Assessment of Juvenile Eel Resources in South Eastern Australia and Associated Development of Intensive Eel Farming for Local Production
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ASSESSMENT OF JUVENILE EEL RESOURCES IN SOUTH EASTERN AUSTRALIA AND ASSOCIATED DEVELOPMENT OF INTENSIVE EEL FARMING FOR LOCAL PRODUCTION G J. Gooley, L. J. McKinnon, B. A. Ingram, B. Larkin, R.O. Collins and S.S. de Silva. Final Report FRDC Project No 94/067 FI SHERIE S RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT Natural Resources CORPOR ATIO N and Environment AGRICULTURE RESOURCES COIISERVAT/Otl ASSESSMENT OF JUVENILE EEL RESOURCES IN SOUTH-EASTERN AUSTRALIA AND ASSOCIATED DEVELOPMENT OF INTENSIVE EEL FARMING FOR LOCAL PRODUCTION G.J Gooley, L.J. McKinnon, B.A. Ingram, B.J. Larkin, R.O. Collins and S.S. De Silva Final Report FRDC Project No 94/067 ISBN 0731143787 Marine and Freshwater Resources Institute, 1999. Copies of this document are available from: Marine and Freshwater Resources Institute Private Bag 20 Alexandra. VIC. 3714. AUSTRALIA.. This publication may be of assistance to you but the State of Victoria and its officers 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 error, loss or other consequence which may arise from you relying on any information in this publication. 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS...............................................................................................................................i 2 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.......................................................................................................................... iii 3 NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY................................................................................................................! 4 BACKGROUND...........................................................................................................................................3 5 NEED .................................................................................................................................................«^ 6 OBJECTIVES..............................................................................................................................................^ 7 ASSESSMENT COMPONENT .................................................................................................................10 7.1 INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................................................10 7.7.7 MECHANISMS OF GLASS EEL INVASION AND MIGRATION....................................................10 7.7.2 GLASS EEL INVASION AND MIGRATION CUES.........................................................................11 7.1.3 PIGMENTATION AND ASSOCIATED DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES........................................... 12 7.1.4 WORLD FISHERY...........................................................................................................................13 7.7.5 PRESENT STUDY............................................................................................................................ 13 7.2 MATERIALS AND METHODS..............................................................................................................15 7.2.7 5'jr£5£'Z£C7YO^^A®G£^[/S£'£>............................................................................................. 75 7.2.2 FISHING METHODS AND DATA COLLECTED...........................................................................15 7.2.3 DATA ANALYSIS.............................................................................................................................20 7.3 RESULTS.................................................................................................................................................22 7.3.1 CATCH-EFFORT.....................................................................................................................^ 7.3.2 LENGTH-WEIGHT ANALYSIS........................................................................................................23 7.3.3 PIGMENTATION.............................................................................................................................24 7.3.4 BYCATCH........................................................................................................................................24 7.4 DISCUSSION...........................................................................................................................................55 7.4.1 CATCH-EFFORT...:.........................................................................................................................55 7.4.2 MIGRATION AND INVASION CUES..............................................................................................56 7.4.3 LENGTH-WEIGHTANALYSIS........................................................................................................58 7.4.4 PIGMENTATION.............................................................................................................................59 7.4.5 BYCATCH........................................................................................................................................60 8 CULTURE COMPONENT ........................................................................................................................61 8.1 INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................................^! 8.1.1 BACKGROUND...............................................................................................................................61 8.1.2 FEEDING AND DIET FORMULATION.........................................................................................61 8.1.3 WATER QUALITY............................................................................................................................62 8.1.4 POND CULTURE............................................................................................................................63 8.2 MATERIALS AND METHODS..............................................................................................................65 8.2.1 TANK CULTURE TRIALS...............................................................................................................65 8.2.2 POND CULTURE TRIALS..............................................................................................................68 8.3 RESULTS.................................................................................................................................................71 8.3.1 TANK CULTURE TRIALS...............................................................................................................71 8.3.2 POND CULTURE TRIALS............................................................................................................ 102 8.4 DISCUSSION.........................................................................................................................................106 8.4.1 TANK CULTURE...........................................................................................................................J06 8.4.2 POND CULTURE..........................................................................................................................109 9 BENEFITS.................................................................................................................................................112 9.1 ASSESSMENT COMPONENT BENEFITS .........................................................................................112 9.2 CULTURE COMPONENT OUTCOMES .............................................................................................112 9.3 SUMMARY............................................................................................................................................113 II 10 FURTHER DEVELOPMENT .................................................................................................................114 11 CONCLUSIONS.......................................................................................................................................115 11.1 ASSESSMENT COMPONENT- COMMERCIAL &/OR MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS.......... 115 11.2 CULTURE COMPONENT - COMMERCIAL &/OR MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS................. 116 12 REFERENCES..........................................................................................................................................118 13 APPENDICES...........................................................................................................................................124 13.1 WTELLECTUAL PROPERTY.............................................................................................................124 13.2 STAFF EMPLOYED ON THE PROJECT............................................................................................124 SEPARATION OF GLASS EELS FROMBTCATCH SNOWY RIVER ENTRANCE WEIGHING GLASS EELS CLEARING COD END OF STOW NET PACKING EELS FOR TRANSPORTATION Ill 2 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The authors wish to thank the following people who have assisted this project to varying degrees. Marine and Freshwater Resources Institute Richard Gasior, Paul Petraitis, Russell Strongman, Andrew Pickworth, Peter Grant, Peter Ryder, Nathan O'Mahoney, Des Harrington, Anne Gason and Stuart Vallis. Deakin University David Weame Department of Natural Resources and Environment Graham Hanel, lan Westhorpe, lan Carroll and Erroll Parmigiani. Queensland Department of Primary Industries John Beumer. Victorian Eel Fishing Industry Tom Osbome