Northern Prawn Fishery

Research 1999-2001

This page list 1999-2001 research regarding the Northern Prawn Fishery.

Links to further research and surveys can be accessed from the research archive list in the top right of your screen.

ABARE
Flexible seasonal restrictions in the Northern Prawn Fishery

ABARE, FRRF
1999-2000

Objectives

1. Develop a set of variable closure rules that could be used to expand management options in the Northern Prawn Fishery.
2. Improve understanding of the spatial dimension of fishing activity and catch in the Northern Prawn Fishery.

Dichmont C
A new approach to fishing power analysis and its application in the Northern Prawn Fishery

CSIRO, AFMA Research Funds, FRR, AMC, Curtin University ($354 873)
1999-2001

Objectives

1. Improve present knowledge on engine power performance, effective fishing time and catch efficiency
2. Validate the Prawn Trawl Performance Prediction Model against engineering performance information
3. Produce a comprehensive effort effectiveness model that combines engineering concepts and statistical methodology incorporating results from 1 to 2 above and analysing data on catch, effort, vessel configuration and technology on board from 1974 to present
4. Improve estimates of changes in fishing power in the Northern Prawn fishery by making them more reliable and justifiable
5. Reassess the status of stocks in the light of changes in estimates of fishing power
6. In consultation with management bodies, investigate possible management strategies to control fishing effort and its effects on sustainability and the industry

Dichmont C
Risk analysis and sustainability indicators for prawn stocks in the Northern Prawn Fishery

CSIRO, FRDC ($226 524)
1998-2000

Objectives

1. To assess the probability that current NPF prawn stocks are being fished at sustainable levels (as defined by performance indicators of stock status developed by NORMAC) by carrying out a risk analysis.
2. To predict the performance of future NPF management alternatives by comparing predicted stock parameters against NORMAC's performance indicators of stock status.

Eayrs S
An assessment of TED performance in the banana prawn fishery, Gulf of Carpentaria

AMC, MIRF ($30 825)
2001

Objectives (Note this project was deferred to 2001 because of poor banana prawns catches in 2000)

1. To measure turtle catch rates in a standard trawl whilst target fishing for banana prawns
2. To assess the condition of turtles caught during short tows and provide a first order estimate of likely survival rates
3. To measure the effect of TEDs on banana prawn catches. (effect of BRDs on prawn catches will also be assessed depending on the number of operators willing to participate in this study and the number of observers available)

Haddon M.
Spatial and seasonal stock dynamics of Northern Tiger Prawns using fine-scale commercial catch-effort data.

Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute, FRDC ($80 915)
1999-2000

Objectives

1. Determine whether the spatial and temporal scales of fleet behaviour bias the interpretation of the tiger prawn stock dynamics when analysed by a non-equilibrium stock-production model
2. Prepare NPFAG Working Papers which will include full descriptions of the model structure, data analyses and potential management implications
3. Communicate to the Northern Prawn Fleet and industry the results of the analyses in a format such that the implications become clear to everyone and that permits comments and criticisms by industry members

Hill B, Gooday P, Taylor P, Haywood M
Developing surrogates for species assemblages, assessing the impacts of trawling and modelling the performance of spatial closures in the Northern Prawn Fishery

CSIRO, FRDC, ABARE, EA, BRS ($550 591)
2000 - 2002

Objectives

1. Assess the potential of physical, research and fishery data to classify benthic assemblages within the NPF
2. Develop maps of benthic species assemblages, fine-scale patterns of trawling intensity and the untrawlable grounds for key areas in the NPF
3. Assess the sampling strategies required to extend the coverage of data on benthic species assemblages and untrawlable grounds in the NPF
4. Apply the existing CSIRO/GBRMPA East Coast Trawl Fishery management scenario evaluation model to evaluate the impacts of trawling on benthic species assemblages under a number of likely scenarios for several regions of the NPF
5. Develop a planning tool that will assist in identifying different reserve configurations to achieve specified biodiversity and other environmental targets, while maximising the value of the commercial fishery.

Loneragan N
Developing techniques for enhancing prawn fisheries, leading to experimental releases of juvenile brown tiger prawns (Penaeus esculentus) in Exmouth Gulf

CSIRO (Division of Marine Research and Division of Tropical Agriculture, MG Kailis Group of Companies, Fisheries WA, FRDC) ($128 850)
1999-2002 (Stage II)

Objectives

1. Minimise the costs of producing large numbers of juvenile prawns through research on techniques to intensively grow larvae to juvenile prawns (1 g), and developing methods of harvest, transport and release
2. Maximise the possibility of the success of releasing juvenile prawns in the environment by surveying the critical nursery habitats of brown tiger prawns in Exmouth Gulf (including the juvenile prawns and their predators)
3. Ensure that the cost and success of prawn enhancement can be rigorously evaluated by developing release protocols and monitoring strategies, and by refining the bioeconomic model developed in Stage 1
4. Minimise the risks of large changes in the genetic composition of the tiger prawn stocks and introducing disease to the wild population.

Robins C, Poiner I
Monitoring the catch of turtles in the Northern Prawn Fishery

BRS, CSIRO ($162 274)
1998 - 2000

Objectives

1. To collect detailed baseline information on the species composition, catch and mortality rates of sea turtles captured incidentally by the Northern Prawn Fishery in 1998 and 1999.
2. To use these results to:
1. measure the impact of the 1988/92 restructure, and predict the impact of the proposed effort adjustment package (199899) and the introduction of bycatch reduction devices (BRDs) into the NPF on the incidental catch of sea turtles
2. improve the current AFMA logbook monitoring of turtle bycatch in the NPF.

Slattery S
Electronic cooking end point determination and the effectiveness of alternate cooking methods for crustacea

QDPI, FRDC ($32 146)
1998-2000

Objectives

1. To develop a device which will determine endpoint of cooking for crustacea by:
1. determining crustacean protease deactivation temperature curves
2. developing a durable sensor for measuring the thermal centre of the crustacea
2. To confirm that protease deactivation as the endpoint for cooking, as determined by the above device, is effective by:
1. on site trials of several species, sizes and cooking rates
2. effects on possible melanosis development, sensory and textural quality, and yield
3. To Evaluate alternate cooking/processing conditions for prawns
4. To produce 10 prototype devices for demonstration in commercial trials.
5. To extend results to industry through workshops, publications and media.

Sterling D (DJ Sterling Trawl Gear Services)
Effort Creep Review

NPF Industry ($1 440)
2000

Objective

1. Provide a qualitative analysis of all potential effort creep scenarios in the NPF

Stobutzki I and others
Assessment and improvement of BRDs and TEDs in the NPF: a co-operative approach by fishers, scientists, fisheries technologists, economists and conservationists.

CSIRO, AMC, FRDC ($1 165 233)
2000-2002

Objectives

1. To optimise the performance of approved BRDs and TEDs on NPF vessels
2. To identify the factors influencing the performance of BRDs and TEDs
3. To measure any change in catch rates of total unwanted bycatch and in particular, selected charismatic or vulnerable bycatch species, due to the use of BRDs and TEDs
4. To measure any changes in catches of commercially important prawns and retained byproduct species due to the use of BRDs and TEDs
5. To assess the economic costs and benefits to industry of the use of BRDs and TEDs
6. To establish a protocol for the ongoing development and testing of new BRDs and TEDs

Vance D
Definition of effective spawning stocks of commercial tiger prawns in the Northern Prawn Fishery and king prawns in the Eastern King Prawn Fishery: behaviour of post-larval prawns

CSIRO, FRDC ($449 168)
1997-2000

Objectives

1. Measure the critical vertical migration behaviour of postlarval tiger and king prawns that determines their inshore advection patterns.
2. Incorporate this behaviour into hydrodynamic models to accurately estimate the effective spawning stocks of tiger and king prawns.

Vance D
Management of common banana prawn stocks of the Gulf of Carpentaria: separating the effects of fishing from those of the environment

CSIRO, FRDC ($108 019)
1999-2000

Objectives

1. Review the influence of the environment and fishing on the long-term catch of banana prawns.
2. Provide a new assessment of the status of common banana prawn resources in the NPF.
3. Obtain better predictive models to forecast the annual catch of banana prawns.

Willoughby C.
Australian Prawn Industry Code of Practice

FRDC, APPA, NPF Industry ($219 581)
1999-2001

Objectives

The project will provide the basis for a Quality Management System for the Australian sea-caught prawn industry by:

1. reviewing, validating and updating the Code of Practice to ensure it establishes an agreed set of standards across the industry, applicable and achievable in all fisheries, covering boats and shore-based processing operations and all markets
2. establishing a training regime by creating a core of trainers to implement a 'train the trainer' program so that trawler crews and shore-based processing staff thoroughly understand the requirements and their responsibilities in catching and processing the product, with a support network to provide assistance and advice; assistance with development of Food Safety Plans and adoption of ISO 9002 standards will also be provided where requested.
3. developing a third party auditable certification quality management system based on the industry quality standards in the Code of Practice; a single audit will incorporate quality and regulatory standards AQIS, State and ANZFA requirements and be agreed by all regulatory authorities.
4. ensuring that the quality management system is capable of modular expansion to incorporate standards for Occupational Health and Safety, environmental protection and sustainable trawling.

Page last updated 26 July, 2005