Increasing fishing efficiency is one of the main ways fisheries can improve their profitability. This can be achieved in two ways for species that exhibit seasonal variation in weight – harvesting fewer individuals for the same catch (raise CPUE by increasing stock abundance), or catching the same number of fish but obtaining a larger catch (increase catch per day and overall). Recent research has demonstrated there are benefits to changing the fishing season in greenlip abalone, using information on their seasonally variable biology, to increase revenue, reduce exploitation rates, or achieve a combination of these two management objectives. This research has resulted in changes to seasonal greenlip fishing patterns made by Industry in the Western Zone of South Australia.
Blacklip abalone constitute 82% of the Australian abalone catch, so considerable benefits could be obtained from changes to the fishing season if they exhibit similar seasonal biological traits to greenlip. However, there are currently insufficient data to evaluate this. This project will address the need for additional information on the seasonal biology of blacklip and, following the success with greenlip, has been developed in direct response to the Western Zone of the South Australian abalone fishery seeking similar information on blacklip abalone. The proposal was discussed and supported by members of the Abalone Council of Australia in Adelaide on the 2nd May 2014 and is also a high priority for PIRSA Fisheries and Aquaculture.
The project will enable an analysis of newly obtained and existing data using the model already developed for greenlip. The outputs will be a cost-benefit analysis across a range of temporal fishing pattern scenarios. The key outcome will be adjustment of seasonal blacklip harvests, by industry, to maximise profitability.