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Government of Western Australia - Department of Fisheries

Glossary - L

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Larvae (larva)
The immature form of animals which undergo metamorphosis (a change in form) before becoming a juvenile or adult.

Latent effort
Fishing effort that is not currently deployed in a fishery (i.e. where there are vessels that are entitled to fish in a particular fishery, but for a variety of reasons have so far chosen not to fish in the fishery).  If this latent effort is relatively large and becomes ‘active’, it may be sufficient to move the fishery from sustainable to unsustainable status.

Lateral
The region of the body that is along the side of an organism.

Lateral line
A line along the sides of a fish connecting to pressure sensitive nerves that enable the fish to detect vibrations in the water.

Lecithotrophic
Larvae that do not feed, but rather derive nutrition from yolk

Leeuwin Current
Warm ocean current that flows southward along the west and south coast of Australia.

Legal size
Size (usually a minimum length) at which it is legal to catch and keep a fish.

Length
Measurement of distance along the longest dimension of an object, e.g., from end to end.

LFB
Licensed Fishing Boat

Licence condition
The ability to fish in certain fisheries (such as the estuarine fishery), or to use certain fishing gear (such as power-operated net haulers or fish traps), or to take certain species of fish (such as mud crabs), as regulated by conditions on fishing boat licences.

Licensed Fishing Area
Diagrammatic representation of current Department of Fisheries legislation for fishing and fishing activities.

Life-cycle
Development of an organism from egg to adult state.

Limestone
A sedimentary rock consisting mainly of calcium carbonate that formed from the remains of marine animals.

Limited entry fishery
A fishery where the number of operators is restricted to control the amount of fishing effort; frequently involves controls on the number and size of vessels, and conditions relating to the transfer of fishing rights or the replacement of vessels.

Limpet
A mollusc with a tent-shaped shell which clings tightly to rocks.

Line fishing
A general term used for a range of fishing methods that employ fishing lines on one form or another.  It includes handlines, hand reels, powered reels, pole and line, droplines, longlines and troll lines.

Line transect
A straight line placed on the ground along which ecological measurements are taken.

Lithosphere
The outermost shell of a rocky planet. On Earth, it comprises the crust and the portion of the upper mantle that behaves elastically on time scales of thousands of years or greater.

Litter
Rubbish carelessly dropped or left about, especially in public places.

Liver
An organ that aids in digestion and removes waste products.

Locomotion
Movement

Logbook
An official record of catch and effort data kept by fishers.

Long lines
Used in aquaculture, particularly for growing of mussels an pearl oysters, where a rope is hung in the water for grow out and for the collection of seeds.

Longline fishing
A fishing technique where long lengths of rope or nylon (sometimes several kilometres) are set with multiple baited hooks.

Longshore drift
The transportation of sediments along a coast at an angle to the shoreline, which is dependent on prevailing wind direction, swash and backwash.

Lunar cycle
The cycle of the waxing and waning of the moon.

Lure
Artificial bait, designed to look like food or get an aggressive response from a fish.

 

Last modified: 16/11/2012 3:25 PM

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The information and advice provided by the Department of Fisheries website is made in good faith and is from sources believed to be reliable and accurate at the time of release onto the website. Changes in circumstances after a document is placed on the website may affect the accuracy of the information. Full disclaimer details are available at www.fish.wa.gov.au.