ISSN 1441-8487 FISHERY ASSESSMENT REPORT TASMANIAN ABALONE FISHERY 2006 Compiled by David Tarbath, Craig Mundy and Malcolm Haddon August 2007 National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication Entry: Tarbath, David Bruce, 1955- Fishery assessment report: Tasmanian abalone fishery. Bibliography. Includes index. ISBN 0 7246 4770 8. 1. Abalones - Tasmania. I. Tarbath, D. B. (David Bruce), 1955- . II. Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute. Marine Research Laboratories. (Series: Technical report series (Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute)). 338.37243209946 This report was compiled by D. Tarbath, C. Mundy and M. Haddon, TAFI Marine Research Laboratories, PO BOX 252-49, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia. E-mail:
[email protected]. Ph. (03) 6227 7277, Fax (03) 6227 8035 Published by the Marine Research Laboratories, Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute, University of Tasmania 2007. Abalone Fishery Assessment: 2006 Abalone Fishery Assessment: 2006 Executive summary In 2006, the combined TAC for the Tasmanian abalone fishery was 2502.5t, comprising 770t in the Eastern Zone, 1260t in the Western Zone, 280t in the Northern Zone, 70t in the Bass Strait Zone, and 122.5t in the greenlip fishery. The 2006 Abalone Fishery Assessment was based primarily on commercial catch and effort data and size-composition data from the Tasmanian fisheries for blacklip abalone (Haliotis rubra) and greenlip abalone (H. laevigata). Commercial catch and effort data were supplied by the Tasmanian Department of Primary Industry and Water (DPIW), and screened by the Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute (TAFI). These data were obtained from catch dockets provided by licensed divers. Catch rates were derived from the catch-effort data and annual variation in catch rate was interpreted as an approximate relative index of abalone abundance.