Western Rock Lobster Ecology – the State of Knowledge Marine Stewardship Council Principle 2: Maintenance of Ecosystem
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Fisheries Research Report No. 236, 2012 Western Rock Lobster Ecology – The State of Knowledge Marine Stewardship Council Principle 2: Maintenance of Ecosystem L.M. Bellchambers, P. Mantel, A. Chandrapavan, M.B. Pember and S.E. Evans Fisheries Research Division Western Australian Fisheries and Marine Research Laboratories PO Box 20 NORTH BEACH, Western Australia 6920 Fisheries Research Report [Western Australia] No. 236, 2012 i Correct citation: Bellchambers, L., Mantel, P., Chandrapavan, A., Pember, M. and Evans, S. (2012). Western Rock Lobster Ecology – The State of Knowledge Marine Stewardship Council Principle 2: Maintenance of Ecosystem. Fisheries Research Report No. 236. Department of Fisheries, Western Australia. 128p. Enquiries: WA Fisheries and Marine Research Laboratories, PO Box 20, North Beach, WA 6920 Tel: +61 8 9203 0111 Email: [email protected] Website: www.fish.wa.gov.au ABN: 55 689 794 771 A complete list of Fisheries Research Reports is available online at www.fish.wa.gov.au © Department of Fisheries, Western Australia. July 2012. ISSN: 1035 - 4549 ISBN: 978-1-921845-47-5 ii Fisheries Research Report [Western Australia] No. 236, 2012 Contents 1.0 Background to the Western Rock Lobster Managed Fishery ................................. 1 1.1 Biology and Distribution ....................................................................................... 1 1.1.1 Distribution .................................................................................................. 1 1.1.2 Life History .................................................................................................. 2 1.1.3 Biology ......................................................................................................... 4 1.2 Management of the West Coast Rock Lobster Managed Fishery.......................................... 4 1.3 Marine Stewardship Council Certification (MSC) ................................................. 6 1.4 Ecological Risk Assessment .................................................................................. 7 1.5 Environmental Management Strategy ................................................................... 8 1.6 Ecological Effects of Fishing Scientific Reference Group ................................... 8 2.0 Retained species ............................................................................................................ 9 3.0 Bycatch .......................................................................................................................... 10 3.1 Bycatch ................................................................................................................... 10 3.2 Bait .......................................................................................................................... 10 4.0 Endangered Threatened and Protected Species ....................................................... 14 4.1 Dusky whaler sharks ............................................................................................... 14 4.2 Sea lions and SLEDS .............................................................................................. 15 4.2.1 Background .................................................................................................. 15 4.2.2 Sea Lions at the Houtman Abrolhos Islands ............................................... 16 4.3 Turtles ..................................................................................................................... 17 4.4 Cetaceans ................................................................................................................ 17 5.0 Understanding Habitat Structure ............................................................................... 19 5.1 Background ............................................................................................................. 19 5.2 Kalbarri to Dongara ................................................................................................ 21 5.2.1 Big Bank ..................................................................................................... 21 5.2.2 Kalbarri ........................................................................................................ 21 5.2.3 Oakajee ........................................................................................................ 21 5.2.4 Geraldton ...................................................................................................... 22 5.3 The Abrolhos Islands ............................................................................................ 23 5.3.1 Shallow-water habitats ................................................................................. 23 5.3.2 Deep-water habitats ..................................................................................... 29 5.4 Central Coast (Dongara to Guilderton) .................................................................. 31 5.4.1 Shallow-water habitats ................................................................................. 31 5.4.2 Jurien Bay ................................................................................................... 31 5.4.3 Deep-water habitats ..................................................................................... 35 5.5 Northern Metropolitan Region ............................................................................. 37 5.5.1 Marmion Marine Park .................................................................................. 37 Fisheries Research Report [Western Australia] No. 236, 2012 iii 5.5.2 Ocean Reef – Mullaloo ............................................................................... 38 5.5.3 Sorrento (Hillarys) Boat Harbour ................................................................ 40 5.6 Rottnest Island ........................................................................................................ 40 5.6.1 Shallow-water habitats ................................................................................. 40 5.6.2 Deep-water habitats ..................................................................................... 41 5.7 Southern metropolitan region ................................................................................ 44 5.7.1 Yanchep to Mandurah .................................................................................. 44 5.7.2 Shoalwater Islands Marine Park .................................................................. 46 5.8 Geographe Bay to Cape Leeuwin ........................................................................... 47 5.8.1 Shallow-water habitats ................................................................................. 47 5.8.2 Deep-water habitats ..................................................................................... 47 5.9 Habitats used by P. cygnus ................................................................................... 51 6.0 Ecosystem ...................................................................................................................... 60 6.1 Movement and Behaviour ...................................................................................... 60 6.1.1 Background .................................................................................................. 60 6.1.2 Movement .................................................................................................... 61 6.1.2.1 Shallow-water habitats ...................................................................... 61 6.1.2.2 Deep-water habitats .......................................................................... 63 6.1.3 Behaviour ..................................................................................................... 64 6.1.3.1 Shallow-water habitats ..................................................................... 64 6.1.3.2 Deep-water habitats .......................................................................... 65 6.1.4 Size structure and lobster density ................................................................ 65 6.1.4.1 Shallow-water habitats ...................................................................... 65 6.1.4.2 Deep-water habitats .......................................................................... 67 6.2 Diet and trophic interactions .................................................................................. 71 6.2.1 Background .................................................................................................. 71 6.2.1 Diet ............................................................................................................... 73 6.2.1.1 Shallow-water habitats ...................................................................... 73 6.2.1.2 Deep-water habitats .......................................................................... 78 6.2.2 Predators ...................................................................................................... 79 6.2.2.1 Shallow-water habitats ...................................................................... 79 6.2.2.2 Deep-water habitats .......................................................................... 80 6.2.3 Modeling ...................................................................................................... 80 6.2.3.1 Shallow-water habitats ...................................................................... 80 6.2.3.2 Deep-water habitats .......................................................................... 81 6.3 Climate Change