Evaluation of the Eastern Torres Strait (ETS) reef line fishery. (T1.1)

Task leader: Dr Gavin Begg, CRC Reef and James Cook University .

Growing interest in commercial harvest of reef fish in the Eastern Torres Strait, by both Islanders and non-indigenous fishers, and concerns raised by Islanders on the impact of commercial fishing has raised concerns for the sustainability of reef fish stocks in the region. These concerns are driven by questions about the sustainability of current harvest rates of important reef fish species and perceived risks that local reef fish stocks may be over exploited.

To date, there has been no formal evaluation of the reef line fishery in the Eastern Torres Strait, and it is considered that current management strategies do not adequately meet the special circumstances that exist in the Torres Strait.
These concerns highlights an urgent need to investigate the fishery to provide Torres Strait Islanders, managers and other stakeholder groups with information that will allow them to make management decisions on a more informed basis. This task will investigate catch and effort of reef fish in Torres Strait by both islander and non-islander fishers, biology of some of the key reef fish species and investigation of current and alternative management strategies for the special circumstances in Torres Strait.

Objectives

• Analyse historical catch and effort data in the Torres Strait reef line fishery by both islander and non-islander fishers.
• Develop an ongoing sampling program that will allow identification in patterns in the catch of the commercial reef line fishery in Torres Strait.
• Determine the composition of catch of reef fish by islander and non-islander fishers for commercial sale and subsistence.
• Collect and analyse samples of key reef fish species within the ETS commercial reef line fishery, including leopard coral trout Plectropomus areolatus, Islander trout Plectropomus maculatus and common coral trout P. leopardus to investigate biological aspects that will aid with management decisions in the future.
• Evaluate present and alternative management strategies using computer models designed for the east coast reef line fishery that have been modified to include information from Torres Strait.

Outcomes

• Information to assess and manage the ETS reef line fishery.
  Formal assessment of historical catch and effort data.
• Thorough documentation of by-catch/by-product from the fishery, address key Ecological Sustainable Development issues relevant to the Environment Protection & Biodiversity Conservation Act and Native Species Export regulations.
• Estimation of fundamental biological aspects of key harvest reef fish species.
• Active engagement of stakeholders in the research process and extensive liaison during the research will result in improved understanding of the research, assessment and management process.