The Snapper science program is a 3-year initiative to address key research priorities that are relevant to Snapper fisheries throughout Australia, but with a focus on South Australia.
By Sophie Dolling
One of Australia’s most iconic fish – Snapper (Chrysophrys auratus) - is the focus of a three-year scientific program addressing key research priorities.
The Snapper Science Program aims to improve understanding of Snapper biology and contribute to improved assessment and fisheries management by bringing together industry stakeholders and researchers from various Australian institutes and universities.
Since 2010, Snapper stocks across Australia have demonstrated significant declines in biomass and fishery productivity, the most significant of which was observed in South Australia (SA). The declines throughout the 2010s prompted fishery closures for the Spencer Gulf / West Coast and Gulf St Vincent stocks in November 2019.
The most recent SA Snapper stock assessment in 2022 showed closures had arrested biomass declines for each stock, however there was insufficient evidence of recovery. This meant the two stocks were classified as ‘depleted’ resulting in the closures being extended to 30 June 2026 (find the 2022 Stock Assessment report here: Snapper (Chrysophrys auratus) Stock Assessment Report 2022. Report to PIRSA Fisheries and Aquaculture).
In response to the extended closure, the South Australian Government announced an $8.8 million Recovery Package for Snapper to address key research priorities and assist impacted fishers. A significant component of the recovery package is the Snapper Science Program, a $5 million research initiative co-funded by the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) on behalf of the Australian government.
The Snapper Science program is led by the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) and involves collaboration with researchers from CSIRO, Flinders University, the University of Adelaide, Victorian Fisheries Authority, and Western Australia Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development as well as involvement from SA marine scalefish fishers, the recreational and charter sectors.
Dr Troy Rogers, Senior Research Officer at SARDI and project lead, highlighted the major investment and collaboration between government and researchers.
“The Snapper Science Program is an unprecedented investment by FRDC and the South Australian Government. It’s uniting researchers from across southern Australia to investigate key research priorities for Snapper,” says Troy.
Key research priorities were identified from numerous sources, including the most recent National Snapper Workshop (FRDC Project No. 2019-085), and extensive stakeholder engagement. The Snapper Science Program includes several projects grouped under three research themes: biology and ecology, estimates of biomass, and monitoring and assessment. Work began in July 2023 and will continue until June 2026.
Biology and ecology
The population dynamics and fishery productivity of Snapper populations are fundamentally driven by highly variable interannual recruitment, i.e., the number of juvenile Snapper that are added to the population each year. Consequently, understanding recruitment variability has been consistently identified as one of the highest research priorities for Snapper. This project (FRDC Project No. 2023-085), explores the relationship between juvenile recruitment and environmental drivers, potential impacts of climate change, and evaluation of connectivity and stock structure in SA. Surveys for juvenile Snapper as an indicator of recruitment were completed in Spencer Gulf, Gulf St Vincent, and on the West Coast of Eyre Peninsula in March and April this year and will be repeated in 2025 and 2026.
Estimates of biomass
Alternative fishery-independent methods to estimate biomass were required. Accordingly, FRDC Project No. 2023-091, led by Dr Michael Drew (SARDI), aims to develop reliable fishery-independent indices to monitor population trends and inform stock status. It involves the refinement and evaluation of different methods including the daily egg production method (DEPM), hydroacoustic techniques, and the molecular-based close-kin mark-recapture. An intensive field program was completed in December 2023 and January 2024 that involved concurrent DEPM and hydroacoustic surveys to estimate biomass over the same survey area. The results of these surveys will inform future estimates of biomass for Snapper.
Monitoring and assessment
The third research theme relates to data sources that will inform future stock assessments for Snapper. It includes a program to collect representative biological samples to monitor the Spencer Gulf / West Coast and Gulf St Vincent stocks during the fishery closure, integration of fishery-independent estimates of biomass into formal stock assessment and improved estimates of recreational catch.
Next Steps
Outputs of the Snapper Science Program will feed into the next South Australian stock assessment for Snapper, to be delivered in November 2025. This comprehensive approach, combining cutting-edge research and collaboration with stakeholders aims to ensure the recovery and long-term sustainability of South Australia’s Snapper stocks.
To find out more, visit the Snapper Recovery hub: Snapper recovery - PIRSA
