The West Australian domestic finfish industry faces continuing pressures in the face of rising costs of
production, lowered catch, economic considerations (eg value of Australian dollar) and competition. The
industry also faces the considerable challenge of distance. It is therefore paramount that harvest and
post-harvest strategies optimizes all facets of the supply chain to ensure the maximum profitability from
the harvested product. These strategies may be in relation to improved product quality or yields
(eg due to harvest management strategies, storage techniques or use of novel diagnostic etc tools), more
efficient use of waste, or better economic management
(eg choice of best harvest strategy to minimize costs, logistical interventions or defining optimal market
strategies). This project will initially involve consultation with retailers, processors and fishermen to
identify (by preliminary cost benefit analysis) the key target species where supply chain intervention is most
likely to improve profitability. These chains will then be analysed and possible interventions identified and
piloted to assess possible impacts on profitability.

Stock status in the EGPMF is assessed by monitoring fishery-independent and fishery-dependent catch rates (used as indices of recruitment and spawning stock levels) relative to specified reference points. However, in recent years factors other than the spawning stock index appear to be responsible for low levels of prawn recruitment. Given recent indications that the distribution and abundance of seagrass habitats may influence prawn recruitment there is a need to better understand the relationship between prawn recruitment, environmental conditions and habitats. Understanding these relationships is required to clarify the uncertainty around stock fluctuations and improve stock assessments. The information is also required so that management can be more cognisant of the impacts of environmental conditions on annual recruitment variability and implement adaptive management strategies, such as altering seasonal arrangements, to prevent overfishing.

Similarly, the recent MSC assessment of the EGPMF fishery has highlighted the need to clarify the uncertainty in fishery independent surveys and stock assessments including the influence of environmental factors on indices, and collect environmental and habitat data to detect changes in risk to habitat due to fishing including ongoing monitoring of critical habitat types.

Therefore, the development of broad scale fishery specific, cost effective monitoring techniques is essential to assess and monitor the association between critical fish habitats, environmental drivers and prawn recruitment. These techniques need to be developed at appropriate temporal and spatial scales to allow for early intervention of appropriate management measures, such as adjusting spatial and temporal closures, to ensure the long term sustainability of stocks and maintain MSC certification. Given that recruitment in a number of the State’s other invertebrate fisheries appears to be influenced by environmental drivers developing techniques to understand these relationships is a critical component of ensuring the management of WA’s fisheries resources is based on robust science.