The fishery for Australian salmon: management issues

Australian salmon is an inlportant commercial and recreational species that is taken in Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and New South Wales. There are two separate species (eastern and western) both of which undertake extensive migrations. However, for the purposes of this discussion they are treated as one. Commercial catches have remained relatively stable except in Victoria, where the catch has steadily increased, and in Tasmania, where catches have decreased over the same period. Reliable assessments indicate that the western species is being managed on a sustainable basis but assessments ofthe eastern species are not so reliable. In Victoria the bulk of the commercial catch is taken from ocean waters between Wilson's Promontory and Mallacoota. The average price is in the order of $1 per kg with the catch being sold mainly for rock lobster bail and pet food. Smaller quantities are taken from bays and inlets. Australian salmon is the dominant species taken by Victorian surf anglers and could make up more than 80 % of the total catch. On weekends when the salmon are "running " many anglerspursue this species, travelling to popular locations such as the Ninety Mile Beach, Lakes Entrance and Marlo. The commercial netting of Australian salmon using beach seine and purse seine nets is ofien carried out in sight of anglers. Anglers claim that targeted commercial fishing effectively removes entire salmon schools or, at least, displaces salmon from where anglers can reach them. The Australian salmon that make up the eastern Victorian commercial and recreational fisheries are part of a stock that is shared with Tasmania and New South Wales. Any action Victoria may wish to contemplate that has an impact on the commercial fishery must have regard for the fact that New South Wales and Tasmania have a long history of exploiting the same stock