Identifying important resting habitats for the protection of Hawaiian spinner dolphins

With the ever increasing intrusion of anthropogenic activities on wildlife habitats, linking environmental characteristics with behavioural activities is vital for the identification and protection of critical habitats (i.e. those supporting essential life functions such as foraging, breeding or resting)

Developing sustainable small-scale fisheries livelihoods in Indonesia: Trends, enabling and constraining factors, and future opportunities

Small-scale fisheries (SSF) provide crucial contributions to livelihoods, food and nutrition security, and the well-being of coastal communities worldwide. In Indonesia, 2.5 million households are involved in SSF production, yet these households are characterised by high poverty rates and vulnerability due to declining ecosystem health and climatic change. In this study we applied the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework to analyse the characteristics and immediate and longer-term outcomes of 20 SSF livelihood-focused intervention programs implemented in coastal communities across the Indonesian Archipelago over the last two decades. Projects covered a wide range of spatial scales, funding providers and key participants. Factors supporting positive program outcomes included application of inclusive and holistic approaches to sustainable livelihoods, implemented and supported over appropriate time frames; use of participatory capacity development methodologies and locally-situated project facilitators; and collaborative engagement with local government, non-government organisations and private-sector actors. However, it was impossible to identify evidenced successes from a longer-term sustainability perspective. Short project timeframes, absence of baseline or monitoring data, pressure for satisfactory reports to donors, and limited post-project evaluation, together with invisibility of women’s work and non-commercial exchanges, affected the adequacy of assessments. Given the lack of post-project assessment among projects studied, a thorough review of longer-term project impacts is recommended, guided by the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework, to evaluate sustained improvements in livelihoods outcomes and environmental sustainability. This would support best-practice design and implementation of SSF livelihood-focused interventions, disseminated beyond academia, to influence policy and development to achieve socio-economic equity and environmental goals

Preliminary estimates of the abundance and fidelity of dolphins associating with a demersal trawl fishery

The incidental capture of wildlife in fishing gear presents a global conservation challenge. As a baseline to inform assessments of the impact of bycatch on bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) interacting with an Australian trawl fishery, we conducted an aerial survey to estimate dolphin abundance across the fishery. Concurrently, we carried out boat-based dolphin photo-identification to assess short-term fidelity to foraging around trawlers, and used photographic and genetic data to infer longer-term fidelity to the fishery. We estimated abundance at approximate to 2,300 dolphins (95% CI = 1,247-4,214) over the ≈ 25,880-km2 fishery. Mark-recapture estimates yielded 226 (SE = 38.5) dolphins associating with one trawler and some individuals photographed up to seven times over 12 capture periods. Moreover, photographic and genetic re-sampling over three years confirmed that some individuals show longterm fidelity to trawler-associated foraging. Our study presents the first abundance estimate for any Australian pelagic dolphin community and documents individuals associating with trawlers over days, months and years. Without trend data or correction factors for dolphin availability, the impact of bycatch on this dolphin population's conservation status remains unknown. These results should be taken into account by management agencies assessing the impact of fisheries-related mortality on this protected species.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Environmental impact of the establishment of exotic prawn pathogens in Australia

This study was commissioned by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) to evaluate the potential impact on the natural environment of the establishment of exotic prawn diseases, using White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) and Infectious Hypodermal and Hematopoietic Necrosis Virus (IHHNV) as examples

Report on the scientific basis for and the role of marine sanctuaries in marine planning

In September 2006, the Western Australian (WA) Cabinet decided to establish a Marine Scientific Panel to address scientific issues arising from the regional marine planning process and to provide advice to the Government in the development of marine parks and reserves policy. The Panel was appointed by the then Minister for the Environment in January 2008

Evaluating the ecosystem effects of variation in recruitment and fishing effort in the western rock lobster fishery

We used a regional, ecosystem mass-balance model (Ecopath with Ecosim) to evaluate the possible changes in flows of mass and energy between the benthic and pelagic components of the marine ecosystem of Jurien Bay in temperate Western Australia (∼30°S, ∼115°E). The effects of varying the biomass of western rock lobster in the system were examined by simulating changes in commercial and recreational fishing mortality as well as recruitment-driven changes in the abundance of lobster puerulus (the first post-larval stage). The model comprised 80 functional groups (more than 200 species). A simulated closure of the commercial lobster fishing was predicted to lead to an increase in lobster biomass of 160% after 20 years, with changes in biomass of up to 20% of the main prey and predators of lobster. Since 2006/2007, the puerulus settlement (recruitment to the benthos) of western rock lobster has declined to the lowest levels recorded in the fishery. The model predicted that under 2005 levels of fishing effort, a simulated depletion of 90% of puerulus biomass resulted in an ∼17% reduction in the biomass of adult lobster biomass after 20 years (i.e. by 2025). In general, the model predicts that the variations in lobster biomass, whether induced from fishing mortality or declining puerulus settlement, have relatively small effects on the biomass of the main predators and prey of lobster in the marine park. The relative biomass of adult rock lobster and their associated predators and prey was more sensitive to fishing than to variations in recruitment

Developing and assessing techniques for enhancing tropical Australian prawn fisheries and the feasibility of enhancing the brown tiger prawn (Penaeus esculentus) fishery in Exmouth Gulf

The prawn trawl fishery in Exmouth Gulf, Western Australia, is well managed and harvests a mixture of penaeid prawns. Catches of the high value, brown tiger prawn Penaeus esculentus have comprised about 36% of the annual catch in the 1990s. However, annual catches of tiger prawns are now about half the level they were in the 1970s and fluctuate markedly, from about 200 to 680 t. These changes in catch create uncertainty in the supply of prawns for export markets and force fishing and processing operators to have excess capacity to deal with good years. Managers, fishing industry and researchers are considering the option of enhancing the natural recruitment of brown tiger prawns by releasing juveniles in wild nursery areas to reduce natural fluctuations and increase the average annual catch. This collaborative project (CSIRO, Fisheries WA, MG Kailis Group of Companies) assessed the feasibility of stock enhancement of tiger prawns in Exmouth Gulf by: • developing a bioeconomic model • examining the risks of changes in the genetic composition and introducing disease to the wild population of tiger prawns, and • identifying further work that would be needed before stock enhancement should proceed. This is the first stage in several stages that would lead to stock enhancement of tiger prawns in Exmouth Gulf. The project was initiated through a workshop of all project participants in Perth in July 1998