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Resource Assessment Report No. 4: North Coast Demersal Scalefish Resource - Kimberley 2025 Assessment, Fabian Trinnie, Rubie Evans-Powell, Ainslie Denham, Sybrand A. Hesp, Corey Wakefield, Craig L. Skepper, Brett Crisafulli, Stephen J. Newman

Resource Assessment Reports

The North Coast Demersal Scalefish Resource (NCDSR) comprises ecological suites of tropical demersal fish species that occur predominantly in inshore waters (20–250 m deep) and offshore waters ( > 250 m deep) of the North Coast Bioregion (NCB). More than 60 demersal species are landed by fisheries operating in the Kimberley and Pilbara regions of the NCB each year, including high-value snappers (Lutjanidae), groupers (Epinephelidae), and emperors (Lethrinidae). As outlined in the NCDSR Harvest Strategy (DPIRD, 2017), the Kimberley resource is currently monitored through annual reviews of total removals and catch rate trends of indicator species, as well as periodic (every …

The Efficacy Of Rosemary Oil And Microencapsulated Essential Oils On Zeuxapta Seriolae Mitigation In Yellowtail Kingfish, Seriola Lalandi, Md Reaz Chaklader, Lindsey Woolley, Ross Woodward-Williams, Richard Smullen, Gavin J. Partridge

Fisheries Research Articles

Two additives, rosemary oil and a commercial herbal product (HP; AROTEC-G) containing garlic essential oil, carvacrol and thymol were investigated for their potential to reduce the parasitic burden in yellowtail kingfish (YTK; Seriola lalandi) infected with Zeuxapta seriolae. Naturally infected fish were fed diets supplemented with either 2.5 mL.kg−1 rosemary oil or two concentrations of HP (5 and 10 g.kg−1) for 20 days. At 10 and 20 days, the effect of the diets on parasite abundance was evaluated. Feed intake and growth were similar across treatments (p > 0.05). By day 10, both rosemary oil and HP significantly …

Successful Artificial Incubation And Juvenile-Rearing Of Dropped Eggs Of A Critically Endangered Freshwater Crayfish (Cherax Tenuimanus), Rodney Duffy Dr., Blaine Hodgson, Amber Quinn, Marcus Newman

Fisheries Research Articles

One-third of the world’s freshwater crayfish species face extinction risk, necessitating extreme and urgent conservation measures such as captive rearing. Little information exists on these measures for most threatened species. The hairy marron, Cherax tenuimanus (Parastacidae), is a critically endangered freshwater crayfish endemic to the Margaret River in south-western Western Australia. C. tenuimanus is being rapidly replaced by the smooth marron, Cherax cainii, a translocated congener, causing its progressive decline in range, and now it faces imminent extinction in the wild. Attempts at captive breeding have resulted in few occurrences of egg laying of C. tenuimanus, which ended in complete …

Recreational Boat Fishing Participation Varies Across Bioregional Fisheries In Western Australia, With Persistent Patterns Within Fisheries And Fisher Typologies Over Time, Karina L. Ryan, Eva Lai, Claire B. Smallwood, Jeremy M. Lyle, Kate E. Stark, Sean R. Tracey

Fisheries Research Articles

Recreational fishing is popular worldwide and understanding variability in participation can inform policies that seek to improve sustain[1]ability of recreational fisheries and amenity for recreational fishers. However, not all recreational fishers are alike in their demographics or behaviours. This study explores temporal and spatial variability in licensed boat-based recreational fishing participation in Western Australia using data from a consistent survey design delivered 12 times from 2011 to 2024. Five fisher participation typologies were identified across four marine bioregions (North Coast, Gascoyne Coast, West Coast, and South Coast) and four fishery types (demersal, nearshore, pelagic, and invertebrate) with varied fisher characteristics …

Fisheries Research Report No. 350: Recreational Vessel Retrievals In Western Australia - 2009 To 2024, Stephen C. Bradshaw, Claire B. Smallwood, Stuart J. Blight, Troy Matthews, Karina L. Ryan

Fisheries Research Reports

This report provides a time series (2009 – 2024) of the total number of recreational vessel (powerboat) retrievals at a spatial (boat ramp) and temporal (annual, month, hour) resolution for 32 boat ramps distributed from Wyndham to Esperance. This time series has been developed using a workflow that outlines each step, from acquiring raw video data to producing a completed time series of vessel retrievals. As part of this workflow, modelling was undertaken to impute counts of vessel retrieval for sites and hours for which data had not been read, or for which there were significant outages. Features within the …

Fisheries Research Report No. 353: Ecological Risk Assessment For The North Coast Demersal Scalefish Resource, Kimberley A. Smith, Brett Crisafulli, Gabby E. Mitsopoulos, Fabian I. Trinnie, Taylor Grosse, T Thompson, Stephen J. Newman

Fisheries Research Reports

On the 26 March 2025, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) convened an ecological risk assessment (ERA) of the fisheries that access the North Coast Demersal Scalefish Resource (Resource). This Resource comprises a large number of tropical demersal scalefish species that occur in waters of the North Coast Bioregion, including tropical snappers, emperors and cods.

This document contains the results of the ERA along with the background information used to support the risk scoring process. This includes an overview of the Western Australian commercial fisheries that access the Resource, namely the Pilbara Fish Trawl Interim Managed Fishery, …

Fisheries Research Report No. 361: 2024 Assessment Of The Status Of The Elasmobranch Resource Of Western Australia, Matias Braccini, Alex Hesp

Fisheries Research Reports

This document provides the 2024 risk-based weight of evidence stock assessment for the elasmobranch (sharks and rays) resource of Western Australia (WA). Gummy (Mustelus antarcticus), dusky (Carcharhinus obscurus), whiskery (Furgaleus macki), and sandbar (C. plumbeus) sharks are the most commonly captured species (~80% of the elasmobranch catch) and have been selected as indicator species for the status of the temperate elasmobranch ‘suite’. However, over 100 elasmobranch species have been caught in commercial and/or recreational fisheries in WA and, with the increasing number of elasmobranch species being listed in national and international protection lists, species-specific scientific advice on stock status at …

Advancing Fishery Dependent And Independent Habitat Assessments Using Automated Image Analysis: A Fisheries Management Agency Case Study, Scott Evans, Bronson Philippa, Carlo Mattone, Nick Konzewitsch, Renae Hovey, Marcus Sheaves, Gary A. Kendrick, Lynda M. Bellchambers

Fisheries Research Articles

Advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning have revolutionised data analysis, including in the field of marine and fisheries sciences. However, many fisheries agencies manage sensitive or proprietary data that cannot be shared externally, which can limit the adoption of externally hosted artificial intelligence platforms. In this study, we develop and evaluate two residual network-based automatic image annotation models to process fishery specific habitat data to support ecosystem-based fisheries management in the Exmouth Gulf Prawn Managed Fishery in Western Australia. Using an extensive dataset of 13,128 manually annotated benthic habitat images, we train a grid-based annotation model and an image-level …

Fisheries Science Update - Pilbara Fishing Competition Science 2020 To 2024 - July 2025, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries Science Updates

Key Points:

• Pilbara recreational fishing competitions are helping to track the sustainability of pelagic species like Spanish mackerel.
• Over 500 pelagic fish have been sampled at Pilbara fishing competitions over 5 years.
• This information goes towards DPIRD’s assessment of Spanish mackerel and monitoring the large pelagic resource in the North Coast Bioregion.

Fisheries Research Report No. 352: Boat-Based Recreational Fishing In Western Australia 2023/24, Karina L. Ryan, Eva K. Lai, Claire B. Smallwood, Alissa Tate

Fisheries Research Reports

The integrated survey of boat-based recreational fishing includes three components: off-site phone surveys (encompassing an initial screening survey, a longitudinal phone-diary survey, and post-enumeration surveys), on-site boat ramp surveys and remote camera surveys. The recent phone-diary survey from September 2023 to August 2024 (inclusive) provides comparisons with previous surveys in 2020/21 (September 2020 to August 2021), 2017/18 (September 2017 to August 2018), 2015/16 (September 2015 to August 2016), 2013/14 (May 2013 to April 2014) and 2011/12 (March 2011 to February 2012).

Sustainable Fishmeal Alternatives: Impact Of Partially Defatted Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia Illucens) Meal On Growth And Health Of Yellowtail Kingfish (Seriola Lalandi), Luke Pilmer, Lindsey Woolley, Alan J. Lymbery, Michael Salini, Chinh Dam, Md Javed Foysal, Gavin Partridge

Fisheries Research Articles

Reducing fishmeal (FM) in aquaculture diets is essential for improving sustainability and reducing reliance on marine resources. Black soldier fly (BSF; Hermetia illucens) larvae meal is a promising alternative protein source. This study evaluated the effects of replacing FM with BSF meal on the growth and health of juvenile yellowtail kingfish (YTK) (Seriola lalandi, initial weight ~22 g). Fish were reared in 24 tanks (three replicates per treatment) and fed for 33 days under controlled conditions. Eight diets were tested: a control (40% FM) and seven diets with BSF meal replacing FM at 25%, 50%, or 75%, …

West Coast Demersal Scalefish Resource Recovery Support Package: 2023-24 Report, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries Published Reports

The West Coast Demersal Scalefish Resource (WCDSR) includes over 100 species in inshore (20–250 m deep) and offshore ( > 250 m) demersal habitats of the West Coast Bioregion. These species are caught by charter, commercial and recreational fishers.

The WCDSR is in recovery and managed under a 20-year recovery plan (2010–2030). DPIRD tracks recovery progress through scientific stock assessments of the indicator species (snapper, WA dhufish, and baldchin groper) every 3 years.

The 2021 WCDSR stock assessment showed limited recovery and additional management action was required.

In December 2022, the Minister for Fisheries announced commercial and recreational (including charter) sector …

Fisheries Research Report No. 351: Ecological Risk Assessment For The Western Australian Southern Nearshore Fish Resource, Kimberley A. Smith, Brett Crisafulli, Amber Quinn, Bianca Brooks, Gabby E. Mitsopoulos, Daniel Yeoh

Fisheries Research Reports

On 3 December 2024, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD, the Department) convened an ecological risk assessment (ERA) of the fisheries that access the Southern Nearshore Fish Resource (Resource). This Resource comprises a range of temperate fish species including Australian herring, Australian salmon, whiting, garfish, tailor and sandy sprat.

This document contains the results of the ERA as well as the background information used to support the ERA risk scoring process. This includes an overview of the Western Australian commercial, recreational and charter fisheries that access the Resource.

Fisheries Occasional Publication No.148 - Aquaculture Of Seaweed In Western Australia: Policy Principles Relating To Licences And Exemptions For The Aquaculture Of Seaweed In Western Australia, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries Occasional Publications

of aquaculture, and clarifies the process and information required to assess applications for aquaculture licences, leases and exemptions for seaweed aquaculture in WA.

Development of principles will support decision-making for the take of wild seaweed and for the grant or variation of aquaculture licences for seaweed aquaculture.

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.

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 …

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 …

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) …