Fisheries management

The North West Slope Fishery (NWSF) extends from 114ºE to about 125ºE off the Western Australian coast between the 200m isobath and the outer limit of the Australian Fishing Zone, but taking into account Australian- Indonesian maritime boundaries.

Fishing is conducted with demersal crustacean trawls during the day and night along bathometric contours depending upon the target species sought.

Most operators in the fishery also fish in the Northern Prawn Fishery (NPF) and although the NWSF is open all year, fishing effort is only normally applied seasonally during closed periods in the NPF.

The NWSTF is primarily a scampi fishery.