This proposal was developed in response to a call from WCTBFMAC for research into
the population structure of bigeye tuna stocks exploited in the west coast tuna fishery.
The longline fishery for bigeye tuna off the western coast of Australia is a rapidly
expanding fishery due to the high export value of this species. information
regarding the stock structure of bigeye tuna is vital for the long term sustainability of the
fishery. Uncertainty regarding bigeye stock structure seriously restricts the confidence
that scientists and fisheries managers can place in the regional assessments that have been
carried out to date. At a national or sub-regional level, fisheries managers need to have a
better idea of the broader surrounding population of bigeye from which the fish in their
fisheries are drawn. In fact, knowledge of the stock structure of bigeye tuna in the eastern
Indian Ocean has been listed as the number one priority of the Western Coast Tuna and
Billfish Management Advisory Committee.
Project number:
1997-112
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure:
$88,398.00
Principal Investigator:
Peter Grewe
Organisation:
CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere Hobart
Project start/end date:
22 Jun 1997
-
16 May 2001
Contact:
FRDC
1. To carry out a pilot study into the genetic stock structure of bigeye tuna in the Indian Ocean aimed at determining whether fish from four locations (Western Australia, South Africa, Seychelles, and Indonesia) are drawn from a common gene pool or whether they represent reproductively isolated spawning populations.
2. To compare this Indian Ocean data with data already being collected for the Atlantic Ocean and western tropical Pacific Ocean to gain a broader understanding of the global population structure of bigeye tuna.
3. Should evidence of large scale stock structuring within the Indian Ocean be evident, then a more extensive study will be proposed to indicate the number and extent of the different stocks within the Indian Ocean. This study will likely take the form of a two year proposal. It will attempt to confirm temporal stability of markers and resolve finer population structure by examination of more loci, additional sample locations, and an increased numbers of individuals sampled per location.
PROJECT NUMBER
•
2023-100
PROJECT STATUS:
CURRENT
Achieving Marine Stewardship Council pre-assessment for the Southern Bluefin Tuna Longline Fishery
Commercial in confidence
ORGANISATION:
Tuna Australia Ltd
PROJECT NUMBER
•
2023-079
PROJECT STATUS:
CURRENT
ORGANISATION:
Infofish Australia Pty Ltd
PROJECT NUMBER
•
2023-066
PROJECT STATUS:
CURRENT
Southern Ocean IPA (Austral Fisheries only) - Metal Detector installation on Toothfish vessels to improve PIT tag recovery rates
Commercial in confidence
ORGANISATION:
Austral Fisheries Pty Ltd
