Understanding the demography and stock structure of Victorian pipis

Victoria’s commercial pipi fishery has experienced rapid growth (e.g. from 1 tonne harvested at Discovery Bay in 2008/09 to 90 tonnes in 2013/14). In 2017, the Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) approved the expansion of the commercial pipi fishery along most of Victoria’s coastline, providing commercial fishers a great opportunity to develop a sustainable and profitable industry. However, Victorian pipi fisheries are potentially vulnerable to local harvest-induced depletion. Previous work indicates that Australian pipi stocks consist of two large, reproductively isolated, groupings occurring on Australia’s east and south coasts. However, information on more relevant finer-scale stock structures is currently lacking. Information on local-scale pipi abundance, reproductive characteristics and size structure of pipis provides is essential to set sustainable catch rates. This investment will determine the spatial and temporal patterns in harvestable pipi biomass, the recruitment potential of individual stocks, and connectivity / genetic stock structuring among Victorian populations. This will identify pipi populations that can sustain ongoing commercial harvest, and those that are vulnerable to over-exploitation to inform the setting of objective and informed catch quotas.