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The NSW Steam Trawl Fishery on the South-East Continental Shelf of Australia, 1915–1961

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Historical Perspectives of Fisheries Exploitation in the Indo-Pacific

Part of the book series: MARE Publication Series ((MARE,volume 12))

Abstract

How was modern fishing methods, in the form of steam trawling, introduced in Australia? And what were the consequences for the fish stocks found on the South-East Continental Shelf? Through historical catch records and archival resources, the history of the NSW Steam Trawl Industry from 1915 to 1961 is unfolded. This reveals that government initiatives played a surprisingly decisive role in founding and sustaining the industry. Also that early signs of depletion of stocks and overfishing happened within the first decade of the fishery and, in the case of flathead, overfishing was so severe that flathead biomass on the South-East Continental shelf was permanently reduced. The study furthermore reveals how the trawl industry was influenced by government policy, market conditions, war and fishing effort with little understanding of the marine resources which they relied on.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The value is based on NSW catch statistics for 2006/2007 by NSW Primary Industries, Fisheries and Aquaculture. See www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries/commercial/catch-statistics#NSW-reported-commercial-wild-harvest-for-2006-2007-by-fishery-including-gross-weight-%28tonnes%29-and-estimated-value-%28$%27000%29 (accessed 01.04.2011).

  2. 2.

    A complete list of all NSW based steam trawlers participating in the south-east trawl fishery can be found in Jacobsen (2010) Appendix 2.

  3. 3.

    Within 10 months of buying its first trawler, the company had paid off the trawler and was looking to expand its business. Over the next 2 years the company bought another former STI trawler and attempted to build a market for trawled fish in Melbourne, Victoria. On 22 October 1926 Coastal Trawling Company amalgamated with Red Funnel Fisheries Ltd.

  4. 4.

    The original price of SS Koraaga from Smith’s Dock Middleborough-in Tees, UK was £ 7,500. Additional costs of outfitting and delivering in Sydney amounted to £ 5,000. Sold in 1923 for £ 8,000.

  5. 5.

    SS Goorangai (1923), SS Charlie Cam (1925), SS Beryl II (1926), SS Camro (1927), SS Oliver Cam (1928), SS Alfie Cam (around 1929) and SS Mary Cam (around 1929).

  6. 6.

    SS Bar-ea-mul (1925), SS Dureenbee (1925), SS Goonambee (1926), SS Gunundaal (1926), SS Koraaga (1926), SS Millimumul (1926), SS Durraween (1928), and SS Goolgawai (1928).

  7. 7.

    As part of the HMAP-South East Australia a comprehensive study of data extracted from historic trawling logbooks have been done Neil Klaer to estimate absolute biomass trends. See Klaer (2006).

  8. 8.

    SS Alfie Cam, SS Beryl II, SS Goonambie, SS Mary Cam, SS Oliver Cam and SS Samuel Benbow.

  9. 9.

    A forth conventional trawler SS Mulloka was bought by Red Funnel around the same time.

  10. 10.

    In December 1951 fish was removed from price control.

  11. 11.

    SS Alfie Cam (built 1920), SS Beryl (built 1914), SS Goonambee (built 1917) SS Mary Cam (built 1918) and SS Olive Cam (built 1920).

  12. 12.

    SS Durraween (built 1918), SS Goolgwai (built 1918), SS Korowa (built 1919), SS Maldaana (built 1942), SS Matong (built 1944), SS Moona (built 1943), and SS Mulloka might not have been added to the fleet before 1955. SS Bar-ea-mul was scuttled in December 1950 after having been laid up for several years.

  13. 13.

    Formerly Downs Holdings Ltd.

  14. 14.

    Red Funnel Trawlers Ltd. continued to hold the lease to the premises on No 5 Wharf until the 1980s where the buildings were demolished as part of the Woolloomooloo harbour-front development. The company still exists but has ceased trading.

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Acknowledgments

The author wishes to thanks the participants at the HMAP-Asia workshop 2009, under the auspice of the Census of Marine life. Credit for funding my research goes to school of Geography and Environment, University of Tasmania. I am very grateful to Malcolm Tull and Joseph Christensen, Murdoch University, for valuable comments and help with the manuscript and to Kevin Rowling, Cronulla Fisheries Centre, DPI NSW, for his observations on fisheries research. Thanks also go to the following people for their advice and assistance: Elaine Stratford, University of Tasmania, Neil Klaer, CSIRO, René Taudal Poulsen, Copenhagen Business School, and Bo Poulsen, Aalborg University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rigsarkivet, the Danish State Archives, Rigsdagsgården 9, 1218, København K, Denmark

    Dr. Anne Lif Lund Jacobsen

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  1. Dr. Anne Lif Lund Jacobsen
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Correspondence to Anne Lif Lund Jacobsen .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Asia Research Centre, Murdoch University, Murdoch, West Australia, Australia

    Joseph Christensen

  2. School of Management and Governance, Murdoch University, Murdoch, West Australia, Australia

    Malcolm Tull

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Jacobsen, A. (2014). The NSW Steam Trawl Fishery on the South-East Continental Shelf of Australia, 1915–1961. In: Christensen, J., Tull, M. (eds) Historical Perspectives of Fisheries Exploitation in the Indo-Pacific. MARE Publication Series, vol 12. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8727-7_10

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