TASMANIAN SCALEFISH FISHERY - 2009/10 Klaas Hartmann and Jeremy M. Lyle March 2011 IMAS Fishery Assessment Report Page i This assessment of the Tasmanian scalefish fishery is produced by the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) and uses input from the Scalefish Fishery Assessment Working Group (SFAWG). SFAWG met on 26 November 2010 to consider the draft assessment report and provide input into the assessments. The Working Group participants were: Dr Klaas Hartmann IMAS Dr Jeremy Lyle IMAS Rod Pearn DPIPWE Frances Seaborn DPIPWE Andrew Sullivan DPIPWE Steve Bartels Commercial sector Shane Bevis Commercial sector David Blake Commercial sector Todd Francis Commercial sector Tim Mirabella Commercial sector Annie Plummer Commercial sector Neil Stump Commercial sector Rodney Treloggen Commercial sector Brett Cleary Recreational sector Mark Nikolai Recreational sector Greg Peart Recreational sector John Bryan Tasmanian Conservation Trust IMAS Fisheries Aquaculture and Coasts, Private Bag 49, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia. E-mail: [email protected]. Ph. (03) 6227 7277, Fax (03) 6227 8035 Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania 2011. Copyright protects this publication. Except for purposes permitted by the Copyright Act, reproduction by whatever means is prohibited without the prior written permission of the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies. Table of contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................... 4 1 MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES ................................................................. 12 1.1 MAJOR OBJECTIVES ........................................................................................................................ 12 1.2 PRIMARY STRATEGIES .................................................................................................................... 12 1.3 PERFORMANCE INDICATORS ........................................................................................................... 13 2 FISHERY ASSESSMENT ................................................................................................................. 14 2.1 THE FISHERY .................................................................................................................................. 14 2.2 DATA SOURCES ............................................................................................................................... 14 2.2.1 General fishing returns ........................................................................................................... 14 2.2.2 Commonwealth catch returns ................................................................................................ 15 2.2.3 Data analysis .......................................................................................................................... 15 2.2.4 Recreational fishery ............................................................................................................... 17 2.3 COMMERCIAL FISHING LICENCES .................................................................................................... 17 2.4 COMMERCIAL CATCH TRENDS ........................................................................................................ 18 2.4.1 General fishery ....................................................................................................................... 18 2.4.2 Estuarine production .............................................................................................................. 22 2.5 COMMERCIAL EFFORT TRENDS ....................................................................................................... 24 2.6 CATCH RATES ................................................................................................................................. 29 2.7 RECREATIONAL FISHERY ................................................................................................................ 29 2.7.1 Catch and effort ..................................................................................................................... 29 2.7.2 Recreational net licences ....................................................................................................... 30 2.8 UNCERTAINTIES ............................................................................................................................. 31 2.9 IMPLICATIONS FOR MANAGEMENT .................................................................................................. 32 3 BANDED MORWONG (CHEILODACTYLUS SPECTABILIS) ................................................... 33 3.1 LIFE-HISTORY AND STOCK STRUCTURE ........................................................................................... 33 3.2 THE FISHERY .................................................................................................................................. 34 3.3 MANAGEMENT BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................ 34 3.4 MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES ................................................................................ 36 3.5 RELATIVE VULNERABILITY TO FISHING .......................................................................................... 36 3.6 CURRENT ASSESSMENT ................................................................................................................... 36 3.6.1 Catch, effort and catch rates................................................................................................... 37 3.7 REFERENCE POINTS ........................................................................................................................ 42 3.8 IMPLICATIONS FOR MANAGEMENT .................................................................................................. 42 3.9 RESEARCH NEEDS ........................................................................................................................... 43 4 SOUTHERN CALAMARI (SEPIOTEUTHIS AUSTRALIS) ......................................................... 44 4.1 LIFE-HISTORY AND STOCK STRUCTURE ........................................................................................... 44 4.2 THE FISHERY .................................................................................................................................. 45 4.3 MANAGEMENT BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................ 45 4.4 MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES ................................................................................ 46 4.5 RELATIVE VULNERABILITY TO FISHING .......................................................................................... 46 4.6 PREVIOUS ASSESSMENTS ................................................................................................................ 47 4.7 CURRENT ASSESSMENT ................................................................................................................... 47 4.7.1 Catch, effort and catch rates................................................................................................... 49 4.8 REFERENCE POINTS ........................................................................................................................ 53 4.9 MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS ........................................................................................................ 53 4.10 RESEARCH NEEDS ........................................................................................................................... 54 5 STRIPED TRUMPETER (LATRIS LINEATA) .............................................................................. 55 5.1 LIFE-HISTORY AND STOCK STRUCTURE ........................................................................................... 55 5.2 THE FISHERY .................................................................................................................................. 56 5.3 MANAGEMENT BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................ 56 5.4 MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES ................................................................................ 56 IMAS Fishery Assessment Report Page 1 5.5 RELATIVE VULNERABILITY TO FISHING .......................................................................................... 57 5.6 PREVIOUS ASSESSMENTS ................................................................................................................ 57 5.7 CURRENT ASSESSMENT ................................................................................................................... 57 5.7.1 Catch, effort and catch rates................................................................................................... 57 5.7.2. Age composition .................................................................................................................... 61 5.8 REFERENCE POINTS ........................................................................................................................ 62 5.9 IMPLICATIONS FOR MANAGEMENT .................................................................................................. 62 5.10 RESEARCH NEEDS ........................................................................................................................... 63 6 SEA GARFISH (HYPORHAMPHUS