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State Of The Fisheries Report 1983, Department Of Fisheries And Wildlife, Western Australia

Status Reports of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources

Western Australia continues to be one of the leading States in Australia. The total gross value of fish, crustaceans and molluscs for 1982/83 was $126 million (Table 1) to which may be added the value of the pearl culture industry resulting in a total value of approximately $140 million.

State Of The Fisheries Report 1982, Department Of Fisheries And Wildlife, Western Australia

Status Reports of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources

Western Australia continues to be one of the States in Australia. leading fishing The total gross value of fish, crustaceans and molluscs for 1981/82 was $99.4 million (Table 1) to which may be added the value of the pearl culture industry resulting in a total value of approximately $114 million.

The Induction Of Tolerance To Heavy Metals In Natural And Laboratory Populations Of Fish, Wesley J. Birge, William H. Benson, Jeffrey A. Black

KWRRI Research Reports

Aquatic toxicity studies were performed on two natural populations of fathead minnows. One group of organisms was taken from a metal-contaminated flyash pond associated with a coal-fired power plant and the other group was collected from relatively uncontaminated hatchery ponds. Acute tests indicated that flyash pond fish were significantly more tolerant to cadmium and copper than were hatchery fish. At an exposure concentration of 6.0 mg Cd/L in moderately hard water, the median period of survival for flyash pond fish was 50.0 hr compared to 6.8 hr for hatchery fish. Both groups of organisms were about equally sensitive to zinc. …

Fisheries Report No 59 - Potential Fisheries Capability Of The Ord In The Short, Medium And Long Terms, Dr N. Morrissy

Fisheries Research Reports

This report examines the history, future and problems of various methods for development and exploitation of the fisheries resources of the Ord.

The primary resource is the array of native fish and crustacean species, with the possible introduction of other desirable or noxious species being a subject for consideration.

Water resources, supporting these species, are the remaining natural Ord River downstream from the Diversion Dam at Kununurra, the stillwaters of Lake Kununurra and Lake Argyle, and, for aquaculture, the controlled distribution of water supply over the flat land of the irrigation system (Fig. 1). Another recognized resource is the climatic …

Report No 58 - 1982 - Review Of Rainfall And Wetlands In The South-West Of Western Australia, J. A.K. Lane, D. R. Munro

Fisheries Research Reports

An account is given of involved the biological principles in decisions concerning duck-shooting seasons in the south-west of western Australia.

Conditions for waterfowl during 1982 are described through the use of rainfall statistics and data obtained from the Department's wetland monitoring programme.

1982 was characterized by exceptionally high rainfall in January and well-below average from February to October.

1982 was the seventh consecutive year of below-average rainfall in all five Meteorological of the south-west. 1976 to 1982 has thus been the south-west's driest seven-year period for more than seventy years.

The record-breaking rains of January caused widespread flooding in the …

The Effects Of Limited Food Availability On The Striped Bass Fishery In Lake Mead, John R. Baker, Larry J. Paulson

Publications (WR)

The original range of striped bass (Morone saxatilis) was along the Atlantic Coast. They were introduced into the lower Sacramento River in 1879 and are now also found along the Pacific Coast. A landlocked striped bass fishery was established in Santee-Cooper Reservoir, South Carolina, in 1954, and they have since been introduced into numerous other reservoirs, including Lake Havasu, Lake Mead and Lake Powell on the Colorado River. Striped bass were introduced into Lake Mead in 1969 in response to declines in the largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) fishery that occurred during the 1960s and in order to further utilize the …

Historical Patterns Of Phytoplankton Productivity In Lake Mead, Richard T. Prentki, Larry J. Paulson

Publications (WR)

Lake Mead was impounded in 1935 by the construction of Hoover Dam. The Colorado River was unregulated prior to then and therefore was subjected to extreme variations in flows and suspended sediment loads. Hoover Dam stabilized flows and reduced suspended sediment loads downstream, but Lake Mead still received silt-laden inflows from the upper Colorado River Basin. The Colorado River contributed 97% of the suspended sediment inputs to Lake Mead, and up to 140 x 1O⁶ metric tons (t) entered the reservoir in years of high runoff. Most of the sediments were deposited in the river channel and formed an …

State Of The Fisheries Report 1981, Department Of Fisheries And Wildlife, Western Australia

Status Reports of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources

Western Australia continues to be one of the leading fishing States in Australia. The total gross value of fish, crustaceans and molluscs for 1980/81 was $82.8 million (Table 1) to which may be added the value of the pearl culture industry resulting in a total value of approximately $100 million.

Report No 49 - Geographically Restricted Plants Of Southern Western Australia, Barbara L. Rye

Fisheries Research Reports

This publication lists 527 angiosperm species native to southern western Australia whose known geographical ranges are less than 100 kilometres long. A further 128 angiosperms are listed with geographical ranges between 100 and 160 kilometres. No fern or gymnosperm species in the region are known to be geographically restricted.

Apart from the presently unnamed species, a large majority of the rare plants of southern Western Australia are believed to be listed, including 86 of the species that have been gazetted as rare flora.

Less than 40% of the listed species are known to occur on conservation reserves and less than …

Report No 56 - 1981 Review Of Rainfall And Wetlands In The South-West Of Western Australia, J. A.K. Lane, D. R. Munro

Fisheries Research Reports

An account is given of the biological principles involved in decisions concerning duck-shooting seasons in the south-west of Western Australia.

The conditions for waterfowl which prevailed during 1981 are described through the use of rainfall statistics and data obtained from the Department's wetland monitoring programme.

Rainfall was generally average over central and northern areas of the south-west during 1981. Rainfall in southern areas, however, was generally

below to much-below-average, although south coastal areas from Augusta to Albany received average falls.

Unusually heavy falls were recorded in North Coastal, North Central and Central Coastal Districts in May, and average falls were …

State Of The Fisheries Report 1980, Department Of Fisheries And Wildlife, Western Australia

Status Reports of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources

Western Australia has maintained its position as the top fishing State. The catch in Western Australia of fish, crustaceans and molluscs in 1979/80 was worth $85.7 million to the fishermen, which is 27 per cent of the total value for Australia.

Report No 41 - A Survey Method For Identifying Roadside Flora Suitable For Conservation In Western Australia, John K. Scott

Fisheries Research Reports

A survey method for identifying flora suitable for conservation alongside roads in south-western Australia was derived from an examination of characteristics of road verges. Two roads, from Midland to Toodyay and from Armadale to Bunbury, were examined. Width of verge, weed cover, soil disturbance, vegetation structure, presence of public utilities, evidence of fire and the type of adjoining land were measured at one mile (1.6 km) intervals on both sides of the road. Also recorded were aesthetic qualities such as stands of beautiful trees and sites of special interest, e.g. the presence of rare plants.

Three variables, percentage weed cover, …

Report No 42 - A Guide To The Gazetted Rare Flora Of Western Australia, Barbara L. Rye, Stephen D. Hopper

Fisheries Research Reports

Descriptions and illustrations are provided for the first 100 taxa which have been gazetted as rare, likely to become extinct or in need of special protection under the Wildlife Conservation Act 1950-1979. Most of these rare taxa are restricted to the South-West Botanical Province and more than one-third occur in the Albany Wildlife District.

An outline is given of the means adopted to determine which taxa are gazetted as rare, the legal provisions for their protection and the biological data being sought for their management.

Report No 47 - 1980 Review Of Rainfall And Wetlands In The South-West Of Western Australia, J. A.K. Lane, D. R. Munro

Fisheries Research Reports

An account is given of the biological principles involved in decisions concerning duck-shooting seasons in the south-west of Western Australia.

The conditions for waterfowl which prevailed during 1980 are described through the use of rainfall statistics and data obtained from the Department's wetland monitoring programme.

1980 was the fifth consecutive year of below-average rainfall in all five Meteorological Districts of the south-west. 1976 to 1980 was thus' the south-west's driest five-year period since 1913 at least.

Low rainfall during 1980 resulted in a further decline in the condition of wetlands throughout most of the inland south-west, Few gauged wetlands increased …

The Distribution And Relative Abundance Of Aquatic Oligochaeta In The Upper Cache River System, Southern Illinois, In Relation To Water Quality, Mark Julian Wetzel

Masters Theses

Species composition, distribution, abundance, and water quality relationships of aquatic oligochaetes occurring in the upper Cache River system, southern Illinois were investigated. Forty-two taxa of oligochaetes including 16 naidids, 22 tubificids and representatives of the families Aeolosomatidae, Branchiobdellidae, Enchytraeidae, and Lumbriculidae were collected. Four species of oligochaetes new to Illinois, Limnodrilus psammophilus Loden, L. rubripenis Loden, Psammoryctides (Spencerius) californianus Brinkhurst, and Haemonais waldvogeli Bretscher were collected during this study. Another species of Limnodrilus new to science is reported here, as yet undescribed. The thesis that aquatic oligochaetes can be used as true water quality indicator organisms is rejected. It is …

State Of The Fisheries Report 1979, Department Of Fisheries And Wildlife, Western Australia

Status Reports of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources

Western Australia has maintained its position as the top fishing State. The catch in Western Australia of fish, crustaceans and molluscs in 1978-79 was worth $91 million to the fishermen, which is 33 per cent of the total value for Australia.

Evaluation Of Impacts Associated With Reregulation Of Water Levels In Lake Mohave, Larry J. Paulson, John R. Baker, U.S. Water And Power Resources Service

Publications (WR)

The U.S. Water and Power Resources Service is considering reregulating Lake Mohave water levels to increase the net power benefit from Hoover Dam. Reregulation will not increase the generation capacity of the Hoover powerplant but it will enable the plant operation to be increased when the energy has greater monetary value. Energy generated at different times of the year has different market value, the highest being in January-March and July- September. By generating more power during these periods more net monetary benefit can be derived from Hoover Dam. The total volume of water released from Hoover Dam over an annual …

Fisheries Report No 39 - The Wildlife Of The Proposed Toolonga Nature Reserve, Shark Bay Shire, Western Australia, A. A. Burbidge, P. J. Fuller, K. Cashin

Fisheries Research Reports

Following a Cabinet endorsed recommendation by the Environmental Protection Authority in 1975, an area of vacant Crown Zand (the Toolonga Area) was examined during April and September, 1978.

The geology, soils and vegetation of the area are described and annotated lists of mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles are presented. A small part of the area lies in the South West Botanical Province (Irwin District) but most is in the Eremaean Botanical Province (Carnarvon District). The vertebrate fauna is a mixture of south-western, Shark Bay and arid zone species, but the last predominate.

The Toolonga Area provides an opportunity to protect …

Influence Of Dredging And High Discharge On The Ecology Of Black Canyon, Larry J. Paulson, Theron G. Miller, John R. Baker, U.S. Water And Power Resources Service

Publications (WR)

The Water and Power Resources Service is considering dredging in Black Canyon to create a larger forebay to accommodate higher peak discharges and reverse flows for proposed modifications to Hoover Dam. The Black Canyon area from Hoover Dam to Willow Beach supports a heavily utilized trout fishery and is important habitat for the razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus) and possibly bonytail chub (Gila elegans). The Water and Power Resources Service initiated this investigation to determine what effect dredging and higher peak-discharges would have on the ecology of Black Canyon.

State Of The Fisheries Report 1978, Department Of Fisheries And Wildlife, Western Australia

Status Reports of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources

Western Australia has maintained its position as the top fishing State. The catch in Western Australia of fish, crustaceans, and molluscs in 1977-78 was worth $76 million to the fishermen, which is 36 per cent of the total value for Australia.

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 …

Potential Use Of Hydroelectric Facilities For Manipulating The Fertility Of Lake Mead, Larry J. Paulson, John R. Baker, James E. Deacon

Publications (WR)

Analysis of historical nutrient data for Lake Mead indicates that the fertility of the reservoir has decreased which may be the cause for a corresponding decline in the largemouth bass population. However, it appears that fertility can be manipulated by altering the operation of the dam. The depletion of nutrients in the euphotic zone by phytoplankton and subsequent accumulation in the hypolimnion during summer and fall provide a natural nutrient gradient from which water of varying fertility can be drawn for discharge. This combined with alterations in the depth or seasonal pattern of discharge can possibly be used to enhance …

State Of The Fisheries Report 1977, Department Of Fisheries And Wildlife, Western Australia

Status Reports of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources

The total value of the fisheries of Western Australia is the highest of any of the States, and the Western Australian rock lobster fishery is the most valuable single fishery in Australia.

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 32 - The Wildlife Of The Proposed Wandana Nature Reserve, Near Yuna, Western Australia, A. A. Burbidge, P. J. Fuller, A. Mccusker

Fisheries Research Reports

Following a Cabinet endorsed recommendation by the Environmental Protection Authority in 1976 an area of vacant Crown land (the Wandana Area) north-east of Yuna, Western Australia, was examined during March and September, 1977.

The geology, soils and vegetation of the area are described and annotated lists of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians are presented. The area lies near or on the boundary of the South- Western and Eremaean Botanical Provinces and vegetation formations typical of both occur. The vertebrate fauna is a mixture of South-Western and Eyrean species and is especially rich in reptiles, 41 species being recorded. Comparisons between …

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 30 - The Wildlife Of The Proposed Karroun Hill Nature Reserve, Western Australia, W. K. Youngson, N. L. Mckenzie

Fisheries Research Reports

Plants and vertebrate animals were recorded from a proposed 300 000 ha nature reserve centred on Karroun Hill in the goldfields of Western Australia (30°03'S; 118°02'E).

Plant communities are described in terms of their structurally important species and related to local physiography.

Fifteen native mammal species, sixty-four bird species, twenty-four reptile species and one amphibian were recorded. Annotated lists are presented. The wildlife reflects the transitional nature of the Coolgardie Botanical District. Both Eremean and South Western Province species were recorded.

State Of The Fisheries Report 1976, Department Of Fisheries And Wildlife, Western Australia

Status Reports of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources

The total value of the fisheries of Western Australia is the highest of any of the States, and the Western Australian rock lobster fishery is the most valuable single fishery in Australia.

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 …