and speartooth shark

Acoustic monitoring of sawfish (Pristis spp.) and
speartooth shark (Glyphis sp. A) in remote Cape
York Peninsula
Delivery
© The State of Queensland (Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries) 2005
Funding
• Sawfish (Pristis spp.) - 3 year NHT 2 project
crossing marine, estuarine and freshwater
boundaries
• Speartooth shark (Glyphis sp. A) - 12
month DEW threatened species network grant
Project Objective
1) Investigate short & long term patterns in behavior,
movement and habitat use of sawfish and speartooth
shark to help mitigate threatening processes
2) Educate and raise community awareness to the issues
threatening the survival of protected species within their
local area and the biodiversity requirements to protect and
preserve these animals.
Delivery
© The State of Queensland (Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries) 2005
Project description
Sawfish & Speartooth shark (all size classes)
• net & line caught specimens (Commercial,
Recreational & Indigenous)
Tags
• V16 temp & depth sensor tags, V16 coded &
continuous tags, internal (AE DVD) & external
deployment
Monitoring
• Active tracking VR100
• remote logging VR2W (permanent mooring)
• data download & active track every 2nd month
• unique VR2W retrieval system to allow for community participation
• Mapoon ranger and Industry involvement – logistical support for mooring
deployment, data download and tagging operations
Delivery
© The State of Queensland (Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries) 2005
Study site
Delivery
© The State of Queensland (Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries) 2005
Project rationale – community involvement
Protected species - populations not evenly distributed
- rare or low in abundance
- often restricted to remote habitats
- can be large & difficult to handle
“Cape York is nearly
logistically impossible to
survey without local
community support”
Delivery
© The State of Queensland (Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries) 2005
“Sawfish and
speartooth shark
fit these
characteristics”
Project rationale – community involvement
Community participation
• influence “on the ground” change to help
mitigate threatening processes
• raising local awareness of biodiversity issues
through a “hands on” approach “out on
country”
Both key outcomes of the NHT2 business
objectives
• help facilitate project – logistical support
(deployment & monitoring), reduce the risk of
equipment loss through theft and fouling
(floating debris, trees), capture of animals
Delivery
© The State of Queensland (Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries) 2005
140°E
Sawfish distribution
•
Queensland
Australia
Wenloc
k
N3 Fishery
(0 to 7 nm)
er
Riv
narrow sawfish is commonly found in
inshore and offshore waters, bays and
estuary mouths
144°E
Weipa
Aurukun
•
freshwater sawfish inhabit all of the
major Gulf river systems and found more
irregularly in inshore waters along
foreshores, in bays and estuaries
r
he
Arc
Gulf of
Carpentaria
Riv
er
N9 Fishery
(7 to 25 nm)
15°S
Mitc
hell
River
Kowanyama
Nassau
River
• dwarf & green sawfish restricted to
n
River
G
ilb
er
t
Arthurs
Ck
inshore waters rivers/estuaries and bays of
northwestern Cape York & western GoC
Staa
te
ers
nd
R.
Bynoe
Fli
Burketown
Karumba
Norman
Rive
r
River
Ri
ve
r
%
Delivery
© The State of Queensland (Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries) 2005
0
50
100
Kilometres
150
140°E
Spear-tooth shark
distribution
144°E
Queensland
Australia
Wenloc
k
er
Ri v
N3 Fishery
(0 to 7 nm)
Weipa
• restricted to northwestern Cape York
Aurukun
Rivers/estuaries and bays
her
Arc
Gulf of
Carpentaria
• hasn’t been recorded on the east
coast since early 1980
R iv
er
N9 Fishery
(7 to 25 nm)
15°S
Mitc
hell
River
Kowanyama
Nassau
River
Staa
te
n
River
Arthurs
G
ilb
er
t
Ck
Bynoe
Rive
r
River
R.
e rs
nd
Fli
Burketown
Karumba
Norman
Ri
ve
r
%
Delivery
© The State of Queensland (Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries) 2005
0
50
100
Kilometres
150
Risk assessment considerations
• Remote area operation
Mapoon
- seasonal vehicle access
- travel cost
- lack of infrastructure support
• Occupational Hazards
- crocodiles, stingers, sharks
- fouling from floating debris
- bio-fouling of equipment
- cyclonic weather/flooding
- theft and vandalism of equipment
Delivery
© The State of Queensland (Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries) 2005
Management of associated risks
• Remote area operation
Mapoon
- for the community or industry its local
“on the ground”
• Occupational Hazards
- VR2W retrieval line on mooring
- regular checks
- anti-foul equipment
- storm/flood watch pull equipment
- neighborhood watch theory
Delivery
© The State of Queensland (Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries) 2005
Project photos
Delivery
© The State of Queensland (Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries) 2005