Sustainable Fishing Papers

The Fishwell Consulting team of expert scientists and consulting professionals have produced a number of high quality and accurate scientific publications and reports.

Most publications are accessible in libraries around Australia and are also available through government agencies. Below are some of the papers published by Dr Knuckey and others.

To view a particular paper please click on the ‘Download Paper’ button to access the PDF. 

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2024 surveys to estimate the density and biomass of Sandfish (Holothuria scabra) at Cobourg Peninsula and Groote Island

Description: Using diver-based transect methods and statistical analysis, this report provides detailed biomass estimates and assesses the impact of current fishery practices.

Koopman, M. and Knuckey, I. (2025). 2024 surveys to estimate the biomass of Sandfish (Holothuria scabra) at Cobourg Peninsula and Groote Island. Fishwell Consulting, 52pp. 2025. CC BY 3.0]

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CPUE standardisation and stock assessment scoping report for sandfish (Holothuria scabra) in the Northern Territory

Description: This report evaluates spatial and stock-level dynamics to detect depletion and recommend sustainable development for Sandfish (Holothuria scabra) in the Northern Territory's Trepang Fishery.

Smart, J., Koopman, M. and Knuckey, I. (2025) CPUE standardisation and stock assessment scoping report for sandfish (Holothuria scabra) in the Northern Territory. 34pp [CC BY 3.0]

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Genetic catch verification to support recovery plans for deepsea gulper sharks (genus Centrophorus, family Centrophoridae) – an Australian example using the 16S gene

Description: A reliable and efficient system for routine testing was developed that combined use of morphological characters and genetics to discriminate among seven morphologically similar Centrophorus species.

Daley, R.K., Appleyard, S.A., Koopman, M. (2012). Genetic catch verification to support recovery plans for deepsea gulper sharks (genus Centrophorus, family Centrophoridae) – an Australian example using the 16S gene. Marine and Freshwater Research, 63 (8): 708-714. Troynikov, V.S. and M.T. Koopman. (2009). The effect of Danish seine selectivity and retention on growth estimates of tiger flathead (Neoplatycephalus richardsoni). Fisheries Science, 75: 833–838.

https://doi.org/10.1071/MF11264

Implementing harvest strategies in Australia: 5 years on

Description: The experience gained from implementing a harvest strategy policy in Australia is discussed, including challenges faced and the benefits and costs of implementing harvest strategies.

Smith, A.D.M., Smith, D.C., Haddon, M., Knuckey, I., Sainsbury, K.J., Sloan, S. (2013). Implementing harvest strategies in Australia: five years on. ICES Journal of Marine Science, doi:10.1093/icesjms/fst158

https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fst158

Experience in Implementing Harvest Strategies in Australia’s South-Eastern Fisheries

Description: This paper describes lessons learnt during the implementation of a harvest strategy that includes tier-based harvest control rules in the SESSF.

Smith, A.D.M., Smith, D.C. Tuck, G.N. Klaer, N. Punt, A.E. Knuckey, I.A. Prince, J. Morison, A. Kloser, R. Haddon, M. Wayte, S. Day, J. Fay, G. Pribac, F. Fuller, M. Taylor, B. Little L.R. (2008). Experience in Implementing Harvest Strategies in Australia’s South-Eastern Fisheries. Fisheries Research 94(3): 373-379.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2008.06.006

Reconciling approaches to the assessment and management of data-poor species and fisheries with Australia’s Harvest Strategy Policy

Description: The trade-off between the cost of data collection and fishery value does not have to be a major impediment to the development of precautionary control rules for management of data-poor fisheries.

Smith D.C., Punt A.E., Dowling N.A., Smith A.D.M., Tuck, G.N., Knuckey, I.A., (2009). Reconciling approaches to the assessment and management of data-poor species and fisheries with Australia's Harvest Strategy Policy. Marine and Coastal Fisheries: Dynamics, Management, and Ecosystem Science 1:244-254.

https://doi.org/10.1577/C08-041.1

Genetic stock structure of blue-eye trevalla (Hyperoglyphe antarctica) and warehous (Seriolella brama and Seriolella punctata) in south-eastern Australian waters

Description: This project investigated the genetic stock structure of Blue-eye Trevalla (Hyperoglyphe antarctica) and warehous (Seriolella brama and Seriolella puntata) using mitochondrial DNA

Robinson, N., Skinner, A., Sethuraman, L., McPartlan, H., Murray, N., Knuckey, I., Smith, D., Hindell, J. and S. Talman. (2008). Genetic stock structure of blue-eye trevalla (Hyperoglyphe antarctica) and the warehous (Seriolella brama and Seriolella punctata) in south-eastern Australian waters. Marine and Freshwater Research 59(6): 502–514.

https://www.publish.csiro.au/mf/mf07175

In situ examination of the behaviour of fish in response to demersal trawl nets in an Australian trawl fishery

Description: An underwater camera was positioned on demersal trawl gear to allow for the description of behaviour of fish to facilitate the design of more efficient trawl gears.

Piasente, M., I. A. Knuckey, S. Eayrs and P. E. McShane (2004). In situ examination of the behaviour of fish in response to demersal trawl nets in an Australian trawl fishery. Marine and Freshwater Research 55(8): 825–835.

https://www.publish.csiro.au/mf/mf04054

Post-release survival, movement, and habitat use of school shark Galeorhinus galeus in the Great Australian Bight, southern Australia

Description: The movement of School Sharks tagged with PSAT tags off southern Australia is described including the ingestion and tag regurgitation by an endothermic predator.

Rogers, P.J., Knuckey, I., Hudson, R., Lowther, A. and Guida, L. (2017). Post-release survival, vertical habitat and cross-shelf movements of school shark Galeorhinus galeus in the Great Australian Bight. Fisheries Research 187:188-198.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165783616303964?via%3Dihub

Management Briefs: New Time-at-Liberty Record Set by Tagged School Shark Galeorhinus galeus Caught off Southern Australia

Description: This brief describes the tag and recapture of school shark recaptured recently off southern Australia had been at liberty for the longest recorded period (35.4 years) for any species of tagged fish.

Moulton, P.L., Saddlier, S.R., and Knuckey, I.A. (1989). New time-at-liberty record set by tagged school shark Galeorhinus galeus caught off Southern Australia. North American Journal of Fish Management. 9:254-255.

https://doi.org/10.1577/1548-8675(1989)009<0254:MBNTAL>2.3.CO;2

Factors influencing food selection in the abalone Haliotis rubra (Mollusca: Gastropoda)

Description: The feeding rates of Haliotis rubra were measured for a range of macroalgal diets and results suggested that food toughness is a primary factor in the feeding preferences of abalone.

McShane, PE., Gorfine, H.K. and Knuckey, I.A. (1994). Factors influencing food selection in the abalone Haliotis rubra (Mollusca: Gastropoda). Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, Volume 176, Issue 1, 27-37.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0022098194901953

Ecological risk assessment for the effects of fishing

Description: This paper describes the development of an ecosystem-based fisheries management framework that has been applied to fisheries throughout Australia and internationally.

Hobday A.J., Smith A.D.M., Stobutzki I.C., Bulman C., Daley R., Dambacher J.M., Deng R.A., Dowdney, J., Fuller, M., Furlani, D., Griffiths, S.P., Johnson, D., Kenyon, R., Knuckey, I.A., Ling, S.D., Pitcher, R., Sainsbury, K.J., Sporcic, M., Smith, T., Turnbull, C., Walker, T.I., Wayte, S.E., Webb, H., Williams, A., Wise, B.S., Zhou, S. (2011). Ecological risk assessment for the effects of fishing, Fisheries Research, Volume 108, Issues 2–3, Pages 372-384.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2011.01.013

Developing harvest strategies for low-value and data-poor fisheries: Case studies from three Australian fisheries

Description: This paper evaluated general principles for harvest strategy development for small, low-value, data-poor fisheries, illustrating those principles using three case study fisheries.

Dowling, N.A., Smith, D.S., Knuckey, I., Smith, A.D.M., Domaschenz P., Patterson, H.M. and Whitelaw, W. (2008). Developing harvest strategies for low-value and data-poor fisheries: Case studies from three Australian fisheries. Fisheries Research, Volume 94, Issue 3, Pages 380-390.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165783608003160?via%3Dihub

Collaborative approaches to accessing and utilising historical citizen science data: a case-study with spearfishers from eastern Australia

Description: Historical spearfishing competition data was used to demonstrating change in coastal fish communities, some of which were consistent with expectations given a warming climate over the period.

Gledhill, DC., Hobday, AJ., Welch, DJ., Stephen, SG., Lansdell, MJ., Koopman, M., Jeloudev, A., Smith, A. and Last, PR. (2014). Collaborative approaches to accessing and utilising historical citizen science data: a case-study with spearfishers from eastern Australia. Marine and Freshwater Research 66, 195-201.

https://www.publish.csiro.au/mf/mf14071

Are we ready to track climate-driven shifts in marine species across international boundaries? – A global survey of scientific bottom trawl data

Description: This project gathered metadata from 95 bottom trawl surveys globally to assess the potential for combining surveys to track transboundary species redistribution caused by climate change.

Maureaud AA, Frelat R, Pécuchet L, Shackell N, Mérigot B, Pinsky ML, et al. (2021). Are we ready to track climate-driven shifts in marine species across international boundaries?-A global survey of scientific bottom trawl data. Glob Change Biol. 2021; 27(2):220–36. pmid:33067925

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https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15404

Fresh eyes on an old issue: Demand-side barriers to a discard problem

Description: This paper identified demand-side reasons for discarding fish, and suggested a range of approaches to reduce discarding by increasing the use of other-wise discarded catch.

van Putten, I., Koopman, M., Fleming, A., Hobday, A.J. and Knuckey, I. and Zhou, S. (2019). Fresh eyes on an old issue: Demand-side barriers to a discard problem, Fisheries Research, Volume 209, 14-23.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2018.09.007

A Model-Based Approach to Designing a Fishery-Independent Survey

Description: This paper uses Generalized Additive Models to evaluate model-based designs for a fishery-independent survey for the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery.

Peel, D., Bravington, M.V., Kelly, N., Wood, S.N. and Knuckey, I. (2013). A Model-Based Approach to Designing a Fishery-Independent Survey. JABES 18, 1–21 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13253-012-0114-x

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs13253-012-0114-x

Loxothylacus ihlei (Boschma) and its effects on the mud crab, Scylla serrata (Forskål) in northern Australia

Description: The first occurrence of a rhizocephalan parasite in Mud Crabs in Australia was described for the first time. Infected crabs were smaller and had larger abdominal flaps compares to uninfected crabs.

Knuckey, I.A., Davie, P.J.F. and Canon, L.R.G. (1995). Loxothylacus ihlei (Boschma) and its effects on the mud crab, Scylla serrata (Forskål) in northern Australia. Journal of Fish Diseases 18:389-395.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2761.1995.tb00331.x/abstract

Maturity in male mud crabs, Scylla serrata (Forskål) and use of mating scars as a functional indicator

Description: Commercial catches of Mud Crabs in Northern Australia were sampled to describe characteristics of maturity stages and the size distribution of samples at each of those stages of maturity.

Knuckey, I.A. (1996). Maturity in male mud crabs, Scylla serrata (Forskål) and use of mating scars as a functional indicator. Journal of Crustacean Biology 16(3):487-495.

http://www.jstor.org/pss/1548738

Settlement of Pinctada maxima and other bivalves on artificial collectors in the Timor Sea, northern Australia

Description: This paper describes the settlement of Pearl Oyster on settlement plates in the Timor Sea.

Knuckey, I.A. (1995). Settlement of Pinctada maxima and other bivalves on artificial collectors in the Timor Sea, northern Australia. Journal of Shellfish Biology, 14 (2): 411-416.

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