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Effects of bycatch reduction devices in Queensland's (Australia) deepwater eastern king prawn (Melicertus plebejus) trawl fishery

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-18, 00:56 authored by Courtney, AJ, Campbell, MJ, Tonks, ML, Roy, DP, Gaddes, SW, James Haddy, Kyne, PM, Mayer, DG, Chilcott, KE
This paper quantifies the effects of a square mesh codend bycatch reduction device (BRD) and turtle excluder device (TED) in the deepwater eastern king prawn (Melicertus plebejus) fishery on the southeast Queensland coast, based upon on a 10-day research charter. The bycatch comprised 224 taxa, mainly gurnards, flatheads, sandpaper fish, hermit and charybdid crabs, mantis shrimps, sand dollars (i.e. sea urchins), dragonets, snipefish, carids and lizardfish. The total mean bycatch rate was comparatively low (1114.0 g ha−1 from the standard diamond mesh codend), mainly because of the relatively deep waters associated with the fishery. When the TED and square mesh codend BRD were used together the total mean bycatch rate was significantly reduced by 29% (796.0 g ha−1) compared to the standard codend, with no significant effect on the prawn catch rate or size frequency distribution. Several bycatch species experienced very large reductions in mean catch rate, due to the square mesh codend, including Graham's conger Gnathophis grahamii (98.2% reduction), dumpling squid Euprymna tasmanica (95.9%), shortsnout threadsail Aulopus curtirostris (90.6%) and sandpaper fish Aulotrachichthys sp. (90.0%). Multidimensional scaling indicated that bycatch assemblages were more affected by latitude and depth than codend type. Based on the results, we recommend that the 47.6 mm square mesh codend be made mandatory in the deepwater eastern king prawn fishery as a highly effective BRD.

History

Publication title

Fisheries Research

Volume

157

Pagination

113-123

ISSN

0165-7836

Department/School

Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies

Publisher

Elsevier Science Bv

Place of publication

Po Box 211, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1000 Ae

Rights statement

Copyright 2014 Elsevier B.V.

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Fisheries - aquaculture not elsewhere classified

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