Fisheries Report No 20 - Trawl caught fish and crustaceans from Cockburn Sound

Authors

J. W. Penn, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Western Australia

Publication Date

1977

Series Number

Fisheries Report 20

Publisher

Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Western Australia

City

Perth

Abstract

Cockburn Sound is one of the few sheltered embayments near the Perth metropolitan area and as such has been subjected to increasing usage by both the general public and industry. Historically the Sound has been a major commercial fishing area from which much of the fresh fish for the metropolitan area has been caught. More recently, as well as providing a significant commercial catch, a major sport fishery has developed in the area.

The first commercial trawling operations in Cockburn Sound were undertaken in the early part of this century when horses were used to tow small nets on the shallow banks. Later from 1955 to 1962 mechanical trawling was practised over the weed beds in the shallower areas of the Sound. It was during this period that the drop in catches together with political pressure from amateur and non trawling professional fishermen resulted in some inshore parts of the area being closed to trawling. In August 1970, as a conservation Measure, and because of increased usage of the major part of the deep Sound by ocean going ships the entire area including Owen Anchorage was finally closed to trawling.

Since 1971 the deep waters of the northern portion of Cockburn Sound have been used by the Fisheries Research Branch of the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife for western king prawn research (Penn, 1975). This deeper water has generally been regarded from diving observations as relatively barren in terms of edible marine life compared with the shallower weed bed areas along the north, east and southern boarders of the Sound. However, significant catches of crabs and fish taken from the research area (Figure 1) by R.V. "Flinders" during night trawling operations has indicated that this area is a more important fish and crab habitat than previously thought.

Number of Pages

25

Keywords

Trawling, Fish, Crustaceans, Cockburn Sound, Western Australia

Disciplines

Aquaculture and Fisheries | Environmental Indicators and Impact Assessment | Environmental Monitoring | Marine Biology | Natural Resources and Conservation | Natural Resources Management and Policy | Sustainability

Recommended Citation

Penn, J W. (1977), Fisheries Report No 20 - Trawl caught fish and crustaceans from Cockburn Sound. Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Western Australia, Perth. Report Fisheries Report 20.
https://library.dpird.wa.gov.au/fr_rr/352