The sustainable management of fish stocks and aquatic ecosystems is intrinsically dependent on effective monitoring. Reflecting the importance of monitoring, management agencies across Australia employ numerous programs to detect and profile change in aquatic environments. These monitoring programs are utilised to underpin and justify management decisions and funding allocations. It is therefore critical that the information they produce is as accurate as possible.

The aim of producing ‘A Guide to Monitoring Fish Stocks and Aquatic Ecosystems’ is to enhance the way we utilise monitoring programs in Australia. This guide was developed to assist scientists, students and volunteers in selecting appropriate monitoring methods and protocols. It is hoped that this guide will stimulate interest in new ideas and concepts, and will serve as a useful reference for anyone currently involved in the process of implementing a monitoring program.

The development of this guide capitalised on the congregation of almost 150 scientists, managers, students and stakeholder representatives who gathered in Darwin during July 2005 for a two-day workshop on ‘Monitoring Fish Stocks and Aquatic Ecosystems’.  Leaders in the field of monitoring, participants in long-term and short-term monitoring programs, and the end users of monitoring data, gathered to exchange information on current and future techniques. This document conveys that information.

This guide opens with an ‘Introduction to Monitoring Fish Stocks and Aquatic Ecosystems’. The paper is followed by an insightful discussion of the ‘Essential Concepts of Effective Monitoring’. The paper was produced by James Scandol, the elected convenor of the ‘ASFB Monitoring Committee’ formed at the conclusion of the workshop. The final introductory paper ‘Monitoring Fish Stocks and Aquatic Ecosystems: Guidelines for Consideration’ was produced by the ASFB Monitoring Committee.

Following this are papers by the workshop’s international keynote speakers, Ron Taylor and Oliva Mkumbo, which provide an insight into methods and progress of key monitoring programs currently undertaken in North America and Africa. A series of papers follow, each presented by delegates who participated in the monitoring workshop. The study areas and topics they cover are far-reaching and diverse. The abstracts of all presentations at the workshop are also provided, along with the contact details of each author.

While this document is not intended to be a complete, one-stop reference to monitoring fish stocks and aquatic environments, I hope you will find it thorough and diverse enough to provoke new thoughts and generate greater understanding. A series of comprehensive monitoring manuals already exist, covering almost every type of aquatic habitat. I strongly encourage you to refer to them. A selection of these manuals is listed in the appendices. Other excellent sources of information do exist and will undoubtedly continue to grow as we develop new and improved methods for monitoring.