Over the past 14 months, scientists from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) have been exploring the untapped potential in a number of high value unfished deepwater habitats off the WA coast.
The two-year research project, funded by the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) on behalf of the Australian Government, has uncovered some promising results.
The sustainable fishery, which is certified by the Marine Stewardship Council, operates over a large geographic area from Cape Leeuwin to the Northern Territory border, encompassing areas of the Indian Ocean and Timor Sea.
Researchers have deployed five different types of pots, fitted with special cameras known as POTBoTs, into different habitats and water depths to investigate potential new fishing methods and target species.
DPIRD’s team has recorded an impressive range of deep-sea species and identified promising commercial species including deep-sea crab species (some reaching up to 3.5 kg), multiple large prawn species up to 21 cm long, and scampi.
DPIRD Offshore Crustacean research scientist Jack Parker said the fishery had a long history of catching crystal crab (Chaceon albus), giant crab (Pseudocarcinus gigas) and champagne crab (Hypothalassia acerba), and while the fishing grounds were expansive, only 10 per cent of its area was fished using species-specific fishing gear.
He said early testing of modified gear had been extremely positive.
“Beehive pots are proving to be the strongest performers to date, outperforming standard commercial pots,” Mr Parker said.
“While specialised designs such as the Lander and Scampi pots have been highly effective for capturing their intended target species, the success of modified pot types demonstrates the potential for improved efficiency and species-specific targeting in deep-sea fishing operations.
“One of the most exciting findings to date is golden crab (Chaceon granulatus), a large species with commercial potential that may supplement WA’s existing crystal crab fishery.
“Most of the new species being assessed in this project are highly prized in Asian and Australian seafood markets.”
Further analysis is underway, but early results from the past year suggest significant potential for new deep-sea crustacean resources and continued advancement in fishing technology and efficiency.
More updates will be shared as the FRDC project progresses, and the scientists review remaining footage and analyse further pot contents.
Mr Parker said a strong partnership between the research team and commercial fishers has been fundamental to the project’s success; and preliminary results from deep-sea cameras suggest that there would be very low bycatch and a low impact on the environment.
More information on this research project 2024-009 Exploring new resources for the West Coast Deep Sea Crustacean Managed Fishery in Western Australia, can be found on the FRDC website.
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