The Sydney Inshore Trawl-Whiting Fishery: Codend Selectivity and Fishery Characteristics
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The Sydney inshore trawl-whiting fishery: codend selectivity and fishery characteristics Ken J Graham NSW Department of Primary Industries Cronulla Fisheries Research Centre of Excellence PO Box 22, Cronulla, NSW 2230 Australia July 2008 NSW Department of Primary Industries – Fisheries Final Report Series No. 102 ISSN 1449-9967 The Sydney inshore trawl-whiting fishery: codend selectivity and fishery characteristics July 2008 Authors: Graham, K. J. Published By: NSW Department of Primary Industries (now incorporating NSW Fisheries) Postal Address: Cronulla Fisheries Research Centre of Excellence, PO Box 21, NSW, 2230 Internet: www.dpi.nsw.gov.au © NSW Department of Primary Industries This work is copyright. Except as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part of this reproduction may be reproduced by any process, electronic or otherwise, without the specific written permission of the copyright owners. Neither may information be stored electronically in any form whatsoever without such permission. DISCLAIMER The publishers do not warrant that the information in this report is free from errors or omissions. The publishers do not accept any form of liability, be it contractual, tortuous or otherwise, for the contents of this report for any consequences arising from its use or any reliance placed on it. The information, opinions and advice contained in this report may not relate to, or be relevant to, a reader’s particular circumstance. ISSN 1449-9967 (Note: Prior to July 2004, this report series was published as the ‘NSW Fisheries Final Report Series’ with ISSN number 1440-3544) Landing the ‘whiting’ codend on FV Kirrawa, August 2004. Sorting a school whiting catch on FV Kirrawa, May 2005. School whiting Redfish Bluespotted flathead Yellowtail scad Ocean jacket Longfin gurnard Longspine flathead Southern calamari Port Jackson shark Whitley’s gurnard perch Kapala stingaree Southern octopus Species commonly caught on central NSW school whiting grounds. Contents i TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................. 8 2. OBJECTIVES....................................................................................................................................... 12 3. METHODS............................................................................................................................................ 13 3.1. VESSELS AND FISHING GEAR ................................................................................................................. 13 3.1.1. FV Kirrawa................................................................................................................................ 13 3.1.2. FV May Bell II........................................................................................................................... 13 3.1.3. Fishing gear .............................................................................................................................. 13 3.2. EXPERIMENTAL GEAR AND METHODS.................................................................................................... 14 3.2.1. Experiment 1 codends................................................................................................................ 14 3.2.2. Experiment 2 codends................................................................................................................ 14 3.2.3. Trawling methods ...................................................................................................................... 14 3.2.4. Sampling and catch analyses..................................................................................................... 16 3.2.5. Length-frequency data............................................................................................................... 16 3.2.6. Mesh selectivity analyses........................................................................................................... 17 3.2.7. Comparison of catches shallower and deeper than 55 m (30 fathoms) .................................... 17 3.2.8. Faunal composition................................................................................................................... 17 4. EXPERIMENT 1: TO TEST THE EFFECTS OF CODEND CIRCUMFERENCE..................... 18 4.1. METHOD SUMMARY .............................................................................................................................. 18 4.2. RESULTS ............................................................................................................................................... 18 4.2.1. Experiment 1 catches................................................................................................................. 18 4.2.2. Experiment 1 length-frequency data.......................................................................................... 25 4.3. DISCUSSION .......................................................................................................................................... 26 4.4. SUMMARY............................................................................................................................................. 28 5. EXPERIMENT 2: TO TEST THE EFFECTS OF TWINE SIZE ................................................... 46 5.1. METHOD SUMMARY .............................................................................................................................. 46 5.2. RESULTS ............................................................................................................................................... 46 5.2.1. Experiment 2 catches................................................................................................................. 46 5.2.2. Experiment 2 length-frequency data.......................................................................................... 48 5.3. DISCUSSION .......................................................................................................................................... 49 5.4. SUMMARY............................................................................................................................................. 50 6. SUMMARY OF SELECTIVITY ANALYSES.................................................................................. 65 6.1. METHOD SUMMARY .............................................................................................................................. 65 6.2. RESULTS ............................................................................................................................................... 65 6.2.1. Experiment 1.............................................................................................................................. 65 6.2.2. Experiment 2.............................................................................................................................. 65 6.3. DISCUSSION .......................................................................................................................................... 66 6.4. SUMMARY............................................................................................................................................. 67 7. COMPARISON OF CATCHES FROM DEPTHS GREATER AND LESS THAN 55 M ............ 78 7.1. METHOD SUMMARY .............................................................................................................................. 78 7.2. RESULTS ............................................................................................................................................... 78 7.2.1. Catches ...................................................................................................................................... 78 7.2.2. Length-frequency data............................................................................................................... 80 7.3. DISCUSSION .......................................................................................................................................... 80 Sydney trawl whiting fishery: Graham ii Contents 7.4. SUMMARY .............................................................................................................................................83 8. FAUNAL COMPOSITION AND RELATIVE ABUNDANCES......................................................92 8.1. METHOD SUMMARY...............................................................................................................................92 8.2. RESULTS................................................................................................................................................92 8.2.1. Number of species and frequency of capture .............................................................................92 8.2.2. Proportions of main taxonomic groups and species in catches.................................................95 8.2.3. Species relative abundance and biomass in T4mm100 and control ..........................................95 8.2.4. Species relative abundance and biomass in T5mm200 and control ..........................................96 8.3. DISCUSSION...........................................................................................................................................96 8.4. SUMMARY .............................................................................................................................................98