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Billfish species (families Istiophoridae and Xiphiidae) are caught in artisanal, recreational, and commercial fisheries throughout the Western Indian Ocean region. However, data and information on the interactions among these fisheries and the ecology of billfish in the WIO are not well understood. Using an in-depth analysis of peer-reviewed articles, grey literature, observation studies, and authors' insider knowledge, we summarize the current state of knowledge on billfish fisheries in 10 countries. To describe historical and current trends, we examined fisheries statistics from governmental and non-governmental agencies, sportfishing clubs' reports, diaries of sportfishing captains, and the catch and effort databases of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission. We highlight two key points. First, billfish fisheries in the Western Indian Ocean are highly diverse, comprising two distinct segments-coastal and oceanic. However, data are poor for most countries with significant gaps in information especially for sport and artisanal fisheries. Second, the evidence assembled showed that billfish species have immense social, cultural, and economic value. Swordfish are targeted by both large-scale and semi-industrial fisheries, while other billfish species, particularly marlin, are highly sought after by sport fisheries in most countries. Our paper provides a comprehensive review of billfish fisheries and available information in the context of the WIO underscoring the need to strengthen data collection and reporting, citizen science, and collaborative sustainable development and management of billfish.

* Fisheries regulators rely on a culture of compliance to encourage adherence to fisheries legislation and regulations. * Fisheries management mechanisms are routinely adopted to prevent non-compliance. * Literature reveals a common culture of non-compliance across geographic locations and fisheries. * Results are drawn from a study of 945 participants to understand the culture of compliance among West Australian fishers. * Results improve understanding of non-compliance for this inshore fishery and how responses can encourage a compliant culture.

Giant dogtooth tuna becomes shark bait.

An increase in sharks bite-offs warrants an expansion of Western Australia's commercial shark fishery, Shooters and Fishers MP Rick MAZZA says.

An increase in sharks bite-offs warrants an expansion of Western Australia's commercial shark fishery, Shooters and Fishers MP Rick MAZZA says.

Two Perth fishermen catch hammerhead shark off Geraldton beach.

Mandurah Crabbing Goes To A Whole New Level.

Sowing seeds for snapper habitat.

Brisbane, Fast, First: Angler catches rare sawfish off Queensland coast.

No-take marine reserves are often located in remote locations far away from human activity, limiting perceived impact on extractive users but also reducing their use for investigating impacts of fishing. This study aimed to establish a benchmark in the distribution of fished species across the Ningaloo Marine Park - Commonwealth (NMP-Commonwealth), and adjacent comparable habitats within the Ningaloo Marine Park - State (NMP-State), in Western Australia to test if there was evidence of an effect of recreational fishing, as no commercial fishing is allowed within either marine park. We also examined whether the remote location of the newly established (2018) No-take Zone (NTZ), in NMP-Commonwealth, limits its use for studying the effects of fishing. Throughout the NMP-Commonwealth and NMP-State, where recreational fishing is permitted, we expected the abundance of recreationally fished fish species to increase with increasing distance to the nearest boat ramp, as a proxy of recreational fishing effort. Conversely, we did not expect the abundance of non-fished species and overall species richness to vary in response to the proxy for human activity. Distance to the nearest boat ramp was found to be a strong predictor of fished species abundance, indicating that the effect of recreational fishing can be detected across the NMP-Commonwealth. The effect of the NTZ on fished species abundance was weakly positive, but this difference across the NTZ is expected to increase over time. Habitat composition predictors were only found to influence species richness and non-fished species abundance. This study suggests a clear footprint of recreational fishing across the NMP-Commonwealth and as a result the new NTZ, despite its remote location, can act as a control in future studies of recreational fishing effects.

New laws protect weedy sea dragons.

In a world first, researchers at The University of Western Australia have quantified the number of shark bite-offs of recreationally caught fish in the Ningaloo region.