Snapper stocks in the inner gulfs of Shark Bay are in a depleted condition, both in trawled and non-trawled areas, with the main factor contributing to the depletion considered to be recreational fishing for adult snapper, including some mortality of undersized snapper returned to the water. The commercial prawn trawl fishery catches many small fish species, including small juvenile pink snapper, as part of its unintended bycatch. Some members of the local community believe that mortality of juvenile snapper due to trawling has also been a significant factor in depletion of the adult stock in Denham Sound, Shark Bay. While the Department of Fisheries has undertaken extensive research on snapper and prawn fisheries including counting and measuring juvenile snapper in many research trawl surveys since the 1970s and observed commercial trawls since the 1990s, this information alone was insufficient for an assessment on the extent to which snapper stocks in Denham Sound are being affected by the trawl fishery. This bulletin provides the additional detailed information required and combines it with a range of historical data to complete a comprehensive assessment
