A WA parliamentary question seeks data on fish species, catch tonnages, and sustainable yields in the Geographe Bay area to inform the planning of a proposed marine park. The response indicates data limitations for specific areas but refers to broader reports and offers a detailed briefing.

AnsweredQoN 678Legislative Assembly
Asked
31 July 2001
Member
Portfolio
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

QuestionView source ↗

(1) To assist with planning of the proposed Geographe Bay marine park and assuming that the park may extend from the mouth of the Capel River to Cape Naturaliste, in general terms which species of fish, crustacea and shellfish are mostly caught by commercial and recreational fishers in this area?
(2) What general estimates can Fisheries Western Australia on the total sustainable yield for each of these species?
(3) What is the approximate average catch tonnage for each species per year by commercial fishers in this area?
(4) What is the approximate average catch tonnage for each species per year by recreational fishers in this area?

AnswerView source ↗

Answered
28 August 2001
Responded by
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Response time
28 days
For recreational fishing the main fishing methods are handline, rod fishing, diving and drop netting. Surveys carried out historically have indicated that the main shore line species taken were herring, garfish, squid, yellowtail, blue swimmer crabs and boat fished species were blue swimmer crabs, King George whiting, whiting (other species), trevally and herring. The Research Division of the Department of Fisheries maintains an extensive database on commercial fish catches and effort throughout the State, on approximately a 100 km x 100 km block basis. Similarly, the Department is building up a Statewide database on recreational fishing from a variety of surveys carried out at intervals (5-6 years) in the various bioregions of WA. In addition, the Department has recently undertaken a Statewide telephone survey as part of a National Recreational Fishing Survey which will be analysed and written up over the next 12 months. These data sets provide an overview of the available information applicable to fish catches relevant to the proposed marine park in Geographe Bay, and are published and updated annually in the State of the Fisheries Report, a companion volume to the Department of Fisheries' Annual Report to Parliament. (The current State of the Fisheries Report is available on the web at www.wa.gov.au/westfish/sof/index.html.) However, because fish stocks are not confined to specific areas such as marine parks, catches are generally reported on a stock distribution or broad bioregional basis in State of the Fisheries. It should also be noted that the data gathered for sustainable management of fisheries is not generally analysed or reported for discrete areas such as proposed marine parks. 2. The total sustainable yields for all of the State's fish stocks, where sufficient data are available, are also reported in State of the Fisheries. Typically, there are fewer data on species predominantly fished by recreational fishermen, hence the yield estimates are less precise or not yet available for many of these stocks. 3. Average commercial tonnages for commercial fishers in this specific area are available from the Department of Fisheries' commercial fisheries database, subject to the confidentiality provisions of the Fish Resources Management Act 1994. These data would be made available to the marine park planning process when required, but are not presently extracted, except as shown in the State of the Fisheries Report. 4. Average recreational tonnages are not available for this specific area, as previous surveys have dealt with individual sectors, e.g. beach angling, crabbing etc on a wider regional scale than that involved in the proposed marine park. Should the Member require more specific information than that published in the State of the Fisheries Report, the Minister would be pleased to have the Fisheries Research Division provide a briefing on the detailed data available and the relevance of marine parks to managing fish stocks in the area.
The Research Division of the Department of Fisheries maintains an extensive database on commercial fish catches and effort throughout the State, on approximately a 100 km x 100 km block basis. Similarly, the Department is building up a Statewide database on recreational fishing from a variety of surveys carried out at intervals (5-6 years) in the various bioregions of WA. In addition, the Department has recently undertaken a Statewide telephone survey as part of a National Recreational Fishing Survey which will be analysed and written up over the next 12 months. These data sets provide an overview of the available information applicable to fish catches relevant to the proposed marine park in Geographe Bay, and are published and updated annually in the State of the Fisheries Report, a companion volume to the Department of Fisheries' Annual Report to Parliament. (The current State of the Fisheries Report is available on the web at www.wa.gov.au/westfish/sof/index.html.) However, because fish stocks are not confined to specific areas such as marine parks, catches are generally reported on a stock distribution or broad bioregional basis in State of the Fisheries. It should also be noted that the data gathered for sustainable management of fisheries is not generally analysed or reported for discrete areas such as proposed marine parks. 2. The total sustainable yields for all of the State's fish stocks, where sufficient data are available, are also reported in State of the Fisheries. Typically, there are fewer data on species predominantly fished by recreational fishermen, hence the yield estimates are less precise or not yet available for many of these stocks. 3. Average commercial tonnages for commercial fishers in this specific area are available from the Department of Fisheries' commercial fisheries database, subject to the confidentiality provisions of the Fish Resources Management Act 1994. These data would be made available to the marine park planning process when required, but are not presently extracted, except as shown in the State of the Fisheries Report. 4. Average recreational tonnages are not available for this specific area, as previous surveys have dealt with individual sectors, e.g. beach angling, crabbing etc on a wider regional scale than that involved in the proposed marine park. Should the Member require more specific information than that published in the State of the Fisheries Report, the Minister would be pleased to have the Fisheries Research Division provide a briefing on the detailed data available and the relevance of marine parks to managing fish stocks in the area.
These data sets provide an overview of the available information applicable to fish catches relevant to the proposed marine park in Geographe Bay, and are published and updated annually in the State of the Fisheries Report, a companion volume to the Department of Fisheries' Annual Report to Parliament. (The current State of the Fisheries Report is available on the web at www.wa.gov.au/westfish/sof/index.html.) However, because fish stocks are not confined to specific areas such as marine parks, catches are generally reported on a stock distribution or broad bioregional basis in State of the Fisheries. It should also be noted that the data gathered for sustainable management of fisheries is not generally analysed or reported for discrete areas such as proposed marine parks. 2. The total sustainable yields for all of the State's fish stocks, where sufficient data are available, are also reported in State of the Fisheries. Typically, there are fewer data on species predominantly fished by recreational fishermen, hence the yield estimates are less precise or not yet available for many of these stocks. 3. Average commercial tonnages for commercial fishers in this specific area are available from the Department of Fisheries' commercial fisheries database, subject to the confidentiality provisions of the Fish Resources Management Act 1994. These data would be made available to the marine park planning process when required, but are not presently extracted, except as shown in the State of the Fisheries Report. 4. Average recreational tonnages are not available for this specific area, as previous surveys have dealt with individual sectors, e.g. beach angling, crabbing etc on a wider regional scale than that involved in the proposed marine park. Should the Member require more specific information than that published in the State of the Fisheries Report, the Minister would be pleased to have the Fisheries Research Division provide a briefing on the detailed data available and the relevance of marine parks to managing fish stocks in the area.
It should also be noted that the data gathered for sustainable management of fisheries is not generally analysed or reported for discrete areas such as proposed marine parks. 2. The total sustainable yields for all of the State's fish stocks, where sufficient data are available, are also reported in State of the Fisheries. Typically, there are fewer data on species predominantly fished by recreational fishermen, hence the yield estimates are less precise or not yet available for many of these stocks. 3. Average commercial tonnages for commercial fishers in this specific area are available from the Department of Fisheries' commercial fisheries database, subject to the confidentiality provisions of the Fish Resources Management Act 1994. These data would be made available to the marine park planning process when required, but are not presently extracted, except as shown in the State of the Fisheries Report. 4. Average recreational tonnages are not available for this specific area, as previous surveys have dealt with individual sectors, e.g. beach angling, crabbing etc on a wider regional scale than that involved in the proposed marine park. Should the Member require more specific information than that published in the State of the Fisheries Report, the Minister would be pleased to have the Fisheries Research Division provide a briefing on the detailed data available and the relevance of marine parks to managing fish stocks in the area.
2. The total sustainable yields for all of the State's fish stocks, where sufficient data are available, are also reported in State of the Fisheries. Typically, there are fewer data on species predominantly fished by recreational fishermen, hence the yield estimates are less precise or not yet available for many of these stocks. 3. Average commercial tonnages for commercial fishers in this specific area are available from the Department of Fisheries' commercial fisheries database, subject to the confidentiality provisions of the Fish Resources Management Act 1994. These data would be made available to the marine park planning process when required, but are not presently extracted, except as shown in the State of the Fisheries Report. 4. Average recreational tonnages are not available for this specific area, as previous surveys have dealt with individual sectors, e.g. beach angling, crabbing etc on a wider regional scale than that involved in the proposed marine park. Should the Member require more specific information than that published in the State of the Fisheries Report, the Minister would be pleased to have the Fisheries Research Division provide a briefing on the detailed data available and the relevance of marine parks to managing fish stocks in the area.
3. Average commercial tonnages for commercial fishers in this specific area are available from the Department of Fisheries' commercial fisheries database, subject to the confidentiality provisions of the Fish Resources Management Act 1994. These data would be made available to the marine park planning process when required, but are not presently extracted, except as shown in the State of the Fisheries Report. 4. Average recreational tonnages are not available for this specific area, as previous surveys have dealt with individual sectors, e.g. beach angling, crabbing etc on a wider regional scale than that involved in the proposed marine park. Should the Member require more specific information than that published in the State of the Fisheries Report, the Minister would be pleased to have the Fisheries Research Division provide a briefing on the detailed data available and the relevance of marine parks to managing fish stocks in the area.
4. Average recreational tonnages are not available for this specific area, as previous surveys have dealt with individual sectors, e.g. beach angling, crabbing etc on a wider regional scale than that involved in the proposed marine park. Should the Member require more specific information than that published in the State of the Fisheries Report, the Minister would be pleased to have the Fisheries Research Division provide a briefing on the detailed data available and the relevance of marine parks to managing fish stocks in the area.
Should the Member require more specific information than that published in the State of the Fisheries Report, the Minister would be pleased to have the Fisheries Research Division provide a briefing on the detailed data available and the relevance of marine parks to managing fish stocks in the area.

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