R. Watson, J. E. Mellors, (1990). “General Introduction.,” Torres Strait prawn project: A review of research 1986-88 (Queensland Fisheries, Brisbane, Australia). Chapter 1.
Torres Strait is a tropical body of water lying between the tip of the Cape York peninsula and the south coast of Papua New Guinea and bordered on the east and west by the Coral Sea and Arafura Sea respectively (Figure 1 ). The strait is shallow, usually less than 15 m deep. It extends 100 km north-south and 20 to 60 km east-west (Wolanski 1986). This region has extensive coral reefs, numerous coral cays and some continental islands. There are more than 70 islands throughout the Straits’ 8 000 km2 sea area. Seventeen of these are inhabited by Islander communities (Bain 1986). The largest reefs in Torres Strait are the Warrior Reefs which extend for 65 km roughly north-south, bisecting the region and separating the Coral Sea to the east from the Arafura Sea to the west. Torres Strait is separated from the deeper waters of the Coral Sea by a ribbon of reefs which are a continuation of the outer Great Barrier Reef. Immediately to the east of the Warrior Reefs is the Great North East Channel. This channel is 20-40 m deep and continues as far as Papua New Guinea making it important as an international shipping route. It is this region where most of the Torres Strait fisheries are located (Anon. 1987a).