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Coastal winds transport water masses and larval fish onshore or offshore which may influence estuarine recruitment, yet our understanding of the mechanism underlying this relationship is limited. Here, we combine datasets from a historical database of larval fish off southeast Australia with a high‐resolution atmospheric reanalysis model to show that normalised abundance of coastally spawned larvae increased with weak to moderate upwelling favourable winds 14 days prior to sampling. The increase in abundance may reflect increased nutrient and plankton availability for larval fish. Normalised larval abundance decreased following strong upwelling favourable winds but increased after onshore (downwelling favourable) winds, due to wind‐driven transport. By combining a commercial estuarine fisheries catch‐rate dataset (4 species, 8 estuaries, 10 years) and the high‐resolution atmospheric reanalysis model, we show that negative effects of upwelling favourable winds during the spawning period can be detected in lagged estuarine commercial fisheries catch rates (lagged by 2–8 years depending on species' growth rates), potentially representing the same mechanism proposed for larval fish. Upwelling favourable winds in the southeast Australian region have increased since 1850 while onshore winds have decreased, which may have reduced larval recruitment to estuaries. Coastal winds are likely an important factor for estuarine recruitment in the southeast Australian region and future research on the estuarine recruitment of fish should incorporate coastal winds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Droughts are likely to increase in frequency and severity with climate change, modifying the economic viability of inshore fisheries in regions of hydrological extreme. Variation in the revenue and profit associated with different mixtures of fishing methods between non-drought and drought conditions was examined for commercial fishing businesses in three estuarine and coastal systems in eastern Australia from 1997 to 2007. Mean monthly revenue decreased from 8 to 36% between non-drought and drought. Decreased mean monthly revenue was primarily attributed to reduced revenue generation from ocean prawn trawling (≥20%) and estuarine prawn trawling (≥34%) during drought. Fishing method diversity (measured by a modified form of the Shannon index) and mean monthly revenue were positively related; however, mean monthly profit decreased between non-drought and drought under a range of alternative cost scenarios. Reduced mean monthly profit was primarily attributed to losses from ocean prawn trawling (≥15%) and estuarine prawn trawling (≥30%) during drought. Although diversified harvesting behaviour increased revenue generation, initial results indicated that this marginal economic benefit could have been compromised by the greater costs associated with the increased diversification which reduced overall profitability. Results of this analysis indicated that the commercial fishing sector is a drought-affected industry in New South Wales. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Commercial catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) data from nine estuaries were related to hydrological variation in eastern Australia. Relationships between drought declaration, rainfall, freshwater flow and fisheries catch rates were assessed from 1997 to 2007. Estuaries varied from 0.5 to 2.0×106 ML of mean freshwater inflow per annum. Monthly CPUE data from gillnetting were used to infer the abundance of yellowfin bream (Acanthropagrus australis), dusky flathead (Platycephalus fuscus), luderick (Girella tricuspidata), sand whiting (Sillago ciliata) and sea mullet (Mugil cephalus). CPUE for all species examined, except yellowfin bream, increased in proportion to freshwater flow and decreased during periods of drought. Freshwater flow may affect CPUE by stimulating migration and schooling due to salinity fluctuations altering habitat availability. Minimum and maximum flows were important determinants of CPUE. Freshwater flow per se may not be as important in influencing CPUE as extremes in the hydrological continuum. Seasonal flows were consistently the most important aspect of the flow regime that explained the highest proportion of variability in CPUE. Seasonal freshwater pulses proximate to critical reproductive periods may influence catchability by triggering seaward spawning migrations in estuarine-dependent fish. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]