Red spot king prawn stock
Species
- Red spot king prawns (Melicertus longistylus)
- also known as the Northern king prawn
Fish stock status
Although a species may be classified as sustainable under the Status of Australian Fish Stocks (SAFS) framework, this does not mean that the stock is meeting Queensland targets under the harvest strategy.
| Stock | 2023 | 2020 | 2018 | 2016 | 2014 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Coast Queensland | Undefined | Sustainable | Not Assessed | Not Assessed | Not Assessed |
Stock assessment
The 2023 stock assessment used current biological, survey and commercial catch data to estimate the:
- biomass of the biological stock
- fishing pressure on the biological stock.
The assessment used a delay-difference biomass model based on previous stock assessments.
Twenty-four scenarios were run, covering a range of modelling assumptions and sensitivity tests. The models had varying success, with 9 achieving convergence. These 9 scenarios resulted in a wide range of final biomass estimates, and some non-converged scenarios had better model fit.
On this basis the stock level is reported as undefined. Full results for all 24 scenarios are presented in the report.
Estimated retained catch from 1958 to 2021
© Queensland Government
Biomass estimates and key management actions
© Queensland Government
Project team
The stock assessment project team had a wide range of skill sets, and included :
- managers, scientists, monitoring and data specialists from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
- 2 industry representatives.
The team operated under the terms of reference (PDF, 154KB) to ensure a transparent and evidence-based approach.
We thank the project team for contributing their time and knowledge, and engaging constructively over the course of a 17-month project.
We acknowledge the significant time commitment and deep operational and technical expertise of our industry representatives. The project has benefited greatly from their input. Future assessments should continue to engage with industry members to further enhance assessments and build collaboration between industry and government.
Ecological risk assessment
Assessed in the:
- 2018: Southern Queensland east coast otter trawl fishery and river and inshore beam trawl fishery (PDF, 4MB)
- 2012: East coast otter trawl fishery in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (led by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority)
Management
East coast otter trawl fishery: