Are Western Australian waters the least productive waters for finfish across two oceans? A review with a focus on finfish resources in the Kimberley region and North Coast Bioregion

Abstract

The marine ecosystems of Western Australia, including those in the Kimberley, are classified as being of moderate to low productivity. This is primarily a consequence of the influence of the Leeuwin Current, the eastern boundary current that flows poleward delivering warm, low nutrient waters, and only sporadic short-term upwelling events to shelf habitats off the Western Australian coast. This, coupled with little riverine inflow from old weathered terrestrial systems, results in low levels of primary and secondary production in habitats along most of the coast. The consequence is that finfish fisheries in the Kimberley and throughout the State typically land a diverse range of long-lived species with low levels of productivity, resulting in relatively low levels of sustainable catches. The consequences for monitoring, management and stakeholder aspirations are presented. Additional challenges for finfish fisheries in the Kimberley and North Coast finfish fisheries are also discussed. © Royal Society of Western Australia 2011.