12 results
Environment
Environment
Environment

Using commercial and recreational fisher knowledge to reconstruct historical catch rates for Queensland Snapper (Chrysophrys auratus), Spanish Mackerel (Scomberomorus commerson) and Coral Trout (Plectropomus spp.): long-term data for incorporation into future stock assessments

Project number: 2013-018
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $44,800.00
Principal Investigator: Ruth H. Thurstan
Organisation: University of Queensland (UQ)
Project start/end date: 30 Jun 2013 - 22 Dec 2013
Contact:
FRDC

Need

It is acknowledged that there is a lack of information on past fisheries (i.e. catch rates, fishing effort, proportion of recorded landings) throughout Queensland prior to the start of individual logbook records in 1988 (Halliday and Robins 2007). Yet information prior to this period is critical for successful management, as longer-term perspectives provide data that can help reduce uncertainty associated with projected historical catch levels (Campbell et al. 2009). Long-term data also informs past fishery states, thus equipping managers, stock assessment modellers and the fishing industry with knowledge of historical fishery trends. This can then be used to facilitate informed discussion of appropriate management methods into the future.

During a review of the 2008 Queensland snapper stock assessment, Francis (2009) called for consultation of ‘knowledgeable people’ in order to reconstruct past catch histories, thereby improving estimates for future stock assessments. We aim to fill this gap in research for two fish species that are of particular economic, social and cultural importance to Queensland, pink snapper (Pagrus auratus) and Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus commerson), through the collation and synthesis of commercial and recreational fisher knowledge.

Our project has broad application to the FRDC’s Research Plan, as it provides a long-term view of the use and management of aquatic resources. It applies to the National Fishing and Aquaculture RD&E Strategy, as it will gather knowledge that can inform environmentally sustainable fishing through determining past changes to catch rates, locations fished and relative fishing effort. In addition, perceptions of changes to fisheries and the broader ecosystem as a result of non-fishery drivers, i.e. coastal development, resource management measures and social drivers of change, will be gathered. Our proposed research will focus upon commercial and recreational fishers, thus incorporating the two major sectors involved in wild-catch fisheries.

Objectives

1. • To reconstruct relative changes in abundance and distribution of pink snapper (Pagrus auratus) and Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus commerson), using commercial and recreational fishers’ testimony and historical data.
2. • ‘To use fishers’ data to expand our temporal scope of knowledge by providing robust historical data, thereby reducing uncertainty in past exploitation rates and making information available for potential use in future management decisions.’
3. • To determine the impact of evolving fishing technologies, fishing effort and changing management regimes upon fish catches and abundance over time.
4. • To compare perceptions of change between commercial and recreational groups, and identify common areas/species of concern held by both groups.
Industry
PROJECT NUMBER • 2015-215
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Low cost management regimes for sustainable, small low-value fisheries based on coastal inshore species

This study provides a comprehensive, process-based guidance to developing low-cost management regimes for small-scale, low-value fisheries. The approach outlined is strongly “bottom-up” in that it seeks to identify pragmatic options and provide practical advice that specifically...
ORGANISATION:
CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere Hobart
Industry
PROJECT NUMBER • 2019-060
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

The Detection of Ciguatera Toxins in NSW Spanish Mackerel

Ciguatera Poisoning (CP) is an illness through the consumption of fish containing naturally occurring toxins, and is considered a high risk for Australian seafood safety. Ciguatoxins (CTXs) are produced by benthic microalgae (Gambierdiscus spp). In Australia, CP cases are related to fish caught in...
ORGANISATION:
University of Technology Sydney (UTS)
Environment
PROJECT NUMBER • 2015-013
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Developing triple bottom line harvest strategies that include all environmental aspects for multi-sector fisheries

Based on the results of a comprehensive literature review and the collective expertise of the project team, we developed two alternative approaches with which to evaluate trade-offs between triple bottom line objectives and stakeholder preferences: a semi-quantitative multi-criteria decision...
ORGANISATION:
CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere Hobart
Communities
PROJECT NUMBER • 2017-098
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Southern Bluefin Tuna: Changing The Trajectory

Life on the Line is the true story of the Southern Bluefin Tuna, its biological traits and its history of exploitation and most recently its recovery. This documentary covers how research, managers and the fishing industry - commercial and recreational have contributed to the recovering status of...
ORGANISATION:
Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA)
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