THE size of a fisherman’s catch is resting increasingly in the hands of mathematicians like Dr Norm Hall.

Recognised as one of Australia’s leading fisheries modellers, Dr Hall has over 30 years of experience in fisheries modelling and stock assessment.

Fishery models use mathematics to describe the biological processes of the fish and the interactions between fishers and the fish stock.

They enable researchers to predict the impact of fishing practices and events on the fish population and are commonly used to explore the consequences of alternative management strategies.

Dr Hall has recently joined the Murdoch University’s Centre for Fish and Fisheries Research, and will embark on a new research project that takes a holistic view of exploited fish stocks and their associated ecosystems, providing advice that will lead to sustainable management of these resources.

“Most modelling systems simply look at the fishers and the species that they target,” said Dr Hall.

“We will be focusing on the need for integrated manage-ment of these fisheries in order to meet the different needs of fishers, conservationists and the wider Australian community within a context of ecologically sustainable development.”

The project will use archived data stored at Murdoch University and fisheries data provided by Fisheries WA, and will focus on the wild fishery in the Peel-Harvey estuary in Western Australia.

The work will be undertaken in collaboration with the fisheries scientists at Fisheries WA.

Dr Hall believes that this five-year project, funded by the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, will lead to improved decisions for the management of fish stocks.

Through his new appointment at Murdoch, Dr Hall also hopes to empower postgraduate students in marine science by introducing them to more effective quantitative and statistical techniques.