Retained and discarded catches from commercial beach-seining in Botany Bay, Australia

Observer-based estimates of the quantities and size compositions of discard ed and retained catches from the commercial beach-seine fishery in Botany B ay, NSW, Australia are presented. A total of 71 finfish and 10 invertebrate taxa were identified in catches sampled between February 1998 and February 1999, with 39 taxa being retained by fishers and 77 taxa discarded. Gerres subfasciatus, Pseudocaranx dentex, Sillago ciliata, Acanthopagrus australi s and Rhabdosargus sarba dominated retained catches. Discards included smal l individuals of many retained species that are also important in other com mercial and recreational fisheries, including S. ciliata, A. australis, R. sarba, Pagrus auratus, Meuschenia freycinetti and Scobinichthys granulatus, as well as some non-monetary valued species such as Dicotylichthys punctul atus, Anoplocapros inermis and several tetraodontids. The estimated monthly ratio of retained to discarded catch (kg) ranged from 1:0.26 to 1:2.48. An estimated 44% of total individuals and 38% of the total weight of catches were discarded. It was estimated that this fishery annually discarded 93 t of fish and invertebrates, which included hundreds of, thousands of commerc ially and recreationally important species. The results are discussed in te rms of their consequences for interactions with other fisheries. (C) 2001 E lsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.