2015-11-10 Planning & Organisation Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                            10 NOVEMBER 2015


Archival data sources from State and local libraries and museums were mined for information on
the fisheries of the Noosa River and Estuary, with major sources being:

   Department of Harbours and Marine Annual Reports (1892-1970);
   Fisheries Inspector’s correspondence (1910-1965);
   Fish Board Annual Reports (1937-1981);
   Department of Agriculture and Fisheries commercial landings records (1990-2014);
   Gympie Times and Mary River Mining Gazette (1863-1919);
   The Maryborough Chronicle (1860-1954);
   The Telegraph (1872-1947);
   Brisbane Courier Mail (1884-1933);
   Nambour Chronicle and North Coast Advertiser (1903-1983);
   Noosa Advocate (1917-1933);
   Sunday Mail (1926-1954);
   Courier Mail (1933-1954); and
   Noosa News (sub-sampled years 1968-2015).

Interviews were conducted with long-term local residents and fishers, in addition to meetings with
historians, archaeologists and Traditional Owners.

Fishers were asked about their historical and contemporary catch and effort, changes in targeting
behaviour and locations fished.

Fishers and residents were asked about their perceptions of changes in fish abundance within
the river system and observations of changes in the system more generally, for example,
changes in shellfish populations, changes in depth/location of the river and river mouth,
mangrove coverage and impacts of development.

Non-resident experts were contacted for their knowledge about the Noosa River.

From these information sources, nearly 900 records were extracted that provided either
descriptive or quantitative information on the Noosa Estuary and its fisheries, spanning the years
1871-2014.

Government records also provided commercial landings of finfish from 1946 to the present day,
and prawns from 1959, albeit not specifically for the Noosa River. Earlier records provided
insights into the Noosa River oyster fishery, which once exported oysters to Brisbane and ceased
to exist as a commercial fishery by the 1930s.

Data analysis

Quantitative data on fish catch and effort could be sourced from the archival materials for both
recreational and commercial fisheries.

Where available, catch rates were calculated. Catch rates from the recreational fishery were
defined using a number of specific measures (e.g. number of fish landed per angler per fishing
session, number of fish landed per angler per hour of fishing). Linear regression analysis was
performed on each of these measures to determine if significant changes in catch rates occurred
over time.

Catch rates were also compared to determine whether significant differences existed between
data source and location fished.




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