Growth, reproduction and recruitment of Great Barrier Reef food fish stocks

Abstract

The population characteristics of two of the most important species of fish in the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) handline fishery were, until recently, poorly documented. These species - the coral trout Plectropomus leopardus and the red-throat emperor Lethrinus miniatus have been fished extensively by both recreational and commercial sectors of the industry, and evidence which came to light in the mid 1980's suggested that hshmg pressure, particul arly around reefs in the vicinity of major centres of human population, was having a measurable effect on local stocks of these fish.