UPDATE: 14 July 2018
Australia’s prawn fisheries’ ongoing commitment to a more targeted and efficient catch is not just better for the industry’s profitability but earns it respect amongst the community.
As part of a national project to explain and adapt techniques for greater bycatch reduction and improved catch efficiency in each fishery, seven workshops have been held to date and another five are planned.
Following the workshops held so far:
- Fishers at Townsville are gearing up to test the Kons Covered Fisheyes BRD.
- Some Gulf St Vincent fishers are keen to examine T90 or square mesh panels in the wings.
- Spencer Gulf fishers are considering quad gear.
- Lakes Entrance fishers are keen to try the composite square mesh panels and changing knot direction to reduce small whiting and mackerel bycatch.
- Coffs Harbour and Yamba fishers are both focussed on reducing bycatch of small mulloway following NSW DPI’s agreement to issue 12 month permits to allow fishers to test alternative gear types.
Workshop / Meeting Dates:
- Lakes Entrance: 3-4 May
- Coffs Harbour: 21-22 May
- Yamba/Iluka/Maclean: 23-24 May
- Cairns: 23-24 July
- Darwin: 25-26 July
- Hervey Bay: 29-30 October
- Carnarvon: TBA
- Perth: TBA
