*

Of the six Sandfish stocks defined by either the biological stock or management unit level, three are undefined (Gulf of Carpentaria, North West Northern Territory, Queensland), one is sustainable (Kimberley), and two are depleted (Pilbara, Torres Strait).

Photo credit: NT Fisheries

Sandfish (Holothuria scabra) is widely dispersed in shallow water on soft sediments throughout the Indo-Pacific region, bounded by the East Coast Africa, the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn and west of the mid Pacific Ocean. Gene flow investigations for H. scabra populations along the north and east coasts of Australia concluded that populations can be grouped into at least 3 genetically distinct stocks: (1) southern populations from the Hervey Bay area, (2) one population from the central coast of Queensland, and (3) populations from Torres Strait (Uthicke and Benzie, 2001). The last region is closely related to samples from the Solomon Islands. A similar result was reported by Gardner et al. [2012] in relation to H. scabra populations within Northern Territory waters, suggesting the existence of genetically distinct stocks in the Gulf of Carpentaria (or eastern population) and the Arafura Sea (or western population). No equivalent studies have been done in Western Australia. However, based on the existing knowledge from isolation by distance models, it was assumed that the Kimberley and Pilbara populations of H. scabra are separate stocks for management purposes. The sandfish stock in Torres Strait is concentrated on the Warrior Reefs complex, which bridges Australia and Papua New Guinea (PNG). Sandfish in Torres Strait is assumed to be a single biological stock for assessment and management purposes. Thus, six Australian stocks of Sandfish are currently recognised for management and assessment purposes.

Here, assessment of stock status for Sandfish is presented at the biological stock level—Gulf of Carpentaria, North West Northern Territory, Kimberley Western Australia and Pilbara Western Australia—and the management unit level—Torres Strait and Queensland.

Queensland

Sandfish in Queensland are harvested by hand across the Queensland east coast (including the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (GBRMP). Historically, most of the Sandfish harvest was from Hervey Bay and Tin Can Bay [Breen 2001; Roelofs et al. 2003], however these areas were closed to fishing in 2001 due to declining catch rates [DEH 2004; QDPIF 2004]. At its peak, over 70 t of Sandfish were reported as fished in 1996–97 [Skewes et al. 2014]. Fishers reported the early Sandfish catches were almost entirely inshore sandfish, Holothuria scabra. After the closures of Hervey Bay and Tin Can Bay, Sandfish collection was allowed to continue in the rest of the fishery area, although the species composition collected in the sea cucumber fishery changed with Sandfish no longer being targeted. Catch data for H. scabra (2.7 t in 2020–21 and 0 t in 2021–22) included in this report may be inaccurate as there are four species of Sandfish collected in Qld waters—H. scabra (Sandfish), H. lessoni (Golden Sandfish), Bohadschia vitiensis (Brown Sandfish), B. marmorata (Brown Sandfish). Catch for all species of Sandfish was 11.5 t in 2021–22. Although some H. scabra will be included in this catch, the fishery no longer targets H. scabra and is more likely to pick up the deeper water species of Sandfish when targeting other species in the fishery.

The fishery is managed under the Queensland Sea Cucumber Fishery Harvest Strategy 2021–2026, as well as under a rotational zoning scheme (RZS). Since 2000, Sandfish catches have ranged from a high of 34 t in 2005–06 to less than 200 kg in 2012–13. Management strategy evaluation (MSE) of the RZS determined that the risk of the fishery depleting Sandfish biomass to below 40% of unfished biomass was very low under Queensland Sea Cucumber (East Coast) Fishery management arrangements [Skewes et al. 2014]. Spatial closures in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park also protect an estimated 48% of the Sandfish spawning biomass [Skewes et al. 2014]. Sandfish are considered a Tier 2 species under the harvest strategy and have a trigger reference point of 15 t, where management considers if action is required. The above evidence indicates that the biomass of this stock is unlikely to be depleted and that recruitment is unlikely to be impaired.

While noting the above there remains a degree of uncertainty surrounding catch compositions and it is difficult to quantify the harvest rate of H. scabra. This in turn makes it difficult to confidentially classify the status of this stock.

On the basis of the evidence provided above Sandfish (H. scabra) in the East Coast sea cucumber fishery are classified as an undefined stock.

Sandfish biology [Hamel et al. 2001; Kithakeni and Ndara 2002; Skewes et al. 2014].

Distribution of reported commercial catch of Sandfish.

Commonwealth – Recreational. The Australian Government does not manage recreational fishing in Commonwealth waters. Recreational fishing in Commonwealth waters is managed by the state or territory immediately adjacent to those waters, under its management regulations.

Commonwealth – Commercial (catch). Catch is by calendar year. All catch is Indigenous.

Commercial catch of Sandfish - note confidential catch not shown.

1. Breen, SB 2001, Queensland East Coast Bech-de-mer Fishery Statement of Management Arrangements. Queensland Fisheries Services. 22 pp.
2. Butler, I, D'Alberto, B and Cao, A 2023, Torres Strait Bêche-de-mer and Trochus fisheries, in Butler, I, Patterson, H, Bromhead, D, Galeano, D, Timmiss, T, Woodhams, J and Curtotti, R (eds), Fishery status reports 2023, Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences, Canberra.
3. Butler, I, D'Alberto, B and Tuynman, H 2022, Torres Strait Bêche-de-mer and Trochus fisheries, in Patterson, H, Bromhead, D, Galeano, D, Larcombe, J, Timmiss, T, Woodhams, J and Curtotti, R (eds), Fishery status reports 2022, Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences, Canberra.
4. DEH 2004, Assessment of the Queensland East Coast Beche-de-mer Fishery. Commonwealth Department of Environment and Heritage. Canberra 29pp.
5. DPIRD 2018, Western Australian Sea Cucumber Resource Harvest Strategy 2018 – 2023. V1.0
6. Gardner, MG, Fitch, AJ and Li, X 2012, Population Genetic Structure of Sea Cucumbers (Bêche-de-Mer) in Northern Australia. Project No. 2008/733, Bedford Park, Adelaide, South Australia
7. Hamel, JF, Conand, C, Pawson, DL and Mercier, A 2001, The Sea Cucumber Holothuria scabra (Holothuria: Echinodermata): Its Biology and Exploitation as Beche-de-Mer. Advances in Marine Biology 41: 129–223
8. Hart, AM, Murphy, DM and Fabris, F 2022, Western Australian Sea Cucumber Resource. Resource Assessment Report. Fisheries Research Report No. 324: Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western Australia. 113 pp.
9. Kithakeni, T and Ndara, SGM 2002, Some aspects of sea cucumber, Holothuria scabra (Jaeger, 1935), along the coast of Dar es Salaam. Western Indian Ocean J. Mar. Sci. 1(2): 163-168
10. MSC 2023, Western Australia sea cucumber fishery Surveillance Report, June 2023
11. Murphy, NE, Plagányi, E, Edgar, S, Salee, K and Skewes, T 2021, Stock survey of sea cucumbers in east Torres Strait, final report, CSIRO, Australia.
12. Murphy, NE, Skewes, T, Filewood, F, David, C, Seden, P and Jones, A 2011, The recovery of the Holothuria scabra (sandfish) population on Warrior Reef, Torres Strait, final report to AFMA, CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research, Cleveland, Queensland.
13. QDPIF 2004, Ecological assessment of Queensland's East coast Beche-de-mer Fishery. Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, QLD.
14. Roelofs, A, Dunning, M and Gaffney, P 2003, A review of the distribution, biology and ecology of Queensland east coast beche-de-mer stocks, and options for the future sustainable management of the fishery. Submission to the Australian Government Department of the Environment and Heritage (AGDEH). Controlled Specimens Declaration - Conditions 5 and 6. December 2003
15. Skewes, T, Dennis, DM, Koutsoukos, A, Haywood, M, Wassenberg, T and Austin, M 2004, Stock survey and sustainable harvest strategies for Torres Strait bêche-de-mer, AFMA project R01/1345, CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research, Cleveland, Queensland.
16. Skewes, T, Plaganyi, E, Murphy, N, Pascual, R and Fisher, M 2014, Evaluating rotational harvest strategies for sea cucumber fisheries, CSIRO, Brisbane.
17. Skewes, T, Taylor, S, Dennis, D, Haywood, M and Donovan, D 2006, Sustainability assessment of the Torres Strait Sea Cucumber Fishery, CRC-TS Project task number T1.4, CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research, Cleveland, Queensland.
18. Uthicke, S and Benzie, J 2001, Restricted gene flow between Holothuria scabra (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea) populations along the north east coast of Australia and the Solomon Islands. Marine Ecology Progress Series 216:109-117.