456
12 Species Case Studies
sound management approach. However this does not factor in the relatively larger
contribution of big females to reproductive output due to higher fecundity.
Recreational fi shers are limited to 7 leopard coralgrouper per person. Charter
fi shing operators are regulated by permits.
The Queensland reef fi shery operates within the GBR Marine Park, an area of
344,400 km
2
, established in 1975 and managed by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
Authority (GBRMPA), a Commonwealth Statutory Authority. The GBRMPA has
responsibility ‘to provide for the long term protection and conservation of the environment, biodiversity and heritage values …’, and explicitly does not have authority for
fi sheries management, but has area closures where fi shing is prohibited. Studies on the
impacts of these closures on leopard coralgrouper reveal complex results, but generally higher densities are recorded on unfi shed reefs (e.g. Evans and Russ 2004 ) , and
females are larger, older and more abundant on closed reefs suggesting reef closures
are an effective strategy (Vincent and Sadovy 1998 ; Adams et al. 2000 ) .
Despite extensive fi sheries and protected area controls (including no-fi shing areas,
size limits, partial aggregation closures and quotas), signifi cant declines in leopard
coralgrouper abundance in the central and southern sections of the GBR have been
reported (Ayling et al. 2000 ) . This observation, the 50% increase in number of active
commercial boats in the fi shery, the decline in catch rate since the early 1990s and
GBRMPA’s recognition that their zoning was inadequate and not representative, led
to substantial reviews and revision of legislation in the early 2000s. In 2004 DPI&F
introduced three 9-day closures (around the new moon) to protect spawning aggregations of key target species, particularly leopard coralgrouper aggregations and migrations (Turnbull and Samoilys 1997 ) . In addition, DPI&F introduced a TAC for coral
trout of 1,288 mt refl ected in the recent drop in catch (Table 12.3 ). Meanwhile the
GBRMPA completed a massive re-zoning of the Park in 2004, resulting in 33% of
the Park being closed to fi shing (Fernandes et al. 2005 ) .
Recent studies on the effects of these closures on leopard coralgrouper show that
after 1.5–2 years of protection, the density of coral trout increased by a factor of 1.7
in areas that had been closed to fi shing in 2004, while density and biomass decreased
slightly in the areas that remained open to fi shing (Russ et al. 2008 ; Evans et al.
2006 ) . A review and interview-based surveys with the fi shers regarding the spawning closures by Queensland Fisheries in 2008, resulted in a change, effective 2009–
2013, to two 5-days closures around the new moon in October–November, largely
driven by commercial fi shers, concerns over loss in revenue and their lack of conviction that closures were necessary biologically. These shorter closures will still
provide good protection of leopard coralgrouper spawning aggregations which only
last for 5 days, and spawning is concentrated in Oct–Nov.
The Houtman Albrolhos Islands in WA were declared a Fish Habitat Area (FHA)
by the Department of Fisheries with 17% of the FHA closed to fi shing in 1994. After
8 years of closure the leopard coralgrouper increased three to sevenfold attributed to
reduced fi shing mortality and their relatively small home ranges (Nardi et al. 2004 ) .
No information is reported on leopard coralgrouper spawning aggregations in WA.
Historic data on leopard coralgrouper from the GBR before the substantial commercial fi shery operated are not available and therefore it is diffi cult to assess
12 Species Case Studies
sound management approach. However this does not factor in the relatively larger
contribution of big females to reproductive output due to higher fecundity.
Recreational fi shers are limited to 7 leopard coralgrouper per person. Charter
fi shing operators are regulated by permits.
The Queensland reef fi shery operates within the GBR Marine Park, an area of
344,400 km
2
, established in 1975 and managed by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
Authority (GBRMPA), a Commonwealth Statutory Authority. The GBRMPA has
responsibility ‘to provide for the long term protection and conservation of the environment, biodiversity and heritage values …’, and explicitly does not have authority for
fi sheries management, but has area closures where fi shing is prohibited. Studies on the
impacts of these closures on leopard coralgrouper reveal complex results, but generally higher densities are recorded on unfi shed reefs (e.g. Evans and Russ 2004 ) , and
females are larger, older and more abundant on closed reefs suggesting reef closures
are an effective strategy (Vincent and Sadovy 1998 ; Adams et al. 2000 ) .
Despite extensive fi sheries and protected area controls (including no-fi shing areas,
size limits, partial aggregation closures and quotas), signifi cant declines in leopard
coralgrouper abundance in the central and southern sections of the GBR have been
reported (Ayling et al. 2000 ) . This observation, the 50% increase in number of active
commercial boats in the fi shery, the decline in catch rate since the early 1990s and
GBRMPA’s recognition that their zoning was inadequate and not representative, led
to substantial reviews and revision of legislation in the early 2000s. In 2004 DPI&F
introduced three 9-day closures (around the new moon) to protect spawning aggregations of key target species, particularly leopard coralgrouper aggregations and migrations (Turnbull and Samoilys 1997 ) . In addition, DPI&F introduced a TAC for coral
trout of 1,288 mt refl ected in the recent drop in catch (Table 12.3 ). Meanwhile the
GBRMPA completed a massive re-zoning of the Park in 2004, resulting in 33% of
the Park being closed to fi shing (Fernandes et al. 2005 ) .
Recent studies on the effects of these closures on leopard coralgrouper show that
after 1.5–2 years of protection, the density of coral trout increased by a factor of 1.7
in areas that had been closed to fi shing in 2004, while density and biomass decreased
slightly in the areas that remained open to fi shing (Russ et al. 2008 ; Evans et al.
2006 ) . A review and interview-based surveys with the fi shers regarding the spawning closures by Queensland Fisheries in 2008, resulted in a change, effective 2009–
2013, to two 5-days closures around the new moon in October–November, largely
driven by commercial fi shers, concerns over loss in revenue and their lack of conviction that closures were necessary biologically. These shorter closures will still
provide good protection of leopard coralgrouper spawning aggregations which only
last for 5 days, and spawning is concentrated in Oct–Nov.
The Houtman Albrolhos Islands in WA were declared a Fish Habitat Area (FHA)
by the Department of Fisheries with 17% of the FHA closed to fi shing in 1994. After
8 years of closure the leopard coralgrouper increased three to sevenfold attributed to
reduced fi shing mortality and their relatively small home ranges (Nardi et al. 2004 ) .
No information is reported on leopard coralgrouper spawning aggregations in WA.
Historic data on leopard coralgrouper from the GBR before the substantial commercial fi shery operated are not available and therefore it is diffi cult to assess