Towards ecologically sustainable management of the Torres Strait prawn fishery (T1.5)

Task leader: Dr Clive Turnbull, Queensland Department of Primary Industries & Fisheries.

This project will build on past research and monitoring conducted by QDPI&F since 1985. The research project is designed to collect data needed to monitor the status of the Torres Strait Prawn Fishery and impacts on bycatch species, further develop the current assessment of tiger prawn stocks and provide managers (AFMA, QFS, PNG NFA), industry and Torres Strait communities with the information required to manage the fishery in an environmentally sustainable manner.

This will be achieved by:

• Developing an appropriate observer program to monitor both target and bycatch (including lobster) species (completion of this task is dependent on industry funding an observer program).
• Annual research surveys to provide data on target and bycatch species that is independent of the commercial catch data.
• Collations of all available catch data from buyer records to validate the individual fisher records against the product unload records.
• Analysis of Vessel Monitoring data that is now being collected by QFS from all trawl vessels that operate along the Queensland east coast and in Torres Strait.
• Assessment of prawn stocks using commercial fishery data from fishers’ logbooks, shipping and buyers unloading data, Vessel Monitoring System data and research survey data.

The research will assist with the accreditation of the fishery under Environment Australia’s Guidelines for the Ecologically Sustainable Management of Fisheries. In addition there is a concern by Torres Strait Islanders that the current operation of prawn trawl vessels within the Torres Straits may be impacting on lobster and other bycatch species that are a part of the catch of Torres Strait Island Communities, including those operating under Community licences.

Objectives

• Provide input to the Prawn Working Group on development of cost-effective protocols to monitor and quantify the by-catch and environmental impacts of commercial prawn trawling.
• Monitor the status of target species using both fishery dependent and fishery independent data.
• Develop biological reference points for target species and undertake Management Strategy Evaluation, in particular a risk assessment of fishing at various levels of fishing mortality.

Outcomes

• Management measures implemented to ensure that target and byproduct species are harvested at levels that are sustainable.
• Implementation of an industry funded observer program.
• Management measures implemented to minimise the impacts of fishing on bycatch species and the environment.
• Torres Strait Prawn Fishery accredited under Environment Australia’s Strategic Assessment Guidelines.