2015-11-10 - P&O Agenda - Item 7, Attach 1 - Historical Ecology of the Noosa Estuary Fisheries

To alleviate these problems, researchers have attempted to improve our
understanding of past ecosystems by turning to historical data. Sources used
include archaeological data, information from government and community
archives (e.g., newspapers, books, pictures, early government surveys), local
ecological knowledge and traditional ecological knowledge (Berkes et al. 2000;
Coll et al. 2014; Sáenz-Arroyo et al. 2006). For example, archaeological remains
have uncovered information on tens of thousands of years of coastal resource
use in Australia, shedding insight into the species targeted by indigenous
populations (McNiven 1984; Ulm 2006). Archival data have provided
information on historical fishery abundance and early fishing activities, showing
that coastal systems began to be significantly impacted by human activities much
earlier than previously believed (i.e., a century or more, rather that just a few
decades ago) (Edgar and Samson 2004; Klaer 2001; Pandolfi et al. 2003;
Thurstan et al. In press). For example, a recent study by Alleway and Connell
(2015) uncovered the past presence of native oyster (Ostrea angasi) reefs along
large sections of the South Australian coast. Historical records also show that
commercial fisheries existed for this species during the 19th and early 20th
centuries, yet their presence has since largely been forgotten.


Historical data may thus provide novel information on the past structure and
functioning of ecosystems. While we are unlikely to get back to these historical
conditions (and indeed, we may not wish to), such insights provide us with
information on the health of present-day ecosystems, and provide an evidence
base upon which more informed decisions can be made.

Study objectives

This study aims to develop an understanding of historical fisheries productivity
in the Noosa Estuary. It does not intend to prescribe targets for management;
rather, it aims to inform the wider community about ecological changes that
occurred prior to their lifetimes, to provide insights into the species that
inhabited the Noosa River, and their changing abundance over time. It charts the
evolution of the fisheries and places these into the context of the broader


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