There are inherent challenges in managing small scale multi-species, multi method fisheries, particularly in a community based fishery context, which require careful consideration in the development of appropriate harvest strategies. While there is a significant degree of targeting involved in multi-species fisheries, the majority of target species will not always be caught during individual gear sets, and the species composition of the catch may be spatially or temporally specific. It can be difficult to ensure that all species caught are fished sustainably (and not only the target species) because species have various life-history characteristics and productivities, and different degrees of susceptibility to the gear. Many species are caught by a variety of gears and it is often difficult to account for all sources of mortality in assessments and the different life stages targeted by particular gear types. The development of harvest strategies for data-poor fisheries presents additional challenges in attempting to reconcile available information and capacity with formal, defensible strategies that achieve the desired objectives for the fishery and fisheries legislation. There is a need for harvest strategies, particularly for community-based fisheries, to be easily understood and accepted by key stakeholders, pragmatic and cost effective.

The LCF is a small scale multi-species, multi-method community based fishery located at the end of the Murray-Darling system and is subject to varying environmental conditions (drought and flooding). The primary target species include Pipi, Yellow-eye Mullet, Golden Perch, Mulloway, Greenback Flounder and Black Bream. A number of other marine, estuarine and freshwater species (native and exotic) are also taken. The fishery contributes to the socio-economic well-being of regional coastal communities in the Lakes and Coorong region through commercial and recreational activity and harbors significant cultural and spiritual significance for the Ngarrindjeri people.

This proposal is part of a strategy co-ordinated by SEFAG and SEF Research Committee aimed at addressing the need for fishery independent survey data.

In order to address this broader need, SEFAG and SEFMAC Research Committee have identified two more immediate needs.

1. The need to build industry support for this initiative is paramount. As identified by SEF Research Committee, SEF industry members have little faith in the use of commercial catch rates as an index of abundance because they are substantially influenced by quota availability, market demands and environmental conditions. The concern that they express is that short term variability due to these factors will be interpreted and acted upon by managers as a change in actual abundance. In other countries where long-term industry-based surveys have been conducted, however, the fishery independent indices have made it possible to remove the influences of quota and market demand and quantify the impact of environmental variability on catch rates. This has made it possible, over time, to standardise survey catch rates for the impact of environmental effects. Exposing members of the SEF community to this international experience should go some way to addressing these concerns and building support.

2. If it is to succeed, there is a need to develop a cost-effective and statistically robust design for a long-term program of industry-based surveys. To build support and move towards implementation it is necessary to develop a survey design. Obviously any survey design needs to be cost-effective and capable of providing statistically robust indices of abundance. With an a agreed survey design members of the SEF community can start considering a concrete proposal for implementation and assessing the costs and benefits of proceeding with implementation.