Annual status report 2009 EastCoral Coast Fisher Spanishy Mackerel Fishery On 26 March 2009, the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries was amalgamated with other government departments to form the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation. © 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. Annual Status Report 2009—Queensland Coral Fishery 1 Fishery profile 2008 Species targeted Fishery season Broad range of species from the classes Anthozoa and 1 July 2008 to 30 June 2009 Hydrozoa including live corals (anemones, soft and hard corals); ornamental corals; living rock; coral rubble and coral sand. Total harvest from all sectors Total number of commercial licences in 2008–09 97 t 59 licences Commercial harvest Commercial licences accessing the fishery in 2008 97 t (59 t living rock, 19 t specialty coral, 10 t ornamental 24 coral, and 9 t other coral and coral rubble) Recreational harvest Fishery symbol No estimate level of harvest for 2008–09 D Indigenous harvest Monitoring undertaken No estimate level of harvest for 2008–09 Commercial logbooks (CFISH) Charter harvest Accreditation under the EPBC Act Not applicable to the fishery Expires 1 July 2012 Commercial Gross Value of Production (GVP) Logbook validation No estimate available No Sector contribution to total harvest Quota managed Predominately commercial Yes – commercial Total Allowable Catch = 200 t (split between specialty coral (30%) and live rock/coral rubble/ornamental coral (70%)) Key fish resources Stock status Classes Anthozoa and Hydrozoa Not assessed Comment: Key species collected under the above families in the QCF will be considered for assessment as a part of the Fisheries Queensland1 stock status reporting program roll out in 2010. 1 Fisheries Queensland (formerly Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries) is part of the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation. Annual Status Report 2009—Queensland Coral Fishery 2 Introduction The Queensland Coral Fishery (QCF) is one of a range of harvest (hand collection) fisheries managed by the Fisheries Queensland, part of the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI). Commercially collected coral taxa, coral rubble and sand, and living rock are marketed domestically and internationally. Coral taxa can also be collected recreationally from areas outside of State Marine Parks and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (GBRMP). This report covers fishing activity during the 2008–09 financial year. Fishery Description The QCF is a small scale, quota managed, hand harvest fishery (commercial Total Allowable Catch = 200 tonnes (t)) with 59 authorities. The quota is split between live Figure 1: Queensland Coral Fishery area. coral (30%) and live rock/coral rubble/ornamental coral (70%). Coral may only be taken by hand or by using hand-held non-mechanical implements, such as a hammer and Due to the strong market demand for live corals for use in chisel. Licence holders may also use underwater private aquaria, key target species are generally the breathing apparatus (SCUBA or hookah) when taking small and vibrant varieties of coral. Live rock is also a coral. Where a chisel is used, divers endeavour to major component of the fishery, due to its suitability as a remove only the coral itself, taking great care to minimise substrate for the smaller, brighter corals in aquarium the amount of substrate that is taken or damaged. These tanks. Anemones (Order Actinaria) are also a key target removal methods reduce freight costs (less weight and group in the coral fishery. volume) and also limit the environmental footprint of Corals can also be collected by recreational fishers for their harvesting. Recreational harvesters are not personal home aquaria. Recreational fishers are limited permitted to use SCUBA or hookah gear. by apparatus restrictions for the QCF (see Fishing methods). Additional regulations imposed under Marine Key Species Parks legislation limit the fishable area for recreational The commercial Coral Fishery is based on the collection fishers to waters outside of declared Marine Parks. of a broad range of species from the classes Anthozoa Fishing area and methods and Hydrozoa. The key components of the fishery are: • Live corals (includes anemones, soft and hard corals) The fishery operates along the east coast of Queensland within the bounds of the Offshore Constitutional • Ornamental (non-living) corals Settlement (Figure 1). Commercial operators in the QCF • Living rock (i.e. dead coral skeletons with algae and collect coral from waters along the Queensland east other organisms living on them) coast between 10°41’ S and 24°30’ S (not including areas closed through general fisheries closures or marine parks • Coral rubble (i.e. coarsely broken up coral fragments) zoning under the Commonwealth Great Barrier Reef • Coral sand (i.e. finely ground up particles of coral Marine Park Act 1975 and the Queensland Marine Parks skeleton) – only taken as incidental catch and may Act 1982. There are two small collection areas south of not be targeted within Marine Park waters. 24°30’ S, however access to these is restricted through Coral taxa from over 36 families are harvested for the live licence conditions. The fishery area also comprises two aquarium trade. Coral families targeted for the non- spatially defined high use Coral Collection Areas (CCAs) living, ornamental coral trade include: at Cairns and around the Keppel group of islands. Annual Status Report 2009—Queensland Coral Fishery 3 • Pocilloporidae (cauliflower/bird's nest corals) 16 t in 2008–09. Most of the decrease was in the collection of ornamental coral (Figure 3). • Acroporidae (staghorn/velvet corals). Main management methods used 80 2006-2007 70 Under Offshore Constitutional Settlement (OCS) 2007-2008 arrangements between the Commonwealth and 60 2008-2009 Queensland governments, management of coral 50 collection adjacent to the east coast of Queensland falls 40 30 under Queensland law. Fisheries in the Coral Sea (t) harvest Total 20 (outside of the OCS) are managed by the Commonwealth 10 Government. 0 The following management measures are in place for the Coral rubble Specialty Live rock Ornamental Other coral coral (LC1) commercial fishery under legislation and policy: Figure 2: Catch composition (QCF Logbook categories) of live • Limited entry: 59 Commercial Harvest Fishery Licences coral collected in the Queensland Coral Fishery for the quota are endorsed for the coral fishery. years 2006–07 to 2008–09 (Source: Fisheries Queensland CFISH database, 26 Feb 2010). • Limits on the number of boats and collectors There has been an increasing trend in the number of operating under a licence at any one time. individual pieces collected since 2006–07 with more • Collection by hand or hand-held implements only, specimens collected in 2008–09 than previous quota with the aid of artificial breathing apparatus allowed. years (Table 1). Specimens of the Families Mussidae Since 1 July 2006 the commercial coral fishery has (15%) and Acroporidae (9%), Catalaphyllia jardinei (8%) operated under the "Policy for the Management of the were the most collected groups (by number). The overall Coral Fishery". Fisheries Queensland implemented diversity of species collected (by number) has been several changes to the operation and management of the similar between all quota years and CCAs indicating little fishery on 1 July 2009 following the review of the Policy in change in the targeting behaviour of the collectors 2008. The review outcomes were reported in the previous (Tables 2–4). An increase in the number of individuals Annual Status Report (see 2008 report). collected from the Family Mussidae in the Keppel CCA comprised most of this increase (Table 3), although there Catch statistics were also notable increases for Catalaphyllia jardinei, Euphyllia spp. (not glabrascens), Blastomussa spp. and Commercial Scolymia spp. outside of the Cairns and Keppel CCAs Approximately 97 t, comprising 59 t of living rock, 19 t of (Table 4). Collection levels of these species are tracked Specialty coral (LC2–LC5), 10 t of Ornamental coral and through the Performance Measurement System (see 9 t of other coral was harvested in the QCF in 2008–09 Table 5); Scolymia vitensis triggered the catch review (Figure 2). This represents 48.5% the commercial TAC of reference point and Fisheries Queensland has 200 t and was very similar to previous reported annual investigated this matter. catches following the introduction of the Coral Policy. Table 1: Number of individual pieces and weight of coral species The majority of harvest (73 t) came from the Cairns Coral collected in the Queensland Coral Fishery for the quota years 2006–07 to 2008–09 (Source: Fisheries Queensland CFISH Collection Area (CCA) and 6 t from the Keppel CCA in database, 26 Feb 2010). 2008–09 (Figure 3). Catches in the Cairns and Keppel No. of individual CCAs did not exceed the revised annual review reference Year Weight (kg) pieces points (RRP) for specialty coral, ornamental coral and live 2006–2007 75 740 26 157 rock. The RRPs were revised under the Policy review and 2007–2008 128 882 33 461 amended upwards to reflect the low risk the fishery 2008–2009 157 764 28 981 poses to coral and live rock sustainability in these areas.