Mud crabs (Scylla serrata) are a highly prized natural resource, with the volume and value of the 2004 (national) commercial harvest exceeded 1500 tonnes and $20 million, respectively. The recreational and indigenous take of this species is also significant, with estimates for the 12 month period starting May 2000 in the order of one million crabs.

There have been widespread fluctuations in mud crab landings in recent years. For example, the commercial harvest in the NT increased from ~600 tonnes in 1997 to 1100 tonnes in 2001, then dropped to 300 tonnes in 2005. This variability is probably due to a combination of fishing activity and the environment, but the extent to which each factor influences the mud crab catch is unknown. Identification of the drivers of recruitment and stock abundance would enable resource managers to implement harvest strategies based on predicted yields.

The ability to predict mud crab yield depends on the collection of appropriate biological and environmental data, one of which being the magnitude of recruitment. This requirement corresponds to Phase 3 of the National Strategy for Research on Mud Crabs, which recommends the 'development of a fishery independent index of stock abundance based on a juvenile pre-recruit index'. It also ranks as a high priority for the Northern Territory Strategic Plan for Fisheries Research and Development 2007-2011.

To ensure that future mud crab recruitment models are widely accepted and robust, it is essential that research and management agencies across northern Australia first agree on the best approach to implement Phase 3 of the National Strategy. This will be achieved through a national mud crab research network and workshop.