Preliminary estimates of stocks of the king prawn, Penaeus plebejus, in south-east Queensland

Abstract

Population estimates of the king prawn, Penaeus plebejus, in Moreton Bay and adjacent offshore areas are made from a study of commercial catches and by tag-recapture experiments. Juvenile prawns which are abundant in Moreton Bay during the summer months rapidly migrate to adjacent offshore areas and form the basis of an offshore fishery. Population parameters for Moreton Bay are F₁ = 0.04, E₁ = 0.17 and M₁ ≤ 0.22 week^-1. For the adjacent offshore area the parameters are F₂ = 0.02, M₂ = 0.05 week^-1. These estimates indicate that of the order of 17% of the available stock is caught in Moreton Bay and that of the order of 26% of the available stock is caught in the offshore area off Mooloolaba. From a yield equation the response in catch to variations in fishing intensity is estimated.