Fisheries Assessment
UndergraduateTAS-JFA3082025
Course information for 2025 intake View information for 2024 course intake
Enrol today with instant approval and no entry requirements
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- Subject may require attendance
- Enrol by
- 13 July 2025
- Entry requirements
- No ATAR needed, No prior study
- Duration
- 14 weeks
- Price from
- $3,271
- Upfront cost
- $0
- Loan available
- HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP available
Fisheries Assessment
About this subject
Upon successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:
- Develop a conceptual understanding of techniques used in fisheries assessments with an awareness of their data requirements, limitations and assumptions.
- Apply quantitative methods to assess the status of fished populations and fisheries.
- Analyse fisheries assessment outcomes in light of biological characteristics and reference points for sustainable management.
- Revision of Age/Growth and Reproduction
- Introduction to Stock Assessment
- Age-based Methods of Assessing Fishing Mortality
- Length-based Methods of Assessing Fishing Mortality
- Virtual Field Trip/Video of Limpet Survey at West Head
- Single Cohort and Yield per Recruit (YPR) Models
- Virtual Population Analysis with the Thompson & Bell Model
- Stock Recruitment Relationships
- Integrated Analysis
- Whole Stock Models
- Risk Assessment
- Case study: Sand Flathead
In this subject, you will learn how to measure the abundance and biomass of fish populations to inform sustainable fisheries management. The subject will cover the theory of marine population dynamics and critically discuss the assumptions underpinning a diverse range of fishery assessment approaches applied today - from simple ecological indicators to sophisticated models. During weekly computer labs, you will develop quantitative skills to calculate metrics of population status and fishery performance. You will have the opportunity to collect field data and use it to conduct your own population assessment.
On completion of this subject, you will have an understanding of:
(1) classic and contemporary fishery assessment methods,
(2) their strengths and limitations in relation to data availability,
(3) the value of quantitative information on population status for sustainable fisheries management, and
(4) the need for precautionary management decisions in the face of assessment uncertainty.
This knowledge will be a critical foundation for various careers focused on wild capture fisheries.
- Computer Exercises (20%)
- Length-based assessment analysis (20%)
- Final Exam (35%)
- Presentation of published fishery (25%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
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Entry requirements
No entry requirements
Additional requirements
- Other requirements - Teaching Arrangement: Weekly 2-hr lectures and 3-hr computer tutorials, 1 virtual field trip.
Study load
- 0.125 EFTSL
- This is in the range of 10 to 12 hours of study each week.
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