Demersal Gillnet and Longline Fishery Sustainability

Sharks are taken off WA's south and west coasts in gillnet and longline fisheries, controlled by management which limits the length of net or number of hooks on the line. The majority of the sharks taken by these fisheries (about 75 pe cent) are of four species - gummy shark (Mustelus antarcticus), dusky whaler (Carcharhinus obscurus), sandbar, also called thickskin, shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus) and whiskery (Furgaleus macki).Between 10 and 20 per cent of the overall retained catch are scalefish such as snapper, groper, WA dhufish, Samson fish and Australian salmon. Sharks, including sandbar, are increasingly being taken in the State's north coast shark fisheries.Based on recent research findings, new management arrangements for the fisheries are being developed with industry to ensure that the higher risk shark and ray species involved (e.g. lemon and pig-eye sharks) are not overfished.The project will: * Develop detailed quantitative assessments of elasmobranch stocks in WA. * Improve understanding of the biology of elasmobranch species in WA. * Provide scientific advice for management of shark and scalefish stocks taken by WA demersal gillnet, demersal longline and northern shark fishers. * Improve management of fisheries exploiting demersal finfish in southern Western Australia by the provision of data on the current status and sustainable yields of key species.Time: Ongoing