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Recreational Fishing of Sharks in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area: Species Composition and Incidental Capture Stress

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Recreational Fishing of Sharks in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area: Species Composition and Incidental Capture Stress ResearchOnline@JCU This file is part of the following reference: de Faria, Fernanda (2012) Recreational fishing of sharks in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area: species composition and incidental capture stress. Masters (Research) thesis, James Cook University. Access to this file is available from: http://eprints.jcu.edu.au/27963/ The author has certified to JCU that they have made a reasonable effort to gain permission and acknowledge the owner of any third party copyright material included in this document. If you believe that this is not the case, please contact [email protected] and quote http://eprints.jcu.edu.au/27963/ Recreational fishing of sharks in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area: species composition and incidental capture stress Thesis submitted by Fernanda de Faria (BSc in Biological Science) in August 2012 For the degree of Master of Science in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences James Cook University Townsville Supervisors Dr. Colin Simpfendorfer Dr. Stephen Sutton Dr. Cynthia Awruch Dr. Renae C. Tobin "Discovery only comes about by exploration and in many ways this includes taking risks. Knowledge itself can only be advanced by those who have the courage of their convictions" Neville Coleman "Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do" Johann Wolfgang STATEMENT OF ACCESS I, the undersigned, the author of this thesis, understand that James Cook University will make this thesis available for use within the university library and allow access to users in other approved libraries. I understand that, as an unpublished work, a thesis has significant protection under the Copyright Act and; I do not wish to place any further restriction on access to this work. ______________________ ____________________________ Signature Date Fernanda de Faria_______ Name i STATEMENT OF SOURCES I declare that this thesis is my own work and has not been submitted in any form for another degree or diploma at any university or other institution of tertiary education. Information derived from the published or unpublished work of others has been acknowledged in the text and list of references given. ______________________ ____________________________ Signature Date Fernanda de Faria_______ Name ii CONTRIBUTION OF OTHERS TO THIS THESIS Research funding: Marine and Tropical Science Research Facility Oceania Chondrichthyan Society Passions of Paradise School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, James Cook University Graduate Research School, James Cook University Sample collection: Coral Sea charters Aquacat charters Norseman charters Bianca charters Dragon lady charters Nigel Birkett Don Wild Dorothy Pitts Ben Mcintosh Photo identification: Alastair Harry, Centre for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and Aquaculture, James Cook University Colin Simpfendorfer, Centre for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and Aquaculture, James Cook University Molecular analysis of tissue samples Jenny Ovenden, Molecular Fisheries Laboratory, Fisheries Queensland Jessica Morgan, Molecular Fisheries Laboratory, Fisheries Queensland Raewyn Street, Molecular Fisheries Laboratory, Fisheries Queensland Study Area map Elodie Ledee, Centre for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and Aquaculture, James Cook University I acknowledge the use of data products or imagery from the Land Atmosphere Near- real time Capability for EOS (LANCE) system operated by the NASA/GSFC/Earth iii Science Data and Information System (ESDIS) with funding provided by NASA/HQ. ( http://earthdata.nasa.gov/data/nrt-data/rapid-response/) http://www.unep-wcmc.org/kml-file-of-world-heritage-sites_812.html for the KML layer of the GBRWHA Commonwealth of Australia (Geoscience Australia) 2012 iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Firstly I would like to thank my main supervisors Colin and Steve for being so approachable and for giving me valuable advice and feedback on my work. Thank you for listening to me when I whinged and for encouraging me whenever I doubted myself, and for providing a fun and laid back work environment. More importantly I would like to thank you for understanding, supporting and respecting my views, my way of doing things and my goals and for giving me freedom to conduct my research. I am extremely thankful to the James Cook University staff. In particular to Julie for all your last minute help with car bookings and for being a great friend helping me keep fit, baking me cookies and muffins when I most needed and for being my punching bag (literally). To Fiona for being so efficient at your job, for helping me with all the boring paperwork and for becoming a great friend. Thank you Rob, Paul and Clive for the countless times you helped me. You are key members of the school and no doubt make my life much easier and my time here much more enjoyable. To Glen for always helping me with a big smile. I am so glad I got to be your “guinea pig”. You and Melissa certainly were really important to me while I was a student and no doubt continue to be. Thank you Phill, Jane and Glen for all your help and for putting up with my last minute field trips. A big thank you to my dear friends and field volunteers Jess, Nikki, Alicia and Tom. I love how our friendships grew and how I can count on you guys whenever I need a chat and/or a coffee. Thank you also to all my field volunteers, charter operators and individual fishers who got involved. Without you this project would not have happened. To the Fishing and Fisheries team for providing an enjoyable workplace, help when needed and for putting up with me and my loudness. Special thanks to my co-supervisors Cynthia and Renae for all the comments and feedback. To Amos for teaching me how to fish. To Vinay for being my left and right arms in the field, always willing to help and eager to learn. I v am very happy that I now will be able to repay you by helping you with your work. To Chinny for making me coffees and for the mid afternoon trips to the ice cream shop. To Jimmy for all the energy drinks and coffees shared, for making my days at the “losers club” more bearable and for all the good times and good tunes in the field. Go NRA! To Owen for being a great listener and a wonderful friend. To Andy, Michelle and Colin for offering me a job that I enjoy very much. To Dani and Al for not only being great field volunteers but for providing a peaceful environment at home and for being great friends. And a big thanks to Audrey for all the help in the field and for being the amazing friend that you are. I cannot imagine my life without you, Sammy and Andrew. You guys mean the world to me and are my family in Australia. Special thanks to my mum, dad and sis. I don’t think I can put down in words how proud I am for being part of this family. I certainly wouldn’t be where I am if it wasn’t for you and your unconditional support. Your love and encouragement always make me feel confident to make my choices and take risks knowing that you will always be there for me. Well, it is thanks to all of you above that I finally got what I want, what I really really want ! vi TABLE OF CONTENTS STATEMENT OF ACCESS ......................................................................................... i STATEMENT OF SOURCES ...................................................................................... ii CONTRIBUTION OF OTHERS TO THIS THESIS ..................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................... v TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................ vii LIST OF TABLES ....................................................................................................... x LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................... xi LIST OF PLATES ..................................................................................................... xiii ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................ 1 Chapter 1. General Introduction ................................................................................. 4 1.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 6 1.2 Global shark fisheries and threats to shark populations ................................... 6 1.3 Commercial fishing in Australia......................................................................... 9 1.4 Recreational fishing in Australia...................................................................... 10 1.5 Other fishing pressures ................................................................................... 12 1.6 Shark fishing in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area .......................... 14 1.7 The need to involve recreational fishing communities in research .................. 19 1.8 Objectives of the project ................................................................................. 20 1.9 Study Area ...................................................................................................... 21 2.0 Thesis Outline ................................................................................................. 22 Chapter 2. The importance of involving recreational fishing communities in data collection for shark research .................................................................................... 24 2.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................
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