Final report
There is worldwide concern over the potential effects of by-catch and discarding of fish in commercial fisheries, particularly trawling. Although mortalities of discards are highly variable, it is likely that a large proportion of fish discarded at sea by trawlers do not survive. Consequently, discards at sea represent real losses from fish populations. Therefore, stock assessments that ignore the discarded component of catch are biased by an unknown amount, resulting in biomass and yield estimates that may be incorrect.
In Australia, the issue of primary concern is the direct mortality resulting from the capture and discard of commercially and recreationally important species by trawlers. This may result in negative impacts on: (i) stocks of fish targeted by the fishery concerned and/or (ii) other commercial or recreational fisheries (interacting fisheries) which catch the species discarded.
Fish trawling occurs off the coast of NSW between Crowdy Head and Eden and components of this fishery are managed by NSW Fisheries (north of Barrenjoey headland and less than 3 nm offshore to the south of Barrenjoey) and by the Commonwealth - the South East Fishery (> 3 nm offshore south of Barrenjoey).
Prior to the commencement of this project (in 1992): (i) except for anecdotal reports, nothing was known about quantities and sizes of fish discarded by fish trawlers; (ii) no reliable information existed about the quantities and sizes of fish in retained catches for fish trawlers north of Barrenjoey; (iii) quantities and sizes of non-quota species retained by fish trawlers in the SEF were not generally known.
Consequently, there was a need to (i) quantify magnitudes and size-compositions of retained and discarded catches of fish trawlers; (ii) facilitate assessment of the impact of bycatch and discards on the fish trawl fisheries in NSW and on interacting fisheries.