AUGUST 1996 NEWSLETTER

REEF FISH TRADE PROMPTS STUDY

The expected rapid growth of the live coral reef fish trade has spurred James Cook University's Marine Biology Department into action, with plans to expand its research program on the biology of tropical species.

Predictions that the fast-growing export trade will double in five years has prompted the need for urgent research into the biology and population dynamics of tropical fish, especially "non-traditional" species such as surgeon fishes and parrot fishes, according to Head of the Marine Biology Department, Professor Howard Choat.

"The problem we want to address is the responses of fish stocks in coral reefs to increasing exploitation," he said. Asia's burgeoning economic power, the availability of huge fish resources on the Great Barrier Reef and a solid infrastructure of ports and airports in North Queensland to allow rapid transportation of live fish - all point to future growth of the trade, Prof Choat said.

"Asian nations have an increasing capacity to fund large scale fisheries ventures. In the past, coral reefs were so widespread and some of them so remote, this provided protection. This is no longer the case. There is now the economic power to fund boats to travel these distances and harvest hundreds of tonnes of fish for live trade."

The attraction is that fish seen to be alive immediately prior to consumption increase in value by an estimated 500 to 600 per cent, especially in southern China and other Asian markets.

"Australia has the last relatively undisturbed coastal reef system and there is already the development of an important live fish trade on the Great Barrier Reef," Prof Choat said. "It is being carried out under appropriate management practices, but I can visualise a situation in the future in which other species and other stocks will be targeted and we want to be in a position to provide the best advice when this occurs.

"I'm advocating the development of strategic initiatives in coral reef fisheries which puts us in a position to respond to requests to harvest what I would call 'non-traditional' species."

Species referred to include the hump headed maori wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus) which kilogram for kilogram is one of the most valuable tropical fish. Such is the concern over this species, there is international discussion on whether it should be included on an endangered species list.

"It is one of the largest reef fish, it is almost certainly sex reversing, yet we have no idea as to the growth rate and longevity of this species," Prof Choat said.

"The Department of Marine Biology is actively collecting information on the abundance of this species and will be seeking the opportunity to study age growth and population dynamics of the Australian population."

Concern over the impact of the live fish trade has gathered momentum from two sources - the 8th International Coral Reef Symposium in Panama in July, and a consultant's report by Tasmanian Dr Robert Johannes which predicts the live fish trade will double in the next five years.

JCU, through the Marine Biology Department, Tropical Environment Studies and Geography and the CRC for the Ecologically Sustainable Development of the Great Barrier Reef, had a presence of about 30 staff and students at the Panama conference.

"The message from the conference was that the provision of sound fisheries biology and environmental management practices, is an area where Townsville is doing particularly well," Prof Choat said. "In fact, I think you could say that Townsville is recognised as being in a position of international leadership in this area because of the combination of the Australian Institute of Marine Science, the CRC for Reef Research, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and JCU."

Prof Choat said it was the intention of the Marine Biology Department to expand collaborative research with AIMS and the CRC for Reef Research, and instigate new collaborative ventures with TESAG on the development of fisheries management plans.

"But our primary objective is to provide the information that would be relevant and useful to the Australian recreational and commercial fishing industries, in the high probability that the range of species targeted for export development will increase in the future."

"The important goal for Marine Biology is to provide the background biological information to add value to the development of management plans. We are going to do the basic science in such a way that it will be useful and can be integrated in the development of strategic research carried out by other areas."

By Kathy Cleary

Courtesy of Campus News, JCU

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