The current ESD case studies project has identified multi-sector fisheries, often with limited data, as posing one of the most difficult areas for assessment of stock status. These fisheries are typically fished by a small number of commercial operators taking small catches of a diverse range of species. Comprehensive commercial databases are generally lacking, and recreational catches are poorly known. Such stocks are often significantly impacted by environmental variation both man made and natural.
There is an urgent need for researchers and managers responsible for future fisheries ESD reporting and assessment to examine techniques for data gathering (both catch/effort and biological) and assessment for these types of fisheries. The historical approach of dealing with the data and assessments of fisheries from a single sector perspective is no longer compatible with ESD requirements.
This ASFB workshop will bring scientists, managers, and other stakeholders together to investigate innovative ways of providing reliable assessments of the stocks and sustainable harvest levels for our coastal, estuarine, and inland fish resources.
Final report
Despite the collapse of Ansett, and travel bans by US government employees, 69 delegates attended. All papers were presented, albeit some not by the author, with the written papers and discussion published in July 2003. First drafts were reviewed by Stephen Newman, Daniel Gaughan, Gary Jackson, Micheal Mackie, Brett Maloney, and Jill St John from Department of Fisheries WA, final editing by Patricia Kailola, and print set up by Sandy Clarke.
