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Department Of Fisheries Annual Report To Parliament 2007/08, Government Of Western Australia Department Of Fisheries

Department of Fisheries Annual Reports

In accordance with Section 61 of the Financial Management Act 2006 (FMA) and Section 263 of the Fish Resources Management Act 1994 (FRMA), | submit for your information the Annual Report to Parliament of the Department of Fisheries of Western Australia for the financial year ending 30 June 2008.

If there is a key word to describe the bulk of the Department of Fisheries' achievements during 2007/08, 'collaborative' fits very well.

Collaboration is, of course, essential in the work of a government agency that deals with a variety of clients, and must be accountable to the Parliament and public of …

An Analysis Of Demographic Disparities Associated With The Proposed U.S.-Mexico Border Fence In Cameron County, Texas, J. Gaines Wilson, Jude A. Benavides, E. Anthony Reisinger, Joseph Lemen, Zachary Hurwitz, Jessica Spangler, Karen Engle

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Introduction: The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) plans to install a fence along the U.S.-Mexico border by late December 2008. While much attention has been drawn to the environmental, social and political issues surrounding the fence, analysis of demographic data on the populations that will be directly affected has been limited. This paper utilizes geographic information systems (GIS) and U.S. Census Bureau data with the objective of understanding the underlying demographics in areas along the proposed Rio Grande Valley section of the border fence located in Cameron County, Texas.

Data and Methods: Demographic measures of income, education, …

Fisheries Research Report No. 160 - Development Of Biodiversity And Habitat Monitoring Systems For Key Trawl Fisheries In Western Australia., Mervi Kangas, S. Morrison, P. Unsworth, Eva K M Lai, I. Wright, Adrian W. Thomson

Fisheries Research Reports

Final FRDC report - Project 2002/038

The need for this project was identified through the ESD Risk Assessment workshops held for the Shark Bay and Exmouth Gulf trawl fisheries in May and October 2001. Bycatch issues in the Shark Bay and Exmouth fisheries were identified as a moderate risk through an Ecological Risk Assessment workshop. A better understanding of the faunal composition and habitat preferences of bycatch species in both trawled and untrawled areas has assisted in determining the level of risk to bycatch species. The project provided baseline data on biodiversity and variability of trawl bycatch on and off …

Fisheries Research Report No. 168 - Sustainable Development Of Barramundi Cage Aquaculture At Lake Argyle., Brett Glencross, S. Percival, B. Jones, J Hughes

Fisheries Research Reports

Final FRDC report and KSRP report - Project 2003/026

A preliminary sensory evaluation study was conducted to confirm the presence of a taint issue. Prior to this the issue was reliant on purchaser feedback and was not verified independently. To examine the issue of flavour taint a series of barramundi samples were collected from Lake Argyle (purged and unpurged), wild (estuarine) and marine farmed barramundi were assessed. No significant differences in flavour attributes and/or acceptability attributes were detected between the wild and farmed barramundi, provided the barramundi was either marine-farmed or purged. However, it was determined that a clear “muddy” …

Fisheries Research Report No. 166 - Stock Enhancement Of Haliotis Laevigata In Western Australia - A Preliminary Assessment, Anthony M. Hart, Frank Fabris, Sabine Daume

Fisheries Research Reports

A preliminary assessment of stock enhancement of Haliotis laevigata (Greenlip abalone) in Western Australia was undertaken with the release of 6,000 abalone near Augusta in 2004. The objective of the project was to obtain quantitative data on the likelihood of enhancement, as an additional management tool to TACs and size-limits, being successful in natural habitats in Western Australia. Baseline surveys coupled with an assessment of growth and survival of released 1+ and 2 + animals were undertaken at 12 sites within Flinders Bay, Augusta. Overall survival was 19% for 1+ age abalone and 27% for 2+ animals after 9 months. …

Fisheries Research Report No. 163 - Spatial Scales Of Exploitation Among Populations Of Demersal Scalefish: Implications For Management. Part 1: Stock Status Of The Key Indicator Species For The Demersal Scalefish Fishery In The West Coast Bioregion., Department Of Fisheries, Western Australia

Fisheries Research Reports

Final FRDC report - Project 2003/052

The levels of exploitation on dhufish and pink snapper across the West Coast Bioregion and for baldchin groper at the Abrolhos Islands are above international benchmark standards. This indicates that these stocks are currently being overfished and are therefore likely to be being depleted to levels below those necessary to ensure their long-term sustainability. The current reliance of the dhufish catch on a single recruitment pulse together with the extremely truncated age distribution of pink snapper indicates that both these stocks are particularly vulnerable.

The West Coast Demersal Scalefish Fishery is a multi-species fishery …

A Comprehensive Wetland Program For Fringing Salt Marshes In The York River, Maine, Pamela A. Morgan, Jeremy Miller, Christopher Cayce Dalton, Michele Dionne

Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

The overall goal of this project was to assist the Town of York, Maine, in its efforts to monitor and protect the fringing salt marshes along the York River. In particular, the project focused on potential impacts to the marshes due to shoreline development pressures. Specific objectives included (1) gathering baseline data about the marshes (2) developing a set of indicators to be used in future monitoring, and (3) generating management recommendations.

Fisheries Research Report No.161 - Distribution And Abundance Of Juvenile Pink Snapper, Pagrus Auratus, In The Gulfs Of Shark Bay, Western Australia, From Trap Surveys, Gary Jackson, C. Burton, Michael J. Moran, Ben Radford

Fisheries Research Reports

Trap surveys using Antillean-Z fish traps were carried out across a range of depths and habitat types in the gulfs of Shark Bay between 1998 and 2000. Objectives of the study were (i) to evaluate the efficiency of the fish traps in catching 0+ and 1+ pink snapper (Pagrus auratus), (ii) to investigate the distribution and abundance of juvenile pink snapper in both gulfs using trap surveys, (iii) to investigate the influence of environmental factors including habitat-type on the distribution of juvenile pink snapper and, (iv) to develop trap indices of 0+ relative abundance and assess their use for monitoring …

Fisheries Research Report No.159 - A 12-Month Survey Of Recreational Estuarine Fishing In The South Coast Bioregion Of Western Australia During 2002/03, C.B. Smallwood, N. R. Sumner

Fisheries Research Reports

The Recreational Fisheries Program of the Department of Fisheries, Western Australia, has a strategic plan to conduct comprehensive creel surveys of recreational fishing in each of the state’s marine bioregions (Penn et al., 2003). These bioregions are the West Coast, Gascoyne, Pilbara/ Kimberley and South Coast (Figure 1). To record and monitor changes in recreational catch and fishing effort, an integrated approach where all bioregions are to be surveyed on a regular basis was proposed. Until this study, the South Coast was the only bioregion in which a survey of recreational fishing had not been undertaken. Although originally intended to …

Light Environment And Seasonal Dynamics Of Microalgae In The Annual Sea Ice At Terra Nova Bay, Ross Sea, Antarctica, L. Lazzara, I. Nardello, C. Ermanni, O. Mangoni, V. Saggiomo

OES Faculty Publications

We investigated the physical conditions of the Spring pack ice environment at Terra Nova Bay to understand their influence on the structure and physiology of sympagic microalgae. Bio-optical methods were used to study the availability and spectral quality of solar radiation, both inside and underneath the ice cover. Pack ice thickness was around 2.5 m, with a temperature between -2 and -7°C. On average, only 1.4% of surface PAR penetrated to the bottom ice and less than 0.6% below platelet ice level. Surface UV-B radiation under the bottom ice was 0.2-0.4%. Biomass concentrations up to 2400 mg Chl a m- …

Trampling, Peeling And Nibbling Mussels: An Experimental Assessment Of Mechanical And Predatory Damage To Shells Of Mytilus Trossulus (Mollusca: Mytilidae), Carlos E. Cintra-Buenrostro

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Shell damage, if properly recognized, can provide information about biotic interactions between molluscs and their predators. However, it can be difficult to distinguish predatory damage from mechanical breakage, thus making interpretation of damaged modern and fossil shells problematic. To establish a clear-cut distinction between antemortem predatory crab damage and ante- and postmortem mechanical damage in Mytilus trossulus shells, a combined field and experimental approach was used. Mussels were exposed to predation by crabs, tumbled-live, tumbled-dead, and trampled. After 100 h of tumbling, live-collected mussel shells were abraded and disarticulated but not otherwise damaged. Eight percent of the dead-collected shells were …

On The Use Of Modis Evi To Assess Gross Primary Productivity Of North American Ecosystems, Daniel A. Sims, Abdullah Rahman, Vicente D. Cordova, Bassil Z. El-Masri, Dennis D. Baldocchi, Lawrence B. Flanagan, Allen H. Goldstein, David Y. Hollinger, Laurent Misson, Russell K. Monson, Walter C. Oechel, Hans P. Schmid, Steven C. Wofsy, Liukang Xu

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

[1] Carbon flux models based on light use efficiency (LUE), such as the MOD17 algorithm, have proved difficult to parameterize because of uncertainties in the LUE term, which is usually estimated from meteorological variables available only at large spatial scales. In search of simpler models based entirely on remote‐sensing data, we examined direct relationships between the enhanced vegetation index (EVI) and gross primary productivity (GPP) measured at nine eddy covariance flux tower sites across North America. When data from the winter period of inactive photosynthesis were excluded, the overall relationship between EVI and tower GPP was better than that between …

Fisheries Research Contract Report No. 15 - Aquatic Animal Health Subprogram: Pilchard Herpesvirus Infection In Wild Pilchards (Frdc Project No. 2002/044) Final Report, Brian Jones, Melanie Crockford, Richard Whittington, Mark Crane, Graham Wilcox

Fisheries Research Contract Reports

In 1995 and again in 1998/9, millions of pilchards (Sardinops sagax neopilchardus) were found dead or dying off the coast of Australia. Some pilchards in New Zealand were also affected during the 1995 epizootic. The epizootics moved progressively in a "bushfire-like" manner against the prevailing currents at a rapid speed. An uncharacterised herpesvirus, pilchard herpesvirus (PHV), was associated with both mortality events and, based on its occurrence in affected fish and the disease pathogenesis, generally accepted as the causative agent, although experimental evidence of its role was not established. Until recently, rapid and sensitive methods to detect PHV were not …

Fisheries Research Report No. 158 - An Assessment Of The Blue Swimmer Crab Fishery In Geographe Bay, Lynda M. Bellchambers, K. D. Smith, D. Harris

Fisheries Research Reports

The study was undertaken to provide detailed information on blue swimmer crabs in Geographe Bay so that the recreational and commercial fishery issues could be addressed using more accurate data than was previously available. A ministerial decision that banned commercial fishing for blue swimmer crabs in Geographe Bay was made in January 2005 while this study was underway. The intention of this report was to provide a summary of information on crab stocks in the region, not to alter the current management arrangements. This report describes experimental sampling, commercial catch statistics, commercial catch monitoring and surveys of recreational fishers to …

Fisheries Research Report No. 155 - Identification Of Western Australian Grey Nurse Shark Aggregation Sites., J. Chidlow, Daniel J. Gaughan, Rory Mcauley

Fisheries Research Reports

Final report to the Australian Government, Department of the Environment and Heritage

The first phase of this project involved a desktop study to broadly identify areas where Western Australian Grey Nurse Sharks potentially aggregate for further investigation with field surveys. These areas were identified from information obtained from commercial shark fishers, previously unpublished research data, as well as anecdotal reports of sightings or captures from recreational divers and fishers, professional dive stores, dive clubs and charter boat operators. A total of 25 survey areas were identified during the desktop study, 16 of which were in depths less than 30m and …

Geochemistry Of Benthic Foraminifera As An Environmental Indicator: A Study From Multiple Hydrographic Regimes, Chandranath Basak

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The geochemistry (stable isotopes and Lracc clements) or living (sLaincd) calcareous benthic foraminifera was compared with ambient botlom water stable isotope values to provide modern analog conditions and calibrations for environmental and paleoenvironmental assessments. Stable isotope values of live (stained) bcnthic foraminifera were investigated from push core and multicorer samples from the North Pacific (on the Aleutian margin, water depth 1988m) and the South Australian Bight (water depth 2476m and 1634m). Living benthic foraminifera specimens collected from contaminated sites in the Venice Lagoon were analyzed for trace elements. Both the isotopic and the trace element study involved interpretation of modern …

Hydrodynamic Mediation Of Density-Dependent Growth And Adult-Juvenile Interactions Of A Spionid Polychaete, Brent T. Hentschel, Amy A. Larson

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Abstract We performed an experiment to test the effects of adult density on the growth rates of juvenile Polydora cornuta. Our experiment was performed in three identical counter-rotating annular flumes, each set to one of three different flow speeds for a period of 3 d (U 5mm = 3, 6, or 12 cm s^-1 , where U_5mm = velocity measured 5 mm above bottom). We implanted replicate vials containing a premeasured juvenile P. cornuta and either 0, 2, or 5 adults into a 2-cm layer of sediment in the flume. The relative growth rates of the juveniles …

Fisheries Research Report No. 153 - A 12-Month Survey Of Recreational Fishing In The Pilbara Region Of Western Australia During 1999-2000, P C. Williamson, Neil R. Sumner, B E. Malseed

Fisheries Research Reports

A 12-month creel survey of recreational boat-based and shore-based fishing in the Pilbara region (Onslow to Broome inclusive) of Western Australia was conducted between December 1999 and November 2000. During the survey 3,085 boat crews were interviewed at public boat ramps when they returned from their fishing trips. Patrols conducted along the coastline interviewed 73 groups of boat-based fishers and 569 groups of shore-based fishers at fishing locations and camp sites.

The total annual recreational fishing effort for the Pilbara region was estimated to be 201,000 fisher days (95%CI: 193,000 – 210,000). This comprised 109,000 fisher days by boats launched …

Fisheries Research Report No 154 - The Development Of A Rigorous Sampling Methodology For A Long-Term Annual Index Of Recruitment For Finfish Species From South-Western Australia., Daniel J. Gaughan, Suzanne G. Ayvazian, G Nowara, M Craine

Fisheries Research Reports

Final FRDC Report - 1999/153.

This study has determined the optimal strategies to achieve statistically robust indices of recruitment of five key finfish species in south-western Australia. For another two species such indices could not be established. The sampling strategies developed will initially focus on the most appropriate location, month, and lunar phase, after which fine tuning of the sampling activity will be undertaken with respect to time of day, tide height, weather conditions etc. A significant outcome from the project is that five finfish species have a sampling strategy for recruits that can be utilized as a monitoring program …

Recommended Management Arrangements For The West Coast Commercial 'Wetline' Fishery. A Report To The Minister For Fisheries., West Coast And Gascoyne Management Planning Panel.

Fisheries Management Papers

No abstract provided.

Recommended Access And Allocation Criteria For The West Coast And Gascoyne Commercial 'Wetline' Fisheries. A Report To The Ministry Of Fisheries., The Commercial Access Panel.

Fisheries Management Papers

The CAP’s primary responsibility was to develop criteria for access and allocation within the context of the management framework developed by the MPP. It is therefore important that this management paper is read in conjunction with the papers prepared by the MPP that outline the recommended management arrangements for the Gascoyne (Fisheries Management Paper No. 205) and the West Coast (Fisheries Management Paper No. 206) regions.

Assessment Of Western Rock Lobster Strategic Management Options. A Bio-Economic Evaluation Of Management Options For The West Coast Rock Lobster Fishery. Vol. 2, Economic Research Associates Pty Ltd

Fisheries Management Papers

Economic Research Associates (ERA) was commissioned to evaluate the relative ‘socio-economic’ benefits of alternative management Scenarios for the Western Rock Lobster Managed Fishery. This study is intended as input into industry’s consideration of the future management policy direction for the fishery.

Differential Expression Of Immune Response Genes In Steller Sea Lions (Eumetopias Jubatus): An Indicator Of Ecosystem Health?, Lizabeth Bowen, Brian Aldridge, Kimberlee Beckmen, Tom Gelatt, Lorrie Rea, Kathy Burek, Ken Pitcher, Jeffrey L. Stott

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Characterization of the polygenic and polymorphic features of the Steller sea lion major histocompatibility complex (MHC) provides an ideal window for evaluating immunologic vigor of the population and identifying emergence of new genotypes that reflect ecosystem pressures. MHC genotyping can be used to measure the potential immunologic vigor of a population. However, since ecosystem-induced changes to MHC genotype can be slow to emerge, measurement of differential expression of these genes can potentially provide real-time evidence of immunologic perturbations. MHC DRB genes were cloned and sequenced using peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes derived from 10 Steller sea lions from southeast Alaska, Prince …

Fisheries Occasional Publication No. 33 - Department Of Fisheries Community Survey 2005, Tara Baharthah

Fisheries Occasional Publications

A telephone survey of the Western Australian public was conducted to assess the level of success of programs implemented by the Department of Fisheries. The sample comprised of 700 interviews, 422 in the metropolitan area and 278 in regional areas throughout the State.

This community survey was used to determine the level of recall and awareness of the Department of Fisheries, the understanding and support of the community for the Department of Fisheries' management strategies and to examine key aspects of community participation in recreational fishing.

It is estimated that the overall participation rate for recreational fishing in Western Australia …

Study Of Metals In Leached Soils Of A Municipal Dumpsite In Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico: Preliminary Results, P. F. Rodríguez-Espinosa, D. Chazaro Mendoza, J. A. Montes De Oca, G. Sánchez Torres E., Alejandro Fierro-Cabo

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

The Zapote dumpsite measures 420000 m 2 and is 28 years old; an estimated 2.5 millions tons of waste have accumulated on the site (household waste, clinical waste, commercial waste). The thickness of the waste is 3 to 9 meters. Since operations began, no control regulations have existed on the residues received. The Zapote dumpsite is located within a salt-marsh between a system of channels and river lagoons of brackish water, located in a tropical sedimentary environment in the urban zone of Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Recently, the Zapote has been closed and work is presently underway in its rehabilitation since …

Detecting Submarine Groundwater Discharge With Synoptic Surveys Of Sediment Resistivity, Radium, And Salinity, John A. Breier, Crystaline F. Breier, Henrietta Edmonds

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

A synoptic geophysical and geochemical survey was used to investigate the occurrence and spatial distribution of submarine discharges of water to upper Nueces Bay, Texas. The 17 km survey incorporated continuous resistivity profiling; measurements of surface water salinity, temperature, and dissolved oxygen; and point measurements of dissolved Ra isotopes. The survey revealed areas of interleaving, vertical fingers of high and low conductivity extending up through 7 m of bay bottom sediments into the surface water, located within 100 m of surface salinity and dissolved Ra maxima along with peaks in water temperature and lows in dissolved oxygen. These results indicate …

Fisheries Research Report No. 152 - Development Of A Dna Database For Compliance And Management Of Western Australian Sharks., Rory Mcauley, K. Ho, R. Thomas

Fisheries Research Reports

Final FRDC Report - Project 2003/067

The capability to identify individual shark species from processed body parts is necessary for the WA Department of Fisheries to ensure the compliance of all WA fisheries with both existing protected species regulations and proposed new management measures for commercially important shark species. This project established a reference database of genetic profiles or ‘fingerprints’ for nine of Western Australia’s protected and commercially important shark species. Fingerprints from a 10th species, the shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus) could not be obtained due to probable primer sequence mismatching. The database, in conjunction with an associated inspection and …

Fisheries Research Report No. 151 - Biology And Stock Assessment Of The Thickskin (Sandbar) Shark, Carcharhinus Plumbeus, In Western Australia And Further Refinement Of The Dusky Shark, Carcharhinus Obscurus, Stock Assessment., Rory Mcauley, R Lenanton, J. Chidlow, R. Allison, E. Heist

Fisheries Research Reports

Final FRDC Report - Project 2000/134

The purpose of this project was to collect the biological and fishery information necessary to conduct a stock assessment of the sandbar (known locally as ‘thickskin’) shark, Carcharhinus plumbeus and to improve and update the existing stock assessment for the dusky shark, Carcharhinus obscurus. Results from this project have already been used by the Western Australian Department of Fisheries to determine appropriate management arrangements for the State’s shark fisheries to ensure the sustainable exploitation of these species. Results have also assisted the WA target-shark fisheries in conducting Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) assessment in order …

Aquatic Animal Health Subprogram: Technical Guidelines For The Translocation Of Live Aquatic Animals - With Reference To Barramundi Nodavirus, Brian Jones

Fisheries Research Reports

FRDC Project No. 2005/640

A workshop was conducted involving input from most jurisdictions. Technical issues including hazard identification and risk management associated with the translocation of live finfish were documented.

A series of recommendations, which resulted from the workshop process, will be progressed through the National Aquatic Animal Health Technical Working group and the Aquatic Animal Health Committee.

Foraminiferal Faunas Of The Southern California Bight: A Temporal And Spatial Comparison Of Assemblages In The >150, 63-150, And >63 Μm Fractions, Amanda S. Shepard

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Analyses ofliving (Rose Bengal stained) deep-sea benthic foraminifera collected on the Southern California margin reveal temporal and spatial changes in foraminiferal assemblages related to changes in sea-surface productivity. Samples were collected from two sites in May, August, and October 1996. Results show that foraminiferal microhabitats are not static at these sites, and some species ( e.g., Bolivina spissa and Uvigerina peregrina) responded to the change in seasons with a change in their vertical distribution profiles, which is indicative of microhabitat preferences. Species such as Buliminella tenuata changed sediment depth in different stages of their life cycles, which has implications for …