THE South Coast’s commercial fishers finally have something to be happy about with pilchard (sardine) spawning biomass levels returning to sustainable levels.
After nearly 10 years battling to continue operating after a virus decimated the fish around Australia, Albany’s purse-seine (net) fishers are finally able to confidently aim for the future.
However, there are fewer commercial operators ready to exploit the region’s once-thriving fishery after the industry was decimated when a Herpes virus severely reduced pilchard stock around Australia.
“Our research is showing the pilchard spawning mass is adequate, so it’s almost back to what it was before the virus,” Department of Fisheries regional manager Phil Shaw said.
“Catches have been fairly good, but there’s some variability of sizes (of fish) which is obviously not good for the market, probably good for the stocks.”
The purse seine fishing industry that once earned the region more than $3 million a year had a total catch value of $1.22 million in 2006/07 after pilchard numbers first began noticeably declining in 1998.
This followed massive mortalities of pilchards starting in South Australia during 1995 from a Herpes virus forcing a halt to pilchard fishing by 2000.
Once providing a sizeable income for 32 boats and several processors in 1988, when the catch was 8,500 tonnes, there are only about nine boats catching less than the sustainable limit of their available total quota of 2,683 tonnes.
Quota licences are split between the nine boats, with another three boats in Bremer Bay allowed 1500t.
“It’s probably more manageable with nine boats. It becomes a good fishery for those who are still fishing,” Mr Shaw said.
Despite the small individual size of the fish, he said those commercial fishers still operating were returning with good catches.
While the fleet and infrastructure rebuilds, the irregular availability of market-sized fish is expected to restrict any immediate development of the industry.
South Coast Purse Seine sub-committee president Peter Westerberg said the sardine fishery had been through arguably one of the biggest fish kills the world had seen.
“In 1998, a virus infected the adult population, killing 90 per cent of the adult biomass,” he said.
“The fishery then had a moratorium placed on it.”
In 2002 a small quota was issued to begin the rebuilding of the fishery, but by that time many people had either lost their businesses or forced to retire.
“During the following six years the Department of Fisheries in conjunction with the fisherman have seen the fishery grow to what we are told is close to the virgin biomass,” Mr Westerberg said.
“This has come about by the co-operation of all parties involved.”
Mr Westerberg said that if the industry didn’t do the right thing by the fish stocks and treat the marine environment with the respect it deserved, not only would fishers lose financially, but so would their families, the processors and the community at large.
He said the industry had not stopped trying to improve its performance as a sustainable fishery.
As a result, it had been part of a program that had brought about new practices with good results.
“We are currently, and have been for the previous three years, involved in a program to reduce our interactions with the fleshy-footed shearwaters (mutton birds)),” he said.
“This program is being run in conjunction with DEC, WA Department of Fisheries and The Conservation Council of WA.
“We would also like to show our appreciation for the efforts of WAFIC and Seanet.”
Mr Westerberg said the amount of fish the industry was allowed to catch was determined by the biomass estimates which Department of Fisheries scientists calculated for their research (biomass being the adult stock).
Once they knew the biomass, the fishery was given a figure of 10 per cent of that biomass (the percentage relating to its sustainability).
Most of the catch is used as angling bait, with some going for tuna aquaculture feed and pet food.
There is also a variable demand for sardines for human consumption, both as fresh whole fish, fish processed for supermarkets, and as canned fish for export and domestic consumption.
The Albany sardine fishery evolved over the last 50 years from wharf-based to an open ocean purse seine fishery.
Initially there was no management policy for the fishery but this soon changed. The fishery now has strict guidelines.
The Albany fishery expanded in the 1970s to meet a growing demand for bait by the southern bluefin tuna fleet. Purse seining began in 1980 and the new method was quickly adopted.
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