Natural Resources and Conservation Commons^™

Fisheries Research Report No. 87 - The Recreational Marron Fishery In Western Australia, Summarised Research Statistics, 1971-1987, N. M. Morrissy, C. J. Fellows

Fisheries Research Reports

The freshwater crayfish Cherax tenuimanus, called marron, provides an important recreational fishery in the south-west of Western Australia. The annual fishing catch and fishing effort have been monitored by a log book research programme and an end-of season telephone survey since the 1971/72 season.

Following the 1986/87 fishing season, the fishery remained closed for two seasons (1987/88 and 1988/89) to permit stocks to recover from the effects of high total fishing effort and unfavourable water conditions over the preceding seasons

This paper provides a detailed account of the catch and effort statistics to the close of the 1986/87 fishing season, …

Fisheries Research Report No. 92 - Spread Of The Introduced Yabbie Cherax Albidus Clark, 1936 In Western Australia, N. M. Morrissy, G. Cassells

Fisheries Research Reports

This report presents information on the probable original introduction of the eastern Australian yabbie to farm dams in the Wheat-belt Region of the southwest of Western Australia (in 1932 at Narembeen); the probable type of yabbie (the "White Yabby", Cherax albidus Clark 1936 ) and source (Miram Swamp in the Victorian Wimmera); and, in 1985, the first voicing of concern over the spread of yabbies to natural habitats, particularly in the higher rainfall region of the southwest, together with current national and international concerns and advice on introduced aquatic species.

Commercial harvesting ("extensive" aquaculture) of existing yabbie stocks in wheat-belt …

Fisheries Research Report No. 83 - The Western Rock Lobster Fishery 1985/86, R. S. Brown, E H. Barker

Fisheries Research Reports

The 1985/86 annual catch of the western rock lobster Panulirus cygnus, totalled 7,191,968kg (Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) ), a drop of 1,774,497kg (19.8 per cent) on the 1984/85 season. The value of the 1985/86 catch was approximately $94M based on ABS figures. This drop in catch was almost entirely the result of lower puerulus (first post larval stage, approximately 9 to 11 months old) settlement three to four years before (i.e. 1982/83 and 1981/82). The fall in catch was accompanied by a drop in fishing effort (total number of pot lifts) of 12.1 per cent on the previous season …

The 1989 Saltland Survey, Richard George

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

In March 1989, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) surveyed farmers in Western Australia to determine the area of previously arable land that was now too saline for conventional agriculture. Farmers reported that 443,441 ha, or 2.83 per cent, of the 15.7 million hectares of cleared farm land in south-western Australia, was saline. This was an increase of about 180,000 ha on the 1979 survey figure.

The worst affected areas were in the 350 mm to 600 mm rainfall zone and included the Shires of Tammin (9.26 per cent arable area saline), Katanning (7.96 per cent), Goomalling (7.93 per cent), …

Plant Growth And Survival In Saline, Waterlogged Soils, Ed Barrett-Lennard, Neil Davidson, Richard Galloway

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

Waterlogged soils in Western Australia are often salt-affected. Recent research has shown that the interaction between waterlogging and salinity has a far greater adverse effect on plant groivth and survival than either of these two factors individually. The consequences of the combined effects of salt and waterlogging for most plant species are increased salt uptake, reduced growth, chlorosis (yellowing of leaves), defoliation, and death. Salt sensitive agricultural species (nonhalophytes) are more severely affected by this interaction than salt tolerant species (halophytes).

What Are Land Conservation Districts?, Western Australian Department Of Agriculture

Natural resources published reports

Land conservation groups need your support. Land degradation is not just a farming problem. We change the land and waters in many ways, whether it be clearing of precious natural bush or through the fertilizers which leach from our gardens.

By learning about the Land Conservation Districts achievements and understanding the challenges they face we can better see our own place in the scheme of things.

We will learn the ways to organize for Landcare in other rural areas, or in the city, that will be successful.

This is what the Decade of Landcare is all about - providing an …

Plantscan, Ted Lefroy, Fritz Droge

Natural resources published reports

PLANTSCAN is a network of schools and landholders throughout the wheatbelt of Western Australia. It aims to speed up the process of testing plants for their suitability to this environment.

This kit contains seed of various trees and shrubs and notes on how to grow them, plant them out into a small plot and record their progress.

Schools and landholders throughout the wheatbelt who have purchased this kit become part of a research network aimed at selecting plants that will:

* overcome soil erosion;

* overcome soil salinity;

* and provide a source of income for farmers.

The following sheets …

Fisheries Research Report No 85 - A Description Of The British United Trawlers/Southern Ocean Trawlers Operation In The Great Australian Bight During The Period 19.11.77 To 28.5.79, M. H. Walker, S. J. Blight, D. P. Clarke

Fisheries Research Reports

This report documents the operations of three British United Trawlers/Southern Ocean Trawlers freezer stern trawlers in the Great Australian Bight for the period 19.11.77 to 28.5.79. During this period the trawlers conducted 20 fishing trips utilising demersal and pelagic trawling. A description and brief resume of these fishing operations is provided. The trawlers' vessel and gear specifications and fishing and processing operations are also described. The report provides background to Fisheries Research Report 86, which documents the demersal catches made during the trawler operations.

Fisheries Research Report No 86 - The Demersal Trawl Resources Of The Great Australian Bight As Indicated By The Fishing Operations Of The Stern Trawlers Othello, Orsino And Cassio In The Period 19.11.77 To 28.5.79, M. H. Walker, D. P. Clarke

Fisheries Research Reports

A joint fishing venture between a Western Australian company, Southern Ocean Fish Processors, and a United Kingdom company, British United Trawlers, operated three large Othello class stern trawlers in the Great Australian Bight in the period 19.11.77 to 28.5.79. This report documents the catch and effort data collected from the vessels’ demersal trawling activities. Descriptions of gear and fishing operations are provided in Fisheries Research Report 85, 1989. The three trawlers made a total of 20 trips to Great Australian Bight waters. A daily trawling log was kept for each trip, recording position and time of trawls, net type, and …

Fisheries Report No 82 - Effects Of Fish Trapping On The Shark Bay Snapper Fishery, M. J. Moran, J. Jenke

Fisheries Research Reports

Traps have been a controversial method of catching pink snapper Chrysophrys auratus (Sparidae) around Shark Bay, Western Australia, since 1959. The history of the issue and the relevant regulations are reviewed; and results of in­vestigations into specific concerns about trap fishing are reported. Concerns of ghost-fishing by lost traps have been largely allayed by underwater TV film of snapper escaping from a standard snapper trap.

A major concern was that traps might physically damage the benthic fauna, e.g. corals. A TV survey showed that while fragile hard corals are abundant in shallower water nearby, the deeper snapper grounds themselves are …

Forage Shrubs And Grasses For Revegetating Saltland, H V. Runciman, C V. Malcolm

Bulletins 4000 -

Salt tolerant shrubs and grasses are used for forage production from salt-affected farmland. This Bulletin is designed to assist in recognition of the important species in Western Australia and to provide information on their use. The species listed have more forage value than some natural indicators and colonizers of saltland, such as Mediterranean barley grass (Hordeum geniculatum), ice plant (Mesembryanthemum spp.), mallee lovegrass (Eragrostisdielsii), salt spurry (Spergularia spp.), curly ryegrass (Parapholis incurva) and beard grass (Polypogon monspeliensis). Some of the plants are also useful for rehabilitating degraded rangeland and mine …

Soils Of The Kojaneerup Annex Of The Mount Barker Research Station, P A. Findlater, P G. Muller

Resource management technical reports

The aim of the study was to provide soils information for the development and the planning of field experiments at the Kojaneerup annex of the Mt Barker Research Station. The annex has been established to develop stable farming systems and lies approximately 15 km south of the eastern end of the Stirling Ranges in the south-west of Western Australia. Soils on the annex were identified and mapped using a combination of grid and free survey methods. The soil map boundaries are accurate to within 50 metres either side of the boundary.

Based on a number of CSIRO soil surveys in …

Rangeland Surveys : A Basis For Improved Land Use, P J. Curry, Alan Payne

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

In mis 1988, the Department of Agriculture started a three-year programme to assist pastoralists in the Murchison River catchment to update land management planning of their stations. This Project, which is funded by the National Soil Conservation Program, will use interim results from a recent rangeland survey which has investigated and mapped the grazing recources throughout the region.

Elsewhere in Western Australia's pastoral areas, information on the productive potential of each area - and the management problems inherent for each class of land - are being used to help pastoral managers of Soil Conservation Districts rehabilitate degraded areas. This information …

Fisheries Report No. 81 - A Research Vessel Survey Of Pearl Oyster And Prawn Resources North-West Of Broome Western Australia, J. W. Penn, R. Dybdahl

Fisheries Research Reports

Data from a research vessel survey in September and October 1987 and commercial catch records have been used to assess the pearl oyster and prawn stocks along the Broome coastline between 17°S and 18°S latitudes. Observations made by pearl divers indicated that the survey zone contained commercially significant quantities of unfished pearl oysters particularly in the depth range 10 to 27 m, but also extending out to 44 m depth. The pearl oysters in the survey zone were found to be predominantly mature animals and appeared to be part of the now lightly fished deep water spawning population extending from …

Carlton Plains Soil Survey In The Shire Of Wyndham, East Kimberley, T C. Stoneman

Resource management technical reports

The Carlton Plains covers approximately 11,750 ha midway between Wyndham and Kununurra on the northern bank of the Ord River in the Shire of East Kimberley. The survey area is divided into two geomorphic units, the clay plains and the levee areas. Soils of the former generally belong to the Cununurra family of cracking clays while those of the levees are generally more variable and of medium texture.Samples of the major soils were collected for mechanical analysis and basic chemical analysis.Sodium chloride percentages and exchangeable sodium percentages are both high on the clay soils of the western plain. The suitability …

Bulletin 4358 - Western Australian Registered Field Crop Scheme Production Rules, Mark Holland, Peter Hill

Bulletins 4000 -

The Western Australian Registered Field Crop Scheme is an industry cooperative scheme entered into voluntarily by the participants. Agriculture Western Australia, through its AGWEST Plant Laboratories business unit, administers the scheme and supervises industry agreed production and marketing guidelines.

The Registered Field Crop Scheme differs from certified seed schemes by reduced direct supervision of the production by Agriculture Western Australia.

Producers agree to abide by the following rules and are responsible for the correctness of the final product to meet the quality descriptions for each seed lot as described on the appropriate seed analysis statement and in these rules.

The …

The Concept Of Prime Agricultural Land: A Western Australian Perspective, Vivian T. Read

Resource management technical reports

In the past, resource planning by Government authorities in Western Australia has been concentrated in urban areas. The rural areas were referred to as non-urban and planning outside of country townsites was confined to special rural zones. These zones were determined by the State authority (Town Planning Department) and were intended to limit the extent of farm fragmentation so as to control servicing costs and possible conflict.

The new State Planning Commission is expected soon to introduce the requirement of rural planning strategies for Local Government Areas where demand for land subdivision is high. The strategies will be based on …

Final Report Of The Pearling Industry Review Committee To The Hon. Julian Grill, Western Australian Minister For Fisheries And Hon. John Kerin, M.P. Federal Minister For Primary Industries And Energy., F. J. Malone, D. A. Hancock, B. Jeffries

Fisheries Management Papers

In October 1987 an Interim Report was issued to enable the present licence holders, the Licensed Pearl Producers' Association and other who had expressed an interest to the Committee, to consider the interim recommendations and , if necessary, make written comment to the Committee.

The Committee considered the comments it received. It now presents its Final Report to the Western Australian Minister for Fisheries, the Hon. Julian Grill and the Federal Minister for Primary Industries and Energy, the Hon. John Kerin.

The Committee is recommending that the industry be quota controlled with entry by transfer only. The present licence holders …

A Method Of Assessing Water Erosion Risk In Land Capability Studies : Swan Coastal Plain And Darling Range, M R. Wells

Resource management technical reports

No abstract provided.

An Inventory And Condition Survey Of Rangelands In The Ashburton River Catchment, Western Australia, A A. Mitchell, A L. Payne, W F. Holman

Technical Bulletins

The inventory and condition survey of rangelands in the Ashburton River catchment, undertaken by the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA) between 1976 and 1978, describes and maps the natural resources of the region’s pastoral leasehold land. This survey report provides a baseline record of the existence and condition of the natural area’s resources, to assist with the planning and implementation of land management practices. The report identified and described the condition of soils, landforms, vegetation, habitat, ecosystems, and declared plants and animals. It also assessed the impact of pastoralism and made land management recommendations. The area surveyed …

Soil Conservation And Management Strategies For The Toolibin Catchment, S J. Hearn

Resource management technical reports

No abstract provided.

Plant Regeneration And The Control Of Dust On The South Common, Carnarvon, I W. Watson

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

No abstract provided.

Water Erosion In The Geraldton Area During June-July 1986, K J. Bligh

Resource management technical reports

No abstract provided.

Fisheries Report No 76 - The Australian Herring Fishery In Western Australia, 1973 - 1985, Michael H. Walker, Diane P. Clarke

Fisheries Research Reports

The Australian herring (Arripis georgianus) ts a pelagic, largely marine, species which is relatively abundant in the south western waters of Western Australia. It is a close relative of the Australian salmon with a similar life history and habits which includes migrating for the purpose of spawning. The Australian herring is keenly sought both as a food fish and for bait. This report documents the fishery for this species as it has developed during the period 1973 to 1985.

Fisheries Report No 75 - The Commercial Shark Fishery In Temperate Waters Of Western Australia, D. I. Heald

Fisheries Research Reports

The Western Australian-based mixed gear fishery for edible shark generally operates from Geraldton to Esperance in waters shallower than 10 fm to a maximum depth of 100 fm. In 1983/84, the total catch was 1262 tonnes live weight. The total shark catch was taken by 158 gillnet boats, 45 longline boats and 152 handline boats. However, nearly two thirds (62%) of these boats caught 1 tonne or less in 1983/84 and were assumed to rely more heavily on other target fisheries than shark.

Of the 20 or so species of shark caught in W.A., 3 species together comprise two thirds …

An Inventory And Condition Survey Of Rangelands In The Carnarvon Basin, Western Australia, A L. Payne, G F. Spencer, P J. Curry

Technical Bulletins

The inventory and condition survey of rangelands in the Carnarvon Basin, undertaken by the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA) between 1980 and 1982, describes and maps the natural resources of the region’s pastoral leasehold land. This survey report provides a baseline record of the existence and condition of the natural area’s resources, to assist with the planning and implementation of land management practices. The report identified and described the condition of soils, landforms, vegetation, habitat, ecosystems, and declared plants and animals. It also assessed the impact of pastoralism and made land management recommendations. The area surveyed covers …

Fisheries Report No 77 - The Western Rock Lobster Fishery 1983 - 1984, R. S. Brown, E. H. Barker

Fisheries Research Reports

The fishery for the western rock lobster Panulirus cygnus is one of the most important single fisheries in Australia and an important export earner for the State. Western Australia produced 10,576 tonnes in 1983/84, out of a total Australian rock lobster catch, with the exception of Queensland, of 15,777 tonnes. The fishery is governed by a complex set of regulations which are designed to limit the total fishing effort to acceptable levels and to enforce a legal minimum size (Bowen 1971, Hancock 1981). Thus, it is important to monitor the state of the fishery constantly both to ensure that the …

Fisheries Report No 79 - The Western Rock Lobster Fishery 1984 - 1985, R. S. Brown, E. H. Barker

Fisheries Research Reports

The fishery for the western rock lobster Panulirus cygnus is one of the most important single fisheries in Australia and an important export earner for the State. Western Australia produced 8,966 tonnes in 1984/85, out of a total Australian rock lobster catch (excluding New South Wales and Queensland) of 13,651 tonnes. The fishery is governed by a complex set of regulations which are designed to limit the total fishing effort to exceptable levels and to enforce a legal minimum size (Bowen 1971, Hancock 1981). Thus, it is important to monitor the state of the fishery constantly both to ensure that …

Fisheries Report No 78 - A Re-Examination Of The Methods Used For Handling Undersize Western Rock Lobsters, R. S. Brown, C J. Dibden

Fisheries Research Reports

The fishery for the western rock lobster, Panulirus cygnus (George) is the most important single species fishery in Australia, and one of the major rock lobster fisheries of the world, with catches over the last ten years (1973 to 1983) averaging approximately 9.8 million kg annually.

The continuing success of the fishery can be attributed mainly to effective management, which involves a complex system of regulations, the majority of which were introduced in 1963 and which are constantly being revised to accommodate changes in the fishery. One important piece of legislation, effective from 17 December 1965, was the introduction of …

Management Measures For The Shark Bay Snapper Fishery 1987 Season., P. Millington

Fisheries Management Papers

The 1986 Shark Bay snapper fishing season mirrored in almost all respects the situation which will apply when the limited entry regime is put into effect. It was thus an opportunity to assess how effective the measures recommended in the Report of the Shark Bay Snapper Fishery Working Group were in reducing effort in the fishery.