Biology and status of the prawn stocks and trawl fishery in the Gulf of Papua

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Fisheries

The Gulf of Papua (GOP) prawn fishery is one of the most valuable fisheries in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Catches have fluctuated widely and there has been limited success in assessing sustainable yields. The trends in catches and catch rates in the fishery were declining in the early 2000s. To maintain their economic viability, fishers were increasing their illegal trawling inshore within the 3 nautical mile (5.6 km) traditional fishery zone. In the late 1990s, irate villagers took the situation into their own hands and boarded vessels illegally fishing within the traditional fishery zone and confiscated their catch. Fisheryindependent surveys were needed so the PNG NFA could understand the reasons behind this conflict and the effect of this illegal fishing on the prawn stocks.