Project number: 2015-028
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $297,500.00
Principal Investigator: Andrew C. Matthews
Organisation: Ecotone Consulting
Project start/end date: 31 May 2015 - 31 May 2018
Contact:
FRDC
SPECIES

Need

The Western Australian Marron fishery is currently characterised by a short season (4 weeks) confined to rivers and dams (irrigation). The natural habitat of marron is facing increased and cumulative environmental and anthropogenic stressors such as reduced river flows, increasing salinity and loss of key riverbank vegetation.

Measures such as bag/size limits, gear restrictions, licensing and season openings are traditional management tools used to maintain historical levels of sustainability. However major environmental change is predicted to be the main impact on this fishery in the near future and without a solid understanding of the experience desired by recreational fishers, future management options are limited. Maintaining high quality fishing experiences, and all associated values, into the future will require more adaptive type management regime that includes new fishery developments and the improved integration of environmental, social and economic considerations.

This project will see the creation of a blueprint for long-term management of the fishery which will assist fisheries managers, and fishers themselves, in ensuring ongoing viable marron fishing in WA.

Objectives

1. Determine the drivers, attitudes and aspirations of marron fishers.
2. Develop and test methods to enhance long term stock sustainability and recruitment rates in lentic environments through strategic stock enhancement and artificial marron habitat enhancement structures.
3. Develop a long term blueprint for the management of WA’s marron fishery.

Related research

People
People
Environment