Improve catch rate standardizations to account for changes in targeting
Catch rates are important as the only index of relative abundance in most Australian fisheries. Numerous projects have attempted to improve catch rate standardization in multi-species fisheries but there remains no agreed robust method. Another study of alternative applications of GLMs or GAMs, etc, is unlikely to resolve the issue because the multi-species nature of many of Australia’s fisheries has always overwhelmed attempts at determining targeting behaviour solely from logbook data. There is therefore a need to analyse the problem of targeting and standardization using techniques akin to Management Strategy Evaluation such that standardization strategies can be compared in an environment where the underlying trends in a multi-species fishery being standardized are known.
This is becoming more critical as recent large scale management initiatives (HSP) are beginning to influence how fishers operate and this is changing the character of catch rates. Some species are being actively avoided, which gives a false impression of stock decline; the bias would always be downwards. This obfuscation of catch rates will eventually threaten our ability to assess the stocks appropriately in the absence of a time series of Fishery Independent Surveys. There is a need to understand the extent of this problem and what can be done to mitigate against incorrect assessments of stock status.
There is a need to use available survey information in addition to the use of logbooks to provide a strong test of methods. Additionally, there is a need to simulate catch rate data realistically so that different methods can be subject to stringent testing. This would have wide national and international value.
Final report
Management of bioeroding sponges in wild stocks of Pinctada maxima in Western Australia
Cliona sponges burrow into shell causing damage and occasionally death, rendering the half-shell, and occasionally the pearl, unsaleable. Estimates of cost to the industry from Cliona sp. run into the millions of dollars per year (Moase et al. 1999) and preliminary studies have identified the species responsible and some aspects of their reproductive cycle relevant to pest management and control (Rawlinson 2000, Fromont et al.submitted). However, there is need to understand, and then control, the recruitment/ infection rate of Cliona, and the project shall provide this knowledge. The specific knowledge sought is an understanding of the process of recruitment or transmission of sponges onto pearl oysters, and an assessment of the source of bioeroding sponges in the environment. Key areas of investigation are the distribution and abundance of Cliona sp relative to size and age of oysters, and in the fishing ground habitats, and key biological questions are: is the incidence of Cliona increasing in wild stocks over time, and what effect is the biomass of bioeroding sponges in large, unfished pearl shell having on the fished proportion of the population? Effective management of these sponges in the pearling industry requires that the recruitment issue be resolved, so remedial action can be focused correctly. Management outcomes from the project may include changes to wild-shell fishing practices, shell treatment and shell discard processes, all of which will ameliorate the economic impact of Cliona sp on the industry and maintain the health of the wild stocks.
Final report
Data on bioeroding sponge species that excavate shells of the pearl oyster, Pinctada maxima, was collected from the main fishing grounds in North Western Australia. Estimates on infestation rates across size/age classes of shell are provided from the main fishing grounds and over three consecutive fishing seasons. Minimal infestation occurred in smaller shells therefore lowering the minimum size provides one approach to minimizing the impact of these sponges. Estimates of infestation rates in calcareous substrates of the fishing ground are also provided and compared on an area basis with shell infestation rates, including shell density and calcareous substrate density estimates of the fishing grounds. Techniques were developed to estimate the volume of bioeroding sponge erosions in pearl oyster shells and results are compared between different sponge species and fishing grounds. A field guide was developed to demonstrate the most common visual appearances of bioeroding sponge infestations. Industry and research personnel can use this field guide for bioeroding sponges in general and as a guideline to determine grades of infestation during field surveys.
Evaluating the use of onboard cameras in the Shark Gillnet Fishery in South Australia
Australian Sea Lions (ASL) have been known to interact with the gillnet sector of the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery (SESSF) for some time but the nature and extent of these interactions have been poorly understood. On 30 June 2010 AFMA implemented the Australian Sea Lion Management Strategy. A component of this strategy requires that observer coverage in the fishery be increased from approx 2.6% to at least 11% in the South Australian gillnet sector of the SESSF. This increased level of monitoring is designed to detect interactions with Australian sea lions and provide an indication of accuracy of predicted level of interactions suggested in the report by Goldsworthy et al (2010). Given the rare nature of the interactions, significant increases in human observation at or above this level are unlikely to be economically sustainable in the longer term and digital monitoring including cameras have been proposed as a viable alternative. Onboard camera monitoring has the potential to improve fishery management outcomes cost effectively.
AFMA is currently undertaking e-monitoring trial featuring onboard cameras in the Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery and the Northern Prawn Fishery to assess the capacity of onboard cameras to collect data cost effectively. Early indications from these trials are positive. This project differs from the ETBF as it focuses on an investigation of the equipment to collect a significant proportion of the data currently collected as part of the Independent Scientific Monitoring Program (ISMP) including protected species. In addition the capacity of onboard cameras to capture interactions between fishing operations and Australian sea lions in the Shark gillnet fishery is unknown. The proposed project will be designed to enable a detailed cost benefit analysis of onboard camera monitoring in gillnet and fish trawl fisheries to test this hypothesis.
Final report
Jellyfish fishery development and assessment
The 1998 survey indicated that the biomass of C. mosaicus in Port Phillip Bay was not large enough to supply the 1500 tonnes wet weight required by the Australian Company. Biomass estimates for some strata were as little as 0.6% of the estimates during 1997 (Hudson and Walker 1998). However, anecdotal reports indicated that large aggregations of C. mosaicus occurred in Corner Inlet during 1998 and a survey during March 1999 indicates a very high biomass present during 1999. This highlights the high inter-annual variability in abundance of jellyfish and need for flexibility to harvest jellyfish from different regions, depending on size and distribution of the stocks. Stock Assessments are needed for the various regions before harvesting begins. This information is essential to assure investors of the viability of the resource.
The 1997, 1998 and 1999 surveys indicate that new sampling methods are required for providing more efficient field survey work and more robust estimates of abundance. The current method has the major limitations that the setting of sampling strata boundaries and counting of jellyfish depend on being able to see the jellyfish in the water column from the surface. Because the vertical distribution of C. mosaicus varies with weather condition and time of day (Hudson et al. 1997), there is a need to develop a sampling unit where sampling depth within the water column can be carefully controlled.
To provide for more reliable biomass estimates and for development of harvest strategies, there is a need for morphological, fecundity and size at maturity data of C. mosaicus. Also, there is a need to establish whether or not C. mosaicus harvested from Port Phillip Bay meet Australian national health standards. Other fish and shellfish harvested from Port Phillip Bay have been shown to be contaminated with various toxicants (Phillips 1976, Walker 1982, Walker et al. 1982, Fabris et al. 1995, Wu and Groves 1995, Walker et al. 1998). There is a need to test C. mosaicus for heavy metals, organochlorines, hydrocarbons and tributyltins in localities in Port Phillip Bay where these contaminants are known to occur.
Funding for the jellyfish research during 1997, 1998 and 1999 is from several sources. The 1997 survey and the harvesting, processing and export trials were funded by the National Seafood Centre ($15,000), Fisheries Victoria ($10,000), Business Victoria ($10,000), and Beijian Gaizhou Aquatic Products Industrial Corporation ($15,000), and the 1998 surveys of Port Phillip Bay and Westernport Bay were funded by Business Victoria ($10,000). The 1999 surveys of Port Phillip Bay, Westernport Bay and Corner Inlet are being funded by FRDC ($15,000) and Fisheries Victoria ($10,000).
This FRDC application for funds covers development of a 'jellyfish sampling unit' during 1999, and survey and collection of biological samples in Port Phillip Bay, Westernport Bay and Corner Inlet during 2000, 2001 and 2002. It is proposed that Fisheries Victoria meet the cost of the chemical laboratory analyses ($97,500) and FRDC meet the other costs ($322,832).
References
Anon. (1997). Fishery Statistics- catches and landings. FAO Yearbook 80 1995.
Fabris, G. J., Monahan, C.A., Werner, G. F., and Theodoropoulos, T.(1995). Impact of Shipping and Dredging on Toxicants in Port Phillip Bay. CSIRO Port Phillip Bay Environmental Study. 30 pp.
Hudson, R. J., Bridge, N. F., and Walker, T. I. (1997). Feasibility Study for Development of a Commercial Jellyfish Fishery in Victoria. Final Report to Fisheries Research Development Corporation, 40pp (Marine and Freshwater Resources Institute: Queenscliff).
Hudson, R.J.,and Walker, T.I. (1998). Distribution and abundance of the jellyfish Catostylus mosaicus in Port Phillip Bay and Western Port. Report to Business Victoria and Fisheries Victoria, 16pp (Marine and Freshwater Resources Institute: Queenscliff).
Kingsford, M. J., and Gillanders, B. M. (1995). Fishery and research priorities for Catostylus mosaicus Report for the Australian Nature Conservation Agency. 25 pp. (University of Sydney: Sydney).
Phillips, D. J. H. (1976). The common mussel Mytilus edulis as an indicator of pollution by zinc, cadmium, lead and copper. I. Relationships of metals in the mussel to those discharged by industry. Marine Biology 38, 71-80
Walker, T. I. (1982). Effects of Length and Locality on the Mercury Content of Blacklip Abalone, Blue Mussel Sand Flathead and Long nose Flathead from Port Phillip Bay, Victoria. Australian Journal Marine and Freshwater Research. 33, 553-560.
Walker, T. I., Glover, J. W. and Powell, D. G. M. (1982). Effect of Length Locality and Tissue Type on Mercury and Cadmium content of the Commercial scallop Pecten alba Tate from Port Phillip Bay, Victoria. Australian Journal Marine and Freshwater Research. 33, 547-552.
Walker, T. I., Fabris, G. J., Knuckey, I. A., Hudson, R. J. and Sporcic, M. I. (1998). Webb Dock Marine Ecology Study. Final Report to Melbourne Port Corporation. 99 pp. (Marine and Freshwater Resources Institute: Queenscliff).
Wu, R., and Groves, A. (1995). Cadmium and lead in tissues of scallops from Port Phillip Bay, Australia. Water Science Technology 31, 479-483
Final report
SCRC: Publicity for ASCRC at the AIFST 2013 Annual Convention
There is a need to bring the outputs, implications and conclusions of some of the technical research in Program 2,to the attention of scientists, technologists and managers in the food industry, in addition to the existing approaches within the fishing industry.
The Annual Conventions of the Australian Institute of Food Science & Technology (AIFST) are a perfect opportunity to display research highlights to companies and technologists that produce seafood products for domestic and export sales. AIFST Conventions have long provided this type of opportunity (2013 will be number 46) and invariably have always included seafood research and often dedicated blocks of the program. The technical committee have allotted a prime 90 min block of the program to achieve this, but needs to support this initiative to sponsor the session, defray travel costs for speakers, or potentially to subsidise travel of a keynote speaker from oversea.
Final report
The Annual Conventions of the Australian Institute of Food Science & Technology (AIFST) are a perfect opportunity to display research highlights to companies and technologists that produce seafood products for domestic and export sales. Three budding scientists in ASCRC projects presented their work to a wide audience on 15 July in Brisbane at the 2013 Annual Convention of the Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology.
The session, titled ‘Value adding seafood through food science’, was organised through the Technical Committee, and was chaired by Allan Bremner and 4 speakers covered the allotted time from 1110 until 1245 hrs. The audience ranged from 45-55 persons throughout of whom 33 were asked to answer a questionnaire.
The speakers were:
- Graham Fletcher of NZ Institute for Plant & Food Research who delivered the keynote address “Seafood technology: Where have we been and where are we going
- Carl Paulo of Innovative Food Sciences and Technology, DAFF QLD spoke on the CRC/APFA funded work on stability of colour in frozen prawns 'Assuring techniques to minimise deterioration in frozen cooked aquacultured prawns'
- Tom Madigan of SARDI spoke on his work 'Microbial spoilage of Australian oysters'
- Rachel Tonkin of Curtin University presented work titled 'Fish to Dish: Issues and opportunities for the Saddletail Snapper supply chain'
Options to effectively monitor and regulate recreational catch in the Tasmanian rock lobster fishery
Southern Rock Lobster is one of Tasmania’s most valuable commercial and recreational fishery species. Rock lobster are taken using traps and hand collection methods, with recreational fishers subject to licensing and a range of traditional management measures, including bag and size limits as well as seasonal closures.
Recreational fishing effort is concentrated off eastern Tasmania where recent assessments indicate that rock lobster stocks have been depleted by the combined effects of heavy fishing pressure and poor recruitment. Fishery simulations suggest that catches must be reduced to facilitate stock recovery above the biomass limit reference point (20% of unfished levels), initiating a 10-year stock rebuilding strategy that was implemented in 2013. A key element of this strategy is an annual catch limit, which is underpinned by a total allowable catch for the commercial sector and a region-specific notional catch share allocation for the recreational sector. While commercial catches are monitored and effectively controlled through an existing quota management system, management of the recreational catch has proven more problematic.
Reductions in bag and possession limits as well as a progressive reduction in season length have failed to achieve necessary reductions in recreational catch to target levels. This situation is likely to be exacerbated as stocks rebuild, resulting in higher catch rates that may incentivize additional recreational fishing pressure. Thus, achieving the stock recovery target depends on effectively regulating catches taken by the recreational sector. A novel approach supported by stakeholders is the introduction of an individual season limit. However, there are many practical issues to be considered in implementing this or any alternative management system. This project aims to combine an in-depth global review of existing recreational management systems with a feasibility analysis of candidate management schemes to effectively monitor and regulate recreational rock lobster catches in a practical and cost-effective manner.
Final report
Predicting and assessing recruitment variation - a critical factor for the management of the mother-of-pearl (Pinctada maxima) fishery in WA
Historically, total allowable catches (TAC) of respective zones in the pearl oyster fishery have been changed in response to significant fluctuations in the previous year’s catch rate (catch per unit effort). These changes, however, have been influenced by factors other than variations in stock abundance, e.g. as changes in available technology or variations in fishing efficiency due to weather conditions or water clarity.
In order to make more reliable projections on future catch and effort there is a need to move away from reliance on retrospective catch data. In order to do this, information supplied to decision makers should include: 1) the size structure (length frequency) of past catches; 2) information on the abundance of pre-recruits (piggyback spat); 3) information on important environmental variables affecting stocks; and 4) other factors affecting catch rate such as water clarity and the use of new technology (e.g. GPS).
A recommendation from Project No. 95/41 states:
"The relationship between "piggyback" spat settlement, environmental effects and recruitment to the fishery which can be used to forecast increases/decreases in abundance should be developed. This enables changes to quota to be forecast to allow forward planning in pearl seeding and farm operations."
A framework for the collection of this data is needed, as pearl oyster fisheries have large fluctuations in recruitment over time, and management needs to base quota decisions on the presence or absence of emerging year classes. Collection of this data will give a more stable signal on the "health" of the fishery and allow more confident predictive assessments to be made.
Final report
Aquaculture nutrition subprogram: post harvest enhancement of sea urchin roe for the Japanese market
Fisheries Social Sciences Research Coordination Program
The need for this coordination program arises from the limited understanding that we have of the social aspect of fishing at the individual, business/group or sectoral levels, and the ways in which this activity interacts with the broader community. It has become increasingly clear that the management of fisheries (commercial, recreational or traditional) has profound social implications for fishers, their families and the communities they support. Equally, the co-management of the fisheries resource is unlikely to be comprehensively achieved without awareness of the different drivers for decision making by both fishers and management agencies. These decisions, while related to economics are not necessarily solely driven by economics, but also by the social dimension. The current lack of information in this area inhibits effective engagement on issues affecting fishers and fishing, and the facilitation and development of leadership, communication and adaptation capacity within and across the different sectors.
Through a range of different techniques, social science research can address these issues and complement biological and economic research, to support practice and community perception change. While previous investment into the social aspects of fisheries has (due to circumstance) been opportunitistic and uncoordinated, this coordination program will provide a strategic approach to the social aspects of sector issues and operations. Specifically, the program will seek to leverage research from past projects, and build synergies between current projects in both the social and other discipline research areas, across all sectors. In this way, it is envisaged that funds invested by FRDC will be more efficiently used, with project outcomes that have a greater reach than if they were implemented in isolation.