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Fisheries Report No 33 - The Western Rock Lobster Fishery 1975 - 1976, G. R. Morgan, E H. Barker

Fisheries Research Reports

iTshe fishery for the western rock lobster Panultrus ecygnus one of the most important single fisheries in Australia and an important export earner for the State. The fishery is governed by a complex set of regulations which have been reviewed by Bowen (1971) and which are designed to limit the total effort to acceptable levels and to enforce a legal minimum size. It is thus important to constantly monitor the state of the fishery both to ensure that the effort is remaining within the accepted limits and that the regulations are adequately performing their function of maintaining reasonably stable catches. …

Fisheries Report No 38 - The Shark Bay Prawn Fishery (1970 - 1976), J. W. Penn, R. W. Stalker

Fisheries Research Reports

The existence of prawn stocks in Shark Bay, Western Australia, has been known since 1904 when the sailing ketch "Rip" on charter to the Western Australian Government, trawled large quantities of prawns from the area between Bernier Island and the mainland, Gale (1905). Although the Fisheries research vessel "Lancelin" trawled potentially commercial quantities of prawns from Shark Bay in the early 1950's, it was not until 1962 that a regular fishery was begun.

Today the prawn stocks of Shark Bay support Western Australia's largest and most consistent prawn fishery, having an annual production currently exceeding 2 000 tonnes. The catch …

Fisheries Report No 35 - Fish And Exploited Crustaceans Of The Swan-Canning Estuary, R C.J. Lenanton

Fisheries Research Reports

Fishes of the Swan-Canning estuarine system are typical of those found in other lower west coast estuarine systems of Western Australia. Species representing three families of elasmobranchs, several of which are commercially important, twenty families of teleosts, and two families of crustaceans (Table 1) commonly occur in this estuarine system. The many other species which occur less commonly in the Swan- Canning estuary are mostly members of the additional families listed in Table l.

The information contained in this document was made available for use by the authors of the following two publications : -

Forbes and Fitzkardinge (1977) Swan …

Fisheries Report No 36 - Utilization Of The Bunbury And Geographe Bay Marine Resource By Professional And Amateur Fishermen, Michael H. Walker

Fisheries Research Reports

Utilization of the Bunbury and Geographe Bay marine resource by professional and amateur fishermen was investigated by personal interview, distribution and analysis of research log sheets, and examination of commercial statistics for the area, published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Total professional production for the years 1966/67 - 1974/75 for Geographe Bay varied between 225517 and 1218049 Kg (mean 497175) with a mean annual value to fishermen of $427708. Production for the Bunbury marine area varied between 157666 and 333810 Kg (mean 226526) with a mean value to fishermen of $311008. For the 1975/76 season the total production was …

Fisheries Report No 28 - The Western Rock Lobster Fishery 1974-1975, G. R. Morgan, E H. Barker

Fisheries Research Reports

The fishery for the western rock lobster Panultrus eygnus is one of the most important single fisheries in Australia and an important export earner for the State. The fishery is governed by a complex set of regulations which have been reviewed by Bowen (1971) and which are designed to limit the total effort to acceptable levels and to enforce a legal minimum size. It is thus important to constantly monitor the state of the fishery both to ensure that the effort is remaining within the accepted limits and that the regulations are adequately performing their function of maintaining reasonably stable …

Fisheries Report No 20 - Trawl Caught Fish And Crustaceans From Cockburn Sound, J. W. Penn

Fisheries Research Reports

Cockburn Sound is one of the few sheltered embayments near the Perth metropolitan area and as such has been subjected to increasing usage by both the general public and industry. Historically the Sound has been a major commercial fishing area from which much of the fresh fish for the metropolitan area has been caught. More recently, as well as providing a significant commercial catch, a major sport fishery has developed in the area.

The first commercial trawling operations in Cockburn Sound were undertaken in the early part of this century when horses were used to tow small nets on the …

Fisheries Report No 31 - Pecten Scallop Survey On Southern Geographe Bay, September 1976, D. I. Heald

Fisheries Research Reports

Reports of Pecten scallops in Geographe Bay in late 1975 were followed up by a preliminary stock survey in February 1976 using 1.22 m dredges and by a more extensive survey in September 1976 using 1.22 m and 2.25 m scallop dredges and a 0.5 m* Baird grab. Two very limited concentrations of scallops were located adjacent to rough ground. The best dredge catch rates were equivalent to 44 kg per hour per standard haul and the maximum grab catch was equivalent to a density of six scallops per square metre. The extremely rough terrain resulted in considerable damage to …

Fisheries Report No 29 - The Predation Of Pot - Caught Western Rock Lobster (Panulirus Longpipes Cygnus) By Octopus, L M. Joll

Fisheries Research Reports

The losses to the western rock lobster fishery through the predation of pot-caught rock lobsters by octopus were estimated from samples taken on commercial boats in the four seasons 1972/73 - 1975/76. In most seasons approximately 200 000 legal-sized rock lobsters were lost. In the 1975/76 season the estimated financial loss from octopus predation was $392 000. The estimated losses probably represent minimum values. Studies of the biology and behaviour of octopus were carried out to examine the methods of detection, location and entry into rock lobster pots by octopus. The use of octopus traps in rock lobster pots significantly …

Fisheries Report No 22 - The Western Rock Lobster Fishery 1971 - 1972, G. R. Morgan, E H. Barker

Fisheries Research Reports

The fishery for the western rock lobster* is one of the most important single fisheries in Australia and an important export earner for the State. The fishery is governed by a complex set of regulations which have been reviewed by Bowen (1971) and which are designed to limit the total effort to acceptable levels and to enforce a legal minimum size. It is thus important to constantly monitor the state of the fishery both to ensure that the effort is remaining within the accepted limits and that the regulations are adequately performing their function of maintaining reasonably stable catches. Inherent …

Fisheries Report No 25 - The Western Australian Amateur Fishery For Australian Herring (Arripis Georgianus) - Results Of The 1973 Creel Census, R C.J. Lenanton, N. G. Hall

Fisheries Research Reports

Historically, the Western Australian production of Australian herring (Arrtpts georgtanus) has fluctuated from year to year in response to changing market demand. Prior to 1968, the annual catch taken by professional fishermen was relatively stable, ranging from 200 000 kg (approx. 500 000 pounds) to 450 000 kg (approx. 1 000 000 pounds). From 1968, commercial production has risen to a peak of 1 187 440 kg (2 617 857 pounds) recorded in 1972/73 (Table I). An increase in demand for herring as bait for the rock lobster fishery is considered to be the major factor involved in this observed …

Fisheries Report No 19 - The Western Rock Lobster Fishery 1973 - 1974, G. R. Morgan, E H. Barker

Fisheries Research Reports

The fishery for the western rock lobster* is one of the most important single fisheries in Australia and an important export earner for the State. The fishery is governed by a complex set of regulations which have been reviewed by Bowen (1971) and which are designed to limit the total effort to acceptable levels and to enforce a legal minimum size. It is thus important to constantly monitor the state of the fishery both to ensure that the effort is remaining within the accepted limits and that the regulations are adequately performing their function of maintaining reasonably stable catches. Inherent …

Fisheries Report No 18 - Tuna Survey In Waters Off The Western Australian Coast During The Period August 1973 To August 1974, J. P. Robins

Fisheries Research Reports

In September 1972, Markwell Ross Fisheries Pty Ltd (a subsidiary fishing division of Q.U.F. Industries Ltd) approached the Western Australian Department of Fisheries and Fauna (now Department of Fisheries and Wildlife) for assistance in the development and carrying out of a purse seining programme using the 25m rock lob­ster vessel F.B. Western Star.

Negotiation and agreement was reached, with the objective to under­take and carry out an investigation into the feasibility of developing a purse seine fishery for tuna in Western Australian waters. The Department of Fisheries and Wildlife (Development Section) supplied, on loan, capital fishing equipment (purse seine net, …

Fisheries Report No 17 - Some Aspects Of Tuna And Its Potential In The Oceanic Waters Off Western Australia, J. P. Robins

Fisheries Research Reports

In this report an endeavour has been made to describe very briefly the growth of the tuna fishery in Australia, world production, utilisation, price and future demand, tuna species descriptions, species occurrence around the Australian coast and the results of two aerial surveys for tuna off. the west and north-west coasts of Western Australia.

Fisheries Report No 15 - The Western Rock Lobster Fishery 1972 - 1973, G. R. Morgan, E H. Barker

Fisheries Research Reports

The fishery for the western rock lobster* is one of the most important single fisheries in Australia and an important export earner for the State. The fishery is governed by a complex set of regulations which have been reviewed by Bowen (1971) and which are designed to limit the total effort to acceptable levels and to enforce a legal minimum size. It is thus important to constantly monitor the state of the fishery both to ensure that the effort is remaining within the accepted limits and that the regulations are adequately performing their function of maintaining reasonably stable catches. Inherent …

Fisheries Report No Iv (6) - Report On The Current Status Of Crocodiles In Western Australia, H. Robert Bustard Dr

Fisheries Research Reports

The aim of the survey was fivefold,

(1) to determine the present abundance and composition of saltwater crocodile populations in Western Australia,

(2) to comment on the status of the freshwater crocodile in Western Australia following 7 years of total protection,

(3) to locate study area(s) for detailed work on crocodile biology,

(4) to investigate the feelings of people on the spot (especially shooters or ex-shooters) towards crocodile conservation, and

(5) to investigate law enforcement problems relating to crocodiles

Fisheries Report No I (1) - The Shark Bay Fishery On Snapper Chrysophrys Unicolor (Quoy And Gaimard), B. K. Bowen

Fisheries Research Reports

As regards both catch and value, the Shark Bay snapper fishery is the second most important scale fishery in Western Australia. Until 195%, the fishing was done solely by means of hard-lines operated from beats drifting over the snapper patches. In 1959 traps were first used with great success and in 196) this method of fishing was again the principal technique.

Prior to the 1960 season there were several suggestions that the use of traps would have a deleterious effect on the fishery. On October 19, 1959, the Western Australian League of the Professional Fishermen's Association wrote to the Fisheries …

Fisheries Report Ii (2) - Preliminary Report On The Effectiveness Of Escape-Gaps In Crayfish-Pots, B. K. Bowen

Fisheries Research Reports

The Western Australian commercial crayfish, Panulinrus cy,nus George, (1962)", is caught in depths ranging from a few feet to approximately 45 fathoms. In the shallow waters large numbers of crayfish measuring, less than the legal minimum length are brought to the surface in the standard commercial crayfish pots. The law requires that these undersize crayfish be returned to the sea, but there is always the temptation to retain them for illegal sale. In addition, the undersize crayfish which are returned to the sea are often damaged by handling. The probability is that their mortality rate is higher than those which …