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Fisheries Management Paper No.286: Western Australian Octopus Resource Harvest Strategy, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries Management Papers

Harvest strategies for Western Australia’s (WA) aquatic resources are formal documents developed to support decision-making processes that ensure the outcomes are consistent with the principles of Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD; Fletcher 2002a) and Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management (EBFM; Fletcher et al. 2012). Harvest strategies are a key component of all contemporary fishery management systems and a requirement for certification under the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). The objectives of ESD are reflected in the objectives of the Fish Resources Management Act 1994 (FRMA).

This Octopus Resource Harvest Strategy (Harvest Strategy) has been developed and revised in line with the Harvest Strategy …

Managing Herring In Western Australia, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries and Aquaculture Factsheets

Following the recovery of the Australian herring stock in 2021, DPIRD formed the Australian Herring Future Management Working Group, made up of recreational and commercial representatives, to help us determine the best way forward for management of the species in WA.

Sheep Production, Profitability And Greenhouse Gas Emission Of Mixed Farming Systems In Western Australia's Wheatbelt, Tafesse Estifanos, Amir Abadi Abadi Ghadim, Kate Pritchett, Christophe D'Abbadie, Johnny Machon, Paul Mattingley, Bradley Plunkett, Gus Manatsa, Kerrine Blenkinsop, Ross Kingwell, Clinton K. Revell Dr

Animal production and livestock research reports

The south-western agricultural area of Western Australia is a vital contributor to Australia's agricultural output. It generates over $10 billion annually in agricultural production from 2017–18 to 2021–22 and more than $8 billion in export value over the same period. Mixed farming systems characterise the region, producing broadacre crops (primarily wheat, barley, and canola) and livestock. The region's livestock industry is dominated by sheep production for meat and wool, and the state’s share of the national sheep flock in 2020–21 was at 18%.

This report provides a comprehensive review and industry analysis of sheep production in WA, its economic significance, …

Transcriptional Profiles Reveal Physiological Mechanisms For Compensation During A Simulated Marine Heatwave In Yellowtail Kingfish (Seriola Lalandi), Sharon E. Hook, Ryan J. Farr, Jenny Su, Alistair J. Hobday, Catherine Wingate, Lindsey Woolley, Luke Pilmer

Fisheries Research Articles

Background

Changing ocean temperatures are already causing declines in populations of marine organisms. Predicting the capacity of organisms to adjust to the pressures posed by climate change is a topic of much current research effort, particularly for species we farm or harvest. To explore one measure of phenotypic plasticity, the physiological compensations in response to heat stress as might be experienced in a marine heatwave, we exposed Yellowtail Kingfish (Seriola lalandi) to sublethal heat stress, and used the transcriptome in gill and muscle, benchmarked against heat shock proteins and oxidative stress indicators, to characterise the acute heat stress …

Self-Mustering Yards For Pastoral Livestock Management, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Animal production and livestock factsheets

Self-mustering yards (SMYs) are an important component of effective total grazing management in the pastoral regions. These yards are used to self-muster cattle, sheep and goats, as well as native browsers and feral animals as they enter the yards to access the water point.

Marine Heatwave Conditions In Western Australia Marine Waters - 20 February 2025, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Marine Heatwave Notification Reports

Marine heatwave (MHW) conditions across all Bioregions of Western Australia have eased over the last two weeks. MHW status no longer applies to the majority of the North Coast and West Coast Bioregions. MHW conditions in the Gascoyne and South Coast Bioregion have eased to Category 1 - Moderate.

Western Australia’S Marine Heatwave Update - 16 February 2025, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Marine Heatwave Notification Reports

No abstract provided.

Exploring Single Cell Microbial Protein As A Sustainable Fishmeal Alternative In Yellowtail Kingfish (Seriola Lalandi) Diets: Impacts On Health And Gut Microbiome, Luke Pilmer, Lindsey Woolley, Alan Lymbery, Chinh Dam, Abigail Elizur, Md Javed Foysal, Gavin Partridge

Fisheries Research Articles

Background

With the global expansion of aquaculture and the increasing demand for fish meal, identifying appropriate and sustainable alternative protein sources for aquafeeds has become essential. Single-cell protein (SCP), derived from methanotrophic bacteria, presents a promising alternative by converting methane into protein, potentially addressing both the need for alternative protein sources and reducing industrial greenhouse gas emissions. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different levels of SCP inclusion (0%, 25%, 50%, and 75% fish meal replacement) on the health, gene expression, and gut microbiome of yellowtail kingfish (YTK, Seriola lalandi) following a 35-day growth trial.

Results

The …

Marine Protected Species Identification Guide 2025, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries Occasional Publications

The Western Australian aquatic environment is home to a number of species that are protected under international agreements and national or state legislation. Many of these species occur in areas where fishing takes place, sometimes resulting in interactions between fishers and protected species. An interaction is considered to be any physical contact between a person, fishing vessel or fishing gear and a protected species, including captures, entanglements and collisions.

This guide has been developed to help you identify some common marine protected species in Western Australia that you may encounter while fishing.

It has been divided into 5 sections:

• …

Coverage Matters: Identifying And Mitigating Sampling Frame Issues In Recreational Fishing Surveys, Steve Taylor, Annica De Groote, Kieran Hyder, Jon Volstad, B W. Hartill, J Foster, R Andrews, Karina L. Ryan

Fisheries Research Articles

Surveys play an integral part in monitoring and maintaining sustainable recreational fisheries. For any probabilistic survey, the selection of a sampling frame (e.g., list of individuals or fishers) is an important decision because it influences the ability to provide unbiased estimates of recreational catch and effort. Undercoverage occurs when units of the target population (i.e., the population of interest) are missing from the frame population. This error can undermine the reliability of research advice generated from survey estimates. In this review, we: (i) define six sampling frame configurations that are commonly applied in probabilistic recreational fishing surveys; (ii) synthesise how …

Marine Heatwave Response Plan For Western Australia’S Wild Capture Fisheries And Aquaculture, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries Management Papers

The purpose of the Western Australian wild capture fisheries and aquaculture marine heatwave response plan (the Plan) is to document the Department’s approach for identifying and responding to the hazard of a marine heatwave on wild catch fisheries (commercial, recreational, charter and customary) and aquaculture resources within the geographic boundaries of WA. It provides risk reduction strategies and establishes best-practice processes for each stage of the hazard management and response continuum, ensuring that DPIRD is able to adequately prepare for, respond to, and recover from marine heatwave events. This Plan operates in conjunction with WA’s existing aquatic resource management framework, …

Fisheries Research Report No. 345: Metropolitan Monitoring Program 2024, Alissa C. Tate, Claire B. Smallwood, Karina L. Ryan

Fisheries Research Reports

Ongoing monitoring of recreational fisheries in the Metropolitan zone is essential to ensure the sustainable use of fisheries resources. Surveys of shore- and boat-based recreational fishers within the Metropolitan zone of the West Coast bioregion provide information on human dimensions and catch-per-fisher as well as mean length and weight of key recreationally caught species. For shore-based fishers, estimates of fishing effort, catch and harvest are also presented for key nearshore species. Information in this report is used to support ongoing assessments for key nearshore species and inform the development and evaluation of harvest strategies and other management actions, such as …

Estimating The Carbon Footprint Of Sheep Production In Western Australia, Tafesse Estifanos, Christophe D'Abbadie, Johnny Machon, Amir Abadi Abadi Ghadim, Gus Manatsa, Paul Mattingley, Ross Kingwell, Kevin Foster

Farm Systems and Economics published reports

Western Australia’s broadacre mixed farming systems combine cropping and sheep production and are the largest component of the state’s agricultural sector. The south west Western Australia (WA) agricultural area hosts about 98% of the state's sheep flock. The sheep industry contributed $1.5 billion to the state’s economy in 2021-22 and accounts for about a quarter of on-farm greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Most sheep industry emissions (over 80%) come from methane produced by the sheep. Despite this environmental impact, only 9.9% of Australian sheep producers have estimated their emissions, which limits the industry's ability to monitor and manage carbon footprints effectively. …

Fluke Egg Sedimentation Test Procedure, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Animal production and livestock factsheets

The department’s approved procedure for detecting trematode eggs and the Eimeria leuckarti sedimentation method (FEST) on faecal samples.

Fisheries Research Report No. 347: Recreational Fishing For Marron In South-West Western Australia From 2000 – 2024: Estimates Of Participation, Effort And Catch, Claire B. Smallwood, Karina L. Ryan, Eva Lai, Fabian I. Trinnie, Aidan Long

Fisheries Research Reports

The Smooth Marron (Cherax cainii) (‘Marron’) is endemic to freshwater dams and rivers of south-west Western Australia. The Recreational Marron Fishery is managed as a single stock within the South-West Recreational Freshwater Resource and is highly vulnerable to over-exploitation due to the biological characteristics of the species (e.g., low fecundity, localised populations) as well as external environmental (e.g., habitat loss, reduction in rainfall) and human factors (e.g., fishing, land clearing).

Due to this vulnerability, this species has been the focus of research, monitoring and management since the 1970’s. Recreational fishing for Marron was first licensed under the Amateur Fisherman’s licence …

Fisheries Research Report No. 349: South-West Freshwater Angling In Western Australia From 2000/01 – 2023/24: Estimates Of Participation, Effort And Catch, Aidan Long, Claire B. Smallwood, Karina L. Ryan, Eva Lai, Fabian I. Trinnie

Fisheries Research Reports

The South-west Freshwater Angling fishery (SWFA) in Western Australia is a licensed, low participation fishery primarily targeting the introduced Brown Trout (Salmo trutta) and Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), which are stocked in popular dams and rivers across the region. Other licensed species include the introduced Redfin Perch (Perca fluviatilis) and the native Freshwater Cobbler (Tandanus bostocki). Freshwater angling is also managed by input and output control rules including gear regulations (one rod and line or handline with a small landing net), minimum size limits and a daily mixed freshwater species bag limit of 4 individuals (excluding Redfin Perch which has …

Draft Management Plan For The South Coast Scallop Managed Fishery, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries Management Papers

The Minister for Fisheries (Minister) intends to transition the South Coast Trawl Fishery (SCTF) to formal management by determining a management plan for the fishery in accordance with section 54(1) of the Fish Resources Management Act 1994 (FRMA).

Section 54(1) of FRMA provides for the Minister to determine by instrument in writing published in the Government Gazette, a management plan for a fishery. Not less than two months prior to determining a management plan, the Minister must, in accordance with section 64(2) of FRMA, prepare a draft of the plan and by notice in the Gazette, state their intent to …

Research Angler Program Newsletter: Recognition Of Two Decades Of The Research Angler Program, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries Research Reports

For over two-decades, volunteer recreational fishers have been diligently filling in angler logbooks as part of the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) Research Angler Program (RAP). The program, which began in 2004, was initially designed as a tool to enhance data collection for estuarine finfish in the West Coast Bioregion.

Throughout time, the program expanded to collect data on all species, habitat types and bioregions, generating community involvement all over the state. To date, fishers have reported data on over 19,000 fishing trips and more than 450 different fish and invertebrate (crustaceans and molluscs) species.

Fishers participating …

Recreational Fishing For Western Rock Lobster: Estimates Of Participation, Effort And Catch In 2023/24, Claire B. Smallwood, Karina L. Ryan, Alissa C. Tate

Fisheries Research Reports

The Western Rock Lobster (WRL) (Panulirus cygnus) is the most commonly caught Rock Lobster (RL) species in Western Australia. Catches from the commercial and recreational sectors are required to determine and monitor Total Allowable Commercial Catch (TACC), Total Allowable Recreational Catch (TARC) and the proportion of Allowable Harvest Level (AHL) achieved. The TARC is set at 5% of the AHL and evaluated in the harvest strategy based on a 5-year average.

Data for the recreational sector are obtained using phone-recall surveys to provide annual estimates of participation, fishing effort and retained catch (by numbers) from recreational fishers who hold a …

Accounting For Post-Release Mortality In Data-Limited, Length-Based Assessments For Four Demersal Fish Species With Varying Life Histories, Brett Crisafulli, Sybrand A. Hesp, Ebenezer Afrifa-Yamoah, Ute A. Mueller, Karina L. Ryan, David V. Fairclough, Norman G. Hall, Johnny Lo

Fisheries Research Articles

Released (or discarded) fish from recreational and commercial line fisheries can experience significant levels of post-release mortality (PRM), affecting sustainability. Although PRM effects are often considered in data-rich (integrated model) assessments, this is uncommon in data-limited assessments. This study investigates impacts of PRM when applying data-limited, length-based assessment methods for four reef-dwelling demersal fish species in temperate Western Australia (Glaucosoma hebraicum, Chrysophrys auratus, Choerodon rubescens and Epinephelides armatus). These species differ considerably in their biology and susceptibility to PRM. For each species simulations were undertaken to (1) evaluate the reliability of a length-based catch curve (LBCC) …

Recreational Fishers’ Attitudes To Fisheries Management And Compliance, Karina L. Ryan, Clinton Syers, Kane Holtom, Timothy J. Green, Jeremy M. Lyle, Kate E. Stark, Sean R. Tracey

Fisheries Research Articles

Recreational fisheries policy decisions have social and ecological outcomes that depend on whether regulations are understood and meet expectations, which in turn enhances compliance. This study investigates perceptions of management and compliance among boat-based recreational fishers in Western Australia with consideration of demography (age, residence) and fishing behaviour (avidity, bioregion fished). Most respondents considered themselves to be informed about rules governing their fishing and there was strong support for current input and output controls, including area and seasonal closures and possession and size limits. There was less support for alternative regulations that are not currently in practice, such as annual …

Rabbit Control: Bait Products, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity factsheets

This factsheet is part of the bait and poison directory for vertebrate pests in Western Australia (WA). It provides information on bait, poison, and toxin (bait) products available for use in WA to control rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus).

For information on how to access bait, poison and toxin (bait) products, training required, animal welfare considerations and legal requirements, refer to the Bait and poison directory for vertebrate pests’ page on the website at dpird.wa.gov.au. Information on bait, poison, and toxin (bait) products available for use in WA for rabbits, is provided below.

Cane Toad, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity factsheets

This factsheet provides information about the identification, biology, impact, and management of the cane toad.

The cane toad (Rhinella marina), or giant toad, is native to central and South America. It has been introduced to many countries, including northern and eastern Australia. The cane toad is a declared pest under the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 (BAM Act) in Western Australia (WA). The Western Australian Organism List (WAOL), available on the website at dpird.wa.gov.au) contains information on the area(s) in which this pest is declared, and the control and keeping categories to which it has been assigned in WA.

Drinking Water Requirements For Livestock Grazing Saltbush, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Animal production and livestock factsheets

Livestock grazing - saltbush and other plants that have adapted to living in highly saline habitats (known as halophytes), require more water to excrete those salts in urine. If the water they drink is also saline, the total salt intake may limit feed intake, and the animal will be less productive, and its welfare might be compromised.

This page gives a technical explanation of how livestock requirements for water quality and quantity interact with saltbush intake. The information here is a guide only, and you should consult a veterinarian or livestock adviser for specific advice

Sheep Worm Control In Wa, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Animal production and livestock factsheets

Effective, sustainable control of sheep worms involves a combination of planned stock and farm management, monitoring worm burdens using faecal worm egg counts (WEC), strategic timing of drenches and the genetic selection of worm resistant sheep.

Levels of drench resistance of sheep worms in WA are some of the highest in the world and without resistance management action at individual farm level, it will continue to worsen and spread.

Although effective drench options are generally available, many sheep owners are unaware that resistance has reduced the effectiveness of worm control programs, and this can affect profitable sheep production.

Early Weaning Of Lambs In A Poor Season, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Animal production and livestock factsheets

The feed requirements of a ewe with a lamb at foot are higher than if the ewe and lambs are fed separately. In a difficult season with short feed supplies, it is better to early-wean lambs from their mothers to lower feed costs and ensure that the ewes regain condition before joining. This issue becomes even more important as the costs of feeds increase.

Ewe's milk provides the main source of nutrition for lambs until about eight weeks of age. Lambs will sample pasture from about two weeks after birth but by eight weeks of age pasture overtakes milk as …

Sheep Lice Spread And Detection, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Animal production and livestock factsheets

The most common lice affecting sheep are body lice (Bovicola ovis).

Knowledge of the lice life cycle and relevant features of their biology assist in our understanding of how lice survive and spread.

Better understanding and ability to find and monitor lice populations will improve sheep farmer decision making around eradicating lice.

Knowledge of when an infestation may have occurred, or alternatively that lice was not eradicated at the last shearing, is important information that will assist future treatment decisions.

Managing The Beef Breeder Herd In Southern Western Australia, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Animal production and livestock factsheets

Kilograms of beef produced per hectare is a significant driver of profit for a beef business. Cow longevity (length of productive life) plays an important role in achieving a profitable business. A balanced approach to genetic selection and nutritional management are essential factors underpinning the efficiency of the breeding herd.

Opportunities Using Eid – Tahara Case Study, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Animal production and livestock factsheets

Starting from 2025, Electronic Identification (EID) will become mandatory in Western Australia. This requirement might cause some farmers to focus solely on the increased costs, potentially overlooking the opportunities these systems can bring to their farms. Clayton South, who manages his property ‘Tahara’ near Wagin in the Great Southern region of WA, operates a farm with approximately 4,000 Dohne ewes. They started using EID in 2014.

Guide To Supplementary Feeding And Budgeting, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Animal production and livestock factsheets

Supplementary feeding of sheep, with grain, hay or silage is necessary when pastures or stubbles are deficient in energy and protein.

A good supplementary feeding program will ensure sheep utilise as much dry paddock feed as possible as well as provide sufficient supplementary feed for maintenance or growth.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development recommends supplementary or confined paddock feeding to maintain livestock productivity and avoid animal welfare and soil erosion problems.