Rocky Reef Fishery Level 2 Ecological Risk Assessment

A Scoping Study and Level 1 Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA) for the Rocky Reef Fishery was released in July 2019 (Jacobsen et al. 2019). The Level 1 assessment identified ecological components at higher risk from line fishing activities, and these were progressed to a Level 2 assessment. Level 2 ERAs are focused at the species level with risk evaluations based on a Productivity & Susceptibility Analysis (PSA). The PSA evaluates risk for each species through an assessment of seven biological attributes and up to seven fisheries-specific attributes. This Level 2 ERA examined the risk posed to ten target & byproduct species and one species of shark. Of the target & byproduct species, seven were found to be at high risk and three at medium risk. The shark species (grey nurse shark) was found to be at high risk from line fishing activities. Risk profiles were influenced by data deficiencies, an underdeveloped management regime, and cumulative fishing pressures. For six of the 11 species, final risk ratings are more representative of the potential risk. Management of precautionary risks beyond what is already being undertaken as part of the Queensland Sustainable Fisheries Strategy 2017–2027 is not considered an immediate priority. The Level 2 ERA made a list of recommendations to assist in the management and mitigation of risk in the Rocky Reef Fishery. A number of these measures are already being discussed as part of the Queensland Sustainable Fisheries Strategy 2017–2027, including the development of a harvest strategy. As these reforms are still in development and yet to be fully implemented, the Level 2 ERA only considers management arrangements that are in place at the time of assessment

Queensland Coral Fishery Ecological Risk Assessment Update : Phase 1

The Queensland Coral Fishery (QCF) has been the subject of two previous risk assessments, the first in 2008 and an update in 2013. This report builds on these initial ERAs and establishes a more adaptive, staged approach to the assessment of risk. Under this strategy, risk profiles for species driving management reforms will be prioritised for assessment (Phase 1). These initial assessments will be built on through subsequent ERAs examining the risk posed to secondary and emerging priorities (Phase 2 & 3). In Phase 1 of the QCF ERA update (this Report), a Consequence & Likelihood Analysis (CLA) was used to examine the risk posed to 22 priority species. Under the CLA methodology, risk assessments consider two key components: 1) the extent of a consequence if a species were to experience an undesirable event and 2) the likelihood of the consequence occurring over the next 10 years. The CLA is a qualitative assessment method and assigns each species with an indicative risk rating of low, moderate, high or extreme. Of the 22 species assessed in Phase 1 of the QCF ERA, eight were classified as being at low risk of experiencing an undesirable event due to coral fishing activities. A further seven species were assigned a moderate (n = 3), high (n = 2) or extreme (n = 2) risk rating. Risk profile updates for the remaining seven species were deferred until the catch composition data improves. The CLA also identified several risk areas for this QCF including the risk of over-harvesting, limited information on species-specific rates of harvest and an absence of finer-scale output controls. These are being addressed as part of the Queensland Sustainable Fisheries Strategy 2017–2017 and in response to conditions outlined in the most recent WTO. Phase 1 of the QCF ERA update will be built on through subsequent assessments examining the risk posed to additional species and emerging priorities

Reef Line Fishery Level 2 Ecological Risk Assessment

A Scoping Study and Level 1 Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA) for the Reef Line Fishery was released in July 2019 (Jacobsen et al. 2019). The Level 1 assessment identified ecological components at higher risk from line fishing activities, and these were progressed to a Level 2 assessment. Level 2 ERAs are focused at the species level with risk evaluations based on a Productivity & Susceptibility Analysis (PSA). The PSA evaluates risk for each species through an assessment of seven biological attributes and up to seven fisheries-specific attributes. This Level 2 ERA examined the risk posed to 35 target & byproduct species (Other Species quota management unit), and four protected teleosts. Collectively, 17 species were found to be at high risk from line fishing activities, and the remaining 22 species were assessed as a medium risk. Risk profiles were influenced by data deficiencies, an underdeveloped management regime, and cumulative fishing pressures. For a portion of these species, final risk ratings were precautionary and are more representative of the potential risk. Management of precautionary risks beyond what is already being undertaken as part of the Queensland Sustainable Fisheries Strategy 2017–2027 is not considered a priority. The Level 2 ERA made a list of recommendations to assist in the management and mitigation of risk in the Reef Line Fishery. A number of these measures are already being discussed or addressed through the Queensland Sustainable Fisheries Strategy 2017–2027 and the Reef Line Fishery Harvest Strategy. As the Level 2 ERA commenced prior to the implementation of the harvest strategy, the results are based on the previous management regime. The harvest strategy will be taken into consideration is subsequent ERAs

East Coast Inshore Large Mesh Net Fishery Level 2 Ecological Risk Assessment [Species of Conservation Concern]

The Queensland Ecological Risk Assessment Guideline (the Guideline) was released in March 2018 as part of the Queensland Sustainable Fisheries Strategy 2017–2027. This Guideline provides an overview of strategy being employed to develop Ecological Risk Assessments (ERAs) for Queensland’s fisheries. The Guideline describes a four-stage framework consisting of a Scoping Study; a Level 1, whole of fishery qualitative assessment; a Level 2, species-specific semi-quantitative or low-data quantitative assessment and; a Level 3 quantitative assessment (if applicable). A Scoping Study and Level 1 ERA for the East Coast Inshore Fishery was released in May 2019 (Jacobsen et al. 2019). The Level 1 assessment identified ecological components at higher risk from net fishing activities, and these were progressed to a Level 2 assessment. Level 2 ERAs are focused at the species level with risk evaluations based on a Productivity & Susceptibility Analysis (PSA). The PSA evaluates risk for each species through an assessment of seven biological attributes and four fisheries-specific attributes. Based on the outputs of the Level 1 ERA and following a species prioritisation process, the Large Mesh Net Fishery Level 2 ERA assessed risk for 32 Species of Conservation Concern (SOCC), including six marine turtles, seven dolphins, dugongs, five sharks and 13 batoids. All species were found to be at medium to high risk from tunnel net fishing activities. The risk profiles for SOCC were heavily influenced by the biological attributes (productivity); particularly those relating to their longevity and reproductive outputs. The Level 2 ERA made a list of recommendations to assist in the management and mitigation of risk in the Large Mesh Net Fishery. A number of these measures are already being discussed and considered as part of the Queensland Sustainable Fisheries Strategy 2017–2027 and will be progressed through the East Coast Inshore Fishery Working Group

Gulf of Carpentaria Inshore Fishery Level 2 Ecological Risk Assessment [Species of Conservation Concern]

The Queensland Ecological Risk Assessment Guideline (the Guideline) was released in March 2018 as part of the Queensland Sustainable Fisheries Strategy 2017–2027. This Guideline provides an overview of strategy being employed to develop Ecological Risk Assessments (ERAs) for Queensland’s fisheries. The Guideline describes a four-stage framework consisting of a Scoping Study; a Level 1, whole of fishery qualitative assessment; a Level 2, species-specific semi-quantitative or low-data quantitative assessment and; a Level 3 quantitative assessment (if applicable). A Scoping Study and Level 1 ERA for the Gulf of Carpentaria Inshore Fishery was released in December 2019 (Jacobsen et al. 2019). The Level 1 assessment identified ecological components at higher risk from net fishing activities, and these were progressed to a Level 2 assessment. Level 2 ERAs are focused at the species level with risk evaluations based on a Productivity & Susceptibility Analysis (PSA). The PSA evaluates risk for each species through an assessment of seven biological attributes and four fisheries-specific attributes. Based on the outputs of the Level 1 ERA and following a species prioritisation process, the Gulf of Carpentaria Inshore Fishery Level 2 ERA assessed risk for 27 Species of Conservation Concern (SOCC), including six marine turtles, six dolphins, dugongs, four sharks and ten batoids. All species were found to be at high risk from inshore net fishing activities. The risk profiles for SOCC were heavily influenced by the biological attributes (productivity); particularly those relating to their longevity and reproductive outputs. The Level 2 ERA made a list of recommendations to assist in the management and mitigation of risk in the Gulf of Carpentaria Inshore Fishery. A number of these measures are already being discussed and considered as part of the Queensland Sustainable Fisheries Strategy 2017–2027 and will be progressed through the Gulf of Carpentaria Inshore Fishery Working Group

Gulf of Carpentaria Inshore Fishery Level 2 Ecological Risk Assessment [Target & Byproduct Species]

The Queensland Ecological Risk Assessment Guideline (the Guideline) was released in March 2018 as part of the Queensland Sustainable Fisheries Strategy 2017–2027. This Guideline provides an overview of strategy being employed to develop Ecological Risk Assessments (ERAs) for Queensland’s fisheries. The Guideline describes a four-stage framework consisting of a Scoping Study; a Level 1, whole of fishery qualitative assessment; a Level 2, species-specific semi-quantitative or low-data quantitative assessment and; a Level 3 quantitative assessment (if applicable). A Scoping Study and Level 1 ERA for the Gulf of Carpentaria Inshore Fishery was released in December 2019 (Jacobsen et al., 2019). The Level 1 assessment identified ecological components at higher risk from net fishing activities, and these were progressed to a Level 2 assessment. Level 2 ERAs are focused at the species level with risk evaluations based on a Productivity & Susceptibility Analysis (PSA). The PSA evaluates risk for each species through an assessment of seven biological attributes and up to seven fisheries-specific attributes. Based on the outputs of the Level 1 ERA and following a species prioritisation process, the Gulf of Carpentaria Inshore Fishery Level 2 ERA assessed risk for 15 target & byproduct species: eight teleosts and seven sharks. All target & byproduct species were found to be at medium to high risk from net fishing activities. The risk profiles for sharks were heavily influenced by the biological attributes (productivity); particularly those relating to their longevity and reproductive outputs. The Level 2 ERA made a list of recommendations to assist in the management and mitigation of risk in the Gulf of Carpentaria Inshore Fishery. A number of these measures are already being discussed and considered as part of the Queensland Sustainable Fisheries Strategy 2017–2027 and will be progressed through the Gulf of Carpentaria Inshore Fishery Working Group

Characterization of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 mutantswith decreased sensitivity to proteinase inhibitor Ro 31-8959

AbstractA human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) variant with highly reduced susceptibility to Ro 31-8959, an inhibitor of the viral proteinase, has been selected by repeated passage of wild-type virus in CEM cells in the presence of increasing concentrations of the inhibitor. Peptide sequences of the proteinase of selected virus were obtained from proviral DNA. Sequence comparison to wild-type (wt) proteinase demonstrated two amino acid substitutions in the resistant virus, a Gly to Val exchange at position 48 and a Leu to Met exchange at position 90. Furthermore, sequences of intermediate passage virus suggest contributions from positions 12, 36, 57, and 63 in early steps of resistance development. The selected virus showed a ca. 40-fold increase in 50% inhibitory concentration of Ro 31-8959. Growth kinetics of resistant virus were comparable to wild-type virus and the resistant genotype proved to be stable in the absence of inhibitor. Directed mutagenesis of the HIV-1 HXB2 proteinase at positions 48 and 90 suggested that each mutation alone led to a moderate decrease in sensitivity of the recombinant virus to proteinase inhibitor. However, a recombinant virus carrying both mutations in the proteinase gene showed a significant reduction in its sensitivity to Ro 31-8959 thus proving the importance of these exchanges for the resistance phenotype