Review of the Fishery Status for Whaler Sharks (Carcharhinus Spp.) in South Australian and Adjacent Waters
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Review of the Fishery Status for Whaler Sharks (Carcharhinus spp.) in South Australian and adjacent waters Keith Jones FRDC Project Number 2004/067 January 2008 SARDI Aquatic Sciences Publication No. F2007/000721-1 SARDI Research Series No. 154 1 Review of the fishery status for whaler sharks in South Australian and adjacent waters. Final report to the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation. By: G.Keith Jones South Australian Research & Development Institute 2 Hamra Ave, West Beach SA 5022 (Current Address: PIRSA (Fisheries Policy) GPO Box 1625 Adelaide, SA 5001. Telephone: 08 82260439 Facsimile: 08 82262434 http://www.pirsa.saugov.sa.gov.au DISCLAIMER The author warrants that he has taken all reasonable care in producing this report. The report has been through the SARDI internal review process, and has been formally approved for release by the Chief Scientist. Although all reasonable efforts have been made to ensure quality, SARDI Aquatic Sciences does not warrant that the information in this report is free from errors or omissions. SARDI does not accept any liability for the contents of this report or for any consequences arising from its use or any other reliance placed upon it. © Copyright Fisheries Research and Development Corporation and South Australian Research & Development Institute, 2005.This work is copyright. Except as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968 (Commonwealth), no part of this publication may be reproduced by any process, electronic or otherwise, without the specific permission of the copyright owners. Neither may information be stored electronically in any form whatsoever without such permission. The Fisheries Research and Development Corporation plans, invests in and manages fisheries research and development throughout Australia. It is a statutory authority within the portfolio of the Federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, jointly funded by the Australian Government and the Fishing Industry. ISBN No. 073085350 0 SARDI Aquatic Sciences Publication No. F2007/000721-1 SARDI Report Series No. 154 Printed in Adelaide, January, 2008 Author: Keith Jones Reviewers: Paul Rogers, Simon Goldsworthy, Greg Ferguson, Shane Roberts, Andrew Sullivan Approved by: Tim Ward Signed: Date: 26 June2008 Distribution: Fisheries Research and Development Corporation. SARDI Aquatic Sciences Library Circulation: Public Domain 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS. NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY .......................................................................................... 8 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................. 12 CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION........................................................................................ 13 1.1. Background .............................................................................................................. 13 1.2. Need ......................................................................................................................... 14 1.3. Objectives................................................................................................................. 14 CHAPTER 2. REVIEW OF THE FISHERY BIOLOGY OF WHALER SHARKS IN SOUTH AUSTRALIAN AND ADJACENT WATERS. .................................................... 15 2.1. Introduction............................................................................................................... 15 2.2. Information available and gaps in the knowledge..................................................... 15 2.2.1. Critical scientific documents and relevant reviews. ................................................. 15 2.2.2. Distribution............................................................................................................... 17 2.2.3. Stock structure………………………………………………………………........... 20 2.2.4. Patterns of migration. ............................................................................................... 21 2.2.5. Ecological Interactions. ............................................................................................ 27 2.2.6. Reproductive biology and breeding areas. ............................................................... 28 2.2.7. Early Life History and nursery areas........................................................................ 29 2.2.8. Age and Growth. ...................................................................................................... 30 2.2.9. Summary of the growth and reproductive characteristics of C. brachyurus and C. obscurus................................................................................................................................... 32 2.2.10: Mortality.................................................................................................................. 33 2.2.11: Stock assessment. .................................................................................................... 33 2.2.12: Knowledge gaps on the fishery biology of whaler sharks in SA............................. 34 CHAPTER 3. REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES, CATCH AND EFFORT AND MANAGEMENT OF WHALER SHARKS IN SA AND ADJACENT WATERS.......... 35 3.1. Introduction............................................................................................................... 35 3.2. Information available and gaps in knowledge........................................................... 35 3.2.1. Fisheries permitted to harvest whaler sharks - South Australian managed Fisheries.35 3.2.2. Fisheries permitted to harvest whaler sharks - South Australian Recreational Fishery. ................................................................................................................................................. 52 3.2.3. Fisheries permitted to harvest whaler sharks - SA managed charter boat fishery………………………………………………………………………………… …….. 54 3.2.4. Fisheries permitted to harvest whaler sharks - Commonwealth Managed Fisheries.55 3.2.5. Fisheries permitted to harvest whaler sharks - Indigenous Fisheries ........................ 58 3.2.6. Single species fisheries, with whaler sharks not permitted to be harvested….…… 59 3.2.7. Interactions between protected species and fisheries harvesting whaler sharks........ 61 3.3. Future Research needs for Fishery data and Assessments ......................................... 62 3.3.1. Location and collation of fishery-dependent catch and effort data from all fisheries catching whaler sharks. ........................................................................................................... 62 3.3.2. Reliability of status report on whaler sharks. ........................................................... 63 3.3.3. Stock assessment needs for whaler sharks in SA and adjacent waters..................... 64 CHAPTER 4. INTERACTIONS BETWEEN WHALER SHARKS AND MOORED AQUACULTURE SEA PENS IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA................................................. 65 4.1. Introduction.................................................................................................................. 65 4.2. Finfish aquaculture operations in Spencer Gulf and documented interactions with whaler sharks....................................................................................................................... 65 4.2.1. Southern Bluefin Tuna…………………………………………………................... 65 4.2.2. Mulloway................................................................................................................... 66 4.2.3. Yellowtail Kingfish. ................................................................................................. 68 4.3. Discussion .................................................................................................................... 70 CHAPTER 5: RISK ANALYSIS OF RESEARCH AND MANAGEMENT NEEDS FOR WHALER SHARKS IN SA AND ADJACENT WATERS. .............................................. 73 5.1. Introduction................................................................................................................. 73 3 5.2. Review of methods of qualitative and semi-quantitative risk assessments undertaken on Australian fisheries capturing sharks……………………..………..................73 5.3. Risk assessment for whaler sharks…………………………………………………. 75 5.4. Prioritisation of future research on whaler sharks....................................................... 77 5.5. Review of management of whaler sharks and management options for the SA population............................................................................................................................ 78 CHAPTER 6. GENERAL SUMMARY AND DISCUSSION……………………………81 6.1. Introduction.................................................................................................................. 81 6.2. Recommended methods of collection and maintenance of catch and effort data. ....... 83 6.3. Recommended biological research.............................................................................. 84 BENEFITS ............................................................................................................................. 86 FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS .............................................................................................. 86 CONCLUSIONS AND OUTCOMES.................................................................................. 87 REFERENCES ...................................................................................................................... 87 APPENDIX 1. Intellectual Property..................................................................................