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| Target species |
Mud crab, also known as mangrove crab. Two species, Scylla serrata and Scylla olivacea.
Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries Fishnote on Mud Crabs
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| Status & trend |
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Commercial catch of mud crab
Data extracted from http://chrisweb.dpi.qld.gov.au 30 June 2004, with permission of Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries. |
The management of the fishery has been judged ecologically sustainable under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act), and has been approved as a Wildlife Trade Operation until the Australian Government Department of Environment and Heritage (DEH)'s next review of the fishery in late 2007.
Catch by commercial fishers is significantly lower than that thought to be taken by recreational fishers.
Bycatch is thought to include other crabs, and some estuarine fish including small sharks, but the bycatch/target ratio is thought to be low. Reports of marine turtle entanglement are low, but actual entanglements may be higher than reported. Entanglement could be minimised by specifying maximum opening and structure of pots.
In 2004, the Australian Government Department of Environment and Heritage (DEH) undertook an Environmental Assessment of the management of the Queensland Mud Crab Fishery, and identified several risks that must be managed to ensure that their impacts are minimised:
- Potential uptake of significant latent effort in the fishery;
- The level and impact of recreational harvest of mud crab and the ability of existing management measures to adequately control recreational harvest;
- Uncertainty about the level of indigenous harvest of mud crab;
- Reliance on unvalidated catch and effort data;
- The absence of a robust model for the assessment of stock status;
- Risk of and inability to detect areas at risk of overfishing; and
- Lack of fishery specific objectives, performance measures and reference points.
The Department of Primary Industries & Fisheries (DPI&F) is currently developing a management plan for the fishery.
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| Commercial effort in GBRWHA in 2003 |
Tonnes: 730
Boats: 271
Days: 27,282
Data extracted from http://chrisweb.dpi.qld.gov.au 30 June 2004, with permission of Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries.
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| Commercial Gross Value of Production (GVP) in GBRWHA in 2003 |
$7,674,200
Data extracted from http://chrisweb.dpi.qld.gov.au 30 June 2004, with permission of Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries.
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| Recreational catch (Queensland) |
About 1,000 tonnes in 1999 (Williams 2002).
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| Location of fishing |
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Commercial mud crab fishing density (Data from CHRIS extracted 30 June 2004. NB. CHRIS updated annually)
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Harvested from tidal estuaries along the Queensland coast, with most of the effort concentrated in the Capricorn region, Townsville region, Fraser-Burnett and Moreton Bay areas.
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| Harvest methods |
A variety of crab pots, collapsible traps, dillies (baited tangle nets) and nets are used. Commercial Crab Fisheries in Queensland (DPI&F).
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| Management |
The fishery is legislated for under Queensland’s Fisheries Regulations 1995.
The management of the fishery has been ecologically assessed under the EPBC Act by the Australian Government Department of Environment and Heritage (DEH): Assessment of the Queensland Mud Crab Fishery. Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F) are currently developing a management plan for the fishery.
Area: Mud crabs can be taken from tidal waters except in no-take zones as specified by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and waters closed to fishing by DPI&F.
Gender: Only male mud crabs can legally be harvested.
Size: Minimum size requirement for crabs to be taken is 15cm across the carapace. Fishers must not possess crabs with the shell missing.
Recreational fishers may use up to 4 pots or dillies per person. There is a take and possession limit of 10 mud crabs.
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| Monitoring & research |
The Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F) monitors mud crab populations as part of its long-term monitoring program. A stock assessment of mud crabs in the Northern Territory and North Queensland was completed in 2003.
CRC Reef supports monitoring of mud crab populations in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area as part of its Coastal fisheries resources monitoring project.
Research by DPI&F is also exploring the potential for mud crab aquaculture.
There is an incipient mud crab aquaculture industry.
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| More reading |
Williams LE. (ed). 2002. Queensland's fisheries resources. Current condition and recent trends 1988-2000. Queensland Government Department of Primary Industries, Brisbane. |
