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Two species of Mud Crabs are found in Australian waters: Giant Mud Crab and Orange Mud Crab. All six stocks are sustainable.

Two species of Mud Crabs are found in Australian waters: Giant Mud Crab (Scylla serrata) and Orange Mud Crab (S. olivacea). The former constitutes more than 99% of the commercial catch of Mud Crabs in the Northern Territory and Queensland, and the entire commercial catch in New South Wales. The species composition in the Kimberley Developing Mud Crab Fishery (Western Australia) is uncertain but is known to vary considerably between locations.

The life history and biology of Giant Mud Crab in the Northern Territory and Queensland are well documented [Heasman 1980; Hill et al. 1982; Hill 1994; Hyland et al. 1984; Knuckey 1999; Alberts-Hubatsch 2015] but, with some exceptions [Butcher et al. 2003; Butcher 2004; Alberts-Hubatsch et al. 2014], corresponding information from Western Australia and New South Wales is scarce. There are no published accounts on the biology of Orange Mud Crab in Australian waters. Hence, all catch, and biological information presented here refers to the Giant Mud Crab (S. serrata), unless otherwise stated.

Genetic evidence suggests that there are at least two biological stocks of Giant Mud Crab in Australian waters: one to the west and another to the south-east of the Torres Strait [Gopurenko and Hughes 2002], referred to as the Northern Australian and East Coast biological stocks, respectively.

Female Giant Mud Crab in northern Australia migrate up to 95 km offshore to release their eggs [Hill 1994], which average around 4.5 million per individual [Mann et al. 1999]. Coupled with a planktonic larval stage that can last for several weeks [Nurdiani and Zeng 2007], this reproductive strategy may facilitate significant gene flow between areas (depending on local oceanography). However, there have been significant changes in the relative performance of some fisheries operating across these stocks since 2014, suggesting that, despite larval connectivity, there are different exploitation rates on components of the adult stock in different areas. These changes, combined with different management arrangements for each of the four jurisdictions that harvest Giant Mud Crab, and (in some cases) the need for more information on local population dynamics, and fine-scale stock structure, have resulted in this status report providing status determinations for Giant Mud Crab at the level of fishery management units: Kimberley Developing Mud Crab Fishery (Western Australia); North West Northern Territory Mud Crab Fishery (Northern Territory), Western Gulf of Carpentaria (Northern Territory); Gulf of Carpentaria (Queensland), East Coast (Queensland); and the Estuary General Fishery (New South Wales).

East Coast

The Giant Mud Crab is a popular recreational fishery species in the Queensland East Coast management unit. The most recent Queensland statewide recreational fishing survey [Teixeira et al. 2021], reports that Mud Crabs were one of the most recreationally harvested crustaceans, with retained catch estimated at 160 t for the Queensland East Coast and Gulf of Carpentaria combined.  Note that this catch may include the retained catch by Indigenous fishers (as survey respondents were not asked about their heritage). These estimates confirm the significance of the non-commercial retained catch, which if compared to reported commercial catch in the same year (i.e., 2019–20) represents around 21% of the overall take. Recent annual catch estimates for recreational and Indigenous fishers are taken into consideration, however, inference of stock status is primarily based on the commercial harvest data. 

Queensland has a male-only harvest policy. Therefore, fishing mortality on female Giant Mud Crab is minimal, except for within-pot incidental mortality, and post-release discard mortality. Female and sub-legal male crabs may be handled and released many times during their life, so some incidental fishing mortality is probable [Grubert and Lee 2013] and is likely proportional to regional levels of effort. The Queensland no-take female harvest policy maximises the number of females that survive to spawn. The minimum legal size for males of 150 mm carapace width (CW) is greater than the male minimum size-at-first maturity, which is 130 mm CW [Heasman 1980], allowing a proportion of the mature male population protection from harvest and thus ensuring male contribution to breeding.  

Management of the fishery includes recreational possession and boat limits, and restrictions on commercial licence numbers and fishing effort. Major recent changes to management of the fishery are the introduction of vessel monitoring systems (VMS) on all commercial crab vessels from 1 January 2019, and the introduction of a Harvest Strategy, a Total Allowable Commercial Catch (TACC) and Individual Transferable Quota (ITQ) specific to the Queensland East Coast (EC1) on 1 September 2021. Escape vents in commercial crab pots were compulsory from this date. These changes altered patterns of fishing behaviour and reporting of retained catch and need to be considered when interpreting trends in the catch time series.

The East Coast (Queensland) Mud Crab Fishery (MCF) management unit accounts, on average, for about 86% of the commercial catch of the east coast Giant Mud Crab biological stock. The commercial catch in the 2021–22 year was 535.2 t; noting the introduction of a TACC of 688.6 t (adjusted for a 10-month quota year) and ITQ on 1 September 2021. Northrup et al. (2019) used a simplified catch-MSY model to estimate that the East Coast (Queensland) mud crab stock was likely to be at 62% of unfished levels in 2017–18 (range: 37 to 69%, assuming 30% over-reporting since the investment warning was issued for this fishery in 2003). The assessment supported an East Coast TACC of 770 t (12-month fishing season = quota year). Since the introduction of VMS and ITQ, the reported mud crab commercial catch from the East Coast (Queensland) MCF management unit is significantly lower than in previous years. There are some concerns that the TACC (770 t) is more than the commercial sector can viably harvest. Ongoing monitoring of the commercial catch which has improved data validation methods (i.e., quota reporting and compliance processes), should better indicate actual commercial harvest. Under the Harvest Strategy for the MCF, the first review year for the TACC is 2023–24. 

Several no-take zones (applying to all marine organisms) along the east coast of Queensland provide additional protection to Giant Mud Crab and result in higher densities of crabs of legal size and provide for some spillover of crabs into adjacent fished areas [Pillans et al. 2005; Alberts-Hubatsch 2015]. However, the benefit of these closures, over and above the single-sex harvest policy (and the male size limit) on a fishery-wide scale has not been quantified. While the localised benefits of spatial closures can be significant, their cumulative benefit on Giant Mud Crab spawning biomass across the entire East Coast (Queensland) MCF management unit is unlikely to be significant when considering the suite of protective measures already in place. The above evidence indicates that the biomass of the management unit is unlikely to be depleted and that recruitment is unlikely to be impaired. 

Annual fishing effort in 2021–22 was 21,366 days fished, by 219 active licences. There has been a decline in annual fishing effort over the past decade. Reasons for the decline in fishing effort are unvalidated but coincide with the introduction of VMS (1 January 2019) and ITQ (1 September 2021). The annual nominal catch rate (kg per day fished) has increased from 20.6 kg per fishing day in 2019–20 to 25.1 kg per fishing day in 2021–22. The effects of changes in effort and true retained catch levels on the fishing mortality rates of male crabs is not known. Brown [2010] estimated fishing mortality (assumed to be proportional to effort adjusted for trends in catchability due to technological change, Walters 2007) in the East Coast (Queensland) MCF management unit (based on commercial data to 2008) of around 1.5, which is greater than the estimated natural mortality rate (M = 1.2) for Northern Territory stocks [Knuckey 1999]. However, the East Coast (Queensland) MCF management unit is spatially large, with multiple regions where male Giant Mud Crabs are harvested. The size distribution and abundance of legal male crabs indicates that fishing mortality is not uniform across the East Coast (Queensland) management unit, with localised depletion in some areas (i.e., high fishing mortality) and low to moderate fishing mortality in others [Jebreen et al. 2008; Grubert and Lee 2013].

Ongoing research into Queensland mud crab populations (FRDC 2019-062) is examining (amongst other objectives) insemination rates of female mud crabs to determine if there is evidence of sperm limitation due to high fishing mortality on males 150 mm CW and greater. The presence of mature sub-legal males with mating scars in most regions, suggests that whilst fishing mortality is high, there are functionally mature males contributing to spawning. The above evidence indicates that the current level of fishing mortality is unlikely to cause the stock to become recruitment impaired. 

On the basis of the evidence provided above, the East Coast (Queensland) Mud Crab Fishery management unit is classified as a sustainable stock.

Gulf of Carpentaria Queensland

The commercial sector is estimated to take 88% of the Giant Mud Crab catch in the Gulf of Carpentaria (Queensland) Mud Crab Fishery (MCF) management unit [Northrop et al. 2019]. Therefore, classification of stock status for this management unit is primarily based on commercial harvest data. 

Queensland has a male-only harvest policy.  Female and sub-legal male crabs may be handled and released many times during their life, so some incidental fishing mortality is probable [Grubert and Lee 2013]. The Gulf of Carpentaria MCF management unit is a large area, with effort generally more dispersed compared to the East Coast (Queensland) MCF management unit. The Queensland no-take female harvest policy maximises the number of females that survive to spawn. The minimum legal size for males of 150 mm carapace width (CW) is greater than the male size-at-first maturity (functional), which is 130 mm CW and the size-at-50% maturity reported for the Northern Territory (146.4 mm CW) [Knuckey 1999]. 

Management of the fishery includes recreational possession and boat limits, restrictions on commercial licence numbers and fishing effort. Major recent changes to the management of the MCF include the introduction of vessel monitoring systems (VMS) on all commercial crab vessels from 1 January 2019, and the introduction of a Total Allowable Commercial Catch (TACC) and Individual Transferable Quota (ITQ) specific to the Gulf of Carpentaria (GC1) on the 1 September 2021. Escape vents in commercial crab pots became compulsory from this date. These changes altered patterns of fishing behaviour and reporting of harvest and need to be considered when interpreting trends in the catch time series. Additionally, the Gulf of Carpentaria is vulnerable to extreme climate events (e.g., extreme floods, prolonged droughts, lower than normal sea levels) which can result in mangrove dieback and declines in mud crab catches (e.g., 2015–16). Recruitment may be impacted by such events, and this should also be considered when interpreting catch trends [Robins et al. 2020]. 

The commercial catch in the 2021–22 year was 61.8 tonnes, noting the introduction of a TACC of 90.1 t (adjusted for a 10-month quota year) and ITQ on 1 September 2021. Northrup et al. (2019) used a simplified catch-MSY model to estimate that the Gulf of Carpentaria (Queensland) mud crab stock was likely to be at 58% of unfished levels in 2017–18 (range: 31 to 72%, assuming catch was 30% over-reported since the investment warning was issued for this fishery in 2003). The assessment supported a Gulf of Carpentaria TACC of 108 t (12-month fishing season = quota year). Since the introduction of VMS and ITQ, the reported mud crab commercial catch from the Gulf of Carpentaria (Queensland) MCF management unit has been significantly lower than in previous years. Ongoing monitoring of the commercial catch, which has improved data validation methods (i.e., quota reporting and compliance processes), should better indicate actual commercial harvest. The above evidence indicates that the biomass of the management unit is unlikely to be depleted and that recruitment is unlikely to be impaired. 

Annual fishing effort in 2021–22 was 1,297 days fished by 19 active licences. There have been declining levels of effort over the past six years. Reasons for the decline in fishing effort are unvalidated but coincide with the introduction of VMS (1 January 2019) and ITQ (1 September 2021). The annual nominal catch rate (kg per day fished) increased from 29 kg per day in 2019–20 to 47.6 kg per day in 2021–22. The effects of changes in days fished and true retained catch levels on the fishing mortality rates of male crabs is not known. Brown [2010] estimated fishing mortality (assumed to be proportional to effort adjusted for trends in catchability due to technological change [Walters 2007]) in the Gulf of Carpentaria (Queensland) MCF management unit (based on commercial data to 2008) to be around 0.56. This estimate is lower than the estimated natural mortality rate (M = 1.2) for Northern Territory stocks [Knuckey 1999] and supports inferences about the relatively light exploitation of male crabs at the scale of the management unit; notwithstanding the possibility of heavier fishing pressure in easily accessible areas. The above evidence indicates that the current level of fishing mortality is unlikely to cause the stock to become recruitment impaired. 

On the basis of the evidence provided above, the Gulf of Carpentaria (Queensland) Mud Crab Fishery management unit is classified as a sustainable stock.

Giant Mud Crab biology [Heasman 1980; Knuckey 1999; Butcher et al. 2003; Jebreen et al. 2008; Grubert and Lee 2013]

Distribution of reported commercial catch of Mud Crabs

Western Australia – Indigenous (Catch). The estimate of the Indigenous harvest tonnage of Mud Crabs in Western Australia has been revised down as the weight multiplier previously used to calculate this value (1.34 kg per crab) is now considered unrealistically high given that the average weight of harvested Mud Crabs in Western Australia was recently estimated at 0.65 kg.

Northern Territory — Charter (Management Methods). In the Northern Territory, charter operators are regulated through the same management methods as the recreational sector but are subject to additional limits on license and passenger numbers.

Northern Territory – Indigenous (Management Methods). The Fisheries Act 1988 (NT), specifies that: “Unless expressly provided otherwise, nothing in this Act derogates or limits the right of Aboriginal people who have traditionally used the resources of an area of land or water in a traditional manner to continue to use those resources in that area in that manner.”

Queensland – Indigenous (Management Methods). For more information see https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries/traditional-fishing

Queensland – Recreational Fishing (Catch). Data are based at the whole of Queensland level and derived from statewide recreational fishing surveys. Where possible, estimates have been converted to weight (tonnes) using best known conversion multipliers. Conversion factors may display regional or temporal variability. In the absence of an adequate conversion factor, data presented as number of fish.  

Queensland – Commercial (Catch). Queensland commercial and charter data have been sourced from the commercial fisheries logbook program. Further information available through the Queensland Fisheries Summary Report https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries/monitoring-research/data/queensland-fisheries-summary-report  

Queensland – Commercial (Management Methods). Harvest strategies available at: https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries/sustainable/harvest-strategy   

New South Wales – Indigenous (Management Methods). for more information please see https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/aboriginal-fishing

New South Wales – Recreational (Catch). For more information please see Murphy et al. [2022].

Active Vessels. The number of active exemption holders (for Western Australia), licences (for the Northern Territory and Queensland) or businesses (for New South Wales) are shown here because the number of active vessels is not an appropriate measure of effort in Australian Mud Crab fisheries. Licensing arrangements also vary significantly between jurisdictions.

Commercial catch of Mud Crabs - note confidential catch not shown

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