Estimates of biomass
It is critical to develop reliable, fishery-independent methods that monitor trends in Snapper population size and biomass. This need is driven by:
- fishery management changes influencing Snapper statistics, such as daily catch limits and spatial closures
- hyperstability, occurring when catch rates and fish abundance are not connected – this can mask the decline of the population
- absence of fishery-dependent data related to fishery closures.
Research theme 2 of the Snapper Science Program, estimates of biomass, addresses these key topics.
Partners
SARDI collaborates with the following research partners for these projects:
- the Department of Primary Industries and Regions
- Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC)
- Marine Fishers Association (MFA)
- CSIRO
- the University of Tasmania
- Government of Western Australia – Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.