Status reports of the fisheries and aquatic resources of Western Australia 2018/19. State of the fisheries

The Status Reports of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of Western Australia (SRFAR) provide an annual update on the state of the fish stocks and other aquatic resources of Western Australia (WA). These reports outline the most recent assessments of the cumulative risk status for each of the aquatic resources (assets) within WA’s six Bioregions using an Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management (EBFM) approach.https://researchlibrary.agric.wa.gov.au/an_sofar/1011/thumbnail.jp

Status reports of the fisheries and aquatic resources of Western Australia 2016/17. State of the fisheries

The Status Reports of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of Western Australia (SRFAR) provide an annual update on the state of the fish stocks and other aquatic resources of Western Australia (WA). These reports outline the most recent assessments of the cumulative risk status for each of the aquatic resources (assets) within WA’s six Bioregions using an Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management (EBFM) approach.https://researchlibrary.agric.wa.gov.au/an_sofar/1009/thumbnail.jp

Variability in spawning frequency and reproductive development of the narrow-barred Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus commerson) along the west coast of Australia

The narrow-barred Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus commerson) is widespread throughout the Indo-West Pacific region. This study describes the reproductive biology of S. commerson along the west coast of Australia, where it is targeted for food consumption and sports fishing. Development of testes occurred at a smaller body size than for ovaries, and more than 90% of males were sexually mature by the minimum legal length of 900 mm TL compared to 50% of females. Females dominated overall catches although sex ratios within daily catches vary considerably and females were rarely caught when spaw n ing. Scomberomorus commerson are seasonally abundant in coastal waters and most of the commercial catch is taken prior to the reproductive season. Spawning occurs between about August and November in the Kimberley region and between October and January in the Pilbara region. No spawning activity was recorded in the more southerly West Coast region, and only in the north Kimberley region were large numbers of fish with spawning gonads collected. Catches dropped to a minimum when spawning began in the Pilbara region, when fish became less abundant in inshore waters and inclement weather conditions limited fishing on still productive offshore reefs. Final maturation and ovulation of oocytes took place within a 24-hour period, and females spawned in the afternoon-evening every three days. A third of these spawning females released batches of eggs on consecutive days. Relationships between length, weight, and batch fecundity are presented

Aerial surveys of shore-based recreational fishing in Carnarvon and Shark Bay: June to August 2012

Aerial surveys are a useful tool for obtaining data on the spatial distribution of recreational fishing and estimating fishing effort. Following the successful application of this method in the Perth Metropolitan area, aerial surveys were conducted around Carnarvon and Shark Bay from June to August 2012. Recreational shore-based fishers were identified by fishing method (i.e., line fishing, ballooning, netting and spearfishing) and their location geo-referenced. Additional information on non-fishers, camps, boat trailers, vehicles and boats anchored or on the beach was also recorded. A combination of systematic random and stratified random sampling was employed, providing good estimates of fishing effort when conducting 6 and 9 surveys per month in Shark Bay and Carnarvon, respectively

Status reports of the fisheries and aquatic resources of Western Australia 2017/18. State of the fisheries

The Status Reports of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of Western Australia (SRFAR) provide an annual update on the state of the fish stocks and other aquatic resources of Western Australia (WA). These reports outline the most recent assessments of the cumulative risk status for each of the aquatic resources (assets) within WA’s six Bioregions using an Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management (EBFM) approach.https://researchlibrary.agric.wa.gov.au/an_sofar/1010/thumbnail.jp

Improving efficiency in generating submissions and consistency of outcomes for Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) based assessments

The prevalence of fishery certification schemes and associated ecolabels has grown over the last ten years with numerous ecolabels now in the marketplace e.g. Friends of the Sea, Naturland, SAI Global Trust (Parkes et al. 2010, Washington and Ababouch 2011, Ward and Phillips 2013). However, one of the most prominent and well regarded, particularly by eNGOs, is the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) (Gutiérrez et al. 2012, Ponte 2012, Bush et al. 2013, Ward and Phillips 2013) which accounts for greater than 10 % of annual global harvest of wild capture fisheries (MSC 2014b)

The “marine heat wave” off Western Australia during the summer of 2010/11

Water temperatures off the south-western coast of Western Australia rose to unprecedented levels during February and March 2011, and this warming event has been termed a “marine heat wave”. While surface temperatures were more than 3°C above the long-term monthly average over an extended area in February 2011, the temperature in some localised areas in coastal waters exceeded the long-term monthly average by 5°C for periods of a day or two in late February/early Marc

Spatial distribution of shore-based fishers in the greater Perth Metropolitan area over summer 2010/2011

Aerial surveys are a useful technique for estimating numbers of recreational fishers. Following the success of a pilot study to examine the spatial patterns of recreational shore-based fishing activity in the Perth Metropolitan area from April – June 2010, another survey was conducted from December 2010 – February 2011 between Lancelin – Bunbury. More than 7,000 shorebased fishers were counted during 36 aerial flights, with significantly more recorded on morning and afternoon flights, when compared to those conducted at midday. Flights on weekends/public holidays also recorded more fishers than weekdays. The spatial distribution of fishers was variable along the coast, with sandy beaches at the northern and southern sections of the study area having high counts of fishers, along with groynes in the central section. Comparisons with the previous (autumn) study revealed that the northern beaches generally had higher numbers of shore-based fishers in summer, while those in the south had more during autumn. Data from this study assists with understanding the patterns of shore-based recreational fishing occurring along the greater Perth Metropolitan coast. Such information can be used to assist in the design of future on-ground surveys, compliance and education activities

Quantifying recreational fishing catch and effort: a pilot study of shore-based fishers in the Perth Metropolitan area

Recreational fishing is a popular activity throughout Western Australia, including adjacent to the populous Perth Metropolitan area. Understanding the level of catch and effort associated with this activity is essential for the sustainable management of fish stocks. Whilst the focus of recent surveys in the Perth Metropolitan area has been on boat-based fishers targeting demersal species, shore-based fishing has not been measured for many years. Recent changes to management controls for these demersal species, including the implementation of a fishing boat licence, may increase existing pressures on nearshore stocks by displacing fishing effort onto these resources. Therefore, a need exists for the collection of information on the behaviour and catch of recreational shore-based fishers to support management measures