Effects of Habitat Disturbance on Coastal Fisheries Resources of Tin Can Bay/Great Sandy Strait

Abstract

Inter-tidal and sub-tidal wetlands habitats were sampled in Tin Can Bay (25°54' S, 153°02 'E),at the southern end of the Great Sandy Strait, Queensland from November 1991 until November 1993. Samples were collected every second lunar month from the night preceding the full moon until three nights after the full moon representing 13 sampling periods. Four sampling methods were used:
1) beam and otter trawls
2) ring nets
3) block nets
4) commercial tunnel nets.
A comprehensive list of fish species found in Tin Can Bay was compiled and characterised in terms of importance to commercial and/or recreational fishing.