ISSN 1441-8487 FISHERY ASSESSMENT REPORT TASMANIAN ABALONE FISHERY 2005 Compiled by David Tarbath, Craig Mundy and Malcolm Haddon May 2006 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 2006. Abalone Fishery Assessment: 2005 Abalone Fishery Assessment: 2005 Executive summary Like previous assessments, the 2005 Abalone Fishery Assessment was based primarily on commercial catch and effort statistics 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, Water and Environment (DPIWE). 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. The commercial catch sampling size-composition data were mostly collected by TAFI research staff, but some data were obtained directly from divers. Changes in median size of commercial catch samples were used in addition to any trends in catch and catch rates to assist in understanding the status of different stocks.