Compilation of information on the interaction of reef sharks with the reef line fishery in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park final report to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.
Year: 2008
Type: report
Abstract: Three data sets were examined to define the level of interaction of reef associated \nsharks with the commercial Coral Reef Fin Fish Fishery (CRFFF) within the Great \nBarrier Reef. Data were examined from; 1) fishery logbooks from 1989-2006; 2) an \nobserver program within the fishery from 1996-1998; and 3) a fishery-independent \nsurvey, the Effects of Line Fishing (ELF) Experiment conducted from 1995-2005. The \nmajority of the identified catch in the data sets was comprised of grey reef (62-72%), \nwhitetip reef (16-29%) and blacktip reef (6-13%) sharks. Logbook data were inadequate \nfor assessing the impact of the fishery on specific populations due to lack of species \nidentification and sex or size data for landed sharks. In addition, no data were \nrecorded in logbooks for hooked and released sharks. Logbook catch data revealed that \nreported landings of sharks were variable through time and across regions. Despite the \nobserved variation, catch per unit effort was relatively stable through time and did not \nshow any signs of increase or decline over the period for which data were available. \nThe ongoing and consistent catches of reef sharks in the fishery may indicate that shark \npopulations within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park have remained relatively stable \nduring the last two decades, though population status relative to unexploited levels \ncould not be estimated. Although the CRFFF has a large fleet of vessels, the majority of \nshark catch appears to be landed by a small number of vessels.
Language: English
Subfield: Nature and Landscape Conservation
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Life below water
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1657539905