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Need

Expansion of output from the rock lobster fishery cannot be achieved using traditional fishing methods as most wild stocks are already fully exploited. It is therefore necessary to develop an aquaculture technique that can increase the long term production of rock lobster, in a sustainable manner.

The outcomes of the FRDC workshop (project 98/300) and an earlier Perth workshop sponsored by the DISR, confirmed that culture of puerulus from eggs is biologically feasible and also appears economically viable. Production of puerulus from eggs has been achieved on a small scale in both Japan and NZ. The Japanese are far enough advanced to be considering release of cultured puerulus onto artificial reefs in the next few years. In Tasmania the phyllosoma of the southern rock lobster have been reared through 70% of the larval cycle with good survival (25%).

The priorities for further research were identified as:
· improving larval survival & growth
· improving system design/environmental requirements
· improving nutrition
· reducing the length of the larval phase.

Lower priorities were identified as:
· out of season spawning
· improving gamete quality.

However, as gametes are readily available from wild-caught broodstock, it was considered that these issues could be left for a future project.

The next stage must be to coordinate and expand the research in Australia under one project through the FRDC and CRC, in order to focus our effort on addressing the research priorities that were identified during the workshop.

This project identifies the priorities for the first year of the project and addresses a few issues that need to be determined in order to design a longer term project.

Objectives

1. Develop an artificial diet acceptable to phyllosoma of three species of rock lobster, that is water stable and easily manipulated.· Project 1. Characterise morphology and function of larval digestive system (Method 1).· Project 2. Examine biochemical changes in cultured and wild phyllosoma (Method 2).· Project 3. Develop a best guess formulated diet for use in nutritional experiments (Method 3).· Project 4. Examine the suitability of diets for phyllosoma of rock lobster (Method 4).

2. Examine mass culture systems and determine environmental requirements for phyllosoma of three species of rock lobster.· Project 5. Examine mass culture systems using southern rock lobster phyllosoma (Method 5).· Project 6. Examine environmental requirements of southern rock lobster phyllosoma (Method 6).· Project 7. Examine environmental requirements of tropical rock lobster phyllosoma (Method 7).· Project 8. Examine the effects of temperature and food density on phyllosoma of western rock lobster phyllosoma (Method 8).

3. Develop hormonal control of moulting in rock lobsters.· Project 9. Scoping study to examine the hormonal sequence controlling moulting in phyllosoma of a test species (Method 9).

4. Determine the health status of phyllosoma of southern rock lobster under culture conditions.· Project 10. Monitoring health of southern rock lobster phyllosoma (Method 10).

Final report

PROJECT NUMBER • 2000-214

PROJECT STATUS:

COMPLETED

Rock Lobster Enhancement and Aquaculture Subprogram: advancing the hatchery propagation of rock lobsters

ORGANISATION:

University of Tasmania (UTAS)

SPECIES

Eastern Rock Lobster

Rock Lobster Enhancement and Aquaculture Subprogram: preliminary investigation towards ongrowing puerulus to enhance rock lobster stocks while providing animals for commercial culture

Project number: 1999-314

Project Status:

Completed

Budget expenditure: $57,064.00

Principal Investigator: Caleb Gardner

Organisation: University of Tasmania (UTAS)

Project start/end date: 29 Dec 1999 - 29 Nov 2000

Contact:

FRDC

SPECIES

Need

Development of a rock lobster aquaculture industry through the harvest of puerulus from the wild cannot proceed if there is a net loss of animals from the wild fishery. The concept of removing puerulus from the wild has received widespread opposition from participants in rock lobster fishing industries, and managers of the resource, as the resource is considered to be highly exploited. Rock lobster fisheries management policy in most states is specifically directed towards stock rebuilding and it is perceived that additional extraction by puerulus removal runs counter to those policies.

Current research on techniques for the extraction and on-growing of puerulus from the wild have proceeded with an assumption that puerulus extraction should be "biologically neutral". It has been proposed that "biological neutrality" can be achieved by a proportional reduction in catch of adult animals, either through a reduction in effort (eg removal of pots) or through buy-out of quota (in ITQ management). However, this mechanism for achieving biological neutrality has been criticised, as puerulus extraction is likely to occur in sheltered, heavily exploited regions - while the effort removed from the fishery may have been directed to a completely different region. In this scenario, puerulus extraction could lead to local depletion and loss of egg production, despite the concurrent reduction in effort.

The proposed project is directed to an alternative mechanism for compensating for the removal of puerulus. Reseeded animals can be released back to the same areas from which they were extracted so no localised depletion will result. Reseeding the area with animals additional to those required for biological neutrality will provide an enhancement benefit. This system has benefits to the fishing industry through enhanced yield, and also to the proposed aquaculture industry through access.

The potentially valuable on-growing industry is reliant upon the development of a mechanism for compensating for puerulus loss that does not harm the wild fishery.

Objectives

1. To develop methods to capture large numbers of 1 year old benthic juvenile rock lobsters, both for providing control animals and for monitoring survival of reseeded animals. (note that this is not puerulus collection)

2. To determine the extent of movement of reseeded and control juveniles after release, to assist in estimation of survival

3. To develop methods to assess relative survival of cultured juvenile lobsters released into a natural habitat.

Final report

Authors: Caleb Gardner David Mills Sam Ibbott Simon Wilcox and Bradley Crear

Rock Lobster Enhancement and Aquaculture Subprogram: evaluating the release and survival of juvenile rock lobsters released for enhancement purposes

Project number: 2000-185

Project Status:

Completed

Budget expenditure: $279,254.00

Principal Investigator: Caleb Gardner

Organisation: University of Tasmania (UTAS)

Project start/end date: 23 Nov 2000 - 4 May 2005

Contact:

FRDC

TAGS

SPECIES

Need

Enhancement offers a mechanism to increase production of rock lobsters, both by increasing production from coastal reef and by providing a mechanism for biologically neutrality in the harvest of puerulus (and thus overcomes a barrier to ongrowing). Additional benefits include the ability to increase biomass and egg production in regions considered depleted, which enhances resource sustainability.

While the potential benefits of enhancement are broad, the value of the concept is critically affected by the survival of juveniles after release. Low survival would reduce the economic benefit and also nullify assumptions on the biologically neutrality of the harvest of puerulus.

The proposed project addresses the need for information on how to release juveniles (or condition juveniles prior to release) so that survival is optimised. Future release efforts will be assisted by information on habitat choice, so that return from enhancement is maximised, in terms of animals surviving through to harvest size. Large scale experiments tracking the cohorts of released juveniles will evaluate enhancement on a pilot-scale - patterns apparent in small scale experiments may not hold true in larger releases so larger scale experimental releases are considered vital.

Objectives

1. To develop release protocols to minimise mortality based on the anti-predator behaviour of wild and cultured juvenile J. edwardsii.

2. To provide recommendations on release (micro)habitats for optimising the benefit of enhancement operations.

3. To evaluate the conclusions of objectives 1 and 2 in pilot scale enhancement experiments.

Final report

ISBN: 1-86295-189-6

Author: Caleb Gardner

PROJECT NUMBER • 2003-301

PROJECT STATUS:

COMPLETED

Seventh International Conference and Workshop on Lobster Biology and Management

ORGANISATION:

University of Tasmania (UTAS)

TAGS

SPECIES

Bugs

Individual Transferable Quota

PROJECT NUMBER • 2013-748.20

PROJECT STATUS:

COMPLETED

Seafood CRC: addressing roadblocks to the adoption of economics in fisheries policy (2013/748.20 Communal)

This project has led to the development of three journal articles examining how the use of economic analyses and stock enhancement can lead to improved economic outcomes in Australian wild-capture commercial fisheries. The Seafood Cooperative Research Centre (Seafood CRC) Future Harvest (FH)...

ORGANISATION:

University of Tasmania (UTAS)

TAGS

Stock Assessment

Resource Enhancement

Fisheries Management

Economic

SPECIES

Royal Red Prawn

Giant Scarlet Prawn

Red Prawn

Seafood CRC: future harvest theme leadership

Project number: 2009-712

Project Status:

Completed

Budget expenditure: $130,640.00

Principal Investigator: Caleb Gardner

Organisation: University of Tasmania (UTAS)

Project start/end date: 30 Jun 2009 - 29 Jun 2012

Contact:

FRDC

TAGS

SPECIES

Blacklip Abalone

Greenlip Abalone

Prawns

Need

The Future Harvest Theme is the last of the CRC's initial research themes to be developed. The management of the theme requires significant input from an expert in invertebrate fisheries management - expertise that does not currently reside within the CRC staff.

Objectives

1. To assist the program manger to deliver an effective research theme and its associated outcomes

Final report

ISBN: 978-1-86295-761-9

Author: Caleb Gardner

Summary

The CRC has developed the Future Harvest theme business plan to deliver the following outcomes:

Fisheries management delivering maximum benefit from the resource while maintaining stocks above sustainability indicators
Novel management strategies in place which increase economic yield from our fisheries
The technical efficiency of our fishing fleet will be improved to respond to rising costs

Through the following strategies:

Field / pilot trials of novel or alternative management systems
Bioeconomic modelling of specific harvest strategies allowing stakeholders to select optimal fisheries management and harvest systems
Manage change and promote implementation of results in fisheries management and business structures
Improve technical aspects and efficiency of fishing operations
Foster better management and a progressive and collaborative culture by educating and training CRC participants and theme management

Summary

The CRC has developed the Future Harvest theme business plan to deliver the following outcomes:

Fisheries management delivering maximum benefit from the resource while maintaining stocks above sustainability indicators
Novel management strategies in place which increase economic yield from our fisheries
The technical efficiency of our fishing fleet will be improved to respond to rising costs

Through the following strategies:

Field / pilot trials of novel or alternative management systems
Bioeconomic modelling of specific harvest strategies allowing stakeholders to select optimal fisheries management and harvest systems
Manage change and promote implementation of results in fisheries management and business structures
Improve technical aspects and efficiency of fishing operations
Foster better management and a progressive and collaborative culture by educating and training CRC participants and theme management

Summary

The CRC has developed the Future Harvest theme business plan to deliver the following outcomes:

Fisheries management delivering maximum benefit from the resource while maintaining stocks above sustainability indicators
Novel management strategies in place which increase economic yield from our fisheries
The technical efficiency of our fishing fleet will be improved to respond to rising costs

Through the following strategies:

Field / pilot trials of novel or alternative management systems
Bioeconomic modelling of specific harvest strategies allowing stakeholders to select optimal fisheries management and harvest systems
Manage change and promote implementation of results in fisheries management and business structures
Improve technical aspects and efficiency of fishing operations
Foster better management and a progressive and collaborative culture by educating and training CRC participants and theme management

Summary

The CRC has developed the Future Harvest theme business plan to deliver the following outcomes:

Fisheries management delivering maximum benefit from the resource while maintaining stocks above sustainability indicators
Novel management strategies in place which increase economic yield from our fisheries
The technical efficiency of our fishing fleet will be improved to respond to rising costs

Through the following strategies:

Field / pilot trials of novel or alternative management systems
Bioeconomic modelling of specific harvest strategies allowing stakeholders to select optimal fisheries management and harvest systems
Manage change and promote implementation of results in fisheries management and business structures
Improve technical aspects and efficiency of fishing operations
Foster better management and a progressive and collaborative culture by educating and training CRC participants and theme management

Summary

The CRC has developed the Future Harvest theme business plan to deliver the following outcomes:

Fisheries management delivering maximum benefit from the resource while maintaining stocks above sustainability indicators
Novel management strategies in place which increase economic yield from our fisheries
The technical efficiency of our fishing fleet will be improved to respond to rising costs

Through the following strategies:

Field / pilot trials of novel or alternative management systems
Bioeconomic modelling of specific harvest strategies allowing stakeholders to select optimal fisheries management and harvest systems
Manage change and promote implementation of results in fisheries management and business structures
Improve technical aspects and efficiency of fishing operations
Foster better management and a progressive and collaborative culture by educating and training CRC participants and theme management

Summary

The CRC has developed the Future Harvest theme business plan to deliver the following outcomes:

Fisheries management delivering maximum benefit from the resource while maintaining stocks above sustainability indicators
Novel management strategies in place which increase economic yield from our fisheries
The technical efficiency of our fishing fleet will be improved to respond to rising costs

Through the following strategies:

Field / pilot trials of novel or alternative management systems
Bioeconomic modelling of specific harvest strategies allowing stakeholders to select optimal fisheries management and harvest systems
Manage change and promote implementation of results in fisheries management and business structures
Improve technical aspects and efficiency of fishing operations
Foster better management and a progressive and collaborative culture by educating and training CRC participants and theme management

Summary

The CRC has developed the Future Harvest theme business plan to deliver the following outcomes:

Fisheries management delivering maximum benefit from the resource while maintaining stocks above sustainability indicators
Novel management strategies in place which increase economic yield from our fisheries
The technical efficiency of our fishing fleet will be improved to respond to rising costs

Through the following strategies:

Field / pilot trials of novel or alternative management systems
Bioeconomic modelling of specific harvest strategies allowing stakeholders to select optimal fisheries management and harvest systems
Manage change and promote implementation of results in fisheries management and business structures
Improve technical aspects and efficiency of fishing operations
Foster better management and a progressive and collaborative culture by educating and training CRC participants and theme management

Summary

The CRC has developed the Future Harvest theme business plan to deliver the following outcomes:

Fisheries management delivering maximum benefit from the resource while maintaining stocks above sustainability indicators
Novel management strategies in place which increase economic yield from our fisheries
The technical efficiency of our fishing fleet will be improved to respond to rising costs

Through the following strategies:

Field / pilot trials of novel or alternative management systems
Bioeconomic modelling of specific harvest strategies allowing stakeholders to select optimal fisheries management and harvest systems
Manage change and promote implementation of results in fisheries management and business structures
Improve technical aspects and efficiency of fishing operations
Foster better management and a progressive and collaborative culture by educating and training CRC participants and theme management

Summary

The CRC has developed the Future Harvest theme business plan to deliver the following outcomes:

Fisheries management delivering maximum benefit from the resource while maintaining stocks above sustainability indicators
Novel management strategies in place which increase economic yield from our fisheries
The technical efficiency of our fishing fleet will be improved to respond to rising costs

Through the following strategies:

Field / pilot trials of novel or alternative management systems
Bioeconomic modelling of specific harvest strategies allowing stakeholders to select optimal fisheries management and harvest systems
Manage change and promote implementation of results in fisheries management and business structures
Improve technical aspects and efficiency of fishing operations
Foster better management and a progressive and collaborative culture by educating and training CRC participants and theme management

Summary

The CRC has developed the Future Harvest theme business plan to deliver the following outcomes:

Fisheries management delivering maximum benefit from the resource while maintaining stocks above sustainability indicators
Novel management strategies in place which increase economic yield from our fisheries
The technical efficiency of our fishing fleet will be improved to respond to rising costs

Through the following strategies:

Field / pilot trials of novel or alternative management systems
Bioeconomic modelling of specific harvest strategies allowing stakeholders to select optimal fisheries management and harvest systems
Manage change and promote implementation of results in fisheries management and business structures
Improve technical aspects and efficiency of fishing operations
Foster better management and a progressive and collaborative culture by educating and training CRC participants and theme management

Summary

The CRC has developed the Future Harvest theme business plan to deliver the following outcomes:

Fisheries management delivering maximum benefit from the resource while maintaining stocks above sustainability indicators
Novel management strategies in place which increase economic yield from our fisheries
The technical efficiency of our fishing fleet will be improved to respond to rising costs

Through the following strategies:

Field / pilot trials of novel or alternative management systems
Bioeconomic modelling of specific harvest strategies allowing stakeholders to select optimal fisheries management and harvest systems
Manage change and promote implementation of results in fisheries management and business structures
Improve technical aspects and efficiency of fishing operations
Foster better management and a progressive and collaborative culture by educating and training CRC participants and theme management

PROJECT NUMBER • 2000-252

PROJECT STATUS:

COMPLETED

Rock Lobster Post Harvest Subprogram: optimising water quality in rock lobster post-harvest processes

Rock lobsters can be exposed to poor water quality during all stages of handling and holding prior to going to market. Poor water quality reduces the time a lobster can be held alive and how many animals can be held in a system and thus may reduce profit. The quality of water can be assessed using...

ORGANISATION:

University of Tasmania (UTAS)

TAGS

SPECIES