The Torres Strait prawn fishery. [Seminar address].
1986
Williams G.C.
In recent years the Torres Strait prawn fishery has become almost exclusively a dry refrigeration fishery. Most trawlers are privately owned, and range from 10-22m in length with an average of 15m. Skippers adjust their searching patterns constantly to seasonal and annual variations in prawn abundance. Grounds producing the highest percentage of good quality tiger prawns attract the most effort. A satisfactory economic return for a 15m dry refrigerated boat is about 150 kg total per night with 75 percent tiger prawns. An average shot comprises about 6:1 live trash to prawns by weight, excluding large sharks. Since 1980 vessels endorsed to fish in the Declared Management Zone of the Northern Prawn Fishery have been required to complete logs for fishing in Torres Strait; 30 vessels which work regularly in the Strait have also been supplying additional catch data on a voluntary basis. In 1981, prawn grounds to the west of Warrior Reefs were closed to trawling at industry request, to protect apparent nursery grounds off Yam Island.
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