Biology, stock status and management summaries for selected fish species in south-western Australia

ObjectiveMany people are interested in fishes, but often it can be difficult to access reliable information on the biology, status and management of a particular fish species. Although there is a long history of world class fisheries research and management in Australia, the full details are generally only available in a fragmented manner in various scientific journals, books and reports. In some cases, these sources of information can be difficult to find and, even for fisheries researchers and managers, who usually have access to scientific journals, certain types of information such as unpublished reports or student theses, can be hard to acquire. The first objective in developing this guide was thus to collate a range of important details relating to current biological understanding, stock status and management for 30 of Western Australia’s most important and/or well known, temperate marine fish species. The second objective was to provide a comprehensive list of publications relevant to each species, to enable easier access to more detailed information on those species

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

Fisheries and Marine Officers recreational fishing survey: 1998/99 – 2009/10

Throughout Western Australia Fisheries and Marine Officers (FMOs) play a vital role in ensuring the sustainability of fish resources. Since July 1998, in the course of their other compliance activities, FMOs have collected information from recreational fishers on their catch and fishing trip. The primary objective of this report was to summarise the data collected by FMOs and ascertain the effectiveness of the convenience (i.e. unstructured) sampling technique for determining trends in recreational fishing patterns throughout Western Australia. Recreational fishing data was collected by FMOs during 6 629 land-based and boat-based patrols completed between 1998/99 – 2009/10, mostly within the West Coast bioregion

The Volunteer Fisheries Liaison Officer (VFLO) program: an analysis of recreational fishing data from 1995 - 2007

The aim of this report was to explore the data collected by VFLOs from 1995 - 2007 in each of the state’s four marine bioregions. During this period, volunteers undertook \u3e2,000 days of activities, the majority of which were educational displays at events such as boat shows and patrols in coastal, marine and estuarine environs. Patrols focused on interviews with recreational anglers to provide information about sustainable fishing and collect data on catch and effort

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

Integrated survey of boat-based recreational fishing in inner Shark Bay 2018/19

Inner Shark Bay is a popular recreational fishing destination. As recreational fishing occurs in a World Heritage Area and Marine Park, there is a need for ongoing reliable information on catches. Many boat-based recreational fishers in inner Shark Bay target Pink Snapper (Chrysophrys auratus)

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

Statewide survey of boat-based recreational fishing in Western Australia 2015/16

The statewide survey of boat-based recreational fishing includes three components: (i) off-site Phone Surveys (encompassing an initial Screening Survey, a longitudinal Phone-Diary Survey, and Post-Enumeration Surveys); (ii) on-site Boat Ramp Surveys; and (iii) a Remote Camera Survey

Statewide survey of boat-based recreational fishing in Western Australia 2017/18

The statewide survey of boat-based recreational fishing includes three components: (i) off-site Phone Surveys (encompassing an initial Screening Survey, a longitudinal Phone-Diary Survey, and Post-Enumeration Surveys); (ii) on-site Boat Ramp Surveys; and (iii) Remote Camera Surveys. The main data collection period was the 12-months from September 2017 to August 2018 inclusive, with the Post-Enumeration Surveys occurring from September to December 2018

Review of recreational fishing surveys in Western Australia

Recreational fishing has been a popular activity in Western Australia for many years, with an estimated 25% of the population participating in this activity in 2017/18. Recreational fishing surveys have been implemented by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (formally Department of Fisheries) since 1976