Publication Date

6-2026

Series Number

8

Publisher

Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western Australia

City

Perth

ISBN

978-1-925415-48-3 (Online)

ISSN

3083-5380 (Online)

Abstract

The Pilbara Prawn Resource (Resource) is accessed by three managed commercial fisheries; the Exmouth Gulf Prawn Managed Fishery (EGPMF), the Onslow Prawn Managed Fishery (OPMF) and the Nickol Bay Prawn Managed Fishery (NBPMF). All three fisheries are managed under effort controls, with the EGPMF and OPMF targeting brown tiger prawns (BTP; Penaeus esculentus), western king prawns (WKP; Penaeus latisulcatus), blue endeavour prawns (BEP; Metapenaeus endeavouri), and lesser quantities of banana prawns (Penaeus merguiensis). The NBPMF primarily targets banana prawns while also catching BTP, WKP, and BEP in lower numbers. These fisheries are situated adjacent to one another along the Pilbara coast, spanning a narrow latitudinal range (approx. 20.7 – 22.2 °S). Given this proximity, populations of most species, except for banana prawns, are likely connected through larval or adult movement to varying degrees, and all three fisheries are typically subject to shared environmental fluctuations on an annual basis. Consequently, the resource is assessed as a single unit, with species-level assessments drawing primarily on data from whichever fishery provides the highest catch and/or most comprehensive information for that species.

All three commercial fisheries are managed under their own management plan, however only the EGPMF, which is the largest of the three, has a formal harvest strategy. The EGPMF is also the only fishery with fishery-independent surveys, which provide additional stock assessment data not available from the other fisheries. The management plans for all fisheries accessing the Resource include mandatory implementation of bycatch reduction devices (BRDs), and a secondary fish escape device (FED) fitted in each net. Recreational prawn fishing is permitted in the EGPMF harvest strategy with restrictions on gear type (e.g., scoop, throw, or hand trawl nets), overall net size and mesh size, though annual recreational catch is very low. All three fisheries were assessed under the provisions of the Commonwealth’s EPBC Act in 2015 and have been accredited for export for a period of ten years. They are currently under-going re-assessment. Additionally, the EGPMF fishery received Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification in October 2015 and was successfully recertified in December 2020. It is currently re-entering MSC certification in 2025. This assessment was conducted on the Pilbara Prawn Resource for 2024. Due to the limited number of vessels currently active in the OPMF, data presented in the main portion of the report combines the OPMF and NBPMF for confidentiality requirements.

In 2024, the commercial catch from the Resource was 816.2 t, worth approximately $11.5 million and providing a low (Level 1) social amenity to its regional base. The majority of this catch by weight (whole weight) were the target species of the three fisheries accessing the Resource.

Number of Pages

98

Keywords

Exmouth Gulf Prawn Managed Fishery (EGPMF), Onslow Prawn Managed Fishery (OPMF), Nickol Bay Prawn Managed Fishery (NBPMF), commercial fisheries

Disciplines

Aquaculture and Fisheries

Download

This file is 9.1 MB. Files over 3MB may be slow to open. For best results, right-click and select "save as..."

Share

COinS