The traditional fisheries catch of Torres Strait Islanders

Investigations into the traditional marine catch of turtle and dugong in the Torres Strait Island Protected Zone (TSPZ) were conducted in 14 communities, over four sample years. Estimated annual catch of dugong were 241 in 1996, 287 in 1998, 692 in 1999, and 619 in 2000/2001. Annual catch of green turtles were 1896, 1097, 1507, and 1619 during the same years. The recent dugong catch estimates are substantially lower than estimates for the early 1990s, which could reflect a lower fishing effort, a decline in abundance, or change in distribution in the Torres Strait fishing grounds. It is argued that the greatest limitation of the project was that it did not account for catches outside the TSPZ, which are likely to be substantial. Nevertheless, the catch estimates are substantially greater than estimates of the sustainable catch of dugong for the entire Torres Strait region.