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Spatial Analysis of Potential Recreational Fishing Reef Locations in Port Phillip Bay David Ball and Allister Coots

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Spatial Analysis of Potential Recreational Fishing Reef Locations in Port Phillip Bay David Ball and Allister Coots Spatial Analysis of Potential Recreational Fishing Reef Locations in Port Phillip Bay David Ball and Allister Coots March 2010 Fisheries Victoria Department of Primary Industries If you would like to receive this Copyright © The State of Victoria, Department of information/publication in an Primary Industries, 2010. accessible format (such as large This publication is copyright. No part may be print or audio) please call the reproduced by any process except in accordance Customer Service Centre on: with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. 136 186, TTY: 1800 122 969, Authorised by the Victorian Government, 2a Bellarine Hwy, Queenscliff, Victoria 3225 or email Printed by Fisheries Victoria, Queenscliff, [email protected] Victoria Published: Fisheries Victoria Department of Primary Industries, Queenscliff Centre Preferred way to cite: PO Box 114, Queenscliff, Victoria Ball, D. and Coots, A. (2010). Spatial analysis of 3225 Australia. potential recreational fishing reef locations in Port Phillip Bay. Fisheries Victoria Internal Report No 16, 6 pages. Department of Primary General disclaimer Industries, Queenscliff, Victoria, Australia. This publication may be of assistance to you but the State of Victoria and its employees do not guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise from you relying on any information in this publication. PPB Recreational Fishing Reef Locations ii Executive Summary The Port Phillip Bay Recreational Fishing Reefs • Commercial shipping, dredge material are one of a range of initiatives that the Victorian grounds and dredging work areas Government is undertaking to enhance • Seagrass and natural reefs recreational fishing opportunities and facilities • Existing artificial reefs under the Enhanced Recreational Fishing Program. • Heritage sites • Sub‐sea pipelines The objectives of this study were: • Marine National Parks and Sanctuaries • To identify existing spatial data for marine • Environmentally significant sites assets and activities that may be incompatible with deployment of • Fishery research sites recreational fishing reefs in Port Phillip Bay A 1 km buffer was applied to the above marine (PPB) assets and activities, and commercial fishing • To undertake spatial analysis with a areas with medium/high effort were presented geographic information system (GIS) to on a single map. This map identified an area identify areas that may provide suitable between Mordialloc and Frankston where locations for deployment of recreational recreational fishing reefs may not conflict with fishing reefs in PPB. existing marine assets and activities. Field investigations within this area are required to Spatial data were identified for the following identify suitable sites for the deployment of marine assets and activities in PPB: recreational fishing reefs. • Aquaculture zones and commercial fishing PPB Recreational Fishing Reef Locations iii Table of Contents Executive Summary............................................................................................. iii Introduction............................................................................................................ 1 Objectives................................................................................................................................................................... 1 Material and Methods .......................................................................................... 2 Spatial Data................................................................................................................................................................ 2 Spatial Analysis......................................................................................................................................................... 2 Results and Discussion ........................................................................................ 3 Spatial Data and Mapping ...................................................................................................................................... 3 Future Analysis.......................................................................................................................................................... 3 Acknowledgments ................................................................................................ 6 References ............................................................................................................... 6 List of Tables Table 1. Marine assets and activities and spatial data........................................................................................... 4 List of Figures Figure 1. Distribution of marine assets and activities considered incompatible with recreational fishing reefs. ..................................................................................................................................................................... 5 PPB Recreational Fishing Reef Locations iv Introduction The Port Phillip Bay Recreational Fishing Reefs are one of a range of initiatives that the Victorian Government is undertaking to enhance recreational fishing opportunities and facilities under the Enhanced Recreational Fishing Program. This initiative will involve trialling the deployment of three recreational fishing reefs in Port Phillip Bay (PPB). Scientific studies will be undertaken over the following three years to assess the potential of these reefs to provide new opportunities for recreational fishers, consistent with protecting the local marine environment. The trials will be conducted in consultation with the Department of Sustainability and Environment and other relevant Government agencies. Monitoring of the effects of the new reefs on local fish populations and a range of other marine species will be a key focus of these trials. Objectives The objectives of this study were: • To identify existing spatial data for marine assets and activities that may be incompatible with deployment of recreational fishing reefs in PPB • To undertake spatial analysis with a geographic information system (GIS) to identify areas that may provide suitable locations for deployment of recreational fishing reefs in PPB. PPB Recreational Fishing Reef Locations 1 Material and Methods • Spatial Data All purse seines • All haul seines The Fisheries Research Branch (FRB) maintains a • All mesh nets marine spatial database and also manages the Victorian component of the national Oil Spill • Hooks and lines. Response Atlas (OSRA). These datasets were searched to identify spatial layers for marine Spatial Analysis assets and activities that may be incompatible A 1 km buffer was applied to the marine assets with recreational fishing reefs. and activities to provide a conservative The following additional data were also required separation between these features and the areas for the analysis: to be considered for possible recreational fishing reefs. • Heritage site locations from Heritage Victoria • PPB Channel Deepening Program (CDP) Commercial fishing effort for each gear type works locations from the Port of Melbourne group was measured by the average annual total Corporation (PoMC) effort in days, and the average annual number of fishers recording a catch in each fishing cell. • Commercial fishing catch and effort from Fishing cells were classified as having low fishing Fisheries Victoria (FV). effort where: Commercial fishers are required to submit catch • Average annual number of fishers was <3 and effort returns to Fisheries Victoria on a • Average annual total effort was <5 days. monthly basis. Commercial fishing returns in PPB are based on a 5 minute grid of fishing cells. All other fishing cells were classified as medium/high effort. The fishing cells with a The analysis in this report was undertaken in medium/high effort and areas of all the buffered June/August 2008. Catch and effort data for the features were displayed in the GIS. Any locations preceding three year period (i.e. July 2004 to June that did not intersect these areas were considered 2007) were extracted from the Fisheries Victoria as being potentially suitable for recreational catch and effort database. Data were extracted for fishing reefs. the following gear type groups: PPB Recreational Fishing Reef Locations 2 Results and Discussion and Sanctuaries (see above) and other areas of Spatial Data and Mapping special value. The areas of special value Spatial data for assets and activities in PPB identified in PPB were seagrass beds at Clifton identified as incompatible with establishing Springs and sponge beds at Capel Sound (LCC recreational fishing reefs are summarised in 1996). Table 1. The main features and activities Fisheries Victoria conducts an annual trawl represented by these data are outlined below. survey of PPB to monitor long term trends in The PoMC provided data on the locations of biomass and abundance of common fish species existing commercial shipping activities (e.g. (Parry et al. 2009). The trawl survey samples 22 shipping channels and anchorages), dredge depth‐stratified fixed sites across four regions in material grounds (DMG) and works locations for PPB. the CDP. The PoMC also provided data for A map showing the area of the assets and locations of navigations aids which included activities in Table 1 with a 1 km buffer, and marker piles and buoys at existing
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