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Indigenous Fishing Survey
The Indigenous Fishing Survey has shown that in the twelve months prior to interviews (held between April-November 2000):
(Photo: CSIRO Tropical
Rock Lobster Project)
- An estimated 37,000 indigenous people, or 91.7% of the indigenous population, aged 5 years or older and living in communities in northern Australia, fished at least once
In a twelve month period completed between June 2000 and November 2001:
- Fishers harvested
- 0.91 million finfish
- 0.98 million small baitfish
- 0.18 million crabs and lobsters
- 0.66 million prawns and yabbies
- 1.15 million molluscs
- 0.93 million miscellaneous species
- In northern Australian waters
- 53% of indigenous fishers used lines to fish
- 26% hand collected
- 12% used nets
- 9% used spears
- Indigenous fishers made an estimated 671,000 fishing trips
Comparative tables and figures for particular items are listed below. For information on the main species targeted by indigenous fishers click on the links below:
(Photo: CSIRO Tropical Rock Lobster Project)
Figure 1: Fishing participation (number of people) by region, for indigenous fishers, aged 5 or older and living in communities in northern Australia.
Figure 2: Fishing participation (proportion of the population) by region, for indigenous fishers, aged 5 or older and living in communities in northern Australia.
Table 1: Number of fully responding indigenous communities, dwellings and persons sampled in each State/ Territory.
Indigenous Harvest
Table 1: Estimated annual harvest (numbers) for key species taken by indigenous fishers, aged 5 years or older, living in communities in northern Australia.
Table 2: Estimated annual harvest (numbers) for key species taken by indigenous fishers, aged 5 years or older, living in communities in northern Australia, by water body type.
Table 3: Estimated annual harvest (numbers) for key species taken by indigenous fishers, aged 5 years or older, living in communities in northern Australia by fishing method.
Indigenous Fishing Effort
Figure 1: Annual fishing effort (events) by indigenous fishers, aged 5 years or older, living in communities in northern Australia.
Figure 2: Annual fishing effort (events) by water body type for indigenous fishers, aged 5 years or older, living in communities in northern Australia.
Figure 3: Annual fishing effort (events) by fishing method for indigenous fishers, aged 5 years or older, living in communities in northern Australia.