29 results
Environment
PROJECT NUMBER • 2010-001
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Predicting the impacts of shifting recreational fishing effort towards inshore species

The project outputs have led to the following outcomes: 1. A model has been developed enabling reliable estimation of mortality of fish species that undertake size-related, unidirectional, offshore movements from age and length data. This new modelling approach is likely to be applicable to stocks...
ORGANISATION:
Murdoch University
Environment
PROJECT NUMBER • 2003-041
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Estimation of natural and fishing mortality using length composition data

The objectives of this project were to develop length-based approaches for estimation of natural, fishing and total mortality, and to explore the application of these methods to the data from selected fisheries. The methods that were developed were essentially length-based versions of age-based...
ORGANISATION:
Murdoch University
Communities
PROJECT NUMBER • 2016-034
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Golden fish: evaluating and optimising the biological, social and economic returns of small-scale fisheries

This project investigates recreational and commercial fisher motivations for using a fishery and the beliefs, attitudes and perceived benefits of aquaculture-based enhancement programs and other management options. It also determines the total economic value for recreational fishing for Blue Swimmer...
ORGANISATION:
Murdoch University
Environment
PROJECT NUMBER • 2008-102
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Tactical Research Fund: Assessing alternative fishing seasons for red-legged banana prawns in the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf and future directions for collaborative research for NPF Industry Pty Ltd

To enhance its profitability, NPF Industry Pty Ltd needs to develop its capacity to gather key stock status data for each of its stocks so that simple bio-economic models can be developed and used to assess and potentially optimize the value of component NPF stocks. The NPF Industry Pty Ltd needs...
ORGANISATION:
Murdoch University

Tactical Research Fund: Reducing dolphin bycatch in the Pilbara Finfish Trawl Fishery

Project number: 2008-048
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $149,853.00
Principal Investigator: Neil Loneragan
Organisation: Murdoch University
Project start/end date: 21 May 2008 - 30 Jun 2010
Contact:
FRDC

Need

The bycatch of dolphins and other protected/listed species in the PFTIMF has been recognised as being too high by the WA Minister of Fisheries and the Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts. In 2005, the Minister wrote to industry participants expressing his concern for the “…real or perceived lack of adequate action being undertaken to address this serious bycatch issue…”. He indicated that he was prepared to close the fishery to protect the industry’s reputation should progress not be made. Semi-flexible exclusion grids reduced the dolphin catch rate by almost 50% in 2006, but the Minister has stated that further reductions are necessary if the fishery is to continue.

In 2007, the need for a renewed approach to resolving the PFTIMF bycatch issues were further highlighted in reports from DoF to DEWHA and the Draft Bycatch Action Plan: There are significant differences in bycatch reporting between trips with and without independent observers on board; Observer coverage was set at a minimum 22% to gain data that would prove statistically robust, but only 19% was achieved in the first half of 2007; Temporal/spatial data on bycatch has been collected, but the data has proven inconclusive or has not been analysed in detail; A deck-mounted electronic observer system designed to replace on-board observers has proven unsuitable thus far; and, bycatch continues.

There are both biological and political needs for an immediate effort to further reduce bycatch. Common themes to successful implementation of bycatch reduction include: Collaborations between industry, scientists and resource managers; Pre- and post-implementation monitoring; and, compliance via enforcement and incentives. This project has been designed to conform to these themes and to meet the need of assisting industry in moving from ‘Interim Managed’ to ‘Managed’ fishery status and fulfilling the requirements of the EPBC Act.

Objectives

1. Reducing the risk of encounter - Reduce the potential for interaction between dolphins and the PFTIMF through an examination of fine scale spatial, seasonal and daily data on fishing effort and dolphin interactions
2. Reducing the risk of capture, if encountered - Reduce the chance of harm and mortality to dolphins if interactions do occur by evaluating
a) net designs and dolphin behaviour, and, b) exclusion devices, alternative net designs and the effective operations of the nets

Final report

ISBN: 978-0-86905-926-5
Author: Neil Loneragan
View Filter

Research

Organisation