Coasts and oceans
Theme commentary
Trevor J Ward, Greenward Consulting, Perth, Western Australia
Alan Butler, CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research, Brisbane, Queensland
prepared for the 2006 Australian State of the Environment Committee, 2006
Tables
| Rank (by value in 93–94) | Fishery/species | Catch 93–94 tonnes | Catch 03–04 tonnes | Value 93–94 $million | Value 03–04 $million | Trends 93–94 | Trends 03–04 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western Rock Lobster (Panulirus cygnus) | 11 045 | NA | 287.12 | NA | Stable, fully exploited | NA |
| 2 | Abalone: all species | 4 723 | 5 585 | 177.50 | 189 413 | Stable, declining in some areas | NA |
| 3 | Tiger prawns: brown tiger (Penaeus esculentus), grooved tiger (P. semisulcatus) | 6 062 | 2 193 | 147.23 | 32.1 | Stable overall; Fully exploited; | Not overfished |
| 4 | Southern Rock Lobster(Jasus edwardsii) | 5 060 | 4 605 (excludes WA) |
119.50 | 124.2 (excludes WA) |
Stable; Fully exploited | NA |
| 5 | Southern bluefin tuna (Thunnus maccoyii) | 6 080 | 5 080 | 116.35 | 38.15 | Stable; recovery uncertain from earlier overexploitation | Overfished |
| 6 | Pearl oystera(a) | - | - | 96.50 | 150 | Stable; depressed in Torres Strait; Fully exploited | NA |
| 7 | King prawns (species not reported) | 6 056 | U | 68 44 | U | Stable Fully exploited | U |
| 8 | Northern scallops (two species) | 13 445 | 4 286 | 51.31 | 17.64 | Variable; Some over exploited | NA |
| 9 | Oysters (aquaculture: two species)(b) | 2 280 | 7 625 | 48.85 | 71.82 | Increasing; Space limitations | NA |
| 10 | Banana prawns (two species) | 3 348 | 3 516 | 36.54 | 36.04 | Variable; Fully exploited | Not overfished |
| 11 | Endeavour prawns (two species) | 3 056 | 418 (NPF only) |
31.36 | 4.39 (NPF only) |
Stable; Fully exploited | Uncertain |
| 12 | Crabs (species not reported) | 3 551 | - | 17.55 | - | Variable; Fully exploited | U |
| 13 | Southern scallops | 9 006 | 6 029 | 16.60 | 7.36 | Variable; Fully exploited | NA |
| 14 | School and gummy shark | 5 152 | 2 875 (Commonwealth fisheries only) | 15.54 | 14.16 (Commonwealth fisheries only) | Stable; some signs of recovery; School shark overexploited in 1980s; | School Shark Overfished; Gummy Shark Not overfished |
| 15 | Coral trout | 1 101 | 1 605 (Qld only) |
13.21 | 24.08 (Qld only) |
Stable; Some overexploited | NA |
| 16 | Barramundi | 861 | 1 624 (excludes WA and hatchery) |
8.44 | 10.03 (excludes WA and hatchery) |
Stable; Fully exploited | NA |
| 17 | Mullet and sea mullet | 4 464 | 5 433 | 8.23 | 12.91 | Stable; Uncertain | NA |
| 18 | Blue grenadier | 3 111 | 8 819 | 7.08 | 11.2 | Stable; quota not reached; Possibly under exploited; | Not overfished |
Notes:
NA = not available; U = unknown
(a) The value given is the value of the cultivated pearls produced.
(b) The value given is that of the cultured product of oysters. The catch is the weight of cultured product.
Source: 03–04 data from ABARE (2005); BRS (2004)
| Jurisdiction | Fishery Name | EPBC Ministerial Decision | Status (from BRS, 2004) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commonwealth | Bass Strait Central Zone Scallop Fishery | WTO | NA |
| Heard Islands and McDonald Islands | Exempt | Patagonian toothfish, mackerel icefish: not overfished | |
| Northern Prawn Fishery | Exempt | Banana, brown tiger, grooved tiger prawns: not overfished; endeavour, king prawns: uncertain | |
| Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery | WTO | Status reported as the component fisheries below: the South East Fishery trawl sector and South East Fishery non-trawl sector (which have many quota species in common); the Great Australian Bight Trawl | |
| Southern Shark Fishery | School shark overfished; gummy shark not overfished, current catch probably sustainable; sawshark and elephant fish uncertain | ||
| South East Fishery – trawl and non-trawl fishery | Five species—blue warehou, eastern gemfish, orange roughy [except Cascade Plateau], redfish and silver trevally— classified overfished; and overfishing continues. Five species—blue-eye trevalla, blue grenadier, pink ling, spotted warehou and tiger flathead—classified not overfished; recent blue grenadier and flathead catch levels probably unsustainable in the long term; pink ling possibly nearing overfished, with catches declining and overfishing east of Bass Strait. Seven species—eastern school whiting, Jackass morwong, John dory, mirror dory, ocean perch, royal red prawn and western gemfish—uncertain. Of the 14 species or species-groups for which the Australian Fisheries Management Authority has set a catch-rate reference level, nine did not meet the criterion during 2003: blue-eye trevalla, blue warehou, jackass morwong, John dory, ocean perch,pink ling, redfish, spotted warehou and western gemfish | ||
| Great Australian Bight Trawl fishery | Shelf: All species uncertainSlope: Uncertain; (orange roughy have quickly become overfished in other fisheries) | ||
| Southern Squid Jig | Exempt | Uncertain in western Bass Strait; probably not overfished in other areas | |
| Coral Sea | WTO | NA | |
| Western Trawl Fisheries | WTO | NA | |
| Western Australian Southern DemersalGillnet and Longline Fishery (SDF) | Dusky shark and whiskery shark—overfished; gummy shark—not overfished; school shark overfished. | ||
| Torres Strait Tropical Rock Lobster | WTO | Overfished; lack of reliable post-2000 catch data prevented review of the previous overfished classification; similarly, although effort has intensified, it is not possible to determine whether or not overfishing is occurring due to increased stock abundance | |
| TS Prawn Fishery | Tiger prawn not overfished; endeavour prawn uncertain but probably not overfished; king prawn uncertain | ||
| Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery | Overfishing of Pacific bigeye but stock not yet overfished; yellowfin in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) not overfished and overfishing not occurring; status of marlins and south-western Pacific swordfish uncertain, but localised depletion of swordfish apparent; South Pacific albacore not overfished and overfishing is not occurring | ||
| Southern & Western Tuna and billfish fishery | Bigeye tuna not overfished; yellowfin tuna and broadbill swordfish uncertain; overfishing of bigeye tuna is occurring in the broader Indian Ocean | ||
| Western Tuna and Billfish | Exempt | NA | |
| Southern Bluefin Tuna | WTO | Overfished, and overfishing is occurring; spawning stock severely depleted and current catches severely limit probability of rebuilding | |
| Small Pelagics Fishery | Temp WTO | NA | |
| New South Wales | Estuary General Fishery | Exempt | Target species fully fished except squid, which has not been assessed (NSW Fisheries. 2003. Status of fisheries resources 2001/2002. Cronulla Fisheries Centre, NSW Fisheries,Cronulla, NSW, 293pp.) |
| Estuary Prawn Trawl Fishery | WTO | Target species fully fished except squid which has not been assessed | |
| Ocean Hauling Fishery | Exempt | Fully exploited – garfish & silver trevally slightly overexploited | |
| Western Australia | Exmouth Gulf Prawn Fishery | Exempt | Fully exploited Breeding Stock Levels (BSL): Adequate |
| Pearl Oyster Fishery | Exempt | Fully exploited BSL: Adequate | |
| Rock Lobster Fishery | Exempt | Fully exploited BSL: Adequate | |
| Shark Bay Prawn Fishery | Exempt | Fully exploited BSL: Adequate | |
| Shark Bay Snapper Fishery | Exempt | Over-exploited BSL: Inadequate | |
| Shark Bay Scallop Fishery | Exempt | Fully exploited BSL: Adequate | |
| West Coast Deep Sea Crab Fishery | WTO | Not assessed BSL: Adequate | |
| Abalone Managed Fishery | Exempt | Fully exploited BSL: Adequate | |
| Broome Prawn Managed Fishery | Exempt | Under-exploited BSL: Adequate | |
| South Coast Crustacean Fishery | WTO | Fully exploited BSL: Adequate | |
| Salmon Fishery | Exempt | Fully exploited BSL: Adequate | |
| Mackerel Fishery | Exempt | Fully exploited BSL: Adequate | |
| Pilbara Trap Fishery | WTO | Fully exploited BSL: Adequate | |
| Kimberley Prawn Fishery | Exempt | Fully exploited BSL: Adequate | |
| Shark Bay Experimental Crab Fishery | WTO | NA | |
| Onslow/Nickol Bay Prawn Fishery | Exempt | Fully exploited BSL: Adequate | |
| Specimen Shell Managed Fishery | Exempt | Not assessed BSL: Adequate | |
| Pilbara Fish Trawl Fishery | WTO | Fully exploited BSL: Adequate |