Tuna in northern Australian waters: a preliminary appraisal [Northern Territory]
1985
Lyle, J.M. | Read, A.D. (Northern Territory Dept. of Ports and Fisheries, Darwin (Australia). Fisheries Div.)
Taiwanese gillnet fishing operations within the Australian Fishing Zone are described with particular reference to tuna. Retained tuna catches for both 1983 and 1984 were reported to be about 2 700 tonnes, representing up to 45 percent of the total gillnet catch. Results of an aerial survey support the suggestion that at times there are large quantities of tuna in the waters adjacent to the Northern Territory. In the main, however, resources appear to be scattered over wide areas in small schools. It was not possible to differentiate between the various species of tuna nor were estimates of school sizes routinely kept. There may be potential for a small purse or drum seine fishery but feasibility fishing trials are required to test the resource and the suitability of these methods. Nevertheless, it seems likely that a small tuna fishery will develop as by-catch to the inshore gillnet fishery. Markets are currently available for longtail tuna in Australia. Mackeral tuna are not acceptable for canning and no real markets exist for this species at the present time.
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