The aims of the project were to provide managers with information and advice to facilitate sound management of the Torres Strait tropical lobster fishery, by undertaking stock assessment and biological research. The research outcomes contained in this document relate to phase 2 priorities arising from the Tropical Rock Lobster Fishery Assessment Group Workshop (TRLFAG) held on 29-30 March 2000. The Phase 2 priority research tasks include: analyses of the June 2001 survey data and of the available industry/management data, analysis of the size-frequency and catch-effort data collected in June 2001, the May/June 2002 full-scale absolute abundance field survey and the 2001-2002 stock assessment, which will be based on continued development of the dynamic model developed during Phase 1. The thirteenth annual lobster survey was completed in May/June 2002 as part of the full-scale Benchmark Survey. This annual report summarises activities undertaken since July 2001.

The aims of the project are to provide managers with information and advice to facilitate sound management of the Torres Strait tropical lobster fishery, by undertaking stock assessment and biological research. The research objectives include: annual population surveys; annual Islander catch monitoring, parameter estimation (growth, mortality and recruitment); and fisheries dynamics modelling. This annual report summarises activities undertaken since July 2000. The twelfth annual lobster survey was recently completed (June 2001), and preliminary analysis of data from this survey has been completed and results are reported here.

Report on currents in the Gulf of Papua and Western Coral Sea with reference to distribution of prawn and lobster larvae 1980: MacFarlane JW. (1980) Surface and Bottom Sea Currents in the Gulf of Papua and Western Coral Sea with reference to the Distribution of Larvae from the Commercially Important Prawn and Lobster Fisheries off the South Coast of Papua. Research Bulletin No.27 DPI Port Moresby December 1980. 128pp.

This study assessed the relative vulnerability of Torres Strait fisheries by conducting a vulnerability assessment on 15 key fishery species. A structured semi-quantitative approach for the vulnerability assessments was applied, based on a widely-adopted framework that includes the elements of Exposure, Sensitivity and Adaptive Capacity proposed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The assessments were informed by comprehensive literature reviews of Torres Strait climate (observed and projected), key fishery habitats and their vulnerability to climate change, and species reviews for 10 fishery groups that covered fishery characteristics, species life cycles and sensitivity to environmental changes. The assessments were further informed by results of interviews with Torres Strait Islanders. The results of the vulnerability assessments identified species with high, medium and low relative vulnerability to climate change. The species identified as having the highest relative vulnerability were: black teatfish, black-lipped pearl oyster, dugong, and trochus. When vulnerability was combined with the level of importance of each species to fisheries in Torres Strait (using a measure of cultural and economic value), a priority list of five species was identified for future action by management. These species were: dugong, turtle, tropical rock lobster, trochus and gold-lipped pearl oyster. This project concludes that there are a number of environmental changes that will be experienced in the Torres Strait by 2030, including habitat impacts that will have flow-on effects on a number of key fisheries. The main drivers are likely to be increases in sea surface temperature, increased severity of storms, and habitat changes particularly to coral reefs and seagrass meadows. The report also provides a range of recommendations on future actions and research that should arise from this project. These are grouped into three themes: (1) improving assessment accuracy, (2) extension of results to communities and decision-makers, and (3) research to address key knowledge gaps.