Project number: 2002-100
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $10,000.00
Principal Investigator: Christine Soul
Organisation: OceanWatch Australia Ltd
Project start/end date: 3 Sep 2002 - 1 Jul 2003
Contact:
FRDC

Need

It has been suggested that the use of hoppers in prawn trawl fisheries can minimise the effects on bycatch species. Preliminary results from both the Queensland pilot study and research in SA’s Spencer Gulf Prawn trawl fishery support these suggestions. The uptake of hoppers in Australian prawn trawl fisheries is increasing, however, a coordinated and cooperative research approach to quantitatively determine the effects of hoppers has not been attempted.NORMAC’s Bycatch Action Plan has identified research into the effects of hoppers on bycatch survival as a ‘high priority’. The East Coast Trawl Plan also includes the need to reduce bycatch by 40% by 2005 and flags that hoppers could assist achieve this target. SARDI have proposed that hoppers, used as part of a suite of bycatch mitigation devices, could improve bycatch survival.

Objectives

1. Coordinate and run a facilitated workshop to identify and document a national approach for research on hoppers in Australian trawl fisheries
2. Develop a framework to deliver a coordinated and cooperative national hopper research project
3. Identify and bring together key project stakeholders from research and industry to develop this framework

Related research

Environment
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People