Western Australian Marine Stewardship Council Report Series No. 4, 2015 West Coast Deep Sea Crustacean Managed Fishery How, J.R., Webster, F.J., Travaille, K.L., Nardi, K., Harry, A.V. Western Australian Marine Stewardship Council Report Series No. 4, 2015 West Coast Deep Sea Crustacean Managed Fishery How, J.R., Webster, F.J., Travaille, K.L., Nardi, K., Harry, A.V. 7444/15 Correct citation: How, J.R., Webster, F.J., Travaille, K.L., Nardi, K., Harry, A.V. (2015). Western Australian Marine Stewardship Council Report Series No. 4: West Coast Deep Sea Crustacean Managed Fishery. Department of Fisheries, Western Australia. 172pp. Department of Fisheries 3rd floor, The Atrium 168 – 170 St Georges Terrace PERTH WA 6000 Telephone: (08) 9482 7333 Facsimile: (08) 9482 7389 Website: www.fish.wa.gov.au ABN: 55 689 794 771 © Department of Fisheries, Western Australia. November 2015. ISSN: 2205-3670 (Print) ISBN: 978-1-877098-05-5 (Print) ISSN: 2205-3689 (Online) ISBN: 978-1-877098-06-2 (Online) ii Western Australian Marine Stewardship Council Report Series No.4, 2015 Overview This report provides a comprehensive description of the West Coast Deep Sea Crustacean Managed Fishery (WCDSCMF) and contains information relevant to assist the assessment of this fishery against the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard (v1.3) for sustainable fishing. The WCDSCMF operates using baited traps off the west coast of Western Australia, on the seaward side of the 150 m isobath out to the extent of the Australian EEZ (200 nm), from the Northern Territory border to Cape Leeuwin (34° 24' S latitude). The first part of this report (Sections 1 – 5) provides an overview of the WCDSCMF and the aquatic environment in which it operates, including information on the development of the fishery, fishing methods and gear used, the management system in place, external factors that may influence fishery operations and / or target species populations; and an overview of the biology of the target species, crystal crab (Chaceon albus). The remainder of document provides more detailed information for assessing the fishery against the performance indicators under MSC Principles 1, 2 and 3. MSC Principle 1 (Sections 6 – 8) provides information to assess the condition of the target species stock. These sections provide information on the current stock status of crystal crabs and include a detailed description of the stock assessment approach and harvest strategy employed for ensuring the future sustainability of this stock. MSC Principle 2 (Sections 9 – 13) relates to the impact of the fishery on the marine environment in which it operates. These sections provide information on the catch of retained non-target species, bycatch / discards, interactions with endangered, threatened or protected (ETP) species, as well as a detailed description of the habitats and ecosystem in which the fishery operates and all fishery-related impacts on these systems. Where detailed quantitative data are not available, a risk assessment approach has been used to assess the level of risk associated with any identified fishery-specific issues. The issues identified and their associated risk ratings are provided throughout the Principle 2 sections, where relevant. MSC Principle 3 (Sections 14 – 15) provides information to assess the governance and management in place for the fishery. Governance information provided includes an overview of the local, national and international legal frameworks relevant to the management of the fishery; a description of the roles, responsibilities and consultation processes undertaken with fishery stakeholders; the long-term objectives; and the incentives in place for sustainable fishing. These sections also include information on the fishery-specific management system, including fishery-specific objectives; the decision-making process; compliance and enforcement; ongoing research; and an evaluation of the management system. Although this document has been divided into MSC Principle-specific sections, it should be considered in its entirety as many sections provide supporting and complementary information. While this document is intended to provide a comprehensive account of the fishery, it is by no means meant to be the only source of information for assessing the fishery. If there is uncertainty regarding any parts of the descriptions and information herein, stakeholders should contact the Department so that any such issues can be addressed in subsequent updates of this document. This document should also be read in conjunction with the WCDSCMF Harvest Strategy 2015 – 2020. Western Australian Marine Stewardship Council Report Series No.4, 2015 iii Table of Contents 1. Aquatic Environment ......................................................................................................... 1 2. Target Species / Stock Description .................................................................................... 4 2.1 Crystal Crab ................................................................................................................. 4 2.1.1 Taxonomy and Distribution .................................................................................. 4 2.1.2 Stock Structure ...................................................................................................... 4 2.1.3 Life History ........................................................................................................... 5 3. Fishery Information ......................................................................................................... 11 3.1 Fishery Development and Current Activities ............................................................ 11 3.2 Fishing Methods and Gear ......................................................................................... 12 3.3 Catch and Effort ......................................................................................................... 14 4. Fishery Management ........................................................................................................ 16 4.1 Management System .................................................................................................. 16 4.1.1 FRMA ................................................................................................................. 16 4.1.2 FRMR ................................................................................................................. 16 4.1.3 Management Plan................................................................................................ 17 4.1.4 FRMA Notices and Orders ................................................................................. 19 4.1.5 FRMA Section 7 Exemptions ............................................................................. 20 4.2 Harvest Strategy ......................................................................................................... 20 4.3 Marine Protected Areas .............................................................................................. 20 4.3.1 State Marine Protected Areas .............................................................................. 20 4.3.2 Commonwealth Marine Protected Areas ............................................................ 20 4.4 Risk Assessments ....................................................................................................... 22 4.4.1 2002 Internal Ecological Risk Assessment ......................................................... 22 4.4.2 2014 Internal Risk Assessment ........................................................................... 22 4.5 Assessments and Certifications.................................................................................. 22 5. External Influences .......................................................................................................... 24 5.1 Market Influences ...................................................................................................... 24 5.2 Environmental Factors ............................................................................................... 24 5.3 Other Fishing Activities ............................................................................................. 24 5.3.1 Commercial Fishing ............................................................................................ 24 5.3.2 Recreational Fishing ........................................................................................... 26 iv Western Australian Marine Stewardship Council Report Series No.4, 2015 5.4 Other Activities .......................................................................................................... 26 5.4.1 Oil and Gas Industry ........................................................................................... 26 5.4.2 Ports and Shipping Routes .................................................................................. 28 5.5 Introduced Marine Species ........................................................................................ 29 MSC Principle 1 ....................................................................................................................... 30 6. Current Stock Status ........................................................................................................ 30 6.1 Retained Catch of Crystal Crabs ................................................................................ 31 6.2 Standardised Catch Rate of Legal-Size Crystal Crabs ..............................................