26 results
Environment
Environment
PROJECT NUMBER • 2003-062
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Driving innovation in environmental performance in the Queensland fishing industry

In response to the success of the Green Chooser Case Studies (FRDC 2000-146) carried out in Queensland from 2000 – 2002 (the Rock Lobster Association and the Gulf of Carpentaria Commercial Fishermen), the Queensland Seafood Industry Association (QSIA) sought funding to trial the development of...
ORGANISATION:
James Cook University (JCU)
Environment
Environment
PROJECT NUMBER • 2010-006
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Estimating fishing mortality of major target species and species of conservation interest in the Queensland east coast shark fishery

Fishing mortality rates for the major targeted and byproduct species of sharks landed by the Queensland East Coast Inshore Fin Fish Fishery (ECIFFF) have been estimated. The effects of these fishing mortality rates on population persistence for these species have also been modelled with demographic...
ORGANISATION:
James Cook University (JCU)
SPECIES

Assessment of novel gear designs to reduce interactions between species of conservation interest and commercial fishing nets

Project number: 2011-009
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $142,499.66
Principal Investigator: David Welch
Organisation: James Cook University (JCU)
Project start/end date: 4 Sep 2011 - 3 Sep 2013
:

Need

The inshore gillnet fishery of Queensland operates in nearshore shallow, turbid waters of our coastline also shared with species of conservation interest (SOCI; eg. dugong, turtle, dolphin and large sharks. Interactions between nets and SOCI are inevitable and in the interest of conservation, safety and fishing efficiency there is a need to minimise these interactions.

Current construction of gillnets mean that very large animals often become entangled in the nets and are unable to break free. Where the animal breaks free or is cut free by the fisher, significant damage is caused to the fishing gear reducing fishery efficiency, productivity and profitability. More importantly, these interactions pose an unnecessary risk to the fisher and the vessel, often resulting in injury or mortality to the animal.

There is significant concern for the conservation of SOCI in northern Australia, particularly in the GBRMP; a World Heritage Area. Fishing, particularly the use of gillnets, is regarded as a major threat to SOCI. Assessing strategies for net fisheries that may minimise these interactions is seen as high priorities for research by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Queensland Fisheries and conservation groups such as the World Wildlife Fund. This project addresses these high priorities and also addresses one of the high priority research areas specified for inshore fisheries by the Queensland Fisheries Research Advisory Board for 2010. Effective mitigation using modified gear will minimise the need for urgent government intervention as seen in the Boyne River recently (http://www.cabinet.qld.gov.au/MMS/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=74570).

In Australia, the dugong is protected under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 as a listed 'migratory species' and a listed 'marine species' and ‘vulnerable’ under Queensland’s Nature Conservation (Wildlife) Regulation 2006. The dugong is also listed as a 'protected species' under the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Regulations 1983.

Objectives

1. Identify alternate net designs and fisheries to which they may apply through an expert panel/workshop.
2. Assess the effectiveness of alternate net designs to minimise interactions with Species of Conservation Interest.
3. Determine the impact of alternate net designs on "normal" fishery operation metrics for the Queensland east coast (eg. target species catch rates, net maintenance)
4. Develop an extension program to promote the project outcomes and ensure the uptake of project results through the increased use of alternate net designs.

Final report

ISBN: 978-0-9808178-3-6
Author: David Welch
Environment
PROJECT NUMBER • 2008-103
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Tactical Research Fund: Adapting to change - minimising uncertainty about the effects of rapidly-changing environmental conditions on the Queensland Coral Reef Fin Fish Fishery

With the severity and intensity of tropical cyclones predicted to increase with global climate change (Webster et al. 2005), the need to understand the effects of these events on fisheries production is paramount. The northern tropical margin of the Australian continent is subject to tropical...
ORGANISATION:
James Cook University (JCU)
Environment
PROJECT NUMBER • 1996-138
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Effects of live-fish capture and targeting spawning aggregations on logbook catch rate data in the Great Barrier Reef commercial demersal line fishery

This research was done over two years (1996-98) in the early development of the trade in live reef fish from the GBR to clarify the implications of the switch in market for fishing practices, harvest rates, and effort distribution. The research was based on four sources of information: ...
ORGANISATION:
James Cook University (JCU)
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