Using satellite tagging and molecular techniques to improve the ecologically sustainable fisheries management of shortfin makos (lsurus oxyrinchus) in the Australasian region

Abstract

This study used a multi-disciplinary approach to investigate the patterns of population structure, spatial connectivity, and contemporary effective population size of the shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus). It represents the first comprehensive study of the connectivity of this Highly Migratory Species (HMS) species in the Southern Hemisphere. Listing of the shortfin mako under the Environmental Protection Biodiversity and Conservation Act (EPBC Act, 1999) in 2010 was debated by recreational/game fishers. This was followed by an amendment to allow that sector to continue to target shortfin makos. Points of contention included a perception that there was: 1) limited information available to assess links between shortfin mako populations in Australian waters and those in the Northern Hemisphere, and 2) limited information on the movement and mixing of shortfin makos that support Australian fisheries.