FISHERY ASSESSMENT REPORT TASMANIAN SCALEFISH FISHERY - 2008 Philippe E. Ziegler and Jeremy M. Lyle February 2009 This assessment of the Tasmanian scalefish fishery is produced by the Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute (TAFI) and uses input from the Scalefish Fishery Assessment Working Group (SFAWG). SFAWG met on 27 November 2008 to consider the draft assessment report and provide input into the assessments. The Working Group participants were: Dr Jeremy Lyle TAFI Dr Philippe Ziegler TAFI Andrew Sullivan DPIW Frances Seaborn DPIW Rod Pearn DPIW Steve Withers DPIW Josh Brown DPIW Neil Stump TSIC John Aulich Commercial sector Steve Bartels Commercial sector Shane Bevis Commercial sector Mark Cuthbertson Commercial sector Todd Francis Commercial sector Robert Milner Commercial sector Rodney Treloggen Commercial sector Lynden Chipman Recreational sector Brett Cleary Recreational sector Mark Nikolai Recreational sector Sandra Gillanders SFAC Chair TAFI Marine Research Laboratories, Private Bag 49, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia. E-mail: [email protected]. Ph. (03) 6227 7277, Fax (03) 6227 8035 © The Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute, University of Tasmania 2009. 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 Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute. Table of contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY...........................................................................................................................3 1 MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES .................................................................10 1.1 MAJOR OBJECTIVES........................................................................................................................10 1.2 PRIMARY STRATEGIES ....................................................................................................................10 1.3 PERFORMANCE INDICATORS...........................................................................................................11 2 FISHERY ASSESSMENT ................................................................................................................12 2.1 THE FISHERY ..................................................................................................................................12 2.2 DATA SOURCES ..............................................................................................................................12 2.2.1 General fishing returns ..........................................................................................................12 2.2.2 Commonwealth catch returns ................................................................................................13 2.2.3 Data analysis..........................................................................................................................13 2.2.4 Recreational fishery...............................................................................................................15 2.3 COMMERCIAL FISHING LICENCES ...................................................................................................15 2.4 COMMERCIAL CATCH TRENDS ........................................................................................................16 2.5 COMMERCIAL EFFORT TRENDS .......................................................................................................21 2.6 CATCH RATES.................................................................................................................................25 2.7 RECREATIONAL FISHERY ................................................................................................................26 2.7.1 Catch and effort .....................................................................................................................26 2.7.2 Recreational net licences .......................................................................................................26 2.8 UNCERTAINTIES .............................................................................................................................27 2.9 IMPLICATIONS FOR MANAGEMENT .................................................................................................28 3 BANDED MORWONG (CHEILODACTYLUS SPECTABILIS)...................................................29 3.1 LIFE-HISTORY AND STOCK STRUCTURE ..........................................................................................29 3.2 THE FISHERY ..................................................................................................................................30 3.3 MANAGEMENT BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................30 3.4 MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES ................................................................................31 3.5 RELATIVE VULNERABILITY TO FISHING ..........................................................................................31 3.6 CURRENT ASSESSMENT ..................................................................................................................31 3.6.1 Catch, effort and catch rates ..................................................................................................32 3.7 STOCK ASSESSMENT MODEL...........................................................................................................37 3.8 REFERENCE POINTS ........................................................................................................................37 3.9 IMPLICATIONS FOR MANAGEMENT .................................................................................................37 3.10 RESEARCH NEEDS...........................................................................................................................38 4 SOUTHERN CALAMARI (SEPIOTEUTHIS AUSTRALIS).........................................................39 4.1 LIFE-HISTORY AND STOCK STRUCTURE ..........................................................................................39 4.2 THE FISHERY ..................................................................................................................................40 4.3 MANAGEMENT BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................40 4.4 MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES ................................................................................41 4.5 RELATIVE VULNERABILITY TO FISHING ..........................................................................................41 4.6 PREVIOUS ASSESSMENTS ................................................................................................................42 4.7 CURRENT ASSESSMENT ..................................................................................................................42 4.7.1 Catch, effort and catch rates ..................................................................................................43 4.7.2 Reference points ....................................................................................................................45 4.8 MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS ........................................................................................................45 4.9 RESEARCH NEEDS...........................................................................................................................47 5 STRIPED TRUMPETER (LATRIS LINEATA)..............................................................................48 5.1 LIFE-HISTORY AND STOCK STRUCTURE ..........................................................................................48 5.2 THE FISHERY ..................................................................................................................................49 5.3 MANAGEMENT BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................49 5.4 MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES ................................................................................49 TAFI Fishery Assessment Report Page 1 5.5 RELATIVE VULNERABILITY TO FISHING ..........................................................................................50 5.6 PREVIOUS ASSESSMENTS ................................................................................................................50 5.7 CURRENT ASSESSMENT...................................................................................................................50 5.7.1 Catch, effort and catch rates...................................................................................................50 5.7.2. Age composition....................................................................................................................54 5.7.3 Reference points ....................................................................................................................55 5.8 IMPLICATIONS FOR MANAGEMENT..................................................................................................55 5.9 RESEARCH NEEDS ...........................................................................................................................56 6 BASTARD TRUMPETER (LATRIDOPSIS FORSTERI) ..............................................................57 6.1 CATCH, EFFORT AND CATCH RATES ................................................................................................57 6.2