Catch, Effort and CPUE

Peak commercial catches of Leatherjacket – around 15 tonnes – were recorded from 1995/96 until the early 2000s. Considering additional catches in Rock lobster traps (León et al. 2020) and by the recreational sector during this time, total catches likely amounted to values closer to 40 tonnes. Leatherjacket catches have notably declined since then. Leatherjacket are also caught by the recreational sector, with catch estimates in recent surveys at a similar level to commercial catches. Both fish trap and gillnet fishing effort have decreased through time. CPUE has been fairly consistent over time for gillnets but fluctuating more for fish traps.