Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 36(2); 241-246
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM 5^B»- <*•- **•' W' BRISBANE 10 AUGUST, 1994 SCALLOP FISHERIES !N SOUTHERN AUSTRALIA: MANAGING FOR STOCK RECOVERY WILLZACHARIN Zachann, W. 1994 08 10: Scallop fisheries in .southern Australia: managing for stock recovery. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 36(2); 241-246. Brisbane. ISSN 0079 8835. Scallop fisheries in southern Australia are showing signs of slock recovery after a period of low abundance. The recovery has been sporadic and slow although large areas of the fishing grounds have been subject to little or no fishing for up to 5 years. New management strategies designed to encourage stock recovery and promote sustainable harvests in the future arc in place. Management strategies and fishery monitoring programs are presented. WillZacharin, Sea Fisheries Division, Department of'Hn mo rv Industry and Fisheries, GPO Box6l9F. Hoban, Tasmania 7001, Auumita: 15 April 1994 There are 5 distinct commercial scallop Fishing that management decisions can be based on a zones in southern Australia : Port Phillip Bay ami sound understanding of biological and operation- Lakes Entrance in Victoria; the greater area of al characteristics of the fishery; 4, to allow an Bass Strait (known as the Central Zone), the 20 effective level of recruitment to the fishery by nautical mile zone around the north coast of Tas- prohibiting the taking of scallops of <80mm with mania called the Tasmanian Zone, and the east a view to allowing adult stocks to complete at coast of Tasmania (Fig.l). They are geographi- least two major spawnings before harvest; and 5, cally distinct in terms of their historical catch and to allow participants to maximise their return fleet dynamics. Management is under the control from harvesting the scallop resource. (Bass Strait of 3 separate authorities; the Victorian and Tas- Scallop Management Plan 1992, Commonwealth manian Slate Governments and the Common- Fisheries Act 1991 j. wealth Government (Australian Fish Man- The resultant management strategy combines agement Authority) Three different management input and output controls to restrict the number of strategies are operating. fishers; to prohibit the taking of small scallops; to The Bass Strait Scallop Consultative Commit- control scallop landings and to provide fl level of tee (BSSCC) formed in 1991 to develop a rational profitability to the fleet. management plan for scallop fisheries across Ba.vN Strait. This was the second time in the CONTROLS ON FISHING fisheries' history that such a process had been attempted (Zacharin, 1990. 1991) Anearlierplan In the past, both the States and the Common- developed by the B3ss Strait Task Force which wealth restricted fishing activities by imposing recommended that the fisheries* jurisdiction be input controls, such as closed seasons, size limits split between Victoria and Tasmania was not and dredge restrictions. Over the past 4 years effectively implemented (Zacharin,1990). there has been a shift towards output controls as Fishermen and managers recognised that future they are perceived to be more effective in manag- harvesting strategies needed to be based on cur- ing catch and controlling quality, provided that rent biological knowledge of the species (in the necessary level of monitoring and enforce- regard to reproductive maturity and growth ment is present A size limit of 80mm at widest rates), fleet dynamics and the need for economic diameter, however, still exists. The two main efficiency. The committee drafted a management strategies of the new management plan for the plan with 5 main objectives: I, to control fishing Central Zone of Bass Strait are the ' 20% trashing effort to a level which is consistent with the rate' requiremeni and the 'two-spawnings' current state of knowledge of scallop stocks; 2. to criterion. The 20 % trashing rate was designed as encourage investigation and modification of the a yield optimisation strategy, through limiting the most appropriate fishing equipment and fishing capture of, and minimising incidental mortality to practices to improve catch efficiency and to min- small (<S0mm at widest diameter) scallops. The imise damage to the scallop beds; 3, to allow 'two spawning' criterion is a parallel manage- further scientific and other data to be collected so ment requirement designed to allow scallops two 242 MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM FIG.L Southern Australian scallop fishery divided into 5 distinct zones. Port Phillip Bay (1), Lakes Entrance (2), Bass Strait (3), northern Tasmania (4), and eastern Tasmania (5). major spawnings prior to their being fished, commercial operations. If more than 20% of the without regard to size. Thus scallops need both catch landed on the sorting tray is being returned to have spawned twice and have less than 20% to the water, fishermen are required to cease of the catch smaller than 80mm at widest fishing in the area until scallop size increases. diameter prior to their being fished. This is not difficult for the majority of Bass Strait The trashing rate is the proportion of small scallop beds as they are usually of the one size or scallops discarded over a fishing ground during age class. However, in the event of two age SCALLOP STOCK RECOVERY, SOUTHERN AUSTRALIA 243 classes being mixed in the one area, a 20% trash- year and closes in late December. This summer ing rate is considered acceptable, having regard closure protects juveniles from dredge damage for increasing mortality in the older age class, and and stops scallops with poor meat condition being the potential of predators (o significantly reduce landed. In most years, post spawning meat and the remaining scallops on a fished bed. gonad condition does not improve until March, Failure of fishermen to leave the area can result Scallop landings are subject to 'quota*, set per trip in a 3 month closure to the whole fishery. This or fortnightly. At present the quota is 150 units closure can be implemented by the management per fortnight: a unit being a black polypropylene committee under a specific provision in the BASS onion bag measuring 900mm x 580mm and 3 Strait scallop management plan. having a volume of 0.08 m . This measure owes Application of trashing rates are not new in iLs derivation to the past availability and suit- shellfish management. A trashing rate of not ability of onion bags for landing scallops. more than 30% of landed catch was introduced While the fortnightly quota does reduce fishing into the eastern U.S offshore clam fishery in effort to some extent, this is not its primary pur- 1983. The reason was lo prevent wastage due lo pose. It is a marketing tool which provides for the excessive discarding and to meet minimum size landing of quality scaJlops and prevents wastage requirements (Murawski & Serchuk, 1989). due to time delays in landing and processing Two majorspawnings from adults, prior to their larger volumes. It prevents a 'gold rush' event, as being fished, are considered essential if sufficient occurs when there is a competitive total allowable reproductive output from the fishery is to occut. catch. The catch quota was agreed through Commercial scaJlops in Bass Strait have their first negotiation between Government, fishermen and major spawning in their second year (1+ age the processing sector. If costs of fishing rise and class). However, fecundity is relatively low at this landed price falls or even remains steady, it is age(R. McLouglin pcrs. comm.) and therefore possible for the industry to re-negotiate the catch delaying the fishing until the scallops' second quota at any time. Profitability of the fleet is a major spawning is desirable to increase the prob- main objective of the management plan. ability of some recruitment from that particular Catch is also controlled in the Victorian and age class of adult spawners. Restricting fishing Tasmanian Zones. In Victoria a weekly catch operations even further until a third major spawn- limit is currently operating, while in Tasmania, a ing has occurred cannot be defended, as natural 'per trip' limit will continue to operate when mortality is thought to be high in Bass Strait fishing recommences in the future. populations after scallops reach an age of four years. High levels of predation by starfish on QUOTA MONITORING AND CATCH DATA commercial scallop beds have been observed on a number of occasions. Each unit ur bag landed must have a plastic Delaying the time of first capture till alter the colour-coded lag attached Tags are issued each second spawning has a number of other benefits. month in advance by the Australian Fish Manage- Scallops have another year's growth, which ment Authority Unused tags are returned as a results in the majority of the population reaching cost saving measure and arc re-issued the follow- a shell height 70mm (shell width 80mm), In- ing year but in a different month. Numerical dividual yields increase c.30%, and the landed coding also changes each month and yeat to value of the fishery should rise. There is an as- ensure unused tags will not be held over from year sumption that there is no rapid increase in natural to year. The tag system allows efficient monitor- mortality. A yield optimisation model needs lobe ing and enforcement Of the quota, and in provid- completed to support this assumption. ing a validation system for scallop landings The crux of the management plan is, ii the through the processing sector. trashing rate is below 20%, then it can be assumed A new logbook introduced in 1992 is based on that the bed should be fished until it is no longer a 7 x 7 nautical mile grid. Returns are filled out economically viable to continue. After fishing for each trip and data entered on a central com- scallops will still remain in the area but at a low puter datahase in Hobart.