475
12 Species Case Studies
snapper fi shing in oceanic waters dates back to 1908 (Cooper 1997 ) , and in the inner
gulfs to the 1920s–1930s (Edwards 2000 ) . Fishing effort in the gulfs increased
through to the 1950s then steadily declined in the 1960s–1970s (GJ unpublished
data) as boats shifted to the main commercial grounds in oceanic waters (Fig. 12.29 )
in pursuit of higher catch rates and in response to management action (Moran et al .
2005 ) . Commercial snapper fi shing of the oceanic stock came under formal management in 1987 with the creation of the Shark Bay Snapper Managed Fishery that
has been managed with individual quotas since 2000 and a Total Annual Commercial
Catch (TACC) since 2003 (Jackson and Lai 2008 ) . Commercial catches of snapper
in the inner gulfs nowadays are only small (<2 tonnes per year) and limited to
bycatch taken by local beach seine fi shing operations (Jackson et al. 2008 ) .
Recreational fi shing in the inner gulfs was observed to steadily increase between
the late 1970s and 1990s (Jackson et al. 2003 ) . Between the early 1980s and early
1990s, road access into Shark Bay (Denham) improved and recreational snapper
fi shers became more effi cient with advances in fi shing technology (e.g. Global
Positioning System and colour fi sh sounders) and increased knowledge of the main
aggregations. By the mid-1990s, there was concern that recreational fi shing of the
winter spawning aggregations in the Eastern Gulf in particular had reached unsustainable levels (Marshall and Moore 2000 ; Anderson 2004 ) . In response to the community concern and to obtain much needed information for management, research
commenced in 1997 that included daily egg production method (DEPM) surveys to
estimate snapper biomass (Jackson et al. in press ) and recreational fi shing surveys
to estimate recreational catches (Sumner et al. 2002 ) .
Based on research results that indicated that all three snapper stocks had been
over-exploited, stricter management was progressively introduced from 1997
onwards, to reduce recreational snapper catches in the winter months. These measures included a 5-year moratorium on snapper fi shing in the Eastern Gulf (June
1998–March 2003), a 6-week spawning closure in the Freycinet Estuary (from 2000
onwards) and introduction of a Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for each stock for the
fi rst time in 2003 (Stephenson and Jackson 2005 ; Jackson 2007 ) (Table 12.4 ).
Different combinations of management measures have been used since 2003
(Table 12.4 ) including a novel management quota-tag system in the Freycinet
Estuary (Jackson et al. 2005 ; Mitchell et al. 2008 ) . Recreational fi shers in this area
are only permitted to retain a snapper when in possession of a quota-tag (Fig. 12.30 ).
A limited number (n = 1040 per year, Table 12.4 ) of these quota-tags are only available via a lottery-based allocation process each year (before the season starts) where
fi shers are limited to only 2 tags per person. During fi shing, once a snapper is landed
and is to be retained, a tag is inserted through the mouth and secured using a tamperproof barrel-style locking mechanism prior to landing (Fig. 12.30 ).
The management measures in place between 2003 and 2007 were highly effective
and limited snapper catches to 13–28% of TAC in the Eastern Gulf, to 32–48% of
TAC in Freycinet Estuary and to 37–102% of TAC in Denham Sound (GJ unpublished
data). The extensive management interventions since 1997 have been very successful
in recovering local snapper stocks; breeding stocks (spawning biomass) in the Eastern
Gulf and Denham Sound have rebuilt to above the management target levels and the
breeding stock in Freycinet Estuary is recovering (Jackson et al. 2008 ) .
12 Species Case Studies
snapper fi shing in oceanic waters dates back to 1908 (Cooper 1997 ) , and in the inner
gulfs to the 1920s–1930s (Edwards 2000 ) . Fishing effort in the gulfs increased
through to the 1950s then steadily declined in the 1960s–1970s (GJ unpublished
data) as boats shifted to the main commercial grounds in oceanic waters (Fig. 12.29 )
in pursuit of higher catch rates and in response to management action (Moran et al .
2005 ) . Commercial snapper fi shing of the oceanic stock came under formal management in 1987 with the creation of the Shark Bay Snapper Managed Fishery that
has been managed with individual quotas since 2000 and a Total Annual Commercial
Catch (TACC) since 2003 (Jackson and Lai 2008 ) . Commercial catches of snapper
in the inner gulfs nowadays are only small (<2 tonnes per year) and limited to
bycatch taken by local beach seine fi shing operations (Jackson et al. 2008 ) .
Recreational fi shing in the inner gulfs was observed to steadily increase between
the late 1970s and 1990s (Jackson et al. 2003 ) . Between the early 1980s and early
1990s, road access into Shark Bay (Denham) improved and recreational snapper
fi shers became more effi cient with advances in fi shing technology (e.g. Global
Positioning System and colour fi sh sounders) and increased knowledge of the main
aggregations. By the mid-1990s, there was concern that recreational fi shing of the
winter spawning aggregations in the Eastern Gulf in particular had reached unsustainable levels (Marshall and Moore 2000 ; Anderson 2004 ) . In response to the community concern and to obtain much needed information for management, research
commenced in 1997 that included daily egg production method (DEPM) surveys to
estimate snapper biomass (Jackson et al. in press ) and recreational fi shing surveys
to estimate recreational catches (Sumner et al. 2002 ) .
Based on research results that indicated that all three snapper stocks had been
over-exploited, stricter management was progressively introduced from 1997
onwards, to reduce recreational snapper catches in the winter months. These measures included a 5-year moratorium on snapper fi shing in the Eastern Gulf (June
1998–March 2003), a 6-week spawning closure in the Freycinet Estuary (from 2000
onwards) and introduction of a Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for each stock for the
fi rst time in 2003 (Stephenson and Jackson 2005 ; Jackson 2007 ) (Table 12.4 ).
Different combinations of management measures have been used since 2003
(Table 12.4 ) including a novel management quota-tag system in the Freycinet
Estuary (Jackson et al. 2005 ; Mitchell et al. 2008 ) . Recreational fi shers in this area
are only permitted to retain a snapper when in possession of a quota-tag (Fig. 12.30 ).
A limited number (n = 1040 per year, Table 12.4 ) of these quota-tags are only available via a lottery-based allocation process each year (before the season starts) where
fi shers are limited to only 2 tags per person. During fi shing, once a snapper is landed
and is to be retained, a tag is inserted through the mouth and secured using a tamperproof barrel-style locking mechanism prior to landing (Fig. 12.30 ).
The management measures in place between 2003 and 2007 were highly effective
and limited snapper catches to 13–28% of TAC in the Eastern Gulf, to 32–48% of
TAC in Freycinet Estuary and to 37–102% of TAC in Denham Sound (GJ unpublished
data). The extensive management interventions since 1997 have been very successful
in recovering local snapper stocks; breeding stocks (spawning biomass) in the Eastern
Gulf and Denham Sound have rebuilt to above the management target levels and the
breeding stock in Freycinet Estuary is recovering (Jackson et al. 2008 ) .