Stock Status of Queensland's Fisheries Resources 2009–10
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Stock status of Queensland’s Fisheries Queensland fisheries resources 2009–10 Employment, Development Economic Innovation and Department of Tomorrow’s Queensland: strong, green, smart, healthy and fair Stock status of Queensland’s fisheries resources 2009–10 PR10–5184 © The State of Queensland, Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, 2010. Except as permitted by the Copyright Act 1968, no part of the work may in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or any other means be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or be broadcast or transmitted without the prior written permission of the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The copyright owner shall not be liable for technical or other errors or omissions contained herein. The reader/user accepts all risks and responsibility for losses, damages, costs and other consequences resulting directly or indirectly from using this information. Enquiries about reproduction, including downloading or printing the web version, should be directed to [email protected] or telephone +61 7 3225 1398. Contents Acronyms 6 Fishery acronyms 6 Introduction 7 Stock status process 7 Stock status assessment 2009–10 8 Stocks with no assessment made 16 Stock background and status determination 17 Barramundi (Lates calcarifer) EC 18 Barramundi (Lates calcarifer) GOC 19 Bream–yellowfin (Acanthopagrus australis) EC 20 Bugs–Balmain (Ibacus chacei and I. brucei) EC 21 Bugs–Moreton Bay (Thenus australiensis & T. parindicus) EC 22 Cobia (Rachycentron canadum) EC 23 Coral trout (Plectropomus spp. and Variola spp.) EC 24 Crab–blue swimmer (Portunus pelagius) EC 25 Crab–mud (Scylla spp.) EC 26 Crab–mud (Scylla spp.) GOC 27 Crab–spanner (Ranina ranina) EC 28 Eel (Anguilla australis and A. Reinhardtii) EC 29 Emperor–red (Lutjanus sebae) EC 30 Emperor–red (Lutjanus sebae) GOC 31 Emperor–redthroat (Lethrinus miniatus) EC 32 Flathead–dusky (Platycephalus fuscus) EC 33 Javelin (Pomadasys spp.) EC 34 Mackerel–grey (Scomberomorus semifasciatus) EC 35 Mackerel–grey (Scomberomorus semifasciatus) GOC 36 Mackerel–school (Scomberomorus queenslandicus) EC 37 Mackerel–Spanish (Scomberomorus commerson) EC 38 Mackerel–Spanish (Scomberomorus commerson) GOC 39 Mackerel–spotted (Scomberomorus munroi) EC 40 Pearl perch (Glaucosoma scapulare) EC 41 Prawn–banana (Fenneropenaeus merguiensis) EC 42 Prawn–endeavour (Metapenaeus endeavouri and M. ensis) EC 43 Prawn–redspot and blue leg king (Melicertus longistylus and M.latisulcatus) EC 44 Rockcod–bar (Epinephelus ergastularius and E. septemfasciatus) EC 45 Sea mullet (Mugil cephalus) EC 46 Snapper (Pagrus auratus) EC 47 Snapper–crimson (Lutjanus erythropterus) EC 48 Snapper–crimson (Lutjanus erythropterus) GOC 49 Snapper–goldband (Pristipomoides multidens) EC 50 Snapper–hussar (Lutjanus adetii and L. vitta) EC 51 Snapper–rosy (Pristipomoides filamentosus) EC 52 Snapper–saddletail (Lutjanus malabaricus) EC 53 Snapper–saddletail (Lutjanus malabaricus) GOC 54 Snapper–stripey (Lutjanus carponotatus) EC 55 Squid (Uroteuthis (Photololigo) spp., Sepioteuthis spp. and Nototodarus spp.) EC 56 Tailor (Pomatomus saltatrix) EC 57 Teraglin (Atractoscion aequidens) EC 58 Threadfin–blue (Eleutheronema tetradactylum) EC 59 Threadfin–blue (Eleutheronema tetradactylum) GOC 60 Threadfin–king (Polydactylus macrochir) EC 61 Threadfin–king (Polydactylus macrochir) GOC 62 Whiting–sand (Sillago ciliata) EC 63 Whiting–stout (Sillago robusta) EC 64 Stock status of Queensland’s fisheries resources 2009–10 5 Acronyms ASR–annual status report CPUE–catch per unit effort EC–east coast ERA–ecological risk assessment FRDC–Fisheries Research and Development Corporation GBRMP–Great Barrier Reef Marine Park GOC–Gulf of Carpentaria MLS–minimum legal size MSY–maximum sustainable yield OS–‘other species’ quota PMS–performance measurement system TAC–total allowable catch Fishery acronyms BSCF–Blue Swimmer Crab Fishery CRFFF–Coral Reef Fin Fish Fishery DWFFF–Deep Water Fin Fish Fishery ECIFFF–East Coast Inshore Fin Fish Fishery ECOTF–East Coast Otter Trawl Fishery ECSMF–East Coast Spanish Mackerel Fishery FTF–Fin Fish (Stout Whiting) Trawl Fishery GOCDFFTF–Gulf of Carpentaria Developmental Fin Fish Trawl Fishery GOCIFFF–Gulf of Carpentaria Inshore Fin Fish Fishery GOCLF–Gulf of Carpentaria Line Fishery MCF–Mud Crab Fishery QEF–Queensland Eel Fishery Rec–recreationally targeted species RIBTF–River and Inshore Beam Trawl Fishery RRFFF–Rocky Reef Fin Fish Fishery SCF–Spanner Crab Fishery Stock status of Queensland’s fisheries resources 2009–10 6 Introduction In November 2009, Fisheries Queensland (part of the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation) embarked on a process to assess the exploitation status (stock status) of Queensland’s key fish stocks1. Aimed at addressing increasing levels of stakeholder interest in the sustainability of Queensland fisheries, the process provides, for the first time, a transparent assessment of the status of our key stocks. To facilitate the process, Fisheries Queensland developed a Stock Status Assessment Framework. The framework documents the transparent and consistent process used to determine a concise and agreed statement of the status of key fish stocks in Queensland waters. The process builds on a comprehensive range of assessment tools already used by Fisheries Queensland in reviewing the sustainability of fishing activities on fish stocks and the broader ecosystem. Fisheries Queensland completed the first round of stock status assessments in 2009–10. Stock status process The first round of stock status workshops considered a total of 62 stocks. The stocks chosen for assessment represented key commercial target and by-product species and those considered important recreationally (e.g. based on catches in voluntary fisher diaries). As this is an adaptive process, there is scope for additional stocks to be included in subsequent assessments should they become increasingly important to a particular fishery. The stock status process assessed background biological information for stocks from a range of sources. These included biological monitoring data, commercial catch and effort from logbooks, recreational catch diaries, at-sea observer data, stock assessment, research data, ecological risk assessments and performance indicator results. In a workshop, an expert panel of Departmental scientists and managers assigned an appropriate exploitation category for a given species based on available biological and fishery information, guided by a set of exploitation criteria (refer to Stock Status Assessment Framework for detailed explanation of exploitation criteria). The classification of the status of each stock also considered a wider range of factors including market drivers, fisher behaviour and weather effects. Workshop participants determined an exploitation status for each stock based on a weight-of-evidence approach2. Table 1 summarises the exploitation categories. Table 1. Description of exploitation categories used in the Queensland stock status assessment process Category Definition Harvest levels may be exceeding sustainable levels and/or yields may be higher in the long Overfished term if the effort levels are reduced. The stock may still be recovering from previous excessive fishing pressure. Recovery strategies will be developed for all overfished stocks to reduce fishing pressure within prescribed timeframes. Harvest levels are at, or close to, optimum sustainable levels. Current fishing pressure is Sustainably fished considered sustainable. Resource is underutilised and has the potential to sustain harvest levels higher than those Not fully utilised currently being taken. A limited amount of information has been collected; or, in cases where a significant amount of Uncertain information has been collected and considered, there are inconsistent or contradictory signals in the data that preclude determination of exploitation status. There is limited quantitative or qualitative information and no reasonable assessment can be No assessment made made. 1 Throughout this document the term ‘stock’ can represent a single species, a separate genetic or geographical stock or a group of species used for fisheries management purposes. 2 A ‘weight-of-evidence’ approach assesses a species based on the evidence considered and meeting agreed criteria, decided by workshop participants with expertise in biology and/or the fishery for the species. Stock status of Queensland’s fisheries resources 2009–10 7 Stock status assessment 2009–10 Fisheries Queensland conducted four workshops in 2009–10 to determine the status of key stocks harvested in line, pot, net and trawl fisheries. A total of 62 stocks (49 east coast and 13 Gulf of Carpentaria stocks) were considered in this first round. Of these, one stock was determined to have an overfished status, 18 stocks were sustainably fished, three were not fully utilised and 25 were uncertain. No assessment was made for 15 stocks. The uncertain status of more than one-third of stocks was due to limited or inadequate information being available for assessments. Most commonly, this was for lower-value or by-product species. It is important to note that an ‘uncertain’ status does not necessarily mean that the stock is at risk from fishing activities. Rather it highlights where information is required to reduce uncertainty. Fisheries Queensland can now confidently prioritise future data collection