Environmental Sciences Commons^™

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 …

A Simple Guide For Describing Soils, 2nd Edition, Angela Stuart-Street, Nicolyn Short Dr, Paul Galloway, Noel R. Schoknecht

Natural resources published reports

Soils are enormously diverse and can be very confusing to understand and talk about. This simple guide for describing soils helps to identify the most important parts of a soil profile and provide an easy way to understand and explain what you see. It gives you a step-by-step guide of what soil properties to describe and how to describe them, along with the tools to make basic soil classifications. The soil descriptors help you to identify the soil type and aid in assigning a simple and standardised name to the soil. While this guide is designed to link with a …

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.

Status Of The Western Australian Pastoral Rangelands 2024: Total Vegetative Cover, Cover Risk And Pasture Condition, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources published reports

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) monitors and reports on the vegetation condition of pastoral rangelands in Western Australia. Two levels of reporting are provided: every 5 years a full report (this report) details the state, trend and risk of decrease of vegetation condition in the pastoral rangelands using information derived from remotely sensed and on-ground data; in the intervening years, short reports are provided based on remotely sensed data.

This full report is based on remotely sensed vegetation cover data, rainfall data, livestock data and station-level rangeland condition assessment (RCA) data available in November 2024. Data …

Western Australia's Marine Heatwave Update - 27 June 2025, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia, Arani Chandrapavan

Marine Heatwave Notification Reports

No abstract provided.

Clearing Cloudy Or Coloured Water On Farms In Western Australia, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

Cloudy or coloured water can be a nuisance when used for household purposes, and sometimes be unsuitable for livestock, irrigation, or crop spraying. The following is for general information only, it is recommended that people seek expert advice for treating cloudy or coloured water.

State And Transition Models For Mulga Rangelands Of Western Australia, Alison O'Donnell, Anna E. Richards, Suzanne Prober, Peter-Jon A. Waddell, Sarah Luxton, Ian Watson, Brett Abbott, Philip Thomas, Joshua E. Foster

Natural resources published reports

This report details a collaborative project between the Western Australian Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and CSIRO that focused on developing State and Transition Models (STMs) for mulga rangelands in Western Australia. The overarching aim of the project was to improve the common understanding of the characteristics and dynamics of mulga rangeland ecosystems and the expected impacts of management. Specifically, the project aimed to collate expert knowledge and monitoring information using a nationally consistent framework to develop quantitative and dynamic STMs. The geographic scope of the project covers the extensive mulga rangelands of Western Australia, particularly the Gascoyne …

Pastoral Land Condition: Kimberley Land Condition Standards, Robert Sudmeyer, Rick Fletcher, Kathryn Ryan, Matthew Fletcher, Charles Martin, Philip Thomas, Karen Holmes, Karyn Reeves, Wayne Fletcher

Natural resources published reports

This report outlines the conceptual basis and quantitative land condition standards that define acceptable pastoral land condition for the Kimberley, Western Australia (WA), to meet the regulatory requirements of the Land Administration Act 1997 and the Soil and Land Conservation Act 1945.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) develops regional-level pastoral land condition standards for WA to implement the Framework for sustainable pastoral management – Revised edition, which is designed to address the Office of the Auditor General’s recommendations to improve the management of pastoral lands in WA. The application of these standards is expected to …

Consultation Summary For Proposed Declared Pest Rates 2025/2026, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity published reports

Under the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 (BAM Act) the State raises a Declared Pest Rate (DPR) from land or leaseholders (hereafter landholders) in prescribed areas (DPR Areas) and matches the funds raised from the rate dollar-for-dollar.

The combined funds are made available to Recognised Biosecurity Groups (RBGs) who provide support to landholders to fulfil their obligations under the BAM Act to manage widespread and established declared pests on their land. A community-led and coordinated approach is considered the most effective way to support landholders to manage these types of pests.

Each year, the Minister for Agriculture and Food …

Training Sensor-Agnostic Deep Learning Models For Remote Sensing: Achieving State-Of-The-Art Cloud And Cloud Shadow Identification With Omnicloudmask, Nicholas J. Wright, John M A Duncan, Nik Callow, Sally E. Thompson, Richard J. George

Natural Resources Research Articles

Deep learning models are widely used to extract features and insights from remotely sensed imagery. However, these models typically perform optimally when applied to the same sensor, resolution and imagery processing level as used during their training, and are rarely used or evaluated on out-of-domain data. This limitation results in duplication of efforts in collecting similar training datasets from different satellites to train sensor-specific models. Here, we introduce a range of techniques to train deep learning models that generalise across various sensors, resolutions, and processing levels. We applied this approach to train OmniCloudMask (OCM), a sensor-agnostic deep learning model that …

Trenching And Compost Sustain Grain Yield Increases Over Nine Years On Deep Sands But At A Cost, David J.M. Hall, Tom J. Edwards

Grain and Other Field Crops Research Articles

Context. Crops grown on deep sands on the south coast of WA are limited by soil physical and chemical properties including compaction and poor nutrition. Aims. Crops grown on deep sands on the south coast of Western Australia are limited by soil physical and chemical properties including compaction and poor nutrition. Our aim was to determine what effects deep-placed organic amendments have on soil properties and crop production in a deep sand and whether such amendments are profitable. Methods. A long-term field trial was conducted over nine years (2015–2023) to investigate soil amendments including lime (0 and …

Sheep Production, Profitability And Greenhouse Gas Emission Of Mixed Farming Systems In Western Australia's Wheatbelt, Tafesse Estifanos, Amir Abadi Abadi Ghadim, Kate Pritchett, Christophe D'Abbadie, Johnny Machon, Paul Mattingley, Bradley Plunkett, Gus Manatsa, Kerrine Blenkinsop, Ross Kingwell, Clinton K. Revell Dr

Animal production and livestock research reports

The south-western agricultural area of Western Australia is a vital contributor to Australia's agricultural output. It generates over $10 billion annually in agricultural production from 2017–18 to 2021–22 and more than $8 billion in export value over the same period. Mixed farming systems characterise the region, producing broadacre crops (primarily wheat, barley, and canola) and livestock. The region's livestock industry is dominated by sheep production for meat and wool, and the state’s share of the national sheep flock in 2020–21 was at 18%.

This report provides a comprehensive review and industry analysis of sheep production in WA, its economic significance, …

Western Australia’S Marine Heatwave Update - 27 March 2025, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia, Arani Chandrapavan

Marine Heatwave Notification Reports

No abstract provided.

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 …

Resource Assessment Report No. 1: Mid-West Scallop Resource 2024 Assessment, Jason How, Arani Chandrapavan, Rachel Marks

Resource Assessment Reports

The Mid-West Scallop Resource (Resource) is only accessed by the Abrolhos Islands Mid-West Trawl Managed Fishery (AIMWTMF). The AIMWTMF is the second largest scallop fishery in Western Australia. Access is limited to the 10 licences granted to access the Resource, which are managed through a range of, gear controls, catch rates and seasonal closures. They access saucer scallops, Ylistrum balloti (formerly Amusium balloti) using otter trawls fished over predominantly sand. The fishery was certified by the Marine Stewardship Council in 2021, with the fishery entering re-certification in 2026.

In 2024, 95.7 t meat weight (478.5 t whole weight) of saucer …

Farm Profit Impacts Of Consecutive Drought Years Under Climate Scenarios In Southwestern Australia, Sud Kharel, Kevin J. Foster, Meredith M. Guthrie, Ross Kingwell

Climate Science Research Articles

Climate projections for southern Australia indicate an increased likelihood of years of consecutive droughts. How resilient are farm businesses and their farming systems to recover from episodic drought? This study assesses the farm economic and financial impacts of consecutive droughts in southwest Australia. Bioeconomic simulation modelling of farm businesses with different farming systems at three locations is used to examine the long-term financial consequences of consecutive droughts. Various key factors affecting those consequences are examined. Farm location, farming system and starting equity are found to be the main determinants of how quickly a farm business can financially recover from the …

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 …

Estimating The Carbon Footprint Of Sheep Production In Western Australia, Tafesse Estifanos, Christophe D'Abbadie, Johnny Machon, Amir Abadi Abadi Ghadim, Gus Manatsa, Paul Mattingley, Ross Kingwell, Kevin Foster

Farm Systems and Economics published reports

Western Australia’s broadacre mixed farming systems combine cropping and sheep production and are the largest component of the state’s agricultural sector. The south west Western Australia (WA) agricultural area hosts about 98% of the state's sheep flock. The sheep industry contributed $1.5 billion to the state’s economy in 2021-22 and accounts for about a quarter of on-farm greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Most sheep industry emissions (over 80%) come from methane produced by the sheep. Despite this environmental impact, only 9.9% of Australian sheep producers have estimated their emissions, which limits the industry's ability to monitor and manage carbon footprints effectively. …

Western Australian Soil Groups - A Diagnostic Key To Identify Soils In Western Australia (5th Edition), Paul Galloway, Dennis Van Gool, Angela Stuart-Street, Edward A. Griffin, Shahab Pathan, Noel R. Schoknecht

Resource management technical reports

The aim of the Western Australian soil groups (WA soil groups) is to classify soils of Western Australia into a limited set using criteria that are easy to recognise in the field. It is a general-purpose classification with a focus on agronomic and rangeland grazing potential. The WA soil groups are designed for WA needs. It complements the Australian Soil Classification (ASC) by grouping the continuum of soils into a limited set of soil types, which simplifies soil variability for generalists, allows soil surveyors to create standardised soil-type legends for mapping products and permits further analyses of spatial data for …

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 …

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 …

Evaporation Basins For Salinity Management, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

An evaporation basin is an engineered earth structure designed to safely store and evaporate saline water discharged from drainage or pumping, while protecting high-value agricultural land, natural assets or built infrastructure.

DPIRD recommends that evaporation basins should form part of an integrated water and salinity management program. Information on this page is a guide only.

It is recommended that landholders seek expert advice plus engineering design and related support from qualified contractors.

Puccinellia (Puccinellia Ciliata) For Dryland Salinity Management, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

Puccinellia (Puccinellia ciliata) is a potentially valuable fodder on waterlogged saline land. Puccinellia, Distichlis and marine couch are the most salt tolerant of the commercially available grasses. It is best suited to areas with more than 400mm annual rainfall and where the watertable is shallow over summer.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development recommends that any dryland salinity management is part of a whole farm, and preferably a whole catchment, water management plan.

Rabbit Control: Bait Products, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity factsheets

This factsheet is part of the bait and poison directory for vertebrate pests in Western Australia (WA). It provides information on bait, poison, and toxin (bait) products available for use in WA to control rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus).

For information on how to access bait, poison and toxin (bait) products, training required, animal welfare considerations and legal requirements, refer to the Bait and poison directory for vertebrate pests’ page on the website at dpird.wa.gov.au. Information on bait, poison, and toxin (bait) products available for use in WA for rabbits, is provided below.

Bathurst Burr And Its Control, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity factsheets

Bathurst burr (Xanthium spinosum) is a declared pest in Western Australia (WA). This factsheet describes the nature of the plant, requirements land owners/occupiers must adhere to, control methods, and how to search, detect, and report it.

Bathurst burr is a summer growing annual shrubby plant originating in South America. In south west Australia, some mature plants survive well into winter, with the result that burrs may be found for most of the year. The weed spreads entirely by burrs, which are usually carried by people or animals, attached to clothes, fur, or other fibre by their hooked spines. They may …

State Of The Fisheries: Status Reports Of The Fisheries And Aquatic Resources Of Western Australia 2023/24, Stephen J. Newman, Jenny Moore, Daniel J. Gaughan

Status Reports of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources

This edition of the “State of the fisheries” continues the tradition of annually reporting on the status of exploited fish and their habitats in Western Australia. Critically, the reports provide overviews of the science outcomes that underpin management of fishing across the state.

Scientifically assessing the status of fish resources and potential impacts on ecosystems is inherently challenging; I acknowledge and thank the dedicated fisheries science teams and various support staff for again producing outstanding, robust scientific results that are summarised herein. I similarly acknowledge (i) the fisheries management team who use the science outcomes in policy development and to …