Minimising the cost of future stock monitoring, and assessment of the potential for increased yields from the oceanic snapper, Pagrus auratus, stock off Shark Bay

Funded Activity Summary

A more precise stock assessment is needed for the Shark Bay Snapper Fishery in view of the wide confidence limits around the previous assessment in the mid 1980s. Assessment is needed now because of the increased level of recreational effort on the stock and the implication in the new management plan that the commercial TAC must be reduced to enable recreational catches to be included in an overall TAC. The material is available for a precise stock assessment but resources are required for working up the data and performing the stock assessment.
Knowledge of the degree of variability in annual recruitment is required to assess the feasibility of a cost effective constant TAC management policy for the future.
Market preferences for fish of particular sizes, and the minimum legal length, can result in significant discarding. The mortality of these discarded fish and effects on the stocks need to be factored into TAC calculations.
A minimal cost method needs to be devised for routine future monitoring of the fishery.

Objectives:
1. Estimate annual recruitments and fishing mortalities in the snapper fishery throughout the 1980s and 1990s.
2. Assess the risks to the snapper stock of a range of annual commercial and recreational catches, taking into account the mortality of discarded fish and variability in recruitment.
3. Devise a minimal cost method for future monitoring of the snapper fishery.

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 06-09-2000

End Date: 15-04-2005

Funding Scheme: Funding Scheme not available

Funding Amount: $89,792.00

Funder: Fisheries Research and Development Corporation

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

There are no FoR codes available for this funding activity

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

There are no SEO codes available for this funding activity

Other Keywords

Fisheries Management | Mortality | Population Dynamics | Recreational Fishing | Risk reduction | Stock Assessment

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