Fisheries research report No. 163 - Spatial scales of exploitation among populations of demersal scalefish: implications for management. Part 1: Stock status of the key indicator species for the demersal scalefish fishery in the West Coast Bioregion.

Authors

Department of Fisheries, Western Australia

Publication Date

9-2007

Series Number

163

Publisher

Department of Fisheries, Western Australia

City

Perth, Western Australia

ISBN

1 921258 01 2

ISSN

1035 - 4549

Abstract

Final FRDC report - Project 2003/052

The levels of exploitation on dhufish and pink snapper across the West Coast Bioregion and for baldchin groper at the Abrolhos Islands are above international benchmark standards. This indicates that these stocks are currently being overfished and are therefore likely to be being depleted to levels below those necessary to ensure their long-term sustainability. The current reliance of the dhufish catch on a single recruitment pulse together with the extremely truncated age distribution of pink snapper indicates that both these stocks are particularly vulnerable.

The West Coast Demersal Scalefish Fishery is a multi-species fishery that lands over 100 different species. The key indicator species are dhufish, pink snapper and baldchin groper. The West Coast Demersal Scalefish Fishery covers a number of multiple competing sectors including commercial fishing activities (the wetline fleet, the demersal gillnet and demersal longline [‘shark’] fishery and ancillary activities by the rock lobster fishery), plus significant recreational fishing activities (boat-based angling and the charter boat fishery).

There has been growing concern from both the Department of Fisheries Western Australia and stakeholder groups in recent years about the sustainability of demersal scalefish stocks in the West Coast Bioregion. Given that these activities are principally located off the main residential areas of the West Coast Bioregion and there have been significant increases in both population size and fishing efficiency primarily through the use of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and high quality colour echo sounders, increasing pressure is being placed on these demersal species.

Over the past decade the catches of the key indicator species by the commercial fishery have generally been increasing but the patterns for the species have been variable among years, especially amongst the different regions. The catches of the three key species in the two years where both commercial and recreational data were available are: 1996/97 2005/06 Dhufish commercial 191t 203t Dhufish recreational 125t 206t Pink snapper commercial 286t 293t Pink snapper recreational 25t 57t Baldchin groper commercial 37t 37t Baldchin groper recreational 19t 37t The 1996/97 recreational data is boat-based recreational catch only and does not include any catch taken from what were then unlicensed charter vessels. The 2005/06 recreational data is from both private boat-based recreational fishing and licensed charter operators. In the intervening years commercial catches were above 2005/06 levels (dhufish: 254t in 2002/03; pink snapper 356t in 2003/04; baldchin groper: 44t in 2002/03).

B.S. Wise, J. St John and R.C. Lenanton (Editors)

Number of Pages

130

Keywords

West Coast Bioregion, Dhufish, Pink Snapper, Baldchin groper, Demersal, Fish stocks, Commercial fishery, West Coast Demersal Scalefish Fishery

Disciplines

Aquaculture and Fisheries | Marine Biology | Natural Resources and Conservation | Natural Resources Management and Policy | Sustainability

Recommended Citation

Wise, B.S., St John, J. and Lenanton, R.C. (Editors) 2007. Spatial scales of exploitation among populations of demersal scalefish: implications for management. Part 1: Stock status of the key indicator species for the demersal scalefish fishery in the West Coast Bioregion. Final report to Fisheries Research and Development Corporation on Project No. 2003/052. Fisheries Research Report No. 163, Department of Fisheries, Western Australia, 130p.