Aquaculture and Fisheries Commons^™

A Large-Scale Experiment Finds No Evidence That A Seismic Survey Impacts A Demersal Fish Fauna, Mark G. Meekan, Conrad W. Speed, Robert D. Mccauley, Rebecca Fisher, Matthew J. Birt, Leanne M. Currey-Randall, Jayson M. Semmens, Stephen J. Newman, Katherine Cure, Marcus Stowar, Brigit Vaughan, Miles J G Parsons

Fisheries Research Articles

Seismic surveys are used to locate oil and gas reserves below the seabed and can be a major source of noise in marine environments. Their effects on commercial fisheries are a subject of debate, with experimental studies often producing results that are difficult to interpret. We overcame these issues in a large-scale experiment that quantified the impacts of exposure to a commercial seismic source on an assemblage of tropical demersal fishes targeted by commercial fisheries on the North West Shelf of Western Australia. We show that there were no short-term (days) or long-term (months) effects of exposure on the composition, …

Markedly Similar Growth And Longevity Of Green Jobfish Aprion Virescens Over An Expansive Geographic Range Between The Hawaiian Archipelago And The Eastern Indian Ocean, Joseph M. O'Malley, Corey B. Wakefield, Michael J. Kinney, Stephen J. Newman

Fisheries Research Articles

The Green Jobfish Aprion virescens supports important commercial, recreational, and subsistence fisheries throughout its Indo-Pacific range. Concerns with previous estimates of age and growth from fish in Hawaii, along with evidence of variability in these parameters from locations outside the Pacific Ocean, limits their reliability as input parameters for assessments of this species, particularly in Hawaii. Previously validated aging criterion were applied to fish collected from within the Hawaiian Archipelago (main Hawaiian Islands and Northwestern Hawaiian Islands) and the eastern Indian Ocean to provide length-at-age, growth, and longevity information for stock assessment and management purposes as well as to further …

Prawn Resource Of Exmouth Gulf Harvest Strategy : 2021-2026 : Version 2.0, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Management Papers

No abstract provided.

Increased Connectivity And Depth Improve The Effectiveness Of Marine Reserves, Jordan Goetze, Shaun K. Wilson, Ben Radford, Rebecca Fisher, Tim Langlois, Jacquomo Monk, Nathan A. Knott, Hamish A. Malcolm, Leanne M. Currey-Randall, Daniel Ierodiaconou, David Harasti, Neville Barrett, Russell C. Babcock, Nestor E. Bosch, Danny Brock, Joachim Claudet, David Fairclough, Stephen J. Newman, Michael J. Travers, Corey Wakefield

Fisheries Research Articles

Marine reserves are a key tool for the conservation of marine biodiversity, yet only ~2.5% of the world's oceans are protected. The integration of marine reserves into connected networks representing all habitats has been encouraged by international agreements, yet the benefits of this design has not been tested empirically. Australia has one of the largest systems of marine reserves, providing a rare opportunity to assess how connectivity influences conservation success. An Australia-wide dataset was collected using baited remote underwater video systems deployed across a depth range from 0 to 100 m to assess the effectiveness of marine reserves for protecting …

Fish Associations With Shallow Water Subsea Pipelines Compared To Surrounding Reef And Soft Sediment Habitats, Karl D. Schramm, Michael J. Marnane, Travis S. Elsdon, Christopher M. Jones, Benjamin J. Saunders, Stephen J. Newman, Euan S. Harvey

Fisheries Research Articles

Offshore decommissioning activities are expected to increase as oil and gas subsea infrastructure becomes obsolete. Decisions on decommissioning alternatives will benefit from quantifying and understanding the marine communities associated with these structures. As a case study, fish assemblages associated with an inshore network of subsea pipelines located on the North West shelf of Western Australia were compared to those in surrounding natural reef and soft sediment habitats using remotely operated vehicles fitted with a stereo-video system (stereo-ROVs). The number of species, the abundance, biomass, feeding guild composition and the economic value of fishes were compared among habitats. The community composition …

Fish Associations With Shallow Water Subsea Pipelines Compared To Surrounding Reef And Soft Sediment Habitats, Karl D. Schramm, Michael J. Marnane, Travis S. Elsdon, Christopher M. Jones, Benjamin J. Saunders, Stephen J. Newman, Euan S. Harvey

Fisheries Research Articles

Offshore decommissioning activities are expected to increase as oil and gas subsea infrastructure becomes obsolete. Decisions on decommissioning alternatives will benefit from quantifying and understanding the marine communities associated with these structures. As a case study, fish assemblages associated with an inshore network of subsea pipelines located on the North West shelf of Western Australia were compared to those in surrounding natural reef and soft sediment habitats using remotely operated vehicles fitted with a stereo-video system (stereo-ROVs). The number of species, the abundance, biomass, feeding guild composition and the economic value of fishes were compared among habitats. The community composition …

Isolated Reefs Support Stable Fish Communities With High Abundances Of Regionally Fished Species, Matthew J. Birt, Katherine Cure, Shaun Wilson, Stephen J. Newman, Euan S. Harvey, Mark G. Meekan, Conrad W. Speed, Andrew Heyward, Jordan Goetze, James Gilmour

Fisheries Research Articles

Anthropogenic impacts at isolated and inaccessible reefs are often minimal, offering rare opportunities to observe fish assemblages in a relatively undisturbed state. The remote Rowley Shoals are regarded as one of the healthiest reef systems in the Indian Ocean with demonstrated resilience to natural disturbance, no permanent human population nearby, low visitation rates, and large protected areas where fishing prohibitions are enforced. We used baited remote underwater video systems (BRUVS) to quantify fish assemblages and the relative abundance of regionally fished species within the lagoon, on the slope and in the mesophotic habitat at the Rowley Shoals at three times …

Resource Assessment Report Abrolhos Islands And Mid-West Trawl Managed Fishery Resource, Mervi Kangas, A Chandrapavan, Anne Wilkins, E. A. Fisher, S. Evans

WA Marine Stewardship Council report series

This document provides a cumulative description and assessment of the Abrolhos Islands and Mid-West Trawl Managed Fishery (AIMWTMF) and all of the fishing activities (i.e. fisheries / fishing sectors) affecting this resource in Western Australia (WA). This resource comprises of a single species of scallop, Ylistrum balloti which occurs in inshore waters to around 40 m depth at the Abrolhos Islands. This species is captured exclusively by demersal otter trawl gear in the West Coast Bioregion.

Large-Scale Edna Metabarcoding Survey Reveals Marine Biogeographic Break And Transitions Over Tropical North-Western Australia, Katrina M. West, Michael J. Travers, Michael Stat, Euan S. Harvey, Zoe T. Richards, Joseph D. Dibattista, Stephen J. Newman, Alastair V. Harry, Craig L. Skepper, Matthew Heydenrych, Michael Bunce

Fisheries Research Articles

Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding has demonstrated its applicability as a highly sensitive biomonitoring tool across small spatial and temporal scales in marine ecosystems. However, it has rarely been tested across large spatial scales or biogeographical barriers. Here, we scale up marine eDNA metabarcoding, test its ability to detect a major marine biogeographic break and evaluate its use as a regional biomonitoring tool in Australia.

Status Reports Of The Fisheries And Aquatic Resources Of Western Australia 2019/20. State Of The Fisheries, Daniel J. Gaughan, K. Santoro

Status Reports of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources

The Status Reports of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of Western Australia (SRFAR) provide an annual update on the state of the fish stocks and other aquatic resources of Western Australia (WA). These reports outline the most recent assessments of the cumulative risk status for each of the aquatic resources (assets) within WA’s six Bioregions using an Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management (EBFM) approach.

Status Reports Of The Fisheries And Aquatic Resources Of Western Australia 2020/21, S.J. Newman, B.S. Wise, K.G. Santoro, D.J. Gaughan

Status Reports of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources

The Status Reports of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of Western Australia (SRFAR) provide an annual update on the state of the fish stocks and other aquatic resources of Western Australia (WA). These reports outline the most recent assessments of the cumulative risk status for each of the aquatic resources (assets) within WA’s six Bioregions using an Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management (EBFM) approach. The Departments’ risk based EBFM framework is the State government’s basis for management of all Western Australia’s aquatic resources.

Blue Swimmer Crab Resource Of South-West Western Australia Harvest Strategy : 2020-2025 : Version 1.0, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Management Papers

No abstract provided.

Estuarine And Nearshore Finfish Resource Of South-West Western Australia Harvest Strategy : 2020-2025 : Version 1.0, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Management Papers

No abstract provided.

West Coast Deep Sea Crustacean Resource Harvest Strategy 2020-2025, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Management Papers

No abstract provided.

Saucer Scallop Resource Of Shark Bay Harvest Strategy : 2020-2025 : Version 1.0, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Management Papers

No abstract provided.

Ecological Risk Assessment For The Peel-Harvey Estuarine Fishery, E. A. Fisher, S. N. Evans, Cameron J. Desfosses, Danielle Johnston, R Duffy, K. A. Smith

Fisheries Research Reports

An ecological risk assessment (ERA) of the Peel-Harvey Estuarine Fisheries (Fisheries) was convened by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western Australia (WA) on 9 September 2020. ERAs are conducted by the Department as part of its Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management framework and the outputs will inform the updated harvest strategies for these resources, as well as the upcoming Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) re-assessment of the Fisheries. The Fisheries within the scope of this current ERA include the commercial net and crab trap fishery (West Coast Estuarine Managed Fishery: Area 2), and the blue swimmer crab recreational (drop …

International Workshop On Recreational Fishing Surveys, Rachel Marks, Cameron J. Desfosses, Alissa Tate

Fisheries Research Reports

Recreational fishing surveys have been conducted by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD, formerly Department of Fisheries) since 1975 (Tate et al., 2020). Within Western Australia, the first international workshop on recreational fishing surveys was held in January 2010 at the Western Australian Fisheries Marine Research Laboratories in Perth. The workshop aimed to audit existing survey methods and make recommendations for the design of integrated surveys to estimate recreational fishing harvest, catch and effort at statewide and bioregional scales (Wise & Fletcher 2013).

Aquaculture Development Plan For Western Australia: Focusing On The Key Foundations Of Growth - November 2020, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries Published Reports

The Aquaculture Plan has been developed in response to a government commitment and informed by input from industry and the Regional Development Commissions. Consultation on this Aquaculture Plan provided further opportunity for comments and discussions within the aquaculture sector as well as relevant external agencies. A final draft was released on the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development’s (DPIRD) website for a consultation period, affording the opportunity for public feedback.

The Aquaculture Plan is included and referenced in DPIRD’s Primary Industries Plan.

The development of the Aquaculture Plan has also been informed by the Aquaculture Industry Engagement Consortium (2017), …

Administrative Guideline No.2: Principles For Grant And Management Of Aquaculture Leases In Coastal Waters Of Western Australia, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development

Fisheries Administrative Guidelines

Under s.246 of the Fish Resources Management Act 1994 (FRMA), the Minister for Fisheries (Minister) may issue guidelines for the administration or enforcement of the Act.

This Administrative Guideline (Guideline) sets out the principles and processes for granting and managing aquaculture leases; its purpose is to provide guidance to the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (Department) and continued certainty and transparency for the aquaculture industry, stakeholders and the community.

Limitations On Inferring Shark Vulnerability From Spatial Habitat Protection. Response To Shark Conservation Hindered By Lack Of Habitat Protection, Matias Braccini, Stephen J. Newman

Fisheries Research Articles

Birkmanis et al. (2020a) used occurrence data obtained from commercial fisheries to infer the suitable habitat for eight shark species within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Australia, and quantify the amount of suitable habitat contained within existing no-fishing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). The authors state that shark conservation is hindered because suitable habitat is mostly unprotected from commercial fishing, therefore increasing the vulnerability of the assessed species. In doing so, the authors imply that shark conservation depends predominantly on establishing MPAs in highly suitable habitats; this, unfortunately, would disregard the broad range of other measures available in the fisheries …

Understanding Recruitment Variation (Including The Collapse) Of Ballot’S Saucer Scallop Stocks In Western Australia And Assessing The Feasibility Of Assisted Recovery Measures For Improved Management In A Changing Environment. Frdc Project No. 2015/026, Arani Chandrapavan, Mervi Kangas, Nick Caputi

Fisheries Research Reports

This study examined possible contributing environmental factors to the recruitment variability of the Ballot’s saucer scallop Ylistrum balloti across the main stocks in Western Australia. The project was undertaken to explain the variation observed between years and between regions as well elucidating the potential cause of a major decline in scallop stocks following an extreme marine heatwave, with these findings intended to improve future management advice.

Blue Swimmer Crab ( Portunus Armatus ) And Sand Crab ( Ovalipes Australiensis ) Resource In The South Coast Bioregion Of Western Australia, D Johnston, David Harris, Daniel Yeoh

Fisheries Research Reports

The blue swimmer crab (Portunus armatus) is found along the entire coastline of Western Australia (WA) in a range of estuarine, inshore and continental shelf areas (<50 >m). In the South Coast Bioregion (SCB), blue swimmer crabs are retained as by-product in commercial nets of the 25 licences operating in the South Coast Estuarine Managed Fishery (SCEMF) and targeted by purpose-designed crab traps allocated to fishers in Princess Royal and Oyster Harbours in Albany.

Blue Swimmer Crab ( Portunus Armatus ) And Mud Crab Scylla Serrata And Scylla Olivacea ) Resources In The North Coast And Gascoyne Coast Bioregions, Western Australia, D Johnston, Daniel Yeoh, David Harris, E Fisher

Fisheries Research Reports

Blue swimmer crab (Portunus armatus) are found along the entire Western Australia (WA) coast, in a range of estuarine, inshore and continental shelf areas (<50 >m). In the North Coast Bioregion (NCB), commercial fishing primarily occurs as part of the Pilbara Crab Managed Fishery (PCMF) which spans the inshore waters from Onslow through to Port Hedland, with most fishing activity taking place around Nickol Bay.

West Coast Demersal Scalefish Resource Harvest Strategy 2021-2025 : Version 1.0, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Management Papers

No abstract provided.

Integrated Fisheries Management Draft Allocation Report – West Coast Demersal Scalefish, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Management Papers

No abstract provided.

Blue Swimmer Crab Resource Of Shark Bay Harvest Strategy : 2020-2025 : Version 1.0, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Management Papers

No abstract provided.

Saucer Scallop Resource Of The Abrolhos Islands Harvest Strategy : 2020 - 2025 : Version 1.1, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Management Papers

No abstract provided.

Blue Swimmer Crab ( Portunus Armatus ) Resource In The West Coast Bioregion, Western Australia Part 2: Warnbro Sound, Comet Bay, Mandurah To Bunbury, Leschenault Estuary, Geographe Bay An D Hardy Inlet, D Johnston, David Harris, Daniel Yeoh

Fisheries Research Reports

Blue swimmer crabs (Portunus armatus) are found along the entire coastline of Western Australia in a range of estuarine, inshore and continental shelf environments (<50 >m).

Crab fisheries in the West Coast Bioregion are centred in the estuaries and coastal embayments from the Swan-Canning Estuary south to Geographe Bay. Major commercial and recreational fisheries in this Bioregion include the Cockburn Sound Crab Managed Fishery, the Swan-Canning Estuary Crab Fishery (Area 1 of the West Coast Estuarine Managed Fishery), and the Peel-Harvey Crab Fishery (Area 2 of the West Coast Estuarine Managed Fishery). Refer to Johnston et al. …

Blue Swimmer Crab ( Portunus Armatus ) Resource In The West Coast Bioregion, Western Australia Part 1: Peel Harvey Estuary, Cockburn Sound And Swan Canning Estuary, D Johnston, Daniel Yeoh, David Harris, E Fisher

Fisheries Research Reports

Blue swimmer crabs (Portunus armatus) are found along the entire coastline of Western Australia in a range of estuarine, inshore and continental shelf areas (<50 >m). In the West Coast Bioregion (WCB), crab fisheries are centred in estuaries and coastal embayments from Geographe Bay to the Swan River. Commercial fisheries include the Cockburn Sound Crab Managed Fishery (CSCMF), the Warnbro Sound Crab Managed Fishery, the Swan-Canning Estuary (SCE) Crab Fishery (Area 1 of the West Coast Estuarine Managed Fishery (WCEMF)), Peel-Harvey Crab Fishery (Area 2 of the WCEMF), Hardy Inlet (Area 3 of the WCEMF) and the Mandurah …

Blue Swimmer Crab Resource Of South-West Western Australia Harvest Strategy 2020-2025 Draft, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development

Fisheries Management Papers

No abstract provided.