*

Western King Prawn is harvested in WA, SA and QLD. Stocks in all states are sustainable, except for the South Australian West Coast Prawn Fishery, which is depleting.

Western King Prawn is distributed throughout the Indo-West Pacific [Grey et al. 1983]. In South Australia, one study of the genetic structure of Western King Prawn found no differences between the three fisheries [Carrick 2003]; however, each fishery functions as an independent population at time scales relevant to management, with distinct adult and juvenile habitats and independent variations in recruitment and abundance. No research has been conducted into Western King Prawn biological stock structure in Western Australia or Queensland. Hence, status in each state is reported at the management unit level.

Here, assessment of stock status is presented at the management unit level—Exmouth Gulf Prawn Managed Fishery, North Coast Prawn Managed Fisheries, Shark Bay Prawn Managed Fishery, South West Trawl Managed Fishery (Western Australia); East Coast Otter Trawl Fishery (Queensland); Gulf St. Vincent Prawn Fishery, Spencer Gulf Prawn Fishery, and West Coast Prawn Fishery (South Australia).

East Coast Otter Trawl Fishery

Long-term (1998–2022) nominal catch rates for Western King Prawns range from 31.0–76.8 kg per day with a 45.22 kg per day average. At 45.18 kg per day, the nominal catch rate for 2021–22 was at the long-term average. In 2013, an ecological risk assessment (ERA) for the East Coast Otter Trawl Fishery (Queensland) found that Western King Prawns were at low risk of becoming recruitment overfished within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (GBRMP) [Pears et al. 2012]. This is in part driven by the biology of the species, which exhibits protracted spawning behaviour, and because a large proportion (41%) of the spatial distribution of the stock is afforded protection from, and biomass (51%) is not directly exposed to, trawl fishing through permanent closures within the GBRMP [Pitcher et al. 2007]. These closures remain in place and provisions governing their use have not been the subject of significant amendments since the last Status of Australian Fish Stocks assessment. The above evidence indicates that the biomass of this management unit is unlikely to be depleted and that recruitment is unlikely to be impaired.

The annual average catch and fishing effort for Western King Prawns between 2002–03 and 2012–13 was 159 t and 3,935 days. Due to a number of factors including long-term reduction in the trawl crustacean (predominantly prawn) catch following expansion of GBRMP no-fishing zones in 2004 (Fletcher at al. 2015], subsequent structural adjustment of the Queensland East Coast Trawl fleet, as well as adverse weather and economic conditions [Larcombe et al. 2016], the 2012–13 catch and effort were lower at 141 t and 2,785 days. In 2021–22, catch and effort were lower still at 94 t and 1,974 days. However, in view of low trawl fishing mortality estimated to be 5% of natural mortality [Pitcher et al. 2007] and long-term (69%) decline in fishing effort between 2005 and 2021-22, it is unlikely that the risk of this species being recruitment overfished is increasing. 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 Otter Trawl Fishery (Queensland) management unit is classified as a sustainable stock.

Western King Prawn biology [Kangas et al. 2015 a,b; Penn 1980; Noell and Hooper 2019]

Queensland – Indigenous (management methods). For more information see: Traditional fishing | Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Queensland (daf.qld.gov.au) https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries/traditional-fishing .

Queensland – Commercial (Catch). Queensland commercial and charter data are sourced from the commercial fisheries logbook program. Further information available through the Queensland Fisheries Summary Report: Queensland fisheries summary report | Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Queensland (daf.qld.gov.au)

Queensland – Commercial (Management Methods). Harvest strategies are available at: 

Harvest strategies | Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Queensland (daf.qld.gov.au)

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