Harvest Strategies for the Torres Strait Finfish fishery

Abstract

The project has provided a foundation and framework for a Harvest Strategy for both Spanish mackerel and coral trout, with both fish species supported within the project by stock assessments.
An update to the Spanish mackerel assessment was conducted with direct feedback between the outputs and diagnostics of the assessment informing the process of harvest strategy development.
Similarly, for coral trout the initial harvest strategy resourced the first preliminary assessment of the coral trout, also funded as part of the project.
Project staff worked closely with management agencies and stakeholders, using formal committee meetings inputs and advice, which fulfilled the requirements of the guidelines for developing harvest strategies. The versions of the harvest strategies presented herein are correct up the date of the submission of the report. The current versions of the harvest strategies are adaptive, as various components need checking based on updated assessments and any new information. The project team have made a series of recommendations for future updates required to progress to the full and complete harvest strategies.