A 25 year catch and effort time series database for the East Coast Otter Trawl Fishery

Abstract

Objectives:
1. Establish a detailed and comprehensive time series catch and effort database for the East Coast Otter Trawl Fishery for the period 1969-present. This will be achieved by :
• processing all individual fishermens data collected to date
• identifying and liaising with all fishermen who have kept records of their fishing activity on the east coast with regards to providing their information
• validating and storing the data onto a database
2. Provide a statistically valid sample of trawl fishing operations on the east coast since 1969, targeting :
• a 20% coverage for the entire fishery in any one year
• up to 100% coverage for some fishing grounds ( eg. Moreton Bay or Princess Charlotte Bay) for some years.
3. Provide historic baseline data for industry, management and research to assess the fishery and to provide suitable data for future stock assessment and modelling type research.