Catch, Effort and CPUE

Waters south of latitude 39° 12’S represent waters incorporated within the Offshore Constitutional Settlement Agreement (OCS) for Striped Trumpeter. The Commonwealth catches are believed to have been substantially under-reported in the past. Coupled with limited information on recreational catches, this situation represents a major source of uncertainty in estimating the total level of exploitation of Striped Trumpeter in Tasmanian waters.

Historically, Striped Trumpeter catch in Tasmanian waters included significant catches by Victorian vessels, peaking at around 37 t in the early 1990s. Since the mid-1990s, data from this sector have been unavailable, though it is assumed that subsequent catches have been reported in Commonwealth logbooks. Commonwealth catches have been consistently low compared to catches by Tasmanian vessels, with generally less than 5 t caught. Total annual catch in Tasmanian waters was highest at over 110 t in the early 1990s, with Victorian vessels accounting for 17-39% of total catch. Striped Trumpeter catches have historically been reported from all areas around the state, with the exception of the central north coast.

Catch trends appear to reflect the influence of strong year classes assumed to have entered the fishery before 1998/99. This was followed by a lack of recruitment and associated declines in catches in the early 2000s. Industry representatives suggest that the trip limit of 250 kg from 2000 provided a disincentive for operators to target the species, which might have contributed to the continued reduction in dropline and handline effort since 2000/01. CPUE for handline and dropline, the currently dominant gear types on which Striped Trumpeter are caught, have been variable, with a general downward trend over recent years.

The recreational sector has targeted Striped Trumpeter as an important species. Notably, recreational catch estimates do not fully represent catches by charter fishing boats.