Aquaculture and Fisheries Commons^™

Fisheries Research Report No. 143 - Methods Used In The Collection, Preparation And Interpretation Of Narrow-Barred Spanish Mackerel (Scomberomorus Commerson) Otoliths For A Study Of Age And Growth In Western Australia, Paul Lewis, M. C. Mackie

Fisheries Research Reports

The narrow-barred Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus commerson) is wide ranging throughout the Indo-West Pacific region where it has been the subject of various age and growth studies. Methods used in these studies have varied considerably and in some cases may have led to misleading conclusions. The purpose of this report, therefore, is to document in detail the methods used in determining the age and growth during a FRDC funded stock assessment of the species in the waters off Western Australia. These methods are considered to optimise the collection, processing, accuracy of microincrement counts, and interpretation of the annuli in both whole …

Ocean Zoning For The Gulf Of Maine: A Background Paper, Fara Courtney, Jack Wiggin

Urban Harbors Institute Publications

Coastal and ocean management is a constantly evolving practice. For at least two decades, coastal communities around the world have been experimenting with new ways to control a multitude of activities in their urban and rural harbors. The number and diversity of Marine Protected Areas are growing, with an increasing focus on protecting integrated biological communities, rather than individual species of concern. The United States and Canada are each developing new, comprehensive ocean polices, looking to better integrate management functions at all levels of government.

All of these initiatives – from local to national - reflect some common truths about …

Report To The Minister For Agriculture, Forestry And Fisheries By The Integrated Fisheries Management Review Committee, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Management Papers

The Integrated Fisheries Management Review Committee was established to develop a strategy to integrate the management and sustainable use of fish resources. The Committee’s report proposes an alternative management framework and a set of guiding principles for allocating fish stocks to ensure optimal benefits are realised for the WA community. The report does not, and was not intended to, address specific allocation issues in particular fisheries – this will be a function of the framework and processes put in place following this review.

Review Of Recreational Take Of Coral In Western Australia. A Discussion Paper., Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Management Papers

This discussion paper has been prepared by the Department of Fisheries (Western Australia) to address the issue of recreational collection of coral in coastal waters of Western Australia. The paper describes: • popular coral locations in WA; • management issues associated with the recreational collection of corals; • management objectives and strategies as possible options to address the issue of recreational collection of corals; and • seeks public input on the proposed management objectives and strategies.

Fisheries Research Report No. 141 - A Guide To Good Otolith Cutting, Jerry Jenke

Fisheries Research Reports

This is a guide for embedding and sectioning fish otoliths. It is based on many years of otolith sectioning experience and is written as a recipe book for novice and expert alike. Included is a method for the enhancement of the clarity of small otoliths for improved sectioning, development of custom made tools, as well as a list of do’s and don’ts and hints to make the job easier. Use of this guide will assist in the most reliable interpretation of an otolith's internal structure, thereby improving ageing studies in general.

Fisheries Research Report No. 132 - A Review Of Food Availability, Sea Water Characteristics And Bivalve Growth Performance At Coastal Culture Sites In Temperate And Warm Temperate Regions Of The World, Sidney A. Saxby

Fisheries Research Reports

The suitability of a coastal area for bivalve farming, as well as the density at which bivalves can be farmed in that area, is limited by the available food supply and other environmental variables. In this review, a range of successful and marginal bivalve growing areas in temperate and warm temperate coastal areas around the world are characterised. These include areas of high food and nutrient levels, such as Saldanha Bay in South Africa, and the Seto Inland Sea, Japan, through to more oligotrophic areas, typified by parts of the South Australian coastline and the Mediterranean Sea. The latter areas …

Reseeding Of Grazing Gastropods And Bivalves Into The Marine Environment In Western Australia, Jane Borg

Fisheries Management Papers

The Department of Fisheries does not want to embark on what is ‘new territory’ in Western Australia without a policy framework to define what is to happen, why it is to happen, and what will happen if the project does or does not succeed. This paper therefore attempts to do three things. 1. It sets in place accepted definitions of reseeding and stock enhancement within the general context of fisheries management in Western Australia. 2. It discusses the policy issues associated with reseeding grazing gastropods and bivalves into the natural environment. 3. It proposes a framework or process to be …

Fisheries Research Report No. 138 - Historical Diving Profiles For Pearl Oyster Divers In Western Australia, H M A Lulofs, Neil R. Sumner

Fisheries Research Reports

The annual value of the pearl oyster fishery off the north coast of Western Australia is in the vicinity of 153 million dollars. Most pearl oyster fishing occurs in the Broome area. This area is managed on a quota system with a total allowable catch of 512,000 shells in 1996, during which 511,716 shells were taken. This required 12,775 hours of dive time at a catch rate of 40 shell per hour.

Drift diving practices in the Western Australian pearling industry over the last eighteen years are described and related to the number of medical incidents. The study provides a …

Fisheries Occasional Publication No. 2 - Scientific Workshop On The Margaret River Marron, Brett Molony

Fisheries Occasional Publications

Purpose of the Workshop

To gather together and review the scientific evidence around genetic and sustainability issues necessary for the management of Margaret River Marron (MRM)

The outcomes of the day will be to provide scientific advice, options and priorities to the relevant Programs within the Department of Fisheries to promote the sustainability of marron within MR.

* Introduction to, and comparison of, genetic techniques available to researchers. Presenter - Phil Vercoe

* What do we know about the genetic diversity of marron and other Cherax? Presenter - Chris Austin

* Morphology and Hybrids Presenter - Craig Lawrence

* The …

Comparison Of Water Quality, Zooplankton Density, And Cover In Razorback Sucker (Xyrauchen Texanus [Abbott]) Spawning Areas Of Lake Mead And Lake Mohave, Michael E. Golden, Paul B. Holden, Southern Nevada Water Authority

Publications (WR)

Las Vegas Bay and Echo Bay in Lake Mead have small, self-sustaining populations of razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus [Abbot]). Increased productivity and cover have been hypothesized as reasons for successful recruitment of razorback sucker in Lake Mead. Conversely, reproduction has been documented on Lake Mohave, another lower Colorado River reservoir, but no recruitment has been observed. In 2000, BIO-WEST, Inc. was contracted by the Southern Nevada Water Authority to design and implement a study to examine nutrient levels, zooplankton density, and cover in areas with and without razorback sucker recruitment success. We sampled Echo Bay, Las Vegas Bay, and …

State Of The Fisheries Report 2001/2002, Jim W. Penn

Status Reports of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources

The State of the Fisheries document is designed as an essential supplement to the Annual Report to Parliament and provides a more detailed level of information to support the Department of Fisheries' non-financial performance measures. by summarising management changes, compliance activities and research data including stock assessments and breeding stock levels, this document provides a valuable reference point for Western Australian fisheries of major importance to the commercial and recreational sectors. Information relevant to the State's developing aquaculture industries and the Department's Fish and Fish Habitat Protection Program Is also provided. This year's State of the Fisheries Report has continued …

Discussion Paper : The Translocation Of Brown Trout (Salmo Trutta) And Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss) Into And Within Western Australia., Western Australian Fisheries

Fisheries Management Papers

This discussion paper has been prepared to assist in the assessment of the possible impact of the translocation of brown trout (Salmo trutta) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), into and within Western Australia, for the purposes of recreational stock enhancement in public waters, non-commercial aquaculture on private properties and commercial aquaculture. In assessing the translocation of any aquatic species, economic and social benefits must be balanced with biological and environmental risks.

Fisheries Envrionmental Management Plan For The Gascoyne Region. Draft Report., Dept. Of Fisheries

Fisheries Management Papers

This draft document for the Gascoyne Region is the first in the series of Environmental Management Plans. . It complements the recently released Fisheries Environmental Management Review of the Gascoyne Region (2000).

The Introduction And Aquaculture Of Non-Endemic Species In Western Australia: The ‘Rotund’ Yabby Cherax Rotundus And The All-Male Hybrid Yabby. A Discussion Paper., Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Management Papers

This discussion paper has been prepared to provide information to assist in the assessment of the possible impact of the translocation of Cherax rotundus and allmale hybrid yabbies within Western Australia, for the purposes of commercial aquaculture on private properties. In assessing the translocation of any aquatic species, the economic and social benefits must be balanced with biological and environmental risks.

Uncertainty Of Exploitation Estimates Made From Tag Returns, L.E. Miranda, R.E. Brock, Brian S. Dorr

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Over 6,000 crappies Pomoxis spp. were tagged in five water bodies to estimate exploitation rates by anglers. Exploitation rates were computed as the percentage of tags returned after adjustment for three sources of uncertainty: post-release mortality due to the tagging process, tag loss, and the reporting rate of tagged fish. Confidence intervals around exploitation rates were estimated by re-sampling from the probability distributions of tagging mortality, tag loss, and reporting rate. Estimates of exploitation rates ranged from 17% to 54% among the five study systems. Uncertainty around estimates of tagging mortality, tag loss, and reporting resulted in 90% confidence intervals …

Fisheries Research Report No. 133 - Preliminary Assessment And Seasonal Fluctuations In The Fish Biota Inhabiting The Concentrator Ponds Of Dampier Salt, Port Hedland, With Options For The Potential Application Of Results, Brett Molony, Gareth Parry

Fisheries Research Reports

The concentrator ponds (CPs) of Dampier Salt, Port Hedland, cover an area in excess of 7 300 ha. Water is pumped from two adjacent, mangrove-lined estuaries at certain times of the year and small and larvae fishes are carried into the ponds, becoming trapped. A survey of the fish biota within the CPs was undertaken at four time periods between May 2000 and February 2001 to identify the species of fishes present and to estimate their abundances and distribution throughout the CPs. Further, the Artemia resources within the CPs were also assessed for identification of species and quality.

Forty two …

Fisheries Research Report No. 134, Vol 1 - Towards An Assessment Of The Natural And Human Use Impacts On The Marine Environment Of The Abrolhos Islands, F J. Webster, C J. Dibden, C F. Chubb

Fisheries Research Reports

The State Territorial Waters surrounding the Abrolhos Islands are gazetted as a Fish Habitat Protection Area and vested with the Minister for Fisheries under the Fish Resources Management Act 1994. Three Fisheries Management Papers have identified management priorities for the marine environment at the Abrolhos Islands:

• Management of the Houtman Abrolhos System
• Aquaculture Plan for the Houtman Abrolhos Islands
• Sustainable Tourism Plan for the Houtman Abrolhos Islands.

These plans and other national and international obligations to examine the effect of extractive and non-extractive anthropogenic activities on marine habitats (eg. Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999) led to …

Draft Bycatch Action Plan For The Shark Bay Prawn Managed Fishery (Full Report), Jo Bunting

Fisheries Management Papers

Two versions of the draft Bycatch Action Plan for the Shark Bay Prawn Managed Fishery have been released for public comment. The ‘Full Report’ (this document - Fisheries Management Paper No. 147) is a comprehensive version of the plan containing detailed rationale and justification for the objectives and actions proposed in the plan. The Full Report also provides detailed background information regarding issues such as the natural environment in Shark Bay, current management arrangements within the prawn fishery and existing information on bycatch. A shorter ‘Summary Report’ is also available for comment. The Summary Report (Fisheries Management Paper No. 148) …

Fisheries Management Report No. 6 - Proceedings Of Marron Farming Open Day 2002, Greg B. Maguire

Fisheries Published Reports

The marron industry is of considerable importance to the Department of Fisheries, being one of the older aquaculture industries in Western Australia, and one that accounts for around half the aquaculture licence holders in the State. While it has not grown as quickly as many hoped in the past, in 2000/01, some 52.2 tonnes of marron were produced, worth $1.18 million at the farm gate.

It is regionally significant, particularly in the south-west, and depending on appropriate site selection, has considerable potential in other areas. Farms are distributed from near Geraldton to around Bremer Bay, with additional interest around Esperance. …

Fisheries Research Report No. 139 - A 12-Month Survey Of Recreational Fishing In The Gascoyne Bioregion Of Western Australia During 1998-99, Neil R. Sumner, P C. Williamson, B E. Malseed

Fisheries Research Reports

A 12-month creel survey of recreational boat-based and shore-based fishing in the Gascoyne bioregion of Western Australia was conducted between April 1998 and March 1999. During the survey 1,738 boat crews were interviewed at public boat ramps when they returned from their fishing trip. During patrols conducted along the coastline 695 groups of boat-based fishers and 1,060 groups of shore-based fishers were interviewed at fishing locations and camp sites.

The total annual recreational fishing effort for the Gascoyne bioregion was 243,000 fisher days (95%CI: 222,000 – 264,000). This comprised 113,000 fisher days by boats launched from public ramps, 53,000 fisher …

Fisheries Research Report No. 134, Volume 2 - Towards An Assessment Of The Natural And Human Use Impacts On The Marine Environment Of The Abrolhos Islands, C F. Chubb, F J. Webster, C J. Dibden

Fisheries Research Reports

These proceedings form the second of two public documents resulting from the project “Towards an assessment of the natural and human use impacts on the marine environment” funded by the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (project no. 2000/166). Volume 1, a summary of existing information and assessment of current levels of human use, was presented at a Public Forum in Geraldton on July 11, 2001.

A two-day workshop was held immediately after the forum and was attended by invited representatives from professional fishing and recreational groups together with research and management experts. The issues identified in Volume 1, and those …

Draft Plan Of Management For The Proposed Miaboolya Beach Fish Habitat Protection Area., Department Of Fisheries Western Australia

Fisheries Management Papers

The aims of the proposal outlined in this draft management plan is to protect and rehabilitate the aquatic habitat of Miaboolya Beach, the associated mangrove ecosystem, and involve the community in their management.

By setting the area aside as a FHPA, the Department of Fisheries will establish a framework to promote and actively conserve all the habitats within the Miaboolya system, as described in Section 3 of this document.

Policy For The Implementation Of Ecologically Sustainable Development Fisheries And Aquaculture Within Western Australia, W. J. Fletcher

Fisheries Management Papers

The purpose of this ESD policy is to outline a way forward by showing in a practical manner: • how the ESD principles will be interpreted and applied within the fisheries context generally and within the Department of Fisheries specifically, • the conceptual framework that will be used to assess performance against ESD principles, • the methods for reporting on and auditing this performance, and • how these principles and the framework relate to other relevant state, national and international treaties and instruments.

Fisheries Research Report No. 135 - The Western Rock Lobster Fishery 1995/96 To 1996/97, C F. Chubb, E H. Barker

Fisheries Research Reports

This report is the latest in a series covering the West Coast Rock Lobster Managed Fishery (formerly the West Coast Rock Lobster Limited Entry Fishery), Western Australia’s largest and most valuable fishery. These reports form an historical record of fishery data and information documented season by season for use by industry and research personnel now and in the future. The reports provide information on catch, fishing effort and biology; value of the product and licences; input costs (fuel, bait, etc.); changes in fishing practices, gear, technology and boats and management/legislative changes. By necessity, the information contained herein is summarised from …

Comparative Analysis Of Pollution In Farmington Bay And The Great Salt Lake, Utah, Wayne A. Wurtsbaugh, Amy M. Marcarelli, Cameron Christison, Joel Moore, Donovan Gross, Sophia Bates, Sara Kircher

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Farmington Bay covers 94 mi2 (260 km2) in the SW comer of the Great Salt Lake, and is essentially a separate lake because it is enclosed by Antelope Island and a causeway leading to the island from the mainland. The bay has received wastes from the adjoining Salt Lake City metropolitan area for decades. Because of water quality concerns for Farmington 8ay, the Aquatic Ecology Laboratory class at Utah State University studied the bay and a nearby control site (Bridger Bay) in the Great Salt Lake during the fall of 2001. Field sampling and laboratory experiments, as well as other …

Rapid Ecological Assessment Of The Northern Mixedgrass Prairie Ecoregion (Nebraska Portion), Gerry Steinauer

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: White Papers, Conference Presentations, and Manuscripts

This study was conducted as part of The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) project to conduct ecoregional conservation planning throughout the continental United States. TNC contracted with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC) to conduct a rapid ecological assessment (REA) of the portion of the Northern Mixedgrass Prairie ecoregion (NMGP) occurring in Nebraska. This report concludes that agreement. Roughly the northern 1/5 of central Nebraska occurs within the NMGP (Figure 1). This ecoregion also includes extensive area of central South Dakota and central North Dakota. The objective of this study was to conduct a REA of the untilled landscapes within the …

Fisheries Research Report No.131 - Pilchard (Sardinops Sagax) Nursery Areas And Recruitment Process Assessment Between Different Regions In Southern Western Australia, Daniel J. Gaughan, Graeme Baudains, Ronald W. Mitchell, Timothy I. Leary

Fisheries Research Reports

Pilchards have been the primary target of purse seine fisheries along the south and lower west coasts of WA for nearly 15 years. Western Australia’s pilchard population consists of separate west coast and south coast breeding stocks. The adult pilchards in the south coast stock can, in turn, be further divided into three separate assemblages. These adult assemblages correspond to the purse seine fisheries at Albany, Bremer Bay and Esperance. However, while the separateness of the adult assemblages is well established, the status of the juveniles within the context of these adult groups is not understood. For example, the habitats …

Topo-Morphometric Analysis Of Lake-Stream Interactions In Alpine Watersheds, Wayne A. Wurtsbaugh, Michelle A. Baker

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Fisheries Research Report No. 137 - Annual Report On The Monitoring Of The Recreational Marron Fishery In 2000, With An Analysis Of Long-Term Data And Changes Within This Fishery, Brett Molony, Chris Bird

Fisheries Research Reports

This report presents the data from the 2000 season and compares the results with previous records. Although the 2000 marron season was relatively successful compared to the 1999 season it was still modest in terms of the historical records. Further, the recreational marron fishery continues to be declining in terms of catch rate, CPUE and other indicators derived from four data sources. The discussion highlights the variable nature of marron populations and the possible causes of the very different population structures of marron within the fishery. Further, possible reasons for the long-term decline of the marron fishery are discussed. It …

Use Of High Pressure Liquid Chromatography To Detect And Quantify Oxytetracycline Marks In Walleye Otoliths And Dorsal Spines, Michael J. Hawkins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Oxytetracycline (OTC) is used to chemically mark calcified structures in walleye Stizostedion vitreum fry and fingerlings. Current visual methods for detection of these marks are subjective, and biologists are unable to quantify the amount of OTC in a sample. The goal of this study was to determine if high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) is a feasible and superior alternative for detecting and quantifying OTC in otoliths of fry-marked and spines of fingerlingmarked walleyes. Study objectives were to validate methodology of extraction of OTC from calcified tissue, detect and quantify extracted OTC using HPLC, and determine a cost comparison of current …