Study Of Juvenile Dhufish To Help Recovery Of The Iconic Species

Media Release
8 December 2009 56/2009

Study of juvenile dhufish to help recovery of the iconic species
Research, being funded through the WA Government's Natural Resource Management (NRM)
strategy, will help build vital knowledge about critical habitats for juvenile dhufish.
Dhufish (glaucosoma hebraicum) are unique to Western Australia, but Department of Fisheries
scientists have identified that the popular species is seriously at risk from over-fishing.
Supervising Scientist Finfish, Dr Brett Molony said the new $225,000 project was to identify
critical habitats for this important, but slow-growing, species. The funding for the juvenile
dhufish research was part of more than $2.2 million ($2,235,000) in NRM support for effectively
directed fisheries research.
"At present stock status monitoring is largely focussed on adult dhufish, but little is known about
juveniles between spawning and becoming vulnerable to fishing," Dr Molony said.
"This is one of the at-risk demersal species, which has prompted tighter management of both the
recreational and commercial fishing sectors, so, the more we can learn about juvenile dhufish
habitats, the better we can manage its sustainability."
Dr Molony said one of the aims of this research project was being able to gather enough
information to potentially develop a recruitment index, to give Fisheries' scientists more ways of
assessing the sustainability of dhufish in the West Coast Bioregion.
"Because Western Australian dhufish are not found anywhere else in the world and they have
been so important to the community, we must be extremely careful that we manage the species in
a sustainable way," he said.
"Dhufish is one of the main species that supports the commercial West Coast Demersal Scalefish
Fishery, valued at approximately five million dollars annually. This fishery also helps to create
employment throughout the region and supplies local fish markets.
Dr Molony said for many fish species environmental conditions impacted on the level of
recruitment and dhufish was no different in that regard.
"Juvenile dhufish don't generally become vulnerable to fishing until three or four years of age,
so by knowing more about the critical habitats for the juveniles more can be done to better
understand and improve the rates of stock recovery," he said.
"The initial component of the research will be to hold a workshop involving scientists,
commercial and recreational fishers and representatives from peak bodies WAFIC and
Recfishwest. We want to gather all the information from scientists and fishers to compile the
most comprehensive details possible on the distribution and habitat needs of juvenile dhufish."
MEDIA CONTACT:
Ashley Malone Ph: 9203 0357
Media Liaison Officer Mobile: 0418 901 767

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