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Catch Composition of the Western Australian Temperate Demersal Gillnet and Demersal Longline Fisheries, 1994 to 1999

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Catch Composition of the Western Australian Temperate Demersal Gillnet and Demersal Longline Fisheries, 1994 to 1999 FISHERIES RESEARCH REPORT NO. 146, 2003 Catch composition of the Western Australian temperate demersal gillnet and demersal longline fisheries, 1994 to 1999 R. McAuley and C. Simpfendorfer Fisheries Research Division WA Marine Research Laboratories PO Box 20 NORTH BEACH Western Australia 6920 Fisheries Research Report Titles in the fisheries research series contain technical and scientific information that represents an important contribution to existing knowledge, but which may not be suitable for publication in national or international scientific journals. Fisheries Research Reports may be cited as full publications. The full citation is: McAuley, R. and Simpfendorfer C. 2003. Catch composition of the Western Australian temperate demersal gillnet and demersal longline fisheries, 1994 to 1999, Fisheries Research Report No. 146, Department of Fisheries, Western Australia, 78 pp. Numbers 1-80 in this series were issued as Reports. Numbers 81-82 were issued as Fisheries Reports, and from number 83 the series has been issued under the current title. Enquiries Department of Fisheries 3rd floor The Atrium 168-170 St George’s Terrace PERTH WA 6000 Telephone (08) 9482 7333 Facsimile (08) 9482 7389 Website: http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/res Published by Department of Fisheries, Perth, Western Australia. November 2003. ISSN: 1035 - 4549 ISBN: 1 877098 36 1 An electronic copy of this report will be available at the above website where parts may be shown in colour where this is thought to improve clarity. Fisheries Research in Western Australia The Fisheries Research Division of the Department of Fisheries is based at the Western Australian Marine Research Laboratories, PO Box 20, North Beach (Perth), Western Australia, 6920. The Marine Research Laboratories serve as the centre for fisheries research in the State of Western Australia. Research programs conducted by the Fisheries Research Division and laboratories investigate basic fish biology, stock identity and levels, population dynamics, environmental factors, and other factors related to commercial fisheries, recreational fisheries and aquaculture. The Fisheries Research Division also maintains the State data base of catch and effort fisheries statistics. The primary function of the Fisheries Research Division is to provide scientific advice to government in the formulation of management policies for developing and sustaining Western Australian fisheries. Contents Page 1.0 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 1 1.1 History......................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Description of the gear................................................................................ 3 1.3 Objectives of this report.............................................................................. 4 2.0 Methods ............................................................................................................... 5 2.1 Data collection ............................................................................................ 5 2.2 Data analysis ............................................................................................... 6 2.2.1 Commercial data................................................................................ 6 2.2.2 Research data..................................................................................... 7 2.2.3 Catch estimation using research observed CPUE data ..................... 8 2.2.4 Non fish Bycatch............................................................................... 8 3.0 Results.................................................................................................................. 9 3.1 Effort ........................................................................................................... 9 3.2 Catch composition ..................................................................................... 9 3.2.1 Commercial elasmobranch catch....................................................... 9 3.2.2 Commercial teleost catch .................................................................. 12 3.2.3 Research observed elasmobranch catch ............................................ 14 3.2.4 Research observed teleost catch........................................................ 16 3.2.5 Species diversity................................................................................ 18 3.3 Catch per unit effort (CPUE)...................................................................... 18 3.4 Estimated commercial catch ....................................................................... 21 3.4.1 Elasmobranchs................................................................................... 21 3.4.2 Teleosts .............................................................................................. 22 3.5 Shark catch size composition...................................................................... 24 3.5.1 Whaler sharks (family Carcharhinidae) ........................................... 24 3.5.2 Hound sharks (family Triakidae) ..................................................... 27 3.5.3 Other sharks ...................................................................................... 31 3.6 Scalefish catch size composition ................................................................ 32 3.7 Non-fish bycatch......................................................................................... 35 4.0 Discussion ............................................................................................................ 36 5.0 Acknowledgements............................................................................................. 39 i 6.0 References ........................................................................................................... 40 7.0 Appendices .......................................................................................................... 43 Appendix I. Commercial demersal gillnet & longline catch and effort, July 1994 – June 1999........................................................................................ 43 Appendix II. Total length – fork length relationships ......................................... 58 Appendix III. Length - Weight Relationships...................................................... 59 Appendix IV. Size frequency statistics................................................................. 63 Appendix V. Research Observed Catch, July 1994 – June 1999......................... 65 ii Catch composition of the Western Australian temperate demersal gillnet and demersal longline fisheries, 1994 to 1999 Rory McAuley* and Colin Simpfendorfer** * WA Marine Research Laboratories, PO Box 20 North Beach, Western Australia 6920 Australia ** Center for Shark Research, Mote Marine Laboratory, 1600 Ken Thompson Parkway, Sarasota Florida 34236 USA Abstract Catch composition data were collected from Western Australia’s temperate demersal gillnet and demersal longline fisheries, between Eucla and Geraldton, over a five-year period from July 1994 to June 1999. Results were compared to Department of Fisheries catch records compiled from fishers’ monthly catch returns. Discarded bycatch of several species was estimated by bootstrapping their observed catch rates. Dusky shark, Carcharhinus obscurus, gummy shark, Mustelus antarcticus, whiskery shark, Furgaleus macki, and Port Jackson shark, Heterodontus portusjacksoni, were identified as the main components of the fisheries’ catch, however, catches were found to vary regionally. School shark, Galeorhinus galeus, dogfish of the family Squalidae and the sandbar shark, Carcharhinus plumbeus, were regionally important in the south-east, mid-southern and west coast regions, respectively. Teleosts comprised between 5.4% and 16.6% of the total demersal gillnet and longline catch, with Buffalo bream, Kyphosus cornelii, West Australian Dhufish, Glaucosoma hebraicum and dusky morwong, Dactylophora nigricans identified as the main components of the teleost catch. Estimating catches from research catch per unit effort data indicated that catches of secondary elasmobranch species may have been underreported in commercial fishing returns. Records of non-fish bycatch were also compiled from observer data. The rates of capture of non-fish bycatch were low in all regions, with an overall occurrence of less than one capture per 1,000 kilometre gillnet hours. 1.0 Introduction 1.1 History Commercial shark-fishing began in Western Australia in 1941 with a single boat using demersal longlines in the Leschenault Inlet to catch, primarily, gummy sharks, Mustelus antarcticus. In the same year, other vessels began fishing in the inlet and adjacent offshore waters and by 1942, there were 6 shark-fishing boats operating around the south-western port of Bunbury. During the late 1940s and early 1950s the shark fishery expanded to other ports including Albany, Fremantle and Geraldton and despite remaining a largely part time occupation for most fishers, shark-fishing effort increased steadily as more operators entered the fishery. Throughout the 1960s, the shark fishery gradually moved further offshore and demersally set multifilament gillnets gradually replaced longlines as the preferred fishing method. By 1965 the catch of shark had exceeded 300 tonnes yr-1 (Figure 1). Catches rose steadily throughout the late 1960s, until in the early 1970s, public concern over the level of mercury
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