Redspot King Prawn (2023)
Melicertus longistylus
Date Published: June 2023
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Summary
Redspot King Prawn occurs throughout the tropical Indo-West Pacific, including northern Australia. The species' biological stock structure is uncertain, and this assessment is consequently presented at the management unit level—East Coast QLD, Northern Australia and WA. The East Coast QLD and the Northern Australia stocks are classified as undefined and the WA stock is negligible due to no history of targeted fishing.
Stock Status Overview
Jurisdiction | Stock | Stock status | Indicators |
---|---|---|---|
Western Australia | Western Australia | Negligible |
Stock Structure
The Redspot King Prawn has an Indo-West Pacific and tropical Australian distribution from Exmouth Gulf in the west across northern Australia to the Gulf of Carpentaria and Torres Strait and down the east coast to approximately 22⁰S.
Biological Stock Structure of Redspot King Prawn is uncertain. The Northern Australia stock is fished by the Northern Prawn Fishery (Commonwealth) and the Torres Strait Prawn Fishery. The East Coast Queensland stock is taken along the coast of Queensland by the East Coast Otter Trawl Fishery. The Western Australia stock is taken in very low quantities in the Exmouth and North Coast prawn fisheries.
Here, assessment of stock status is presented at the management unit level—East Coast Queensland (Queensland), Northern Australia (Commonwealth); and the jurisdictional level—Western Australia.
Stock Status
Western Australia
Stock status for the Stock status for the Western Australian jurisdictional stock is reported as negligible due to no catches being reported historically and because the stock has generally not been subject to targeted fishing. Fishing is unlikely to be having a negative impact on the stock.
On the basis of the evidence provided above, the Western Australian jurisdictional stock is classified as a negligible stock.
Biology
Redspot King Prawn biology [Holthuis 1980; Dredge 1990; Kailola et al. 1993]
Species | Longevity / Maximum Size | Maturity (50 per cent) |
---|---|---|
Redspot King Prawn | 2 years, 5.13 cm CL (female), 4.23 cm CL (male) |
Female at 8 months, 3.3 cm CL; male time and length of maturity uncertain |
Tables
Commonwealth – Indigenous (Management Methods). The Australian government does not manage non-commercial Indigenous fishing (with the exception of the Torres Strait). In general, non-commercial Indigenous fishing in Commonwealth waters is managed by the states or territory immediately adjacent to those waters. In the Torres Strait both commercial and non-commercial Indigenous fishing is managed by the Torres Strait Protected Zone Joint Authority (PZJA) through the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (Commonwealth), Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry (Queensland) and the Torres Strait Regional Authority. The PZJA also manages non-Indigenous commercial fishing in the Torres Strait.
Commonwealth – Recreational (Fishing Methods). The Australian government does not manage recreational fishing. Recreational fishing in Commonwealth waters is managed by the states or territory immediately adjacent to those waters, under their management regulations.
Queensland – Commercial (Management Methods). Harvest strategies are available at: https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries/sustainable/harvest-strategy
Queensland – Indigenous (Management Methods). For more information see: https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries/traditional-fishing
Catch Chart
Commercial catch of Redspot King Prawn - note confidential catch not shown
References
- Dredge, MCL 1990, Movement, Growth and Natural Mortality Rate of the Red Spot King Prawn, Penaeus longistylus Kubo , from the Great Barrier Reef Lagoon. Aust. J. Mar. Freshwater Research, 41, 399–410.
- Holthuis, LB 1980, FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 1. Shrimps and prawns of the world. An annotated catalogue of species of interest to fisheries, FAO Fish. Synop, 125(1):271 p. Rome: FAO.
- Kailola, PJ, Williams, MJ, Stewart, PC, Reichhelt, RE, McNee, A and Grieve, C 1993, Australian Fisheries Resources. Bureau of Resource Sciences and the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation.
- Pears, RJ, Morison, AK, Jebreen, EJ, Dunning, MC, Pitcher, CR, Courtney, AJ, Houlden, B and Jacobsen, IP 2012, Ecological risk assessment of the East Coast Otter Trawl Fishery in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park: Technical report, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Townsville.
- Pitcher, CR 2013, Quantitative indicators of environmental sustainability risk for a tropical shelf trawl fishery. Fisheries Research, 151, 136-147.
- Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries 2021a, Trawl fishery (central region) harvest strategy: 2021–2026.
- Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries 2021a, Trawl fishery (northern region) harvest strategy: 2021–2026.
- Wang, N 2015, Sustainability and optimality in fisheries management, PhD Thesis, University of Queensland.