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REVIEW
Contents Vol 56(3)

Freshwater-flow requirements of estuarine fisheries in tropical Australia: a review of the state of knowledge and application of a suggested approach

Julie B. Robins A C , Ian A. Halliday A , Jonathan Staunton-Smith A , David G. Mayer B and Michelle J. Sellin A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, Southern Fisheries Centre, Deception Bay, Qld 4508, Australia.

B Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, Animal Research Institute, Locked Mail Bag 4 Moorooka, Qld 4105, Australia.

C Corresponding author. Email: julie.robins@dpi.qld.gov.au

Marine and Freshwater Research 56(3) 343-360 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF04087
Submitted: 29 May 2004  Accepted: 22 December 2004   Published: 3 June 2005

Abstract

The freshwater-flow requirements of estuarine fisheries in tropical areas are reviewed, with reference to species important to fisheries in northern Australia. Fisheries production, in terms of catch, is often elevated during, or as a consequence of, years with higher river flow, but the causality of these relationships often remains unproven. Scientific information on the freshwater-flow requirements important to fisheries production is increasingly being sought during the planning, allocation and management of water resources within Australia and in other countries around the world. Frequently, such advice is based on the analysis of catch and freshwater flow (or rainfall), or on life-history information. Clarifying fisheries-specific goals of water management would assist in prioritising research into the freshwater-flow requirements of estuarine fisheries. A framework that integrates life-history information and correlative analyses is suggested to assist in understanding the freshwater-flow requirements of estuarine fisheries. The framework is also useful in identifying knowledge gaps and pertinent research questions. The approach is illustrated through its application to identifying key freshwater-flow events likely to be important for fisheries production in a dry tropical estuary in Queensland, Australia.

Extra keywords: banana prawns, barramundi, conceptual framework, environmental flows, mud crabs.


Acknowledgments

Concepts presented in this paper were developed from research projects funded by the Cooperative Research Centre for Coastal Zone Estuary and Waterway Management and the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation. We thank the following people for contributing to discussions on determining the freshwater requirements of estuarine fisheries: John Platten, David Vance, Bill Sawynok, Peter Long, Rolly Griffin, John Russell, Rod Garrett, Mervi Kangas and Chris Marshall. We thank Peter Long (Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries) for collating fish stocking data and Gary Hargraves, Hans Mulder and Mike Keane (Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy) and Quentin Rider (Fitzroy River Water) for providing river flow data.


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