DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES ANNUAL REPORT TO THE ...

fishery
Northern
demersal
scalefish
Stock
assessment
complete
Breeding
stock
assessment
target catch
(and effort) range in
tonnes (days)
Yes Adequate Total 600 – 1,000
(goldband < 501)
(red emperor < 201)
catch (tonnes)
for season reported 1
Total 1,116
(goldband 522)
(red emperor 141)
Season
reported 1
catch
(or effort)
level
acceptable
comments on performance
in reported season
2010 Yes Total catch was above the upper limit by ~10%, which is
acceptable. The catches of goldband snapper were ~5%
above the target while red emperor was ~30% below
target. Catch ranges for this fishery need revision. A
stock assessment due in 2012/2013 will inform this
revision.
Pilbara fish trawl Yes Adequate 2,000 – 2,800 1,259 2010 No Reduced catch may partly be due to 20% reduction in
effort in Areas 1 and 2 in 2009 and new net designs
that deal with bycatch issues. Cause is yet to be fully
determined.
Pilbara demersal
trap and line
SUMMARy OF THE yEAR � STOCk STATUS AND CATCH RANgES FOR MAjOR COMMERCIAL FISHERIES
Yes Adequate 400 – 600 (trap)
50 – 115 (line)
Mackerel Yes Adequate 410 (Quota
management)
246 – 410
(all except grey
mackerel)
Northern shark Yes Sandbar
shark:
Inadequate
Blacktip
shark:
Uncertain
< 20
(sandbar)
Pearl oyster Yes Adequate 1,555,000 oysters
(Quota management)
(14,071 – 20,551
dive hours)
Beche-de-mer Yes Adequate Sandfish 20 – 100
Redfish 40 – 150
1 Catch figures supplied for latest year/season available. NA Not assessed.
489 (trap)
117 (line)
2010 Yes The trap catch was within the acceptable range. The
line catch is similar to 2009 however the catch of ruby
snapper has increased for two consecutive years. A
stock assessment will be undertaken in 2011.
284 2010 Yes Catch rates are increasing in the Gascoyne/West Coast
and Pilbara and stable in the Kimberley. As the quota
is accumulated over three zones, a catch range will
continue to be used to assess acceptability.
No catch reported. 2009/10 NA Previous management intervention reduced fishing effort
to below target level, but catches of sandbar sharks in
recent years far exceeded their sustainable annual limit
so the breeding stock remains inadequate. No effort
occurred this year.
394,947 oysters (4,447
dive hours)
Sandfish 35
Redfish 86
2010 Yes Pearl oyster catches are up from the previous year’s
historical low, but still only 25% of Total Allowable
Catch (TAC) due to exceptional abundance and market
uncertainty.
2010 Yes Species-specific indicators introduced for the first time in
this fishery.
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