PUBLICATIONS
FEATURE ARTICLE
Preliminary age-based life history characteristics of dogtooth tuna, Gymnosarda unicolor (Ruppell, 1838), in the Western Pacific Ocean.
Welch, D.J., Smith, A.K., Krusic-Golub, K., Erdmann, S. and Newman, S.J. (2021)
This seminal article, led by David Welch and C2O Fisheries, used an innovative research approach and collaborated with recreational spearfishers and a team of colleagues, to provide the only age-based estimates of life history characteristics for the iconic Dogtooth tuna. This popular sportfish is experiencing increasing targeting by fishers throughout its range in tropical and sub-tropical reefs, and the results and management recommendations of this article are timely and much needed. Despite their popularity and increased targeting, they experience very little or no restrictions on harvest. Based on the research results, the authors recommend a minimum size of capture of at least 80 cm total length, and suggest that spearfishers should adopt an even more conservative approach by only targeting fish 100cm or greater, in order to promote sustainability.
List of publications
Marshall Islands Community Marine Monitoring Toolkit: A Facilitators Guide.
Johnson, J.E., Welch, D.J., Kabua-Tibon, E., Yamamura, B., Edwards, F.
2021
C2O Pacific and Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority, Majuro, Marshall Islands (57pp)
Assessing the risk of Tilapia from proposed aquaculture ponds establishing and becoming invasive in coastal marine ecosystems at Port Resolution (Tanna Island), Vanuatu.
Welch, D.J.
2020
Report to the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) under the Pacific Ecosystem-based Adaptation to Climate Change (PEBACC) project. 32p.
Review of management arrangements that support the Conservation Dependent listing of Scalloped Hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini) under the EPBC Act: Update report to the Threatened Species Scientific Committee.
Welch, D.J.
2020
Report to the Australian Marine Conservation Society and Humane Society International, January, 2020. 22p.
Vanuatu Crown-of-thorns starfish control project report: January-July 2020.
Johnson, J.E., Welch, D.J., Shaw, C. and Whitelaw, P.
2020
Report to the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 13p.
Port Resolution Community Conservation Area: Livelihood plan.
Welch, David J., Hooper, Eryn, Kenneth, Willie and Lango, Kenneth
2019
Report prepared under the Vanuatu Pacific Ecosystem-based Adaptation to Climate Change (PEBACC) project, implemented by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), Apia, Samoa. 13pp.
Port Resolution Community Conservation Area: Management plan development and supporting information.
Welch, David J., Hooper, Eryn, Kenneth, Willie and Lango, Kenneth
2019
Report prepared under the Vanuatu Pacific Ecosystem-based Adaptation to Climate Change (PEBACC) project, implemented by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), Apia, Samoa. 49pp.
Port Resolution Community Conservation Area: Management plan.
Welch, David J., Hooper, Eryn, Kenneth, Willie and Lango, Kenneth
2019
Vanuatu Pacific Ecosystem-based Adaptation to Climate Change (PEBACC) project, implemented by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), Apia, Samoa. 23pp.
Effects of Climate Change on Fish and Shellfish Relevant to Pacific Islands, and the Coastal Fisheries they Support
Johnson, J., Bertram, I., Chin, A, Moore, B.R., Pratchett, M, Welch, D.J., Williams, A., Bell, J. and Govan, H.
2018
PACIFIC MARINE CLIMATE CHANGE REPORT CARD Science Review 2018: pp 74-98
Community Marine Monitoring Toolkit: A locally-developed toolkit to inform community-based management of marine resources in Vanuatu.
Johnson, J.E., Welch, D.J., Hooper, E., Moore, B., Edney, G., Waterhouse, J. and Kaltavara, J.
2018
SPC Fisheries Newsletter, 155:2. The Pacific Community (SPC), Noumea, New Caledonia.
Stock structure of Lethrinus laticaudis (Lethrinidae) across northern Australia determined using genetics, otolith microchemistry and parasite assemblage composition.
Barton Diane P., Taillebois Laura, Taylor Jonathan, Crook David A., Saunders Thor, Hearnden Mark, Greig Alan, Welch David J., Newman Stephen J., Travers Michael J., Saunders Richard J., Errity Chris, Maher Safia, Dudgeon Christine, Ovenden Jennifer
2018
Marine and Freshwater Research, 69(4) 487-501
Community-based sustainable development through coastal fisheries and financial inclusion in Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea: Project evaluation.
Starling, G., Johnson, J. and Welch, D.J.
2018
Report prepared for WWF Australia, MCC Environmental, Perth, Australia, 96p.
Empowering communities to adapt to climate change: Monitoring marine ecosystems using a locally developed method to inform community-based management.
Hooper, E., Johnson, J.E., Welch, D., Edney, G., Waterhouse, J.
2018
Poster presented at the Pacific Oceans Pacific Climate conference, Wellington, New Zealand.
Climate change adaptation: Vulnerability and challenges facing small-scale fisheries in small islands
Johnson JE, Monnereau I, Welch DJ, McConney P, Szuster B, Gasalla MA
2018
FishAdapt Conference Proceedings, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Proceedings, Rome, FAO.
Optimising the management of tropical reef fish through the development of Indigenous scientific capability.
Saunders, T., Barton, D., Crook, D., Ovenden, J., Newman, S.J., Saunders, R., Taillebois, L., Taylor, J., Travers, M.J., Dudgeon, C., Maher, S. and Welch, D.J.
2017
Darwin, Northern Territory, Fishery Report No. 117.
Strong population structure deduced from genetics, otolith chemistry and parasite abundances explains vulnerability to localized fishery collapse in a large Sciaenid fish, Protonibea diacanthus
Taillebois, Laura, Barton, Diane P., Crook, David A., Saunders, Thor, Taylor, Jonathan, Hearnden, Mark, Saunders, Richard J., Newman, Stephen J., Travers, Michael J., Welch, David J., Greig, Alan, Dudgeon, Christine, Maher, Safia and Ovenden, Jennifer R.
2017
Evolutionary Applications, 10: 978-993
Effects of climate change on coral grouper (Plectropomus spp.) and possible adaptation options
Pratchett, M.S., Cameron, D.S., Donelson, J., Evans. L., Frisch, A., Hobday, A.J., Hoey, A.S., Marshall, N.A., Messmer, V., Munday, P.L., Pears, R., Pecl, G., Reynolds, A., Scott, M., Tobin, A., Tobin, R., Welch, D.J. and Williamson, D.H.
2017
Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries, 27(2): 297-316.
Characterization, development and multiplexing of microsatellite markers in three commercially exploited reef fish and their application for stock identification
Taillebois L, Dudgeon C, Maher S, Crook DA, Saunders TM, Barton DP, Taylor JA, Welch DJ, Newman Sj, Travers MJ, Saunders RJ and Ovenden J
2016
PeerJ 4 (2016): e2418
Integrating different approaches in the definition of biological stocks: a northern Australian multi-jurisdictional fisheries example using grey mackerel, Scomberomorus semifasciatus
Welch DJ, Newman SJ, Buckworth RC, Ovenden JR, Broderick D, Lester RJG, Gribble NA, Ballagh AC, Charters RA, Stapley J, Street R, Garrett RN and Begg GA
2015
Marine Policy 55 (2015) 73-80
Global Priorities for Conserving Sharks and Rays: A 2015-2025 Strategy
Brautigam A, Callow M, Campbell IR, Camhi MD, Cornish AS, Dulvy NK, Fordham SV, Fowler SL, Hood AR, McClennen C, Reuter EL, Sant G, Simpfendorfer CA and Welch DJ
2015
Strategy document prepared for The Global Sharks and Rays Initiative (GSRI)
Implications of climate change impacts on fisheries resources of northern Australia / Part 1: Vulnerability assessment and adaptation options
Welch DJ, Saunders T, Robins J, Harry A, Johnson J, Maynard J, Saunders R, Pecl G, Sawynok B and Tobin A
2014
Report prepared for the Fisheries Research & Development Corporation
Comparative biology of tropical Lethrinus species (Lethrinidae): challenges for multi-species management
Currey LM, Williams AJ, Mapstone BD, Davies CR, Carlos G, Welch DJ, Simpfendorfer CA, Ballagh AC, Penny AL, Grandcourt EM, Mapleston A, Wiebkin AS and Bean K
2013
Journal of Fish Biology 82 (2013) 764-788
Climate change and recreational fishing: implications of climate change for recreational fishers and the recreational fishing industry
Creighton C, Sawynok B, Sutton S, D'Silva D, Stagles I, Pam C, Saunders R, Welch D, Grixti D and Spooner D
2013
Report prepared for the Fisheries Research & Development Corporation
Comparison of the reproductive ecology of two sympatric blacktip sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus and Carcharhinus tilstoni ) off north-eastern Australia with species identification inferred from vertebral counts
Harry AV, Morgan JAT, Ovenden JR, Tobin AJ, Welch DJ and Simpfendorfer CA
2012
Journal of Fish Biology 81 (2012) 1225-1233
Spatial variation in life history reveals insight into connectivity and geographic population structure of a tropical estuarine teleost: king threadfin, Polydactylus macrochir
Moore BR, Simpfendorfer CA, Newman SJ, Stapley JM, Allsop Q, Sellin MJ and Welch DJ
2012
Fisheries Research 125-126 (2012) 214-224
Detection of interspecies hybridisation in Chondrichthyes: hybrids and hybrid offspring between Australian (Carcharhinus tilstoni) and common (C. limbatus) blacktip shark found in an Australian fishery
Morgan JAT, Harry AV, Welch DJ, Street R, White J, Geraghty PT, Macbeth WG, Tobin A, Simpfendorfer CA and Ovenden JR
2011
Conservation Genetics 13 (2011) 455-463
A mitochondrial species identification assay for Australian blacktip sharks (Carcharhinus tilstoni, C. limbatus and C. amblyrhynchoides) using real-time PCR and high-resolution melt analysis
Morgan JAT, Welch DJ, Harry AV, Street R, Broderick D and Ovenden JR
2011
Molecular Ecology Resources 11 (2011) 813-819
Negligible evidence for regional genetic population structure for two shark species Rhizoprionodon acutus (Ru¨ ppell, 1837) and Sphyrna lewini (Griffith & Smith, 1834) with contrasting biology
Ovenden RJ, Morgan JAT, Street R, Tobin A, Simpfendorfer C, Macbeth W and Welch D
2011
Marine Biology 158 (2011) 1497-1509
An improved technique for estimating short-term survival of released line-caught fish, and an application comparing barotrauma-relief methods in red emperor (Lutjanus sebae Cuvier 1816)
Brown I, Sumpton W, McLennan M, Mayer D, Campbell M, Kirkwood J, Butcher A, Halliday L, Mapleston A, Welch D, Begg GA and Sawynok B
2010
Journal of Experimental Marine Biology & Ecology 385 (2010) 1-7
Stock structure of grey mackerel, Scomberomorus semifasciatus (Pisces: Scombridae) across northern Australia, based on otolith stable isotope chemistry
Newman SJ, Wright IW, Rome BM, Mackie MC, Lewis PD, Buckworth RC, Ballagh AC, Garrett RN, Stapley J, Broderick D, Ovenden JR and Welch DJ
2010
Environmental Biology of Fishes 89 (2010) 357-367
Adapting to change: minimising uncertainty about the effects of rapidly changing environmental conditions on the Queensland Coral Reef Fin Fish Fishery
Tobin A, Schlaff A, Tobin R, Penny A, Ayling T, Ayling A, Krause B, Welch D, Sutton S, Sawynok B, Marshall N, Marshall P and Maynard J
2010
Report prepared for the Fisheries Research & Development Corporation
Assessing the effects of line capture and barotrauma relief procedures on post-release survival of key tropical reef fish species in Australia using recreational tagging clubs
Sumpton WD, Brown IW, Mayer DG, McLennan MF, Mapleston A, Butcher AR, Welch DJ, Kirkwood JM, Sawynok B and Begg GA
2010
Fisheries Management & Ecology 17 (2010) 77-88
Variation in stable isotope (δ18O and δ13C) signatures in the sagittal otolith carbonate of king threadfin, Polydactylus macrochir across northern Australia reveals multifaceted stock structure
Newman SJ, Allsop A, Ballagh AC, Garrett RN, Gribble N, Meeuwig JJ, Mitsopoulos GEA, Moore BR, Pember MB, Rome BM, Saunders T, Skepper CL, Stapley JM, van Herwerden L and Welch DJ
2010
Journal of Experimental Marine Biology & Ecology 396 (2010) 53-60
Review of harvest patterns and biology of key inshore species within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area: current knowledge and information gaps
Simpfendorfer CA, Welch DJ, Williams AJ and Ballagh AC
2007
Report prepared for the Australian Government's Marine & Tropical Sciences Research Facility (MTSRF)
Tropical Resource Assessment Program (Queensland Inshore Fish Stocks): Phase I, Collation and assessment of available fisheries information. Phase II, Model application and validation
Gribble N with contributing authors Garret R, Magro K, Bibby J, Hall V, Peverell S, Stapley J and Welch D
2004
Report prepared for the Queensland Department of Primary Industries
