In the recent “Status of Key Australian Fish Stocks Reports 2012” the status of snapper on the east coast was not defined because the stock was given a different status in each jurisdiction based on different assessment approaches and criteria for defining status. The need for a single, robust, consensus approach was identified as a priority in a FRDC funded national workshop on snapper held at SARDI in March 2013. In particular it was noted that, underpinning a unified approach to assessment and management, there is a need for: a better understanding of stock structure, a better understanding of the utility of fishery independent data sources, and better engagement with stakeholders. The project explicitly addresses a key Program 2 – Industry Priority identified as relevant to the FRABs in Queensland, NSW and Victoria. The systems and approaches developed as a result of this research will serve as a model in other fisheries where different jurisdictions share a common stock but lack a consistent assessment and management decision making framework.
Article
Snapper has been fished since the early development of the colony around Sydney Harbour in the late 18th century, but it was the arrival of steam power in the 1860’s that enabled fishers to start regularly targeting the abundant schools of snapper occurring in the deep-water fishing grounds outside of the sheltered bays and estuaries along the east coast of Australia. This article covers some of the history.
