Most of the world’s marine fish harvest still comes from coastal waters despite the rapid development of distant water fishing fleets (McHugh, 1967). Fish yields from estuaries and lagoons are generally high, due to factors including shallowness, inflow of nutrients from rivers, and the influence of large quantities of plant materials (particularly mangroves) received from their shorelines (Makten and Polovina, 1982). Techniques developed to harvest those fish include trawling, line fishing, trapping, seine netting and gill netting.
 
In Queensland, commercial fishing by means of seine nets or gill nets involves a minimum of 400 fishermen or 215 of the total number of master fishermen (Qld Fish Management Authority, pers. Comm.). A substantial recreational fishery also exists for estuarine and coastal fishes. For some years, both commercial and recreational fishermen have complained of decreasing estuarine and coastal fish catches, particularly of the more commercially attractive species e.g. barramundi (Lates calcaraifer).
 
In response, the Queensland Government, with the aid of a Fishing Industry Research Trust Account (F.I.R.T.A.) grant, initiated a three year premanagement study of barramundi in 1978. This aimed primarily to collect the information necessary to make management decisions for the barramundi fishery.