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| Target species |
Brown tiger prawns Penaeus esculentus
Grooved tiger prawns Penaeus semisulcatus
Giant tiger or leader prawns Penaeus monodon
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| Status & trends |
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Data extracted from http://chrisweb.dpi.qld.gov.au extracted 30 June 2004 with permission Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries.
Queensland produces about a third of Australia’s tiger prawns (Williams, 2002). Most tiger prawns are exported to Asian markets although the giant tiger prawn is sold live to the local market as broodstock for aquaculture. Tiger prawn stocks are fully exploited (Zeller 2001). In 2002, season closures were extended to reduce the pressure on brown tiger prawns. The Northern Prawn Fishery now operates from 1 April until mid-May and from 1 September until 30 November.
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| Effort in GBRWHA in 2003 |
Tonnes: 1,787
Boats: 314
Days: 22,165
Data extracted from http://chrisweb.dpi.qld.gov.au extracted 30 June 2004 with permission Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries.
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| Gross Value of Production (GVP) in GBRWHA in 2003 |
$26.8m
Data extracted from http://chrisweb.dpi.qld.gov.au extracted 30 June 2004 with permission Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries.
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| Location of fishing |
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Tiger prawns are caught in coastal waters usually less than 20 metres deep, mostly in the north between Torres Strait (10.5°S) to Mackay (about 22°S), and west of 152.5°E. Grooved tiger prawns are restricted to the tropics while brown tiger prawns are found in both tropical and subtropical waters. The giant tiger prawn is relatively rare, and is found along the Queensland coast. |
| Harvest methods |
Otter trawl |
| Management |
Managed by Queensland Department of Primary Industries & Fisheries (DPI&F). Temporal and spatial closures are used to protect stocks. Since 1996 and the introduction of a Management Plan for the East Coast Trawl Fishery in 1999, there has been a significant reduction in effort in the fishery. The number of vessels in the trawl fleet has been reduced and there is a cap on the number of fishing days. The reduction in effort has contributed to the current sustainability of the fishery.
Tiger prawns are particularly sensitive to the loss of mangrove and seagrass habitat which are nursery grounds for juveniles. Therefore, coastal development could impact harvest and needs to be managed. The DPI&F runs a Fish Habitat Area program to protect key fishery habitats from development.
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| Monitoring / research |
Two main species of tiger prawn (brown and grooved tiger prawns) are caught in the trawl fishery but the different species are not recorded in commercial logbooks so it is difficult to determine the status of each stock. The Long-Term Monitoring Program (LTMP) of the Queensland Department of Primary Industries & Fisheries (DPI&F) surveys tiger prawns each year to collect information about species composition, sex ratio and the size distribution of the stocks at the start of the fishing season.
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