Catch, Effort and CPUE

Substantial regional variation is apparent in catch and effort trends for this species over time. Catch and effort were historically highest on the east and southeast coasts, including Great Oyster Bay. Following subsequent declines in catch and effort in these regions, catch and effort then shifted to the north coast.

State-wide CPUE for the whole fishery has remained relatively stable since 1998/99. However, these trends mask substantial regional variation that follows generally similar patterns to those described above for catch and effort.

Estimates of recreational catches have generally been lower than commercial catches in corresponding seasons. Estimates from the most recent two recreational fishing surveys (Lyle et al. 2014b; Lyle et al. 2019) indicate recreational landings of Southern Calamari represent >50% of commercial landings. Thus, recreational harvest is a significant or dominant component of total catches for this species.