Stock structure and regional variation in population dynamics of the red throat emperor and other target species of the Queensland Tropical Reef Line Fishery
Assessment of novel gear designs to reduce interactions between species of conservation interest and commercial fishing nets
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.
Final report
Project products
Chemical tagging of shells of commercial stock of hatchery clams
FRDC-DCCEE: management implications of climate change impacts on fisheries resources of northern Australia
Climate change is a major environmental threat and there is a national imperative to establish likely impacts on fisheries in Australia. Northern Australia is predicted to be affected by changes in rainfall patterns and resultant increases in river flows to the marine environment, increased intensity of cyclones, increased water temperatures, increases in ocean acidification, and altered current patterns (CSIRO 2007). These changes in the marine environment will directly impact on fisheries including modified phenology and physiology, altered ranges and distributions, composition and interactions within communities, and fisheries catch rates (Hobday et al 2008, Munday et al 2008, Halliday et al, 2008, Balston 2009). Critically, most fisheries in northern Australia are deemed to be not well prepared at all for future climate impacts (Hobday et al 2008). For fishery sectors in northern Australia to be able to respond positively and adapt to climate-induced changes on fish stocks there is a need to determine which stocks, and where, when and how they are likely to be affected. Current fisheries management in northern Australia is jurisdiction-based. There is a need for a co-operative approach to developing management policy that can deal with future climate change scenarios. Development of such policy requires consultation with all stakeholder groups. This addresses one of the NCCARP high priority research needs for commercial and recreational fishing, two of FRDC's Strategic Priority R&D Areas (Themes 3 & 4), and priorities for Qld and NT management agencies.
There exists extensive northern Australia biophysical and fisheries data for regional assessment of likely climate change impacts. Data include temperature, salinity, pH, wind, rainfall, upwelling events and river flows. There is a critical need for the collation of existing data sets to determine and document the key environmental drivers for northern Australian fisheries; a key research priority for national, Qld and NT agencies.