At a glance

The Western Deepwater Trawl Fishery (WDWTF) is located in deep water off Western Australia, from the 200m isobath to the edge of the Australian Fishing Zone (AFZ). Its northern most point is the boundary of the AFZ to longitude 114° E and southern most point at the boundary of the AFZ to longitude 115° 08’E. The Ningaloo Marine Park extends into the area of the Fishery and the northern part of the Fishery is also an area of high oil and gas productivity.

Principally a finfish trawl fishery, species diversity is considerable. Commercial species are taken on the upper (200-700m) and mid-continental slope, but generally not in large quantities. The community structure in the WDWT Fishery ranges from a temperate/sub-tropical fish community in the south, to a more tropical fish community at the northern range of the Fishery. A wide range of species are caught, ranging from tropical snappers on the shelf edge to Orange Roughy, Oreo Dory, Deepwater Flathead and bugs in the deeper temperate waters.

At a glance
Principal Species Mixed species, but mainly white-tailed and deepwater velvet bugs and Deepwater Flathead
No. of Fishing Concessions 11 fishing permits
Estimated Catch 2008-2009 = 53.2 tonnes
Main Market Domestic
Fishing Methods Demersal fish trawl and Demersal crustacean trawl
Management Arrangements A statement of the management arrangements and harvest strategy for the fishery have been developed. Due to its small size, the fishery does not have a management plan in place.
OCs Arrangements There is a current Offshore Constitutional Settlement (OCS) arrangement between the Commonwealth and Western Australia determining relative management jurisdictions. Under the terms of the OCS, AFMA has management responsibility for all marine species taken by trawl in waters deeper than 200 metres, while Fisheries WA has responsibility for species taken with non-trawl methods in these waters (except tunas) and for all trawling in inshore waters. OCS arrangements are currently under review.
State of the Resource Effort and catches have been very small over the past few years, and well below those considered to be sustainable for the Fishery. Biological information on the stock is limited. The lack of a formal stock assessment group and limited research funding has constrained stock assessment activities in this Fishery (2007 BRS Fishery Status Report).

Given the size and nature of the Fishery and therefore the highly variable catch composition, it is not possible to set meaningful triggers against each species captured in the Fishery. With this in mind the WDWTF Harvest Strategy has identified a suite of key species based on industry consultation and historical catch patterns to indirectly represent and therefore manage the Fishery.

The WDWTF Harvest Strategy will be reviewed in the near future to allow for any significant changes within the Fishery and to provide for the inclusion of separate triggers for highly vulnerable species and the setting of permanent spatial closures. These steps would render the strategy defensibly precautionary.
Consultation
and Communication		 As of 1 July 2009 WestMAC was disbanded and replaced by a small consultative panel that will focus on the key strategic issues facing the north-west trawl fisheries.