review of the scope, assessment methods and management
TRANSCRIPT
FRDC ESD Reporting and Assessment SubprogramPublication No 19
FRDC 2004101June 2008
Helen Webb and Tony Smith
Review of the scope assessment methods and management responses for Fisheries ESD and EBFM in Australia
Author Webb Helen Title Review of the scope assessment methods and management responses for fisheries ESD and EBFM in Australia Helen Webb Tony Smith ISBN 9781921232916 (hbk) Series FRDC Report 2004101 Notes Bibliography Subjects Fishery management--Australia Fisheries--Environmental aspects--Australia Sustainable fisheries--Australia Fishes--Conservation--Australia Marine ecosystem management--Australia Other AuthorsContributors Smith Tony (Anthony David Milne) 1954- Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (Australia) CSIRO Dewey Number 333956170994 copy Fisheries Research and Development Corporation and Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (2008) This work is copyright Except as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth) no part of this publication may be reproduced by any process electronic or otherwise without the specific written permission of the copyright owners Neither may information be stored electronically in any form whatsoever without such permission
The Fisheries Research and Development Corporation plans invests in and manages fisheries research and development throughout Australia It is a statutory authority within the portfolio of the federal Minister for Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry jointly funded by the Australian Government and the fishing industry
Formatteddesigned by [Lousie Bell CSIRO CMAR Hobart Tasmania] Printed by Print Applied Technology Pty Ltd Hobart Tasmania
CONTENTS
ACRONYMS
NON TECHNICAL SUMMARY 71 FRDC Proposal 2004101 74 Review of the scope assessment methods and management responses for Fisheries ESD and EBFM in Australia 74
Background 74 Need 75 Objectives 75 Methods 76 Results 76 Benefits 76 Intellectual property 77 Staff 77
SUMMARY OF REVIEW 78 Introduction 78 Methods 79 Review summary 710 1 A snapshot of experience and approaches since the last review from 1998 to 2006 710
11 Implications and recommendations from the ESD Review 1998 710 12 Work undertaken by ESD subprogram since 1998 review 711 13 Governance and the responses to key issues 714
2 Review of the strategic assessment methods under EPBC Act and management approaches 715
21 Strategic assessment process under the EPBC Act 715 22 Management approach adopted by the fisheries agencies 717
3 Review of the management responses to ESD and EBFM 718
31 The ESDEBFM Survey 718 32 How fisheries management responses have changed with regard to ESDEBFM from 1998-2006 719
33 The status of fisheries management responses to ESDEBFM in 2006 720 34 Further development needs over the next six years from 2006 to 2012 to facilitate the implementation of ESDEBFM 722
40 Recommendations for the most appropriate next steps 725
1 DESKTOP REVIEW OF THE SCOPE OF ESD AND EBFM IN AUSTRALIA 730 11 ESDEBMEBFM review of international agreements policies and defining documents 730
111 Ecological Sustainable Development (ESD) 730
112 Ecosystem Based Management (EBM) the concept 730 113 Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management (EBFM) 731
12 EBFM and other similar approaches to address broader ecosystem issues for fisheries 739
121 Integrated Coastal Management and Large Marine Ecosystems Management 740 122 Multiple Use Management 740 123 Integrated catchment management ndash from land to sea 741 124 Environmental management systems 741 125 Codes of conductpractice 742 126 Accreditation schemes 742 127 Co-management and consultation mechanisms (government agencies industry fisheries) 743 128 ESD subprogram approach to Ecosystem Based Management (EBM) and other related systems 744
13 ESDEBFM in Australia a national response 745 131 Australia regional and bilateral responses 745 132 Australia national response 746 133 NSESD 1992 747 134 Australiarsquos Exclusive Economic Zone (1994) 747 135 Australiarsquos Ocean Policy 748 136 Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999 751 137 Looking to the future a review of Commonwealth fisheries policy 753 138 Ministerrsquos announcement for Securing our Fishing Future package for Commonwealth fisheries (2005) 753 139 AFMArsquos response to the Ministerrsquos directive 758 1310 Capability and capacity building 759
14 Fisheries policy initiatives and mitigation measures 762 141 Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry 762 142 The Department of the Environment Water Heritage and the Arts 766
15 Australian fisheries management 769 151 AFMA Commonwealth fisheries 769 152 State and Territory fisheries 771 153 EBFM key fisheries management concepts 772
2 REVIEW OF THE ASSESSMENT METHODS OF ESD AND EBFM IN AUSTRALIA 795 21 Review of fishery assessment reports by fishery agencies and by DEWHA for Strategic Assessments under the EPBC Act 795
211 Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999 795 212 Review of State and Commonwealth submissions to DEWHA 796 New South Wales fisheries 797 Northern Territory fisheries 799 Queensland fisheries 7101 South Australian fisheries 7103 Tasmanian fisheries 7105 Victorian fisheries 7107 Western Australian fisheries 7109 Commonwealth fisheries 7112
213 DEWHA Assessment of fisheries 7115 22 Review and report on the major issues raised from the EPBC strategic assessment process for ESD and EBFM 7117
221 Background 7117 222 Review of the first round of EPBC assessment process 7117 MCCN Survey 7117 223 AFMFDEWHA review lessons learnt and possible future directions 7121 224 Reassessments AFMFDEWHA working group 7125
23 AFMF national research priorities for 2006-08 7125 231 Background 7125 232 National fisheries management research priorities 2006 to 2008 7126
3 REVIEW OF THE MANAGEMENT RESPONSES TO ESD AND EBFM IN AUSTRALIA 7128 31 The ESDEBFM Survey 7128
311 Background 7128 312 Technical 7129 313 Limitations on interpreting results 7129
32 Summary of survey results ndash Section 2 7129 321 Progress towards incorporating ESDEBFM operational measures into policy planning legislation and management arrangements for environmental economic social and governance components 7129 322 Indications of where performance indicators and benchmarks wereare being used for environmental economic social and governance components 7131 323 Levels of confidence in managing the environmental economic social and governance components under ESDEBFM principles 7133
33 Section 3 Survey results 7136 331 Use of assessment and management tools 8136 332 Usefulness of current ESDEBFM reporting frameworks 8137 333 Issues of fitoverlapduplication between fishery policy initiatives bioregional plans Commonwealth and State processes 8139
34 Section 4 survey results 8142 341 The key issueschallenges for implementation of ESDEBFM (environmental economic social governance) 8142 342 What management and assessment tools will need to be available and in routine use by 2012 (environmental economic social governance) 8143 343 Possible bottlenecks for successful implementation of ESDEBFM 8145 344 Cost implications of implementing ESDEBFM for fisheries (both time and money) 8146 345 The data analysis research and decision support needs to properly implement ESDEBFM 8148
35 Section 5 Survey results 8151 351 Recommendations to better achieve ESDEBFM for fisheries in Australia 8151 352 Other comments concerns issues or suggestions concerning the implementation of ESDEBFM 8152
REFERENCES 8154
APPENDIX A REVIEW OF THE ASSESSMENT METHODS OF ESD AND EBFM IN AUSTRALIA 8159
EPBC The structure of the Act 8159 Biodiversity conservation 8159 Enforcement and administration 8159 Environmental assessment and approval 8160 ESD Reporting and review 8160 Enforcement 8160
EPBC Principles and objectives 8161 Principle 1 8161 Principle 2 8162
Assessment of Fisheries 8164 Accreditation Benchmarks for the Environmental Assessment of Fisheries 8165 Terms of Reference for Environmental Assessment of Fisheries 8165 Fishery agency submissions and DEWHA assessments 8168 State Fisheries 8170 New South Wales Fisheries 8170 The NSW Abalone Fishery an example 8171 Part 1 NSW DPI Submission to DEWHA (September 2005) 8171
NSW DPI submission to DEWHA in more detail 8172 Legislation Acts 8173 Management 8173 Assessment 8175 Monitoring and Performance 8178 Reporting 8181 Research 8181 Consultation 8182 Supporting documentsreports (NSW DPI) 8183 References 8183
Part 2 DEWHA Assessment Abalone Fishery 8184 Northern Territory Fisheries assessments 8188 NT Spanish Mackerel Fishery an example 8188 Part 1 NT DPIFM submission to DEWHA (May 2002) 8188
NT DPIFW Submission to DEWHA in more detail 8189 Legislation Acts 8189 Management 8190 Assessment 8191 Monitoring performance indicators and trigger points 8192 Reporting 8195 Research 8195 Consultation 8197 Supporting documentsreports (NT DPIFM) 8197 References 8197 Part 2 DEWHA assessment of the NT Spanish Mackerel Fishery 8198
Queensland fisheries 8201 The QLD Coral Reef Fin Fish Fishery an example 8201
Part 1 QLD DPI submission to DEWHA (19 July 2005) 8201 QLD (DPI) submission to DEWHA in more detail 8203 Legislation Acts 8203 Management 8204 Assessment 8207 TEP 8209 Monitoring and Performance 8210 Reporting 8212 Research 8213 Consultation 8214 Supporting documentsreports (QLD DPI) 8215 References 8215 Part 2 DEWHA Assessment of the QLD Coral Reef Fin Fish Fishery 8216
South Australian fisheries 8220 The SA Lakes and Coorong Fishery an example 8220 Part 1 SA PIRSA submission to DEWHA (September 2005) 8220
SA (PIRSA) submission to DEWHA in more detail 8222 Legislation Acts 8222 Management 8222 Assessment 8226 Monitoring and performance 8229 Reporting 8244 Research 8245 Consultation 8245 Supporting documentationreports 8246 References 8246
Part 2 DEWHA assessment SA Lakes and Coorong fishery 8248 Tasmanian fisheries 8251 The Tasmanian Giant Crab Fishery an example 8251 Part 1 TAS (DPIW) submission to DEWHA (April 2006) 8251
TAS (DIPW) submission to DEWHA in more detail 8253 Legislation Acts 8253 Management 8253 Assessment 8256 Monitoring 8260 Reporting 8262 Research 8263 Consultation 8263 Reportssupporting documentation 8264 References 8264
Part 2 DEWHA Assessment Giant Crab Fishery Department of the Environment and Heritage assessment report (July 2006)helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip 8266 Victorian fisheries 8270 The VIC Abalone Fishery an example 9270 Part 1 VIC (DPI) submission to DEWHA (April 2001) 9270
VIC (DPI) submission to DEWHA in more detail 9272 Legislation Acts 9272 Management 9272 Assessment 9274 Monitoring and performance 9277 Reporting 9283
Research (source Victorian Abalone Fishery Management Plan (March 2002) 9283 Consultation 9284 Supporting documentsreports (VIC DPI) 9285 References 9285
Part 2 DEWHA Assessment 9286 Western Australian Fisheries 9289 The WA Fisheries Western Rock Lobster Fishery an example 9289 Part 1 WA fisheries submissions to DEWHA (October 2001) 9289
WA Fisheries submission to DEWHA in more detail 9291 Legislation Acts 9292 Management 9293 Assessment 9295 Monitoring and performance 9297
OVERVIEW TABLE examples 9299 Reporting 9303 Research 9304 Consultation 9305 Supporting documentsreports 9306 References 9307
Part 2 DEWHA Assessment 9308 Commonwealth fisheries 9312 AFMA Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery an example 9313 Part 1 Commonwealth (AFMA) submission to DEWHA 9313
AFMA submission to DEWHA in more detail 9314 Legislation 9314 Management 9315
Assessment 9323 Monitoring and performance 9325 Reporting 9329 Research 9329 Consultation 9332 Supporting documents and reports 9333 References 9333
Part 2 DEWHA assessment of the fishery 9334
APPENDIX B REVIEW OF THE MANAGEMENT RESPONSES TO ESD AND EBFM IN AUSTRALIA 9341
Survey analysis and results 9341 The ESDEBFM Survey 9341 Section 2 Survey results 9342 Section 3 Survey results 9353 Section 4 Survey results 9362 Section 5 Survey results 9371 Nominated Participants by jurisdiction invited to participate in the Survey 9377 ESDEBFM Survey Questions 9380
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 9387
ACRONYMS
ABARE Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics AFMA Australian Fisheries Management Authority AFMF Australian Fisheries Management Forum AFZ Australian Fishing Zone ALGA Australian Local Government Association AMCS Australian Marine Conservation Society BAPs Bycatch Action Plans BRS Bureau of Rural Science BSCZSF Bass Strait Central Zone Scallop Fishery CAR Comprehensive Adequate and Representative CBD Convention on Biological Diversity
CCAMLR Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources
CCI Coastal Catchments Initiative CCSBT Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna CFA Commercial Fishers Association CMR Commonwealth Marine Reserves CPUE Catch Per Unit Effort CSA Canadian Standards Association CSIRO Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation DAFF Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry DEWHA Department of the Environment Water Heritage and the Arts DoFWA Department of Fisheries Western Australia DPI Department of Primary Industries DPIampF Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries EA Ecosystem Approach EAF Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries EBFM Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management EBM Ecosystem Based Management ECDZ East Coast Deepwater Zone EEZ Exclusive Economic Zone EIAs Environmental Impact Assessments EIS Environmental Impact Statements EMA Ecosystem Management Approach EMAS European Eco-Management and Audit Scheme EMS Environmental Management System EPAP Ecosystem Principles Advisory Panel EPBC Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation ERACF Ecological Risk Assessment for Commonwealth Fisheries ERAs Ecological Risk Assessments ERM Ecological Risk Management ESD Ecologically Sustainable Development ESDRA Ecologically Sustainable Development Reporting and Assessment FAO UN Food and Agriculture Organisation FEPs Fisheries Ecosystem Plans FFA Forum Fisheries Agency FMCs Fishery Management Committees FMPs Fishery Management Plans FMS Fishery Management Strategy FRABs Fisheries Research Advisory Board
FRDC Fisheries Research and Development Corporation FRRF Fisheries Resource Research Fund FV Fisheries Victoria GABTF Great Australian Bight Trawl Fishery GHATF Gillnet Hook and Trap Fishery GIS Geographical Information Systems HSMPAs High Seas Marine Protected Areas ICAG Intergovernmental Coastal Advisory Group ICM Integrated Coastal Management ICZM Integrated Coastal Zone Management IISD International Institute for Sustainable Development IMCRA Integrated Marine and Coastal Regionalisation for Australia IOM Integrated Oceans Management IOTC Indian Ocean Tuna Commission IPOA International Plans of Action ISO International Organisation for Standardisation ITQs Individual Transferable Quotas LME Large Marine Ecosystems MACC Marine and Coastal Committee MACs Management Advisory Committees MCCN Marine and Coastal Community Network MPAs Marine Protected Areas MSC Marine Stewardship Council MSE Management Strategy Evaluation MSY Maximum sustainable Yield MUM Multiple Use Management NES National Environmental Significance NGOs Non Government Organisations NPF Northern Prawn Fishery NPOA National Plans of Action NRMMC National Resource Management Ministerial Council NRMSC National Resource Management Standing Committees NRPPC The Natural Resource Policies and Programs Committee NRSMPA National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas NSESD NationalStrategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development NSSG National Seal Strategy Group NWQMS 0National Water Quality Management Strategy OCS Offshore Consitutional Settlement OSY Optimum sustainable Yield RAGs Research Assessment Groups RFBs Regional Fisheries Boards RSPs Regional Seas Programs SAGs Scientific Advisory Groups SCFA Standing Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture SEA Strategic Environmental Assessments SESSF Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery SETF South East Trawl Fishery SoE State of the Environment SPREP South Pacific Regional Environment Programme TAC Total Allowable Catch TAE Total Allowable Effort TAPs Threat Abatement Plans TEPs Threatened Endangered and Protected species
UNCED United Nations Conference on Environment and Development UNCLOSC United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea UNFSA United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement VIT Victorian Inshore Trawl VMS Vessel Monitoring Systems WCPFC Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission WECD World Commission on Environment and Development WRL Western Rock Lobster WSSD World Summit on Sustainable Development WTO Wildlife Trade Operations WWF World Wildlife Fund
NonTechnical Summary 1
NON TECHNICAL SUMMARY
Review of the scope assessment methods and management responses for Fisheries Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) and Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management (EBFM) in Australia Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) Report 2004101 Principal Investigator Helen Webb Research Scientist CSIRO Division of Marine Research GPO Box 1538 Hobart TAS 7001 Tel 03 6232 5003 Fax 03 6232 5053 Objectives 1 Compare and contrast the scope principles and criteria of fisheries ESD
and EBFM
2 Review and report on the major issues raised from the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) strategic assessment process for ESD and EBFM and implications for research and development
3 Review the recent developments in fishery assessment methods indicators and benchmarks used in Fisheries ESDEBFM assessments and their state of development and develop agreed directions on future assessment processes by end users (ie fishery regulators and DEWHA)
4 Review the response by fishery management agencies and Fisheries Research Advisory Board (FRABs) to the fisheries ESDEBFM assessment methods their status development and future directions and identify gaps and implications for research and development
5 Identify possible bottlenecks for implementation and cost implications to fisheries
6 Develop and deliver presentations and lsquoplain Englishrsquo written summaries of the results of the review to Commonwealth and State fisheries depts and other relevant Commonwealth agencies
Background In 1997 the FRDC Board initiated a review of ESD application across jurisdictions (FRDC Project 98168) and later worked with the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture (SCFA) to develop a national approach to ESD in fisheries Following on from this project the FRDC Board suggested that a national review be conducted of the scope assessment methods and management responses for Fisheries ESD and EBFM and to clarify understanding of the relationship between fisheries ESD and other similar approaches or terms This review would provide an opportunity to repeat the national lsquosnapshotrsquo of experience and approaches across jurisdictions (provided by Project 98168) for the period from 1998 to 2006
2
Summary of Implications and Recommendations for Research and Development A key finding of this study is a widespread view that there is an ongoing need for a national forum to coordinate approaches to EBFM Such a national forum should bring together a range of stakeholders involved in the development and implementation of EBFM including fishery managers industry environmental agencies and Non Government Organisations (NGOs) and various disciplinary experts The need for and focus of such a national forum is categorised under the following four headings
Coordination and consistency
The need for improvements in coordination and consistency in approach across fisheries jurisdictions and departments was a key finding of this review
bull Apply to the extent possible a consistent approach to EBFM across all jurisdictions to coordinate management of shared resources and cumulative impacts and to assist in national reporting
bull Coordinate and collaborate across fisheries and between jurisdictions to optimise research and development costs and time
bull Integrate and streamline where possible processes and reporting requirements to overcome the identified issues of fit overlap and duplication
bull Identify regional marine planning (State and Commonwealth) requirements and explore whether it would be worthwhile to amend current ESDEBFM reporting frameworks to accommodate these needs and
bull Work with Department of the Environment Water Heritage and the Arts (DEWHA) to ensure fisheries-relevant and consistent approaches to strategic assessments
Tools development
There are considerable variations in use of assessment and management tools by ESD components and variations within and between jurisdictions in use of assessment and management tools
bull Develop a plan for further development of indicators and reference points focusing first on those areas where least progress has been made The general pattern for application use and confidence by component from highest to lowest was
- target species - byproduct bycatch TEPs species and governance as a group - habitats ecosystemscommunities and economic as a group - social component
bull Develop a suite of tools (tool box) for monitoring assessment and decision support spanning from rapid qualitative methods through to full quantitative approaches and
NonTechnical Summary 3
bull Clarify why there is a difference in perception between researchers and managers on the adoption of tools for EBFM
Resources and capacity
A key issuechallenge for implementation of ESDEBFM across all jurisdictions is the need for adequate resources (funding and people) and data analysis research and decision support
bull Identify efficient and cost-effective solutions to address data information research and decision support needs and
bull Provide a framework that allows effective prioritisation across competing demands for resources to support implementation of ESDEBFM
Training and communication
Closely linked to capacity is the need for education and training for fisheries managers industry and researchers to enable them to develop a set of skills that better match the expected roles and responsibilities necessary for implementing EBFM
bull Expand existing training programs both at tertiary level and for current fisheries managers peak bodies and advisory groups to meet specific needs of implementing ESDEBFM and
bull Build on lessons learned from ESD Sub-program to improve communication of principles and practice of ESDEBFM
Implementation of these recommendations would require careful coordination at two levels First the continuation of a high level national process and forum involving key stakeholders in policy management industry environmental NGOs and key government agencies Second a smaller adequately resourced and more dedicated team tasked with implementation and coordination of key recommendations Such an approach is most likely to address the issue of consistency of processes and approaches within and between jurisdictions make best use of limited funding for the development of tools and meeting data and research needs identify capacity shortfalls and bottlenecks and create a coherent way forward within realistic timeframes
4
FRDC Proposal 2004101
Review of the scope assessment methods and management responses for Fisheries ESD and EBFM in Australia
Background
There has been increasing focus and emphasis on the ecological sustainability of human development including development involving fisheries in the last several decades However in the last decade a potentially confusing range of different names and concepts are being used to describe and guide this The concept and term sustainable development originated in the World Commission on Environment and Development (1984-1987) and meant development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs In Australia this concept was elaborated in the early 1990s and adopted as Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) The principles of ESD have been agreed on by all governments in Australia through the Intergovernmental Agreement on the Environment They are included in the fisheries management legislation of all Australian jurisdictions and they are the basis of assessments of fisheries under the Australian Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC) In the last few years however individual nations and international agreements that include Australia have developed different names and approaches to address sustainable development and to ensure that broad ecological considerations are included in fishery management For example the Ecosystem Principles Advisory Panel (EPAP1999) provided definitions and principles for Ecosystem Based Fishery Management (EBFM) and this term is widely used internationally and by environmental NGOs (eg World Wildlife Fund (WWF) 2002) The Reykjavik Declaration on Responsible Fisheries in the Marine Ecosystem (2002) endorsed the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF) and the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO 2003) provided agreed definitions and guidance on EAF for fishery management plans and implementation The approaches developed through implementation of Australiarsquos Oceans Policy emphasise the Ecosystem Based Management (EBM) as providing the goals of management and Integrated Oceans Management (IOM) as providing the mechanisms and governance for management The Marine and Coastal Committee is currently developing nationally agreed goals and frameworks for IOM in both coastal and oceanic regions including in a fisheries context the integrated management of different fisheries in the same region So in relation to fisheries management the terms ESD EBFM EAF EBM and IOM are all in active circulation and there is both actual and potential confusion about exactly how they relate or differ
Against this background Australia now has considerable experience with reporting assessment and management of fisheries against ESD objectives In 1997 the FRDC Board initiated a review of ESD application across jurisdictions (FRDC Project 98168) and later worked with the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture (SCFA) to develop a national approach to ESD in fisheries As a result a major project was established (FRDC Project 2000145) to develop and road-test a national ESD reporting framework and methodology The road-test involved fisheries from all jurisdictions and all of the major fishery types The ESD Reporting project (Project
FRDC proposal 5
2000145) has developed and made available a number of products including a reporting framework and a lsquohow torsquo guide (see wwwfisheries-esdcom) on its use The approach has been used by several Australian fishery jurisdictions particularly Western Australia and the Marine and Coastal Committee (MACC) recently endorsed the method for use A follow up project (FRDC 2002086) was funded to develop a project to turn the reporting framework into an assessment framework
The resulting proposal ldquoNational ESD in fisheries ndash integration and assessmentrdquo was submitted but not funded Instead the FRDC Board suggested that a national review be conducted of the scope methods and management responses in relation to the experience with ESD assessments and to clarify understanding of the relationship between fisheries ESD and other similar approaches or terms This suggested review would provide an opportunity to repeat the national lsquosnapshotrsquo of experience approaches and intentions provided by Project 98168 but with a great deal more experience to review
Need
In the past about six years there has been a huge investment in developing and conducting ESD reports and assessments and in management actions to implement fisheries ESD This includes ESD reporting assessment and management by the fishery agency in each jurisdiction and from the ESD assessments conducted by the Department of the Environment Water Heritage and the Arts (DEWHA) to implement the EPBC Act Many approaches have been tried and many fisheries have been involved While this experience is somewhat scattered it provides practical guidance about the scope of fisheries ESD the assessment methods the indicators and benchmarks the management responses the research and development needs and response and bottlenecks to progress in implementation In addition the last few years has seen a proliferation of names and concepts develop in relation to addressing the broader ecosystem issues of fisheries
Fisheries agencies individually and collectively through the MACC and the Australian Fisheries Management Forum are seeking clarity on the scope of fisheries ESD in relation to other concepts and terms that bring broader ecosystem considerations into fisheries And they are actively considering the most appropriate next steps in the evolution and achievement of ESD be it consolidation on some or all of the current approaches andor development of new approaches The project proposed here will review the current experience to inform that decision making
Objectives
1 Compare and contrast the scope principles and criteria of fisheries ESD and EBFM
2 Review and report on the major issues raised from the EPBC strategic assessment process for ESD and EBFM and implications for research and development
3 Review the recent developments in fishery assessment methods indicators and benchmarks used in Fisheries ESDEBFM assessments and their state of development and develop agreed directions on future assessment processes by end users (ie fishery regulators and DEWHA)
6
4 Review the response by fishery management agencies and FRABs to the fisheries ESDEBFM assessment methods their status development and future directions and identify gaps and implications for research and development
5 Identify possible bottlenecks for implementation and cost implications to fisheries
6 Develop and deliver presentations and lsquoplain Englishrsquo written summaries of the results of the review to Commonwealth and State fisheries depts and other relevant Commonwealth agencies
Methods
1 Desktop review of the scope of ESD and EBFM in Australia Review of international and national agreements policies and defining documents Review concepts and approaches in Commonwealth and State fisheries departments and other relevant Commonwealth agencies (eg DEWHA) Outcomes from the desktop review will be documented 2 Desktop review of the assessment methods of ESD and EBFM in Australia Review of Strategic Assessments under the EPBC Act Fishery assessment reports by fishery agencies submitted to DEWHA Assessment by DEWHA of the fishery submissions and the Ministerial decision conditions and recommendations Outcomes from the desktop review will be documented 3 Review of the management responses to ESD and EBFM in Australia Review of fishery management agency research agency and FRDC responses The review would be on the basis of compiling and reviewing the key documentation and a survey Identify a possible strategic approach to achieve EBFM for fisheries in Australia Outcomes from the desktop review and survey will be documented
Results
During the course of the project the consultation processes with the ESD subprogram as key end users will include presentingproviding reports to the ESD subprogram atfor their steering committee meetings to facilitate sign off on the final product Presentations will be made to all relevant agencies Drafts of the final report will be provided to all fishery regulatory agencies and DEWHA for review comment and agreement including specific recommendations for inclusion in the final report Final presentations and written material will be made available through the ESD subprogram website
Benefits
Improved understanding of the status approach and application of EBFM in all of Australiarsquos jurisdictions Commonwealth states and territories Provide clarity on the scope of fisheries ESD and EBFM and in relation to other concepts and terms that bring broader ecosystem considerations into fisheries and an understanding of the fishery management response to ESD and EBFM nationally and in each jurisdiction and the flow of benefits to all Commonwealth and State and Territory fisheries
FRDC proposal 7
Intellectual property
There is no owned intellectual property in this report
Staff
Principal Investigator Helen Webb Scientist EBFM Tony Smith Senior Scientist EBFM
8
SUMMARY OF REVIEW
Introduction The concept and term lsquosustainable developmentrsquo originated in the World Commission on Environment and Development (1984 to 1987) and meant development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs In Australia this concept was elaborated in the early 1990s and adopted as Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) The National Strategy for ESD (NSESD) was released in 1992 and since then Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) has been the accepted basis for management of natural resources in Australia The goal of the NSESD is lsquodevelopment that improves the total quality of life both now and in the future in a way that maintains the ecological processes on which life dependsrsquo Ecological Sustainable development (ESD) has been accepted as the foundation for the management of natural resources in Australia since 1992 During the 1990s all Australian governments incorporated the goals and principles of ESD into new or amended fisheries Acts
Since then internationally the concept of Ecosystem Based (EBM) and Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management (EBFM) has been introduced The Reykjavik Declaration on Responsible Fisheries in the Marine Ecosystem (2002) endorsed the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF) and the FAO (2003) provided agreed definitions and guidance on EAF for fishery management plans and implementation Two key outcomes from 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) were to encourage the application by 2010 of the ecosystem approach for the sustainable development of the oceans and on an urgent basis and where possible by 2015 maintain or restore depleted fish stocks to levels that can produce the maximum sustainable yield
According to the FAO (2003) Ecosystems Approach to Fisheries (EAF) builds on the concept of sustainable development Pitkich et al (2004) view the overall objective of EBFM is to sustain healthy marine ecosystems and the fisheries they support To achieve this objective EBFM will need to avoid degradation of ecosystems environmental quality and systems minimise the risk of irreversible changes to natural species assemblages and ecosystem processes to balance long-term socio economic benefits without compromising ecosystems develop an understanding and knowledge of ecosystem responses to the impacts of human activities and under circumstances where knowledge and understanding is limited robust and precautionary fishery management measures should be to applied
In response to these international initiatives Australiarsquos Oceans Policy was released in 1998 The policy provides a framework for integrated and ecosystem based planning and management of Australiarsquos oceans and fisheries In 2005 the Australian Government brought its programs of regional marine planning directly under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) The plans will be known as Marine Bioregional Plans to reflect the part of the EPBC Act under which they will be established This initiative gives new impetus for the implementation of Australiarsquos Oceans Policy by streamlining the planning process and providing greater guidance about marine environment conservation priorities The
Summary of review 9
process includes the identification and establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs) in the Commonwealth managed waters around Australia (which excludes the coastal waters managed by the states and Northern Territory)
The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999 commenced on 16 July 2000 The aim of the Act is to provide an effective framework for environmental protection and conservation of Australian biodiversity It enables the Commonwealth states and territories to take a national approach to environmental protection and biodiversity conservation The Commonwealth takes responsibility for leadership on the environment and the states take responsibility for delivering on-ground resource management The legislation provides a framework that will enable the Australian Government to ensure that any harvesting of marine species is managed for ecologically sustainability
In 2005 Ministerrsquos announcement for Securing our Fishing Future package for Commonwealth fisheries The $220 million Securing our Fishing Future package was announced in November 2005 and was designed to deliver profitable and sustainable Commonwealth fisheries for the future The package included three key features
bull The 1Australian Fisheries Management Authority will introduce new fisheries management actions to ensure Commonwealth-managed fisheries remain sustainable 2Future Operating Environment for Commonwealth Fisheries
bull The Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the South-East Marine Region which have been developed by the 3Department of the Environment and Heritage to protect marine biodiversity and
bull Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) is responsible for the development of policy and administration of the $220 million 4fisheries structural adjustment package This includes elements of the Securing our Fishing Future package such as Business Exit Assistance Business Advice Assistance Assistance for Skippers and Crew Onshore Business Assistance Fishing Community Assistance and the AFMA Levy Subsidy
Methods In 1997 the FRDC Board initiated a review of ESD application across jurisdictions (FRDC Project 98168) the result from that project was the report Current use and development of sustainability indicators to measure performance of Australian fisheries against ESD objectives This review of the scope assessment methods and management responses for Fisheries ESD and EBFM in Australia was requested by FRDC and is a follow up study to Project 98168 to compare (1998 benchmark) and contrast the scope principles and criteria of fisheries ESD and EBFM
The review was undertaken in three parts as follows
bull Desktop review of the scope of ESD and EBFM in Australia bull Desktop review of the assessment methods of ESD and EBFM in Australia and bull Survey review of the management responses to ESD and EBFM in Australia
10
A milestone report was prepared for each of the three reviews and was forwarded to the ESD Working Group for review and comment Progress on the project was also presented at the ESD Working Groups meetings
Review summary The review summary is presented in this section and will provide
1 A snapshot of experience and approaches since the last review from 1998 to 2006 bull Implications and recommendations for the ESD review 1998 bull Work undertaken by ESD subprogram since 1998 review bull Governance and responses to key issues and bull How fisheries management responses have changed with regard to
ESDEBFM within jurisdictions from 1998 to 2006
2 Review of strategic assessments under EPBC Act bull Strategic assessment process under the EPBC Act bull Management approach adopted by the fisheries agencies and bull Monitoring performance indicators decision rules
3 The status of fisheries management responses to ESDEBFM within jurisdictions in 2006 bull Use of assessment and management tools bull Usefulness of current ESDEBFM reporting frameworks and bull Issues of fitoverlapduplication between fishery policy initiatives
bioregional plan Commonwealth and State processes Further development needs over the next six years from 2006 to 2012 to facilitate the implementation of ESDEBFM bull Management and assessment tools needed to be available and in routine use
by 2012 bull The key issueschallenges for implementation of ESDEBFM and bull Other considerations
4 Recommendations for the most appropriate next steps
1 A snapshot of experience and approaches since the last review from 1998 to 2006
11 Implications and recommendations from the ESD Review 1998 Two outcomes from the 1998 review were suggested and recommended Firstly a need for a nationally coordinated research and development program on sustainability indicators The main aims of the program would be to develop the options for sustainability indicators and guidelines for their use that were acceptable to all
Summary of review 11
jurisdictions Secondly the development of a FRDC subprogram or similar for the coordination of initiatives across existing FRDC subprograms and to support a national research and development program The research and development program combined with SCFA processes would develop the guidelines and options for indicators and also the mechanisms for continuous learning The scientific content of the guidelines and options should be peer-reviewed nationally or if necessary internationally Four main areas needing research and development were frequently cited during the review These were
bull Define terminology and framework for indicators of ESD performance bull Capture experience nationally and internationally bull Develop guidelines for using of sustainability indicators and bull Develop and test options for sustainability indicators
12 Work undertaken by ESD subprogram since 1998 review The National fisheries ESD website (5httpwwwfisheries-esdcom) provides information on what is Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) or sustainable development (SD) by explaining the important aspects of ESD
bull 6Short History and Origins of ESD bull 7ESD and the Australian Government bull 8ESD and Fisheries bull 9ESD and Environmental Management Systems (EMS) and bull 1ESD Ecosystem Based Management (EBM) and other related systems
implementing ESD To demonstrate that ESD is being addressed requires an appropriate conceptual framework that maps out
bull How the general ESD objectives will be applied in the fisheries context bull The scope of the issues that will be addressed and bull How progress will be reported and assessed
A number of projects funded by the FRDC have been completed in developing conceptual frameworks and to assist with the implementation of ESD for fisheries and aquaculture These include projects to
bull develop reporting methods for ESD bull provide the tools to industry to improve their environmental performance bull assist the fishing industry to apply these tools and bull develop methods for ESD assessment
Guides
A comprehensive 1How to Guide has been completed for reporting on ESD for fisheries This was based upon a series of case studies completed in most jurisdictions and covering a wide variety of fisheries The information gathered in these case studies has also been published in a 1Technical Support Summary The work on concentrated on developing an assessment manual that summarised what was currently considered
12
acceptable andor Best Practice performance for the main types of species and fisheries operating in Australia The ESD Assessment Manual for Wild Capture Fisheries was completed in October 2003 A Social Assessment Handbook was also completed and released in July 2005
The intention was that the national reporting framework would be progressively applied to all Australian fisheries and become an integral part of fisheries management Although the primary goal was to assist and improve fisheries management the reporting framework is also intended to address an increasing number of environmental and other requirements imposed by legislation certification schemes and consumer and community demands
Risk assessment
Some form of risk assessment is used to make all management decisions This includes what needs to be managed and how much effort should be focused towards achieving adequate performance and avoiding undesirable events Initiatives such as ESD increased the requirement to use more formal techniques to complete these assessments due to the large number of potential issues and the impossibility of gaining a perfect understanding for any of these Added to this is the increased public scrutiny over the decisions made by natural resource managers Consequently the ESD Framework includes a qualitative risk assessment process to ensure that additional management actions and monitoring systems are implemented where necessary and only to an appropriate level
The Seafood Environmental Management System for the Fishing Industry
The lsquoSeafood EMSrsquo was a FRDC funded project completed by Seafood Services Australia Ltd (2005) It was designed to assist the fishing industry develop their own Environmental Management Systems (EMS) This system is based upon the National ESD framework and was designed to compliment this activity The system includes the tools that enable industry participants to achieve and demonstrate continual improvement in their environmental social and economic performance
Relationship of National ESD Reports with other reporting requirements
Changes to the legislation (or regulations) of Commonwealth agencies and non-fishery agencies within some jurisdictions also requires fisheries activities to be assessed against various aspects of ESD In addition there has been an increased focus on the potential for eco-labelling in the development or maintenance of (export) markets Consequently there are a large number of reasons why ESD assessments need to be completed but an even greater need to ensure that the reporting schemes developed are sufficiently comprehensive
The changes made to Commonwealth environmental legislation that has implications for fisheries as follow The change to the Wildlife Protection (Regulation of Exports and Imports) Act 1982 (which is now part of the revised Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999) has resulted in the marine fish species which were previously exempt from any requirements under this legislation now having to undergo environmental assessment to determine if they can continue to be exported
Summary of review 13
Strategic assessment submissions to DEWHA are required against a set of guidelines for sustainable fisheries To assist completion of an assessment to DEWHA a useful method is to use the National ESD report as the general profile of the fishery and include a relatively short application to DEWHA as a lsquofront-endrsquo that specifically addresses each of their guidelines principles and objectives A generic DEWHA application lsquofront-endrsquo has been drafted This can be modified according to the specific circumstances of the fishery It is important to note that completing this application to Environment Australia should be a relatively quick activity if a National ESD report has already been completed
Ecologically Sustainable Development Glossary
Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) is a complex issue that is made more confusing by its large reliance on specialised terminology Therefore the development of standard definitions for ESD terms was considered necessary for the successful implementation of ESD reporting and assessment The Standing Committee on Fisheries and Agricultures Working Group and the ESD Reporting and Assessment Reference Group agreed on a set of definitions developed by the Bureau of Rural Sciences which are available on the website (httpwwwfisheries-esdcomcglossaryindexcfm)
Ecologically Sustainable Development publications
The Ecologically Sustainable Development publications that support the implementation of ESD are listed below and can be found on the national website 1httpwwwfisheries-esdcomcpubsindexcfm 1 Fletcher W J Chesson J Fisher M Sainsbury KJ Hundloe T Smith ADM and B Whitworth (2002) National ESD Reporting Framework for Australian Fisheries The lsquoHow Torsquo Guide for Wild Capture Fisheries FRDC Project 2000145 Canberra Australia 120pp
2 Whitworth B Chesson J Fletcher WJ Sainsbury KJ Fisher M Hundloe T and ADM Smith (2002) National ESD Reporting Framework for Australian Fisheries Technical Support Document ndash Ecological Components of the 20002001 Case Studies FRDC Project 2000145 Canberra Australia 98pp
3 Fletcher W J Chesson J Fisher M Sainsbury KJ Hundloe T Smith ADM and B Whitworth (2003) National Application of Sustainability indicators for Australian fisheries Final Report FRDC Project 2000145 48pp
4 Fletcher WJ Chesson J Sainsbury KJ Hundloe T Fisher M (2003) National ESD Reporting Framework for Australian Fisheries The ESD Assessment Manual for Wild Capture Fisheries FRDC Project 2002086 Canberra Australia 163pp
5 Fletcher WJ Chesson J Sainsbury KJ Fisher M amp T Hundloe (2004) A flexible and practical framework for reporting on sustainable development for wild capture fisheries Fisheries Research 71175-183
6 Fletcher WJ Chesson J Fisher M Sainsbury KJ and Hundloe TJ (2004) National ESD Reporting Framework The How To Guide for Aquaculture FRDC Project 20001451 Canberra Australia 85pp
7 Schirmer J and Casey AM 2005 Social Assessment Handbook A guide to methods and approaches for assessing the social sustainability of fisheries in Australia FRDC ESD Reporting and Assessment Subprogram Publication No 7 Fisheries Research and Development Corporation and Bureau of Rural Sciences Canberra 50pp
14
8 Fletcher WJ Chesson J Sainsbury KJ Fisher M Hundloe T (2004) ESD Reporting and Assessment Subprogram Development of Assessment Tools for the National ESD Framework ndash initial scoping exercise Final Report FRDC Project 2002086 Canberra Australia 16pp
9 Fletcher WJ (2005) ESD Reporting and Assessment Subprogram Strategic Planning project management and adoption Final Report FRDC Project 2001082 Canberra Australia
10 Schirmer J and Pickworth J 2005 Social impacts of the South Australian Marine Scalefish Fishery FRDC ESD Reporting and Assessment Subprogram Publication No 10 Fisheries Research and Development Corporation and Bureau of Rural Sciences Canberra 129pp
11 Schirmer J and Pickworth J 2005 Social assessment of commercial fishing in the East Gippsland region FRDC ESD Reporting and Assessment Subprogram Publication No 11 Fisheries Research and Development Corporation and Bureau of Rural Sciences Canberra 57pp
12 Fletcher WJ (2005) The application of qualitative risk assessment methodology to prioritise issues for fisheries management ICES Journal of Marine Science
13 Fletcher WJ (2005) A Guide to Implementing an Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM) within the Pacific Region Forum Fisheries Agency Honiara Solomon Islands (in press)
14 Schirmer J (2005) ESD Reporting and Assessment Subprogram a social assessment handbook for use by Australian fisheries managers in ESD assessment and monitoring Final Report FRDC Project 2003056 Canberra Australia April 2005
15 Fletcher WJ (2006) Frameworks for managing marine resources using ecosystem approaches how do they fit together and can they be useful Bulletin of Marine Science (under review)
Other related ESD publications Nicholls J 2003 A Socio-Economic Valuation of Resource Allocation Options between Recreational and Commercial Sectors FRDC Project 2001065 Canberra Australia
Hundloe TJ (2002) Valuing Fisheries An Economic Framework University of Qld Press Queensland
Western Australian Fisheries ESD Reports
1Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) Report Series (ISSN 1447-3599)
13 Governance and the responses to key issues Internationally the key issues identified for fisheries governance and management regarding EBFM implementation include overfishing overcapacity and the related issue of government subsidies Sinclair et al (2002) argue that overfishing is often driven by overcapacity and without incentives for rationalisation under a rights based approach to fishing it is unlikely that overcapacity will be reduced Another key issue is that of illegal unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) In Australia the issues of overfishing overcapacity and bycatch have been addressed at the policy level and at the fishery level through a number of different initiatives some of which refer specifically to Commonwealth fisheries and others which are relevant to both Commonwealth and State managed fisheries
Overfishing and overcapacity
bull Proposed harvest strategies policy bull Strategic assessments under the EPBC Act and bull The $220 million Securing our Fishing Future package was announced in
November 2005 and was designed to deliver profitable and sustainable Commonwealth fisheries for the future The package includes three key features
Summary of review 15
- The 1Australian Fisheries Management Authority will introduce new fisheries management actions to ensure Commonwealth-managed fisheries remain sustainable 1Future Operating Environment for Commonwealth Fisheries
- The Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the South-East Marine Region which have been developed by the 1Department of the Environment and Heritage to protect marine biodiversity
- DAFF is responsible for the development of policy and administration of the $220 million 1fisheries structural adjustment package This includes elements of the Securing our Fishing Future package such as Business Exit Assistance Business Advice Assistance Assistance for Skippers and Crew Onshore Business Assistance Fishing Community Assistance and the AFMA Levy Subsidy
Bycatch
bull Commonwealth Policy in Fisheries Bycatch (2000) to be implemented through fishery bycatch action plans
bull National Plans of Action (NPLOAs) for seabirds and sharks in response to UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAOs) International Plans of Action (IPOAs) and
bull Threat Abatement Plans (TAPs) for the incidental catch (or bycatch) of seabirds during oceanic longline fishing
Illegal unreported and unregulated fishing
bull National Plans of Action (NPLOAs) for illegal unreported and unregulated fishing in response to FAOs IPOAs and
bull In April 2006 as part of AFMAs new responsibilities for IUU a new office was opened in Darwin to provide further resources in dealing with the issue and provide greater deterrence
2 Review of the strategic assessment methods under EPBC Act and management approaches
This part of the review considers two aspects firstly the strategic assessment process under the EPBC Act and secondly the management approach adopted by the fisheries agencies Each of these is outlined below
21 Strategic assessment process under the EPBC Act The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999 commenced on 16 July 2000 The aim of the Act is to provide an effective framework for environmental protection and conservation of Australian biodiversity It enables the Commonwealth states and territories to take a national approach to environmental protection and biodiversity conservation Under the EPBC Act the Australian Government has consolidated its major environmental controls and effective from January 2002 the wildlife trade provisions previously implemented through the Wildlife Protection (Regulation of Imports and Exports) Act 1982 The legislation provides a framework that will enable the Australian Government to ensure that any harvesting of marine species is managed for ecologically sustainability The primary roles of the Sustainable Fisheries Section include the evaluation of the environmental
16
performance of fisheries for strategic assessment under Part 10 of the EPBC Act assessments relating to impacts on protected marine species (Part 13) and those required for approval of export of fisheries product (Part 13A)
The EPBC Act requires all Commonwealth managed fisheries to undergo strategic environmental impact assessments before new management arrangements are bought into effect and that all fisheries (Commonwealth and State and Territory) with an export component undergo assessment to determine the extent to which management arrangements will ensure that the fishery is managed in an ecologically sustainable way
A number of issues emerged from the EPBC strategic assessment process These included
bull Differences in submissions to DEWHA This review of strategic assessments under the EPBC Act includes an example of an agency submission to DEWHA from each jurisdiction and DEWHA assessment of the example fishery This review highlighted the diversity and complexity of Commonwealth State and Territory fisheries Strategic assessment submissions to DEWHA varied in approach and in addressing the EPBC guidelines (full details of example fishery submissions which highlight these differences can be viewed in Appendix A)
bull Review of the first round of EPBC assessments The Marine and Coastal Community Network (MCCN) undertook a short survey of a cross-section of fisheries stakeholders including the Australian Government and all the State agencies The purpose of the survey was to appraise the first round of the EPBC Act Fisheries Strategic Assessments The results were published in WAVES vol 12 (1) Spring 2006 A major issue highlighted was the cost in terms of time dollars and other resources required by fishery agencies in order to complete the strategic assessment submissions to DEWHA (summary results from the MCCN survey can be viewed in Section 2 of the review) and
bull AFMFDEWHA lessons learned from the first round issues related to fishery submissions to DEWHA the DEWHA assessment processes the Ministerrsquos decisions and recommendations and other issues such as variations in data and information sources across fisheries and clarity on for example demonstrating continuous improvement or application of the precautionary principle (details of these issues are in Section 2 of the review)
Reassessments AFMFDEWHA working group
In order to address the issues the Department of the Environment Water Heritage and the Arts (DEWHA) working group has Australian Fisheries Management Forum (AFMF) nominated representation The group was formed to assist DEWHA in the development of a reassessment process for the second round and beyond of fishery assessments under the EPBC Act The DEWHA working group has been responsible for responding to some of the issues for example providing more detailed guidance for the Guidelines A revised re-assessment approach was prepared for consideration by the Minister The amendments to the EPBC Act were passed by the Parliament on December 2006 The overarching objective of the proposed amendments is to maintain the Australian Governmentrsquos ability to protect the environment and in response to the issues raised
Summary of review 17
bull Provide a more effective efficient and strategic regulatory process for stakeholders
bull Reduce duplication in regulatory processes bull Increase the flexibility within Act processes bull Reduce administrative and compliance costs and bull Increase the effectiveness of the compliance regime
22 Strategic assessment submissions and management approaches adopted by the fisheries agencies Strategic assessment submissions and management approaches adopted by the fishery agencies for all jurisdictions were reviewed to assess the differences and similarities Example fisheries used for reviewing the strategic assessment process under the EPBC Act were presented as examples under the following headings (a summary is included in Section 2 and full details in Appendix A)
bull Legislation bull Management processes and measures such as
- Fishery Management Plans (FMPs) and regulations - codes of practice - co-management arrangements - fishery management strategies - harvest strategies - spatial management
bull Management assessment and decision making tools - stock assessments - Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) - risk assessments - economic social governance components
bull Monitoring performance indicators decision rules and observer programs bull Reporting requirements
- fishers - fisheries agencies
bull Research and bull Consultation arrangements
There were differences between jurisdictions in management approaches regarding management processes and measures and the use of management assessment and decision making tools However the focus of discussion here will be on performance indicators and decision rules Firstly the results and issues from the 1998 review will be presented and secondly outcomes from this current review
Use of performance indicators decision rules in 1998
There are two ways in which sustainability indicators can be and are being used in fisheries management First as a means to report progress in meeting ESD objectives and second as a basis for making decisions Use and development as reported in 1998 were
18
bull Target species sustainability indicators have been most fully developed for target species Ecosystemenvironmental indicators were generally listed as ldquounder developmentrdquo rather than in actual use
bull Economics objectives are recognised as being critically important in all commercial fisheries however there were almost no examples of reference points for economic indicators and few examples of their use in decision rules
bull Social objectives were recognised as important the response to developing and implementing indicators ranged from viewing that as a political rather than a fisheries management responsibility to including the social with economic indicators rather than as a separate indicator The main reason for these responses is the perceived difficulty in identifying useful indicators that can be measured and monitored and
bull Governance existing management plans provide some examples of performance indicators relating to process or governance While not indicators of the state of the fishery resource or environment they do indicate how well (or whether) aspects of the management plan are being implemented Issues covered include levels of participation in management processes development of specific aspects of the plan (such as bycatch strategies) and other process aspects of management (Sainsbury et al 1998)
Use of performance indicators decision rules in 2007
The use of performance indicators and decision rules from the survey results indicated that the general pattern of use by component from highest to lowest was
bull Target species component bull Byproduct bycatch TEPs species components as a group bull Governance bull Habitats ecosystemscommunities and economic components as a group and bull The social component
Although progress has been made the situation is similar to 1998 in terms of the development and operational use by component
3 Review of the management responses to ESD and EBFM
31 The ESDEBFM Survey Background A survey was sent to each jurisdiction to a nominated representative for management research and industry The purpose of the survey was to collect the relevant information to review the current experience and management responses for Fisheries ESD and EBFM in Australia for each jurisdiction This has been endorsed by AFMF and FRDC and will be used to inform future investment in development of tools to support ESDEBFM
Summary of review 19
This survey provided an opportunity for a national snapshot of assessment methods and management responses for Fisheries ESD and EBFM in Australia This is a follow up to the national lsquosnapshotrsquo of experience and approaches regarding ESD (FRDC Project 98168) in 1998 The survey was in 5 sections as below Section 1 provides a background Sections 2 to 4 ask questions regarding experience and management responses for Fisheries ESD and EBFM in Australia for each jurisdiction Section 5 relates to ESDEBFM implementation generally Section 1 Background jurisdiction and role in organisation Section 2 How fisheries management has changed with regard to ESDEBFM from 1998 to 2006 Section 3 Where we are now 2006 Section 4 What needs further development over the next 6 years from 2006 to 2012 Section 5 ESDEBFM provides an opportunity for further comments regarding ESDEBFM implementation across all jurisdictions
32 How fisheries management responses have changed with regard to ESDEBFM within jurisdictions from 1998-2006 Section 2 of the Survey explored how fisheries management responses have changed with regard to ESDEBFM within jurisdictions from 1998 to 2006 for the following areas of interest
bull Progress towards incorporating ESDEBFM operational measures into policy planning legislation and management arrangements for the environmental economic social and governance components of ESD
bull Indications of where performance indicators and benchmarks wereare being used for environmental economic social and governance components and
bull What wasis the level of confidence in managing the environmental economic social and governance components under ESDEBFM principles
Progress in application use and confidence was reported in all these areas from 1998 to 2006 However for both 1998 and 2006 there are variations of application use and confidence across the environmental economic social and governance components and within and between jurisdictions Overall the general pattern for application use and confidence by component from highest to lowest was
bull target species component bull byproduct bycatch TEPs species and governance components as a group bull habitats ecosystemscommunities and economic components as a group and bull the social component
It was interesting to note that for all areas there were differences between research and management views on levels of implementation The majority of research
20
responses considered implementation to be not as far advanced as the management responses reported
As a follow up it would be useful to find out the reason for these variations in application use and confidence in terms of
bull whether variations are related to particular issues within components or are these generic issues across components
bull whether variations are related to particular issues within jurisdictions or are these generic issues across jurisdictions and
bull why there is a difference in views between management and research on application use and confidence
33 The status of fisheries management responses to ESDEBFM within jurisdictions in 2006
Section 3 of the Survey aimed to establish the status of fisheries management responses to ESDEBFM within jurisdictions in 2006 with regard to the following areas of interest
bull Use of assessment and management tools bull Usefulness of current ESDEBFM reporting frameworks and bull Issues of fitoverlapduplication between fishery policy initiatives bioregional
plans Commonwealth and State processes
Use of assessment and management tools
For all jurisdictions in 2006 there is a wide variation in use of assessment and management tools across components and within and between jurisdictions The use of assessment and management tools varied by type in terms of those tools most used and those least used Overall for all jurisdictions in 2006 the use of assessment and management tools is ranked in the table below (from most = 1 to least = 6)
A number of other tools were reported as being used such as fisheries management plans and those under development included codes of practice and conduct co-management processes and formal resource sharing arrangements between commercial and recreational fisheries
There were variations in the application of assessment and management tools as applied to the different components Generally for all jurisdictions in 2006 the use of
Risk assessment
Qualitative assessment
ESD reporting
framework Quantitative assessment
Indicators Benchmarks EMS Decision
rules Harvest
strategies
1 1 2 3 3 4 4 5 6
Summary of review 21
assessment and management tools in managing components (from highest to lowest use) by component was
bull Target species component bull Byproduct bycatch and TEPs species components bull Habitat communityecosystems and economic components as a group and bull Social and governance components
Usefulness of current ESDEBFM reporting frameworks
Both management and research found current ESDEBFM reporting frameworks useful for fisheries management and EPBC requirements but less so for regional marine planning (State and Commonwealth) Industry representatives that participated in the survey considered that current ESDEBFM reporting frameworks are only somewhat useful for fisheries management and EPBC requirements but not so for regional marine planning (State and Commonwealth) Recommendations for improvement focused on the following reporting frameworks reporting more generally assessment tools the DEWHA EPBC process and approaches for shared fish stocks
Issues of fitoverlapduplication between fishery policy initiatives bioregional plans Commonwealth and State processes
Problems were identified in terms of fitoverlapduplication between fishery policy initiatives bioregional plans and Commonwealth and State processes Recommendations for streamlining processes and reducing duplication focused on streamlining legislation and DEWHA assessment processes under EPBC and consistency in planning processes and reporting requirements
It was suggested that a national forum for ESDEBFM would bring together the people working in this discipline and would facilitate communication identify issues gaps and overlap This could also be a useful approach for discussing and reviewing
bull Reasons for variations in use of assessment and management tools by type in terms of - those most used and those least used when applied to components - variations within and between jurisdictions in use of assessment and
management tools bull Identifying regional marine planning (State and Commonwealth) requirements
and explore whether it would be possible to amend current ESDEBFM reporting frameworks to accommodate all needs It could also be useful in identifying what is required to serve industry needs As well as an opportunity for reviewing the recommended improvements and approaches provided by the survey results and
bull Understanding the issues of fitoverlapduplication in terms of which are generic and those which are specific to particular jurisdictions as well as providing an opportunity for a review of the suggested improvements for streamlining processes and reducing duplication
22
34 Further development needs over the next six years from 2006 to 2012 to facilitate the implementation of ESDEBFM The purpose of Section 4 was to identify what needs further development over the next six years from 2006 to 2012 in order to better implement ESDEBFM The focus was on
bull The key issueschallenges for implementation of ESDEBFM (environmental economic social governance)
bull What management and assessment tools will need to be available and in routine use by 2012 (environmental economic social governance)
bull Possible bottlenecks for successful implementation of ESDEBFM bull Cost implications of implementing ESDEBFM for fisheries (both time and $)
and bull The data analysis research and decision support needs to properly implement
ESDEBFM
The key issueschallenges for implementation of ESDEBFM (environmental economic social governance)
The key issueschallenges for implementation of ESDEBFM for the environmental economic social and governance components and other important points (collated from the survey and summarised below) are as follows
bull Environmental data and information needs regarding target byproduct bycatch and TEP species habitat and community components and further research for understanding the interactions between them
bull Economic identify economic issuesimpacts requiring management data collection and analysis for the development of useful management objectives performance indicators benchmarks and monitoring
bull Social identify social issuesimpacts that need to be considered data collection and analysis for development of meaningful management objectives indicators benchmarks and monitoring and
bull Governance resources for rationalisation and streamlining of governance arrangements and processes to support management and compliance and to also ensure that the environmental economic and social components can be managed effectively within Australia
Other important challenges and points
bull Recognition of the differences between large high value fisheries and smaller lower value fisheries The identification of differing needs and relative levels of complexity risks and impacts different fisheries pose
bull Balance between the varied environmental economic social and governance objectives
bull Regional assessments that integrate across all fishing activities and can link to the broader marine planning activities
bull How to accommodate different stakeholder perspectives and achieve equitable funding and resource allocation to meet the different needs
bull All fishery sectors to be considered and
Summary of review 23
bull Improved understanding of the risks associated with issues external to the standard biological approach for the target species (eg globalisation fuel climate change etc) is needed
What management and assessment tools will need to be available and in routine use by 2012 (environmental economic social governance)
The management and assessment tools needed to be available and in routine use by 2012 for the environmental economic social governance components (collated from the survey and summarised below) are as follows
bull Environmental risk assessments (including cumulative risks) indicators and
decision rules monitoring programs qualitative and quantitative models and simplified management strategy evaluation tools
bull Economic risk assessments indicators and assessment tools (for all fishery sectors)
bull Social risk assessments indicators and assessment tools (including impacts of change)
bull Governance EMS and harvest strategies for major fisheries framework for allocation between fishery sectors adequate reporting benchmarking for ESD and review of Offshore Consitutional Settlement (OCS) arrangments for management of species across jurisdictions
Other important points regarding management and assessment tools
bull A range of assessment tools are required for fisheries and consideration of the varied levels of available information and research undertaken for the different fisheries and
bull Performance indicators for all objectives and mechanism for ensuring balance between objectives
Possible bottlenecks for successful implementation of ESDEBFM
A number of possible bottlenecks were identified which are likely to affect the successful implementation of ESDEBFM These are categorised under the following headings funding and associated costs resources and people governancemanagement systems and the EBFM framework and datainformationresearch needs (collated from the survery and summarised below)
bull Funding and associated costs for research and data tools development managmement proceses to further develop EBFM and the issue of cost recovery from fishery sectors
bull Resources and people capacity in terms of time and people for implementation of EBFM
bull Governancemanagement systems cross jurisdictional (within and across departments agencies and jurisdictions) clarity in the scope and objectives and outcomes to be achieved for whole of government approach in implementing EBFM
24
bull Datainformationresearch needs
Cost implications of implementing ESDEBFM for fisheries (both time and money)
A range of time and costs implications were identified for implementing ESDEBFM for fisheries which affect research management and industry (collated from the survey and summarised below)
bull Research the development of environmental economic and social components under EBFM principles requires multidisciplinary teams and may require employing more research staff
bull Management increased management and monitoring costs EBFM process takes time to develop consult and implement requires efficient processes between Commonwealth and State
bull Industry commercial fisheries are the only sector that contributes to management research and compliance on a cost recovery basis and cost are incurred now but benefits will not be immediately recognisable (time lag between investments and benefits)
The data analysis research and decision support needs to properly implement ESDEBFM
To implement ESDEBFM the following data analysis research and decision support requirements were identified (collated from the survey and summarised below)
bull Data increased spatial and temporal data for species habitats and communities and ecosystem linkages social and ecomonic data different data types for decision making tools and assessments standardising data collection between jurisdictions integrated databases and improved data management and sharing
bull Analysis with increased data needs a corresponding requirement for analyis and new and novel approaches to data analysis for decision support
bull Research filling information gaps for all components (ecosystems economic and social) developing indicators tools (including rapid assessment tools for low value and data poor fisheries) and monitoring approaches
bull Decision support revised fishery models management strategy evaluation framed in the context of ESDEBFM a commitment to use the triple bottom line approach to decision making and development and better understanding and use of performance indicators
Other important points raised in the survey responses were
bull One size does not fit all as this is dependent upon the particular conditions for each fishery There are varying levels of risk and certainty A range of tools are required
bull A practical conceptual framework for regional level ESDEBFM and bull A clear focus on efficiency and cost effectiveness will be key drivers in
prioritising what will be possible to pursue in ESDEBFM with limited future funding for data analysis and research
Summary of review 25
40 Recommendations for the most appropriate next steps A key finding of this study is a widespread view that there is an ongoing need for a national forum to coordinate approaches to EBFM Such a national forum should bring together a range of stakeholders involved in the development and implementation of EBFM including fishery managers industry environmental agencies and NGOs and various disciplinary experts The need for and focus of such a national forum is categorised under the following four headings
Coordination and consistency
The need for improvements in coordination and consistency in approach across fisheries jurisdictions and departments was a key finding of this review
bull Apply to the extent possible a consistent approach to EBFM across all jurisdictions to coordinate management of shared resources and cumulative impacts and to assist in national reporting
bull Coordinate and collaborate across fisheries and between jurisdictions to optimise research and development costs and time
bull Integrate and streamline where possible processes and reporting requirements to overcome the identified issues of fit overlap and duplication
bull Identify regional marine planning (State and Commonwealth) requirements and explore whether it would be worthwhile to amend current ESDEBFM reporting frameworks to accommodate these needs and
bull Work with DEWHA to ensure fisheries-relevant and consistent approaches to strategic assessments
Tools development
There are considerable variations in use of assessment and management tools by ESD components and variations within and between jurisdictions in use of assessment and management tools
bull Develop a plan for further improvement of indicators and reference points focusing first on those areas where least progress has been made The general pattern for application use and confidence by component from highest to lowest was
- target species - byproduct bycatch TEPs species and governance as a group - habitats ecosystemscommunities and economic as a group - social component
bull Develop a suite of tools (tool box) for monitoring assessment and decision support spanning from rapid qualitative methods through to full quantitative approaches and
bull Clarify why there is a difference in perception between researchers and managers on the adoption of tools for EBFM
26
Resources and capacity
A key issue or challenge for implementation of ESDEBFM across all jurisdictions is the need for adequate resources (funding and people) and data analysis research and decision support
bull Identify efficient and cost-effective solutions to address data information research and decision support needs and
bull Provide a framework that allows effective prioritisation across competing demands for resources to support implementation of ESDEBFM
Training and communication
Closely linked to capacity is the need for education and training for fisheries managers industry and researchers to enable them to develop a set of skills that better match the expected roles and responsibilities necessary for implementing EBFM
bull Expand existing training programs both at tertiary level and for current fisheries managers peak bodies and advisory groups to meet specific needs of implementing ESDEBFM and
bull Build on lessons learned from ESD Sub-program to improve communication of principles and practice of ESDEBFM
Governance
Implementation of these recommendations would require careful coordination at two levels Firstly the continuation of a high level national process and forum involving key stakeholders in policy management industry environmental NGOs and key government agencies Secondly a smaller adequately resourced and more dedicated team tasked with implementation and coordination of key recommendations Such an approach is most likely to address the issue of consistency of processes and approaches within and between jurisdictions make best use of limited funding for the development of tools and meeting data and research needs identify capacity shortfalls and bottlenecks and create a coherent way forward on realistic timeframes
Presentation of the results of this review are presented in the report under the following headings
1 Desktop review of the scope of ESD and EBFM in Australia 11 ESDEBMEBFM review of international agreements policies and defining
documents
bull Ecological Sustainable Development (ESD) bull Ecosystem Based Management (EBM) and bull Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management (EBFM)
Summary of review 27
- EBFM the international dimension - United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNLOSC) and the
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) development of an EBFM approach
- EBFM the concept - EBFM key issues - International policy initiatives and strategies in response to the issues
12 EBFM and other similar approaches to address broader ecosystem issues
for fisheries There are a number of approaches to address broader ecosystem issues for fisheries The approaches may be designed to manage at different environmental scales (local sub-regional national) andor by different organisations (governments regional and local bodies) and cooperation between a wide range of stakeholders Each of these approaches is outlined with an Australian example The approaches that are considered useful to EBFM include
bull Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) and Large Marine Ecosystems (LME) bull Multiple Use Management (MUM) bull Integrated catchment ndash from land to sea bull Accreditation schemes such as Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) or
International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO)14000 bull Environmental Management System (EMS) bull Codes of conductpractices bull Co-management and bull ESD subprogram approach to EBM and other related systems
13 ESDEBFM in Australia a national response
bull Regional and bilateral responses bull National response bull NESD (1992) bull Australiarsquos Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) (1994) bull Oceans policy (1998 to 2005) bull Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999 bull Initiatives bull Threat Abatement Plans (TAPs) bull Australian Fishing Zone (BAPs) bull National Plans of Action (NOPAs) bull Ministerrsquos announcement securing our fishing future package and bull Capability and capacity building
- Marine and Coastal Committee (MACC) - ESD Reporting and Assessment Subprogram
14 Australian fisheries governance
bull Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) - Fisheries and Marine Environment Branch - Fisheries policy initiatives and mitigation measures
28
bull The Department of the Environment Water Heritage and the Arts (DEWHA) - The Coasts and Oceans Division and - Fisheries policy initiatives and mitigation measures
15 Australian fisheries management
bull Commonwealth and State and Territory fisheries EBFM key fisheries management concepts
bull Management processes such as Fishery Management Plans (FMPs) bull Management measures such as harvest strategies and spatial management bull Management assessment and decision making tools such as
- Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs)
- risk assessments - Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) - qualitative and quantitative models - mapping tools
bull Monitoring performance indicators decision rules and reporting bull Reporting bull Research and bull Consultation
2 Review of the assessment methods of ESD and EBFM in Australia 21 Review of fishery assessment reports by fishery agencies and by Department of the Environment Water Heritage and the Arts (DEWHA) for Strategic Assessments under the EPBC Act
bull Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act bull Review of State and Commonwealth submissions to DEWHA and bull DEWHA assessment of fisheries
22 Review and report on the major issues raised from the EPBC strategic assessment process
bull Background bull Reviews of the first round of EPBC assessment process bull AFMADEWHA review lessons learnt and possible future directions bull Reassessments AFMFDEWHA working group and bull AFMF national research priorities for 2006 to 2008
Summary of review 29
3 Survey analysis and results 31 The ESDEBFM survey
bull Background bull Technical bull Limitations on interpreting results and bull Overview of summary results
32 Summary of survey results
bull Section 2 how fisheries management responses have changed with regard to ESDEBFM within jurisdictions from 1998 to 2006 by jurisdiction
bull Section 3 establish the status of fisheries management responses to ESDEBFM within jurisdictions in 2006 by jurisdiction
bull Section 4 further development needs over the next six years from 2006 to 2012 to facilitate the implementation of ESDEBFM by jurisdiction and
bull Section 5 further recommendations and any other comments regarding ESDEBFM across all jurisdictions
30
1 DESKTOP REVIEW OF THE SCOPE OF ESD AND EBFM IN AUSTRALIA
11 ESDEBMEBFM review of international agreements policies and defining documents
bull Ecological Sustainable Development (ESD) bull Ecosystem Based Management (EBM) and bull Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management (EBFM)
- EBFM the international dimension - United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNLOSC) and the
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) development of an EBFM approach
- EBFM the concept - EBFM key issues - International policy initiatives and strategies in response to the issues
111 Ecological Sustainable Development (ESD) As Reid (1995) explains the concept of sustainable development was introduced to the world in the Bruntland Report (World Commission on Environment and Development WECD 1987) The report contains one of the most widely used definitions of sustainable development ldquosuch development can be defined simply as an approach to progress which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needsrdquo (WECD 1987 Annexe 2 Tokyo Declaration page 363)
The World Commission on Environment and Development view was that sustainable development is not a fixed state but rather as a process of change in which the exploitation of resources the direction of investments the orientation of technology and institutional change are made consistent with future and present needs It identified that sustainable development requires an integrated approach with regard to decision making at the local national regional and international level It also identified that policy direction should focus on the need to ensure the prevention of loss of species and environmental degradation as the conservation of living natural resources are crucial for development
112 Ecosystem Based Management (EBM) the concept The Ecosystem Based Management (EBM) approach builds on the concepts and principles of ecological sustainable development Even though there is no agreed definition of EBM there are various terms that are used in relation to Ecosystem Based Management (EBM) these include Ecosystem Management Approach (EMA) and Ecosystem Approach (EsA or EA)
Mangel et al (1996) suggest that the relationship between humans and nature should be such that the viability of all biota and the ecosystems they are part of are maintained (now and future options) as well as allowing human use and benefits from such use
Review of the scope of ESD and EBFM in Australia 31
(both current and future generations) The challenge as they see it is in determining the appropriate balance between the health of resources and ecosystems and the health and quality of human life Such a balance in their view requires an understanding of a broad range of issues
Grumbinersquos (1994) review of the literature describes the overall goal of ecosystem management as sustaining ecological integrity by reducing the biodiversity crisis through maintaining viable populations of all native species in situ represented within protected areas all native ecosystem types across their natural range of variation maintaining evolutionary and ecological processes and manage over periods of time long enough to maintain the evolutionary potential of species and ecosystems As well acknowledging the role that people have to play by accommodating human uses and occupancy within the above constraints Grumbine suggests that success of ecosystem management is dependent upon reconciling the relationship between the new goal of protecting ecological integrity and the old view of providing goods and services for humans
Christensesn et al (1996) argue that ecosystem management regards intergenerational sustainability as a precondition and establishes measurable goals and processes necessary for sustainability outcomes That an ecosystems approach is neither anthropogenic nor biocentric but acknowledges the importance of human needs whilst confronting the reality and capacity of the natural world to meet those needs in perpetuity has limits and depends on the functioning of ecosystems However one particular obstacle to an ecosystem approach is that of public perception that the immediate economic and social value of renewable resources outweighs the risk of future ecosystem damage In their view the goal of ecosystem management is to overcome this and other such obstacles
113 Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management (EBFM) Since the 1970s there has been growing concern over the impact of fishing other marine sectors and coastal development on the marine environment As summarised by Ecosystem Principles Advisory Panel (EPAP 1999) marine ecosystems are being perturbed by fishing and other human activities Many marine fisheries are in decline and the effects of fishing on other ecosystem goods and services are beginning to be understood and recognised Fishing can affect many species and disrupt important interdependent links within ecosystems and threatens marine biodiversity
Fisheries are an important social and economic resource providing food and employment Traditional oceans and fisheries management approaches tended to view ecosystems as fixed and closed systems and the focus was often on single fisheries stocks (although some tried to deal with multi species fisheries) and defining maximum sustainable yields A fundamental shift in thinking has occurred with regard to oceans and fisheries governance and management Oceans ecosystems are recognised as being dynamic and open systems and once threshold limits are reached or exceeded changes may be irreversible and shifts into different states may occur Marine ecosystems are subject to natural variability that affects productivity and in turn dictates the abundance and natural mortality of fish stocks The EBFM approach explicitly requires managers to take into account these uncertainties by adopting the precautionary approach Garcia et al (2003) argue that the intention for implementing
32
EAF is to improve fisheries management that considers the target fisheries stocks and ecosystems that support them
Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management the international dimension
The EBFM approach has support at the international level and has been adopted by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) which is the lead agency for fisheries The FAO is an important international actor and plays an important role in fostering an EBFM approach At the international level the FAO provides policy advice and develops technical guidelines for fisheries management For example the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries 1995 which aims to provide guidelines for responsible approaches to fishing The FAO also developed a set of operational guidelines for an ecosystem approach to fisheries These guidelines supplement the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries The FAO Council organised the 2002 Reykjavik Conference in Iceland a major outcome was the Reykjavik Declaration on Responsible Fisheries in the Marine Ecosystem which endorses an ecosystem approach to fisheries management Other important documents developed by the FAO include the International Plans of Action (IPOAs) that address fisheries issues regarding seabirds sharks fishing capacity illegal unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices
According to the FAO (2003) many of the concepts and principles relating to the EBFM approach are already contained in a number of documents and conventions as a result of outcomes from the development of international governance initiatives aimed at sustainable conservation and use of oceans and fisheries resources These include
bull 1970 FAO Technical Conference on Marine Pollution and its Effects on Living Resources and Fishing
bull 1972 FAO Technical Conference on Fishery Management and Development bull 1972 World Conference on Human Environment bull 1980 Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources bull 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNLOSC) bull 1987 World Commission on Environment and Development (WECD) bull 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED)
and Agenda 21 bull 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) bull 1995 Jakarta Mandate on Marine and Costal Biological Diversity bull 1995 United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement (UNFSA) bull 1995 FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries bull 1995 Kyoto Declaration on the Sustainable Contribution of Fisheries to Food
Security bull 2001 Reykjavik Declaration on Responsible Fisheries in the Marine Ecosystem
and bull 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD)
Review of the scope of ESD and EBFM in Australia 33
Tsamenyi and McIlgorm (1999) highlight that international instruments fall into two broad categories
bull Treaties or conventions which are binding on the oarties to them (some are directly aimed at fisheries management others are of general application with potential to influence the fishing industry) and
bull Non-binding instruments which are the resolutions of declarations by international organisations and some larger non-government organisations These are not legally binding but have a moral and political force and may become the basis for binding instruments
They suggest the major trend in instruments as a move from general objectives in the currently binding agreements to more specific constraints and management methods in the subsequent non-binding instruments
LOSC and the CBD development of EBFM approach
According to Dyoulgerov (2000) there is a well-defined body of international environmental law and global legal instruments that deal with the marine environment The 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) provides rules to regulate all aspects of the uses of the sea and the conservation of the marine environment The 1992 United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is aimed at the conservation of biological diversity and to promote the sustainable use of its components Together UNCLOS and the CBD provide a framework within which governance of the marine environment functions as part of a dynamic interdependent and complementary system of hard and soft law This system encompasses international regional national and local government and non government organisations
Kimball (2001) notes that the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea (UNLOSC) provides a comprehensive framework for tackling ocean stresses and lays down strong and binding obligations to protect and preserve the marine environment including rare or fragile ecosystems and the habitat of marine species and to conserve marine living resources Its principles and mechanisms have been elaborated through specialised legal instruments to support an ecosystems-based and precautionary approach to sustainable ocean use LOSC also establishes a comprehensive framework for use and development of the oceans regarding the rights and obligations of states in the various zones dispute settlement compliance and enforcements international cooperation opportunities and institutional support The convention has been supplemented by two implementing agreements these are
bull 1994 Agreement Relating to the implementation of Part XI which clarifies and replaces many of the Conventionrsquos deep seabed mining provisions adopted in 1982 and
bull 1995 Agreement relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Species (Fish Stocks Agreement of FSA)
As Tsamenyi and McIlgorm explain (1999) one of the first substantive sectors to be considered by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was marine and coastal
34
biodiversity ndash the Jakarta Mandate (1995) The Jakarta Mandate specifically addressed the relationships between conservation and fishing activities and established coastal and marine biodiversity as one of the first substantive sectors to be considered by the Convention The CBDrsquos comprehensive approach to species ecosystem and genetic diversity and its endorsement of an ecosystems approach to biodiversity conservation strengthen the impetus for an ecosystem-based approach to marine conservation (Kimball 2001)
Ecosystem Based Fishery Management (EBFM) the concept
The EBFM approach is based upon the EBM concepts There is no agreed definition of EBFM and there are various terms that are used in relation to Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management (EBFM) approach these include Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF)
According to the FAO (2003) EAF builds on the concept of sustainable development outlined in the 1972 United Nations Conference on Human Environment (Stockholm Sweden) which dealt with the environmental aspects of natural resource management and the 1982 United Nations Convention of the Law of the Seas which provides a basis for resource conservation and use for fisheries management and development EAF is based on two important precepts Firstly the elimination of overcapacity and overfishing the rebuilding of depleted stocks and the protection of associated and dependent species Secondly the maintenance of ecosystem habitats and functional relations between components and productivity
EPAP (1999) suggest an ecosystem based fishery management can complement and improve existing fisheries management and in dealing with oceans and fisheries issues Based on the literature Sissenwine and Mace (2001) propose an ecosystem approach as a governance and management approach for responsible fisheries WWF (2002) consider EBFM as an evolving process in response to two properties of natural systems Firstly the effect of the environment on the resources being exploited Secondly the effect of resource exploitation on the environment Both these are important and the management system should address both types of environment and ecosystem interactions Some approaches to EBFM take a more ecological focus to maintain the capacity of an ecosystem to deliver ecosystem goods and services Whereas other approaches and in the view of WWF more appropriately extend the EBFM concept to include human goals for ecosystems
Pitkich et al (2004) view the overall objective of EBFM is to sustain healthy marine ecosystems and the fisheries they support To achieve this objective EBFM will need to avoid degradation of ecosystems environmental quality and systems minimise the risk of irreversible changes to natural species assemblages and ecosystem processes to balance long-term socio economic benefits without compromising ecosystems develop and understanding and knowledge of ecosystem responses to the impacts of human activities and under circumstances where knowledge and understanding is limited robust and precautionary fishery management measures should be to applied
Review of the scope of ESD and EBFM in Australia 35
EBFM the key issues
The key issues for fisheries governance and management regarding EBFM implementation include overfishing overcapacity and the related issue of government subsidies (FAO 2003 EPAP 1999 Sissenwine amp Mace 2001 and WWF 2002) Sinclair et al (2002) argue that the key issues are overfishing driven by overcapacity and without incentives for rationalisation under a rights based approach to fishing it is unlikely that overcapacity will be reduced Another key issue is that of illegal and unregulated fishing (IIU) Each of these issues is outlined below
Overfishing Important guidelines outlined by FAO (2003) include avoiding overfishing and where stocks have been reduced to low levels that they should be rebuilt noting that once threshold limits have been exceeded changes may be irreversible An ecosystems approach to fishing should also minimise impacts that affect the structure productivity and biological diversity of ecosystems and should consider species interactions
According to EPAP (1999) overfishing is a common problem as the worldrsquos oceans are at or near maximum sustainable fishery yields As a consequence many of the associated social economic and cultural benefits accrued by fishing and other marine goods and services are under threat and many ecosystems exhibit ecological changes due to the over harvesting of fish stocks Also in the past new fisheries have often been fully capitalised and reached unsustainable catch rates before management processes have established effective constraints Fisheries management may determine levels of safe removal of surplus production based on maximum sustainable yields
Sissenwine and Mace (2001) consider fisheries are a component of marine ecosystems as fish are influenced by marine ecosystems and fishing affects the targeted fish stocks and other ecosystem components directly or indirectly Their view is that an ecosystem approach for fisheries requires that environmental variability that affects the productivity of fisheries resources are considered when using maximum sustainable yield (MSY) as a harvest strategy and that MSY should reflect and adapt to changes in natural variability As Hundloe (2002) explains prior to the early 1950s the focus of fisheries management was maximum sustainable yield (MSY) from the early1950s ndash 1970s the concept of maximum economic yield (MEY) was introduced Since then the concept of optimum sustainable yield (OSY) has been developed requiring fisheries management to include biological economic financial cultural social legal and political factors
As WWF (2002) describe the worldrsquos oceans and fisheries have been changed and degraded throughout human history so it is difficult to predict what ecosystems would look like in the absence of fishing Preventing further decline is imperative because setting ecosystem targets and benchmarks can be influenced by shifting baselines where successive generations have lower expectations of what are acceptable ecosystem changes Recently there have been many programs initiatives and agreed actions which recognise the issues however there has only been limited success in preventing overfishing degradation and loss of habitat and loss of biodiversity
Murawski (2000) explains traditional single species management has in the past been concerned mainly with conserving parts of the system such as target fish stocks and overfishing is usually described in terms of growth and recruitment overfishing
36
although it may also manifest in stock collapses Under this system consideration of the interlinkages between target non target species habitats biodiversity and functional relationships have generally not been an explicit objective Whereas the ecosystem based fisheries management approach requires that the factors influencing important ecosystems processes and inter-relationships are considered and ecosystem attributes are taken into account A characteristic of overfished ecosystems is the sequential depletion of economic stocks (fishing down the food chain) Other symptoms of ecosystem overfishing include reduction in diversity and aggregate production of exploitable resources declines in mean trophic level increased bycatch greater variability in abundance of species habitat modification and in extreme cases changes to alternative stable species regimes (Murawski 2000 pg 652)
Holmlund and Hammer (1999) remind us that human societies benefit from exploitation of fish stocks and that fish are embedded within ecosystems and that ecosystem services that fish rely upon need to be taken into account Therefore perhaps what is required is less emphasis on controlling harvesting levels of fish stocks but instead regulations should focus on when where and how to fish taking account of the spatial and temporal life supporting systems of fish
Overcapacity One of the key problems with regard to sustainability and fishing is overcapacity (Mace 1996) According to the FAO (1999) excessive fishing capacity is an increasing concern and contributes to overfishing and the degradation of marine fisheries resources WWF (2002) also highlight this point in terms of fishing fleets and in relation to the increasing power and technology of boats Overcapacity includes both over capitalisation in terms of investment in vessels and equipment and the numbers of fishery operators participating in a particular fishery
Pascoe et al (2004) highlight the need for effective management of fishing capacity has been recognised because many of the fishing resources are biologically and economically over exploited As Metzner and Rawlinson (1998) discuss fishing nations are experiencing the limits of sustainable exploitation and are increasingly recognising the need to deal with the issue through structural adjustment programs (jurisdictional fiscal political biological and economic components) in terms of change in management procedures to achieve desired outcomes According to Pascoe et al (2004) the key elements for managing capacity are a means to assess current level of capacity identify the desired level of capacity and a mechanism to reach that level Capacity may be expressed in terms of inputs (potential fishing effort or outputs (potential catch) Capacity and capacity utilisation relate in the short term to the ability of the existing fleet to increase output given current conditions and overcapacity and overcapitalisation are longer-term concepts that indicate the extent which the current fleet may need to be reduced in order to meet a long term target level of output
As Charles (2001) points out the issues of overcapacity are complex it often reflects high investment and debt for fishers which may lead to increase harvesting of fisheries in order to service the debt The key is to plan the desired fishery configuration (number and types of fishing units) and limit the overall fishing effort at sea through effective management and capacity reduction The issues of overfishing and overcapacity may also be linked to the lack of alternative employment opportunities for
Review of the scope of ESD and EBFM in Australia 37
some fishers or some small communities so rationalisation policies need to take this into account as well as community sustainability
Government subsidies WWF (2002) lists the issue of capacity and the related issue of subsidies as a critical obstacle in achieving EBFM for fisheries Global estimates of subsidies during the 1990s ranged between 16 and 21 of the values of fishing revenues Gooday (2002) discusses the related issue of overcapacity and unsustainable levels of fishing (overfishing) together with government subsidies and the need to clarify and improve disciplines on fisheries subsidies The international debate relates to the consequences (environmental ndash sustainability of fish stocks and economic ndash trade and markets) resulting from these subsidies and what actions are needed to discipline them
The types of subsidies may include bull direct transfers bull lending support programs bull tax preferences and insurance support programs bull sector specific employment and social security provisions bull general services and bull marketing and price support programs
(Gooday 2002 pgs 2-3)
Illegal unreported and unregulated fishing Kirkwood and Agnew (2004) note illegal unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing has been an issue since the first attempts at fishery management IUU refers to fishing activities that are inconsistent with or in contravention of the management or conservation measures in force for a particular fishery Although some international instruments contain provisions that relate to IUU none of these were set up directly to deal with the issue
As the FAO (2002) reports IUU occurs within nation states EEZs and the high seas Because it is unreported it is difficult to quantify However information available suggests that it may account for up to 30 of total catches and that the amount worldwide is increasing An outcome and impact of IUU is that it can undermine management strategies aimed at managing fisheries on a sustainable basis or conservation measures aimed at rebuilding stocks It may also undermine mitigation measures developed for example to reduce bycatch as unregulated fleets are unlikely to implement such measures
During the late 1990s concern regarding the growth of IUU led to the development (by the FAO) of an International Plan of Action (IPOA) for illegal unreported and unregulated fishing The International Plan of Action (IPOA) for Illegal Unreported and Unregulated fishing (IUU) (2001) is a voluntary instrument that applies to all States (nations) entities and to all fishers in response to illegal unreported and unregulated fishing The nature and scope of IUU is addressed objectives and principles and the implementation measures to prevent and deter IUU fishing These measures focus on all State responsibilities flag State responsibilities coastal State measures port State measures internationally agreed market related measures research
38
and regional fisheries management organisations special requirements of developing countries reporting requirements and the role of the FAO
International policy initiatives and strategies in response to the issues
There have been many international policy initiatives and strategies in response to the issues designed to mitigate or minimise the impacts of development on the marine environment At the international level these provide a conceptual basis and a set of guiding principles for implementation of sustainable development at the regional national and local level This has also necessitated governance and management changes at these different levels
World Summit on Sustainable Development (2002) Outcomes with regard to oceans and fisheries from the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg were outlined in The Key Commitments Targets and Timetables from the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation and included the following
bull Encourage the application by 2010 of the ecosystem approach for the sustainable development of the oceans
bull On an urgent basis and where possible by 2015 maintain or restore depleted fish stocks to levels that can produce the maximum sustainable yield
bull Put into effect the forthcoming FAO International Plans of Action (IPOAs) by the agreed dates These are - the prevention of illegal unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU)
by 2004 - to eliminate destructive fishing practices by 2005
bull Develop and facilitate the use of diverse approaches and tools including the ecosystem approach the elimination of destructive fishing practices the establishment of marine protected areas consistent with international law and based on scientific information including representative networks by 2012
bull Establish by 2004 a regular process under the United Nations for global reporting on and assessment of the state of the marine environment and
bull Eliminate subsidies that contribute to overcapacity (Key Outcomes httpwwwearthsummit 2002org p3)
High Seas Marine Protected Areas During the 1980s and 1990s new threats to oceans from human activities caused increasingly complex problems As Baker et al (2001) explain the high seas represent 50 of the earthrsquos surface which are outside the Nation state Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZs) and are an open access resource Current areas of concerns in relation to the oceans are the oil and gas and the future development of biotechnology and deep sea mining sectors impacts of distant water fishing fleets These sectors may directly and indirectly impact a range of habitats and biological communities and threaten biodiversity of the high seas A proposed policy and planning action to address these broad issues is to create a system of High Seas Marine Protected Areas (HSMPAs)
Review of the scope of ESD and EBFM in Australia 39
IPOAs Other specific issues that are of concern globally include species issues such as bycatch of seabirds and sharks and fishing issues and destructive fishing practices In response the FAO has developed International Plans of Action (IPOAS) to deal with some of these specific issues and those outlined above These are to be implemented at the national level through a National Plan of Action (NPOA) The plans outline a set of activities which implementing States are expected to carry out including an assessment of whether a problem exists adopting a National Plan of Action (NPOA) procedures for national reviews and reporting requirements and a summary description of appropriate mitigation measures which states should consider for inclusion in their NPOA and the role of the FAO
The plans are briefly outlined below
bull IPOA Seabirds (1999) is a voluntary instrument that applies to all States (nations) whose fishermen engage in longline fisheries to reduce the incidental catch of seabirds in longline fisheries
bull IPOA Sharks (1999) is a voluntary instrument that applies to all States (nations) whose fishermen engage in shark fisheries for the conservation and management of sharks
bull IPOA Fishing capacity (1999) is a voluntary instrument that applies to all States (nations) whose fishermen engage in capture fisheries for the management of fishing capacity and
bull IPOA Illegal unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) (2001) is a voluntary instrument that applies to all States (nations) entities and to all fishers in response to illegal unreported and unregulated fishing The measures focus on all State responsibilities flag State responsibilities coastal State measures port State measures internationally agreed market related measures research and regional fisheries management organisations special requirements of developing countries reporting requirements and the role of the FAO
12 EBFM and other similar approaches to address broader ecosystem issues for fisheries There are a number of approaches to address broader ecosystem issues for fisheries The approaches may be designed to manage at different environmental scales (local sub-regional national) andor by different organisations (governments regional and local bodies) and cooperation between a wide range of stakeholders Each of these approaches is outlined with an Australian example The approaches that are considered useful to EBFM include
bull Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) and Large Marine Ecosystems (LME) bull Multiple Use Management (MUM) bull Integrated catchment ndash from land to sea bull Accreditation schemes such as Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) or
International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO)14000 bull Environmental Management System (EMS) bull Codes of conductpractices
40
bull Co-management and bull ESD subprogram approach to EBM and other related systems
121 Integrated Coastal Management and Large Marine Ecosystems Management Scale large scale geographically both ecosystems and human activities and a wide range of different management agencies and stakeholders
Australian example National approach Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) Regional examples the Great Barrier Reef Marine Protected Area (GBRMPA) and Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR)
Griffis and Kimball (1996) outline these two management approaches Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) and Large Marine Ecosystems (LME) and suggest that these are good examples of ecosystem approaches for ocean and coastal resource management Both these systems are based on the principle that a large scale systems approach that simultaneously considers ecosystem processes and human activities provide management with the best chance for finding sustainable solutions Also they are concerned with human activities that alter ecosystems that in turn reduces the ability of ecosystems to support human populations and health economies ICM focuses on influencing policy and governance processes (more issues driven) to shape patterns of coastal resource use through changes or modification in human behaviour and social values (people management) whereas the LME strategy is defined along large scale hydrographic regimes with a focus on ecosystem dynamics and fisheries and is largely science driven
122 Multiple Use Management Scale geographically at national states and subregional scales taking an integrated sectoral approach to managing human activities and includes a wide range of different management agencies and stakeholders
Australian example WA Government environmental and sectoral management of the North West Shelf area (regional)
According to Sainsbury et al (1997) multiple use management (MUM) offers a satisfactory approach to achieving an ecologically sustainable balance of outcomes across a broad range of uses and users of the environment MUM is underpinned by four fundamental principles Ecosystem integrity wealth generation and resource use equity and participatory decision making This approach provides a framework which has the potential to overcome the problems caused by sectoral decision making provides the basis for integrated planning and analysis at global national state and local levels and provides the context for assessment of policies plans programs and individual projects
Review of the scope of ESD and EBFM in Australia 41
123 Integrated catchment management ndash from land to sea Scale geographically from the river source to its final destination the sea taking into account the cumulative impacts of the human activities that occur within the river catchments that may impact marine ecosystems It includes a wide range of different management agencies and stakeholders
Australian example national approach the Coastal Catchments Initiative (CCI) There are also many local examples which are often administered at the local government level
According to Hughes and Goodall (1992) and Suchanek (1993 1994) chemical pollution and eutrophication have already altered the biodiversity of estuaries and coastal environments Deep sea habitats may also be altered by pollution as the sea continues to be used for waste disposal some of which is highly toxic Organic and inorganic wastes from land based activities such as agricultural industrial and domestic activities particularly effect estuaries and coastal areas
As McKay et al (1999) explain the damming or diversion of rivers for power generation flood control or irrigation has resulted in significant reductions andor changes in the timing and amount of freshwater flowing to the sea Reduced sediment flow into deltas and wetlands has resulted in the loss of fish spawning habitat The impacts have been widespread and include fisheries reductions loss of biodiversity increased concentrations of pollutants salinisation and subsidence of surrounding coastal lowlands and alteration of estuaries Whereas other activities such as mining or deforestation as Gray (1997) explains have led to large increases in sediment loads which have smothered coral reefs and other coastal habitats
124 Environmental management systems Scale management agency industry sectors or an individual business
Australian example EMS for seafood industry The Seafood EMS Chooser (2005) Seafood Services Australia Ltd
ISO 14000 defines a voluntary environmental management system As the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD 1996) review explains development of the standards was started in 1991 by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) The standards consist of a set of documents that define the key elements of a management system that will help organisations address environmental issues The system includes setting of goals and priorities assignment of responsibilities for accomplishing them measuring and reporting on results and external verification of claims
The standards do not set performance values or goals these are set by the company taking into account the effects its activities have on the environment and the views of stakeholders The standards provide a way of systematically setting and managing performance commitments They can also assist companies in managing according to ESD principles In addition to the standards there are guidelines that are a support tool these are documents on environmental auditing environmental performance evaluation environmental labelling and life cycle analysis The adoption of the standards provide internal benefits in terms of helping the organisation meet its legal commercial and
42
environmental challenges and externally by providing assurance that the company is meeting its stated environmental policies
Other related schemes include British standards for Environmental Management Systems (EMS) designed to improve environmental performance it takes a systematic and integrated management approach The European Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) takes a more proactive approach to development registration is site specific and unlike the British EMS a detailed environmental statement is required for every site participating in the scheme The Canadian Standards Association (CSA) has developed a consensus based information approach for a range of environmental initiatives and again is proactive in that it is based on prevention rather than control
In Australia an EMS developed for seafood industry is The Seafood EMS Chooser Seafood Services Australia Ltd (2005 pg 5) An environmental management system (EMS) puts in place a continual process of planning implementing reviewing and improving the actions that an organisation undertakes to manage its risks and opportunities relating to
bull The environment bull Food safety and quality bull Occupational health and safety bull Profitability bull Public relations and bull Other aspects of the organisation
125 Codes of conductpractice Scale industry
Australian examples there are many industry examples that are designed to mitigate bycatch (especially of threatened and endangered species) and post capture handling and release practices to reduce mortality including turtles and longline fishing
The FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (1995) in the introduction states ldquoThis Code sets out principles and international standards of behaviour for responsible practices with a view to ensuring the effective conservation management and development of living aquatic resources with due respect for the ecosystem and biodiversityrdquo In response some fisheries have taken the initiative by developing and adopting codes of practice The aim of these voluntary codes is for the sector to be self regulating rather than being regulated by government
126 Accreditation schemes Scale fishery and consumers
Australian examples fisheries that are accredited under the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) scheme include the WA Western rock lobster The SA Lakes and Coorong Fishery and Austral Fisheries Pty Ltd (mackerel icefish) are in assessment
Review of the scope of ESD and EBFM in Australia 43
Eco-labelling schemes provide customers with information enabling them to choose for example fish products that are produced on a sustainable basis and producers with an incentive through market share to manage fisheries on a sustainable basis As Deere (1999) suggests accreditation and eco-labelling schemes are increasingly being perceived as a method that can maintain the productivity and economic value of fisheries as well as providing incentives for improved fisheries management and conservation of biodiversity Eco-labels are seals of approval that endorse that a particular fishery complies to a set of sustainability standards or criteria and is harvested on a sustainable basis An example is the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) accreditation scheme
127 Co-management and consultation mechanisms (government agencies industry fisheries) Scale shared responsibility between governments industry and local stakeholders
Australian examples national approach the Management Advisory Committees (MACs) Scientific Advisory Groups (SAGs) Fishery Management Committees (FMCs) and industry peak bodies and groups A fishery example of co-management arrangements is the SA Lakes and Coorong Fishery
In the discussions relating to centralised or decentralised management and decision making co-management is often suggested as an appropriate approach that shares management responsibility and decision making between the local and national level participants Charles (2001) discusses the co-management approach as a mechanism for sharing decision making management functions and resolving conflict between stakeholders Participation in co-management may include governments fishers other fishery sector players community organisations and the general public Participants have both rights and responsibilities in the co-management arrangements which may include a range of options and different levels of co-management between government users and community management
As Hundloe (2002) explains at the local level co-management including community based management and partnering arrangements increase fishers participation by joint decision making and transferring some management rights and responsibilities This approach is best suited to a relatively homogeneous non migratory species For this approach to be successful it requires a well defined process such as a management plan so that both the government and participants understand their rights and responsibilities Under these conditions co-management has the potential to provide a number of benefits
bull Efficiency gains and reduced transaction costs bull Allows a flexible approach providing conditions that are more likely to make
fisheries profitable bull Peer pressure promotes voluntary compliance which reduces enforcement costs bull Use of local knowledge ndash a valuable supplement to costly science based
research bull Facilitates adaptive management in response to new information and changing
conditions and
44
bull May assist in implementing market based management mechanisms such as Individual Transferable Quotas (ITQs) In some cases ITQs and co-management can strengthen each other as market based incentives operate at instrument level and co-management at the organisational level
128 ESD subprogram approach to Ecosystem Based Management (EBM) and other related systems There has been a high level of confusion in the use of terms such as Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) Ecosystem Based Management (EBM) Ecosystem Based Fishery Management (EBFM) Integrated Oceans Management (IOM) and Environmental Management Systems (EMS) As part of the ESD workshop held in April 2004 these specific terms and the general problem of dealing with different terminology amongst groups and countries were discussed by the ESD Reference Group It was hoped that the outcomes of these discussions would minimise the level of confusion in the future at least within the stakeholders operating within the marine related sectors in Australia The following definitions have now been agreed by the Australian Fisheries Management Forum and the Marine and Coastal Committee of the Natural Resources Management Standing Committee
Relationships between ESD EBM EBFM IOM and EMS
At the lowest level are the Environmental Management Systems (EMS) An EMS can be developed to describe how an individual business or a fishery is attempting to meet ESD principles
1 An Industry level EMS deals with the management of a corporate group within a fishery or fishing area They describe how an individualcompany group will meet some or all of their requirements as dictated by the relevant management objectivescommunity expectations A relevant example is the Pumistone Passage Fishing Initiative
2 A Fishery lsquoESDrsquo Report deals with the management of a fishery and describes how a fisheries agency is implementing their management plan [13] to achieve ESD objectives Thus each of the ldquoESDrdquo reports being generated for export fisheries to meet EPBC requirements are actually an EMS with a specific example being the ESD report for the Shark Bay Prawn Fishery
3 Ecosystem Based Fishery Management (EBFM) deals with the aggregate management of all fisheries related activities within an ecosystem or bioregion This recognises that any fisheries agency can only directly manage ldquofisheries relatedrdquo activities (ie what is covered by their ActLegislation) To undertake EBFM requires the integrated management of all fishing activities within a region not just single fisheries to ensure that the cumulative impacts and the allocation amongst sectors are being adequately managed to assist in achieving ESD for the region (No completed examples of this are yet available)
Review of the scope of ESD and EBFM in Australia 45
4 Ecosystem Based Management (EBM) deals with the aggregate management of all sectors (fishing shipping tourism mining etc) operating within a single bioregion to achieve ESD outcomes
5 Integrated Oceans Management (IOM) not only deals with all sectors but covers a series of adjacent marine bioregions An example is bioregional planning under the EPBC Act
6 Full lsquoESDrsquo would require a completed IOM strategy that is linkedintegrated with a similarly comprehensive strategy for any adjacent terrestrial regions These could be further expanded from a region to national and international scale ESD assessments the latter would cover the entire planet
The ESD Reference Group recognised that it will be impossible to stop the development of new terms to encompass principles andor issues that are already covered by these existing terms The general principle is that in all reportspublications the use of any term should be defined or refer to a readily available source For example when using the term ESD the definition used should refer back to the 1992 National Strategy
Fletcher WJ (2006) Frameworks for managing marine resources using ecosystem approaches how do they fit together and can they be useful Bulletin of Marine Science Also see httpwwwfrdccomausubprograms
13 ESDEBFM in Australia a national response bull Regional and bilateral responses bull National response bull NationalStrategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development (NSESD 1992) bull Australiarsquos EEZ (1994) bull Oceans Policy (1998 ndash 2005) bull Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999 bull Initiatives
- Threat Abatement Plans (TAPs) (DEWHA) - BAPs (DAFF) - NOPAs (DAFF) and
bull Capability and capacity building - Marine and Coastal Committee (MACC) - ESD Reporting and Assessment Subprogram
131 Australia regional and bilateral responses There are a range of international initiatives and measures which are to be implemented at regional levels Issues may be generic to a number of regions or specific to a particular region and governance and management responses are developed and implemented through a range of institutions and organisations such the Regional Seas Programs (RSPs) and the Regional Fisheries Boards (RFBs) or other regional management organisations These organisations and institutions may operate very differently from each other under a range of multilateral agreements some initiatives may be binding others non binding and legal instruments may be voluntary
46
(soft) or mandatory (hard) and deal with a diverse range of issues and have different timeframes
Examples of conventions and agreements relevant to the South Pacific under the Regional Seas Programme and which Australia participates in are
bull The East Asian Seas Action Plan 1981 - the protocol for the prevention of pollution by dumping
bull The South Pacific Action Plan 1982 (Noumea Convention 1982) - the protocol concerning cooperation in combating pollution emergencies
bull South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) SPREP is a regional organisation established by the governments and administrations of the Pacific region to look after its environment SPREPrsquos focus is to sustain the integrity of the ecosystems of the Pacific islands region to support life and livelihoods today and tomorrow Coastal and marine ecosystems are included under its island ecosystems program and
bull The 1959 Antarctic Treaty to ensure Antarctica is used exclusively for peaceful purposes and scientific investigation - in recognition of Antarctica as the last great wilderness on earth the Madrid
Protocol was created under the Antarctic Treaty System in 1991 to make certain mutually agreed resolutions on the environment legally binding upon member nations
- the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) came into force in 1982 as part of the Antarctic Treaty system in pursuance of the provisions of Article IX of the Treaty The aim if the Convention is to conserve the marine life of the Southern Ocean
Australia also participates in a number of regional and bilateral fisheries agreements including the Convention for the Prohibition of Fishing with Long Driftnets in the South Pacific Region Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT) Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) and the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) Responsibilities also include Australiarsquos bilateral relationships with Indonesia and Papua New Guinea and Torres Strait fisheries issues
See httpwwwuneporgregionalseas
132 Australia national response Nation States have co-operative roles at the bilateral regional and international level and responsibilities for co-ordinating implementation actions at these various levels As party to these agreements or members of the above organisations they have responsibility in complying with agreements at the national level and this may mean changes to the domestic governance and management arrangements and ocean and fisheries practices Nation States are also responsible for managing the oceans and fisheries within their own EEZ and these responsibilities may also devolve to states the sub national and to local levels
Australia is party to many of the international agreements described above such as the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNLOSC) 1982 and the Convention of
Review of the scope of ESD and EBFM in Australia 47
Biological diversity (1992) In response to these Conventions and other international governance arrangements Australia developed a national approach to ESD and EBFM as outlined below
133 NSESD 1992 Australia introduced the National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development (NSESD) (Commonwealth of Australia 1992a) The strategy defines Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) as ldquousing conserving and enhancing the communityrsquos resources so that ecological processes on which life depends are maintained and the total quality of life now and in the future can be increased (Commonwealth of Australia 1992 p 6)
The goal of NESD is development that improves the total quality of life both now and in the future in a way that maintains the ecological processes on which life depends The core objectives of NSESD are
bull To enhance individual and community wellbeing and welfare by following a path of economic development that safeguards the welfare of future generations
bull To provide for equity within and between generations and bull To protect biological diversity and maintain essential ecological processes and
life-support systems
The challenge for fisheries under NESD was for fisheries management agencies throughout Australia to adopt a fisheries ecosystem management framework that would provide a more holistic and sustainable approach to management of aquatic resources The strategic approach that was recommended included that stakeholder decision making should be based on a knowledge of the likely consequences for the resource and the environment
134 Australiarsquos Exclusive Economic Zone (1994) In November 1994 Australia became responsible under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea for one of the largest ocean territories (16 million square kilometres) As described by Sainsbury et al (1997) Australiarsquos exclusive Economic Zone is one of the worldrsquos largest extending from the Antarctic to the tropics and contains a large portion of the southern hemispherersquos marine biological diversity It has international and national significance Internationally under the agreement Australia is responsible for biological diversity under its jurisdiction and has an obligation to sustainable development Nationally Australiarsquos EEZ has a high economic potential in respect of for example the development of tourism fishing industries biotechnology and the mineral and petroleum industries and these will need to be managed in an integrated manner
48
AFZ and EEZ
In November 1979 Australia declared the Australian Fishing Zone (AFZ) which is the area of sea from the coast out to 200 nautical miles offshore (1 nautical mile = 185 km) This also includes the waters surrounding the offshore territories of the Cocos Christmas Norfolk Macquarie Heard and McDonald Islands Australians are obliged to conserve and manage the fisheries and other marine life within the AFZ Foreign nations cannot legally fish within our waters without prior permission from the Australian Government On 1 August 1994 Australia declared an EEZ extending 200 nautical miles from its coastline The declaration of the Australian EEZ is consistent with the actions taken by other maritime nations under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)
The AFZ and the EEZ differ in that while the AFZ relates only to the use or protection of fisheries the EEZ relates to all types of resources in the zone (eg fish oil gas minerals etc) Also under the EEZ regime where the edge of the continental shelf of Australia extends beyond 200 nautical miles Australia has the right to explore and exploit in this area the non-living resources such as oil gas and minerals as well as sedentary fisheries species (ie ones that dont move much off the seabed) The exploitation of non-living resources beyond 200 nautical miles is subject to a duty to share any profits with the International Seabed Authority also established under UNCLOS
135 Australiarsquos Ocean Policy 1998 Australiarsquos Oceans Policy was released in 1998 and continues to guide the direction of the Australian Governmentrsquos programs in the marine environment The policy provides national coordination and consistency for marine planning and management while allowing for regional diversity The policy was established with governance arrangements including
bull A National Oceans Ministerial Board of key Australian Government Ministers bull A National Oceans Advisory Group of industry community and government
stakeholders and bull A National Oceans Office which was established to provide secretariat and
technical support and program delivery for initiatives under the policy
2003 In 2003 two other bodies were established to assist the further development and implementation of Australias Oceans Policy The Oceans Board of Management comprises representatives from seven Australian Government departments and agencies relevant to Australias marine jurisdiction It was formed to provide high-level whole-of-government advice on operational aspects of Australias Oceans Policy and its central program of regional marine planning The Oceans Policy Science Advisory Group comprising representatives of Australian Government marine science and related agencies as well as State research institutions and non-government marine science interests was also formed It is tasked with promoting coordination and
Review of the scope of ESD and EBFM in Australia 49
information sharing between Government marine science agencies and across the broader Australian marine science community
2004 The Australian Government made a number of changes to institutional arrangements in 2004 The National Oceans Ministerial Board was dissolved with the Minister for the Environment and Heritage taking lead responsibility for Australias Oceans Policy in consultation with Ministerial colleagues where required The National Oceans Advisory Group now reports to the Minister for the Environment and Heritage rather than the Board The National Oceans Office was incorporated into the new Marine Division of the Department of the Environment and Water Resources and continues to have lead responsibility for regional marine planning The Marine Division brings together the key elements of marine environment policy into a central point within the Department
2005 In 2005 the Australian Government brought its program of regional marine planning directly under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) The plans will be known as Marine Bioregional Plans to reflect the part of the EPBC Act under which they will be established This initiative gives new impetus for the implementation of Australiarsquos Oceans Policy by streamlining the planning process and providing greater guidance about marine environment conservation priorities The process includes the identification and establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs) in the Commonwealth managed waters around Australia (which excludes the coastal waters managed by the states and Northern Territory) Through the marine bioregional planning program the Australian Government will
bull Prepare marine bioregional plans for Commonwealth waters under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act)
bull Establish networks of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) as the Commonwealth contribution to the National Representative System of MPAs and
bull Marine bioregional plans are being developed across five marine regions ndash the South-west North North-west East and South-east
It should be noted as states and the Northern Territory are responsible for the marine environment for the first three nautical miles from the shore and many ecological processes work across both the state and national waters the Australian Government aims to work cooperatively with them in developing and implementing the plans Like the Australian Government the states and the Northern Territory are already working on their contribution to the National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas
Marine Bioregional Plans will be developed in each of Australiarsquos five marine regions The South-East Regional Marine Plan was completed in 2004 and will provide the basis for a Marine Bioregional Plan to be developed under the EPBC Act The five regions are
bull South-east The South-East Marine Region covers more than 16 million square kilometres of water off Victoria Tasmania (including Macquarie Island)
50
southern New South Wales around the town of Bermagui and eastern South Australia from the South AustralianndashVictorian border to Victor Harbor
bull South-west The South-west Marine Region covers more than 13 million square kilometres of ocean waters from the eastern most tip of Kangaroo Island off the South Australian coast to a point level with Cape Inscription on the outer coast of Shark Bay off Western Australia
bull North-west The North-west Marine Region covers more than 12 million square kilometres of water between Shark Bay and the Northern TerritoryWestern Australian border
bull North The Northern Marine Region covers more than 715 000 square kilometres of water in the Gulf of Carpentaria Arafura Sea and the Timor Sea as far west as the Northern TerritoryndashWestern Australian border and
bull East The East Marine Region covers more than 2 million square kilometres of water off the east coast of Queensland and New South Wales (including Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island) from the town of Bermagui to the tip of Cape York The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is not included in this planning region
Marine bioregional plans will now be developed under section 176 of the EPBC Act Section 176 of the EPBC Act provides a general description of the provisions a Marine Bioregional Plan may include
bull Descriptions of the biodiversity economic social and heritage values of the region
bull The objectives of the plan relating to biodiversity and other values bull Priorities strategies and actions to achieve the objectives bull How the community can be involved in the plan and bull Mechanisms for monitoring and reviewing the plan over time
There are four stages in developing marine bioregional plans
Stage 1 The regional profile
Regional profiles are documents that describe each regionrsquos key habitats species natural processes heritage values human uses and benefits The profiles will draw on Australiarsquos growing marine science and socio-economic information base to provide a detailed picture of each marine region The regional profiles will give details about the various statutory obligations under the EPBC Act and other environmental legislation that applies in any region as well as describing existing conservation measures and other marine spatial management measures such as area closures for fisheries The regional profiles will also set out the objectives for subsequent work to identify an MPA network for the marine region which will form part of the National Representative System of MPAs
Review of the scope of ESD and EBFM in Australia 51
Stage 2 The draft marine bioregional plan
Following the release of a Regional Profile the Department of the Environment and Heritage will conduct a strategic regional assessment of conservation values and the current and emerging pressures on the marine environment The results of this assessment to be included in a draft Marine Bioregional Plan will identify key conservation and heritage priorities for each marine region and the range of legislative and administrative tools available to the Government to manage them The strategic assessment will provide valuable input to the identification of MPAs A candidate network of MPAs will be included in the draft Marine Bioregional Plan The draft Marine Bioregional Plan will be open for public consultation under regulations to be made under the EPBC Act Stage 3 The final plan
The Marine Bioregional Plan will be finalised after the public consultation It will identify conservation values in the region priorities and measures for the protection of these values a network of MPAs and a set of sustainability indicators that will be used to help explain the health of the marine environment into the future The development of Marine Bioregional Plans will include a greater focus than has occurred previously on the provision of information on each region This will be done via the internet The public will be able to view maps of a region representing different types of information (eg species distribution location of conservation values spread and intensity of industries) as well as being able to provide comments on information contained in regional profiles draft and final marine bioregional plans Stage 4 Implementation and review
Once it is finalised the Minister will be guided by the Marine Bioregional Plan for all decisions affecting the region that the Minister must make under the EPBC Act An implementation strategy will be developed and the formal legal processes to declare the MPA network will commence The Plan will be reviewed from time to time in light of new information and needs
See httpwwwenvironmentgovaucoastsoceans-policyindexhtml
136 Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999
The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999 commenced on 16 July 2000 The aim of the Act is to provide an effective framework for environmental protection and conservation of Australian biodiversity It enables the Commonwealth states and territories to take a national approach to environmental protection and biodiversity conservation The Commonwealth takes responsibility for leadership on the environment and the states take responsibility for delivering on-ground resource management The objectives of the Act are
bull To provide for the protection of the environment especially those aspects that are matters of national environmental significance
52
bull Promote ecologically sustainable development through the conservation and ecologically sustainable use of natural resources
bull Promote the conservation of biodiversity bull Promote a cooperative approach to the protection and management of the
environment involving governments the community and other relevant stakeholders
bull Assist in the cooperative implementation of Australiarsquos international environmental responsibilities and
bull Recognise the role and interests of indigenous people including the use of their knowledge in the conservation and ecologically sustainable use of Australiarsquos biodiversity)
Under the Act if an action will have or is likely to have a significant impact on a matter of national significance it will require approval from the Environment Minister and may require an Environmental Impact Assessment Matters of national significance include
bull listed threatened species and ecological communities bull migratory species protected under international agreements bull Ramsar wetlands of international importance bull the Commonwealth marine environment bull World Heritage properties bull National Heritage places and bull nuclear actions (Commonwealth of Australia 2006 pg 4)
An action is likely to have a significant impact on the environment in a Commonwealth marine area if there is a real chance or possibility that the action will
bull Result in a known or potential pest species becoming established in the Commonwealth marine area
bull Modify destroy fragment isolate or disturb an important or substantial area of habitat such that an adverse impact on marine ecosystem functioning or integrity in a Commonwealth marine area results
bull Have a substantial adverse effect on a population of a marine species or cetacean including its life cycle (eg breeding feeding migration behaviour life expectancy) and spatial distribution
bull Result in a substantial change in air quality or water quality (including temperature) which may adversely impact on biodiversity ecological integrity social amenity or human health
bull Result in persistent organic chemicals heavy metals or other potentially harmful chemicals accumulating in the marine environment such that biodiversity ecological integrity social amenity or human health may be adversely affected or
bull Have a substantial adverse impact on heritage values of the Commonwealth marine area including damage or destruction of an historic shipwreck (Commonwealth of Australia 2006 pg 16)
Review of the scope of ESD and EBFM in Australia 53
Under the EPBC Act the Australian Government has consolidated its major environmental controls and effective from January 2002 the wildlife trade provisions previously implemented through the Wildlife Protection (Regulation of Imports and Exports) Act 1982 The legislation provides a framework that will enable the Australian Government to ensure that any harvesting of marine species is managed for ecologically sustainability The primary roles of the Sustainable Fisheries Section include the evaluation of the environmental performance of fisheries for strategic assessment under Part 10 of the EPBC Act assessments relating to impacts on protected marine species (Part 13) and those required for approval of export of fisheries product (Part 13A)
The EPBC Act requires all Commonwealth managed fisheries to undergo strategic environmental impact assessments before new management arrangements are bought into affect and that all fisheries with an export component undergo assessment to determine the extent to which management arrangements will ensure that the fishery is managed in an ecologically sustainable way
137 Looking to the future a review of Commonwealth fisheries policy The review highlighted
bull The need for ecosystem-based fisheries management bull The need for effective and transparent decision making to allocate access rights
among all sectors using fisheries resources bull A requirement for Commonwealth state and territory governments to ensure
that future arrangements provide for total stock management as well as better coordination of their fisheries management responsibilities and
bull Support for better targeted research and development
Community expectations that the review identified about fisheries management focused on
bull Ecologically sustainable development and efficient effective ecosystem-based management of fisheries including recovery of depleted stocks the need for improved resource sharing and institutional arrangements
bull The importance of Australiarsquos efforts in combating illegal unreported and unregulated fishing and in pursuing its interests in regional and international forums and
bull The need to encourage young people into the industry
138 Ministerrsquos announcement for Securing our Fishing Future package for Commonwealth fisheries (2005)
The $220 million Securing our Fishing Future package was announced in November 2005 and was designed to deliver profitable and sustainable Commonwealth fisheries for the future The package includes three key features
bull The 2Australian Fisheries Management Authority will introduce new fisheries management actions to ensure Commonwealth-managed fisheries remain sustainable 2Future Operating Environment for Commonwealth Fisheries
54
bull The Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the South-East Marine Region which have been developed by the 2Department of the Environment and Heritage to protect marine biodiversity and
bull DAFF is responsible for the development of policy and administration of the $220 million 2fisheries structural adjustment package This includes elements of the Securing our Fishing Future package such as Business Exit Assistance Business Advice Assistance Assistance for Skippers and Crew Onshore Business Assistance Fishing Community Assistance and the AFMA Levy Subsidy
Details of the Australian Governmentrsquos direction to AFMA
The Australian Government considers that decisive action is needed immediately to halt overfishing and to create the conditions that will give overfished stocks a chance to recover to an acceptable level in the near future
With this in mind Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) has been directed under section 91 of the Fisheries Management Act 1991 as follows 1 Noting the qualification in relation to internationally-managed fisheries in
paragraph 2(a)(iv) below AFMA must take immediate action in all Commonwealth fisheries to
a cease overfishing and recover overfished stocks to levels that will ensure long term sustainability and productivity
b avoid further species from becoming overfished in the short and long term and
c manage the broader environmental impacts of fishing including on threatened species or those otherwise protected under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
2 AFMA must take a more strategic science-based approach to setting total allowable catch andor effort levels in Commonwealth fisheries consistent with a worlds best practice Commonwealth Harvest Strategy Policy that has the objectives of managing fish stocks sustainably and profitably putting an end to overfishing and ensuring that currently overfished stocks are rebuilt within reasonable timeframes as set out below
a Consistent with the United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement and based on advice from Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and other relevant scientists the initial setting of the Commonwealth Harvest Strategy Policy should be
i in all Commonwealth fisheries the exploitation rate of target stocks in any fishing year will not exceed that giving the Maximum Sustainable Yield The catch of target stocks in all Commonwealth fisheries will not exceed the Maximum Sustainable Yield in any fishing year unless otherwise consistent with a scientifically robust harvest strategy designed to achieve a sustainable target level and that does not result in overfishing or overfished stocks
Review of the scope of ESD and EBFM in Australia 55
ii for the initial and default harvest strategy reductions in exploitation rate and catch are to be implemented immediately when breeding stocks are assessed to have been reduced below 40 of pre-fished levels and targeted fishing to cease when breeding stocks are assessed to have been reduced below 20 of pre-fished levels (known as a 2040 harvest strategy) Alternative harvest strategies may be developed in specific cases where they meet the sustainability objectives and do not result in overfishing or overfished stocks
iii the harvest strategy must achieve the objective of avoiding overfishing and avoiding overfished stocks with at least 80 probability (where lack of knowledge about a fish stock precludes decision making with this level of certainty decisions on catchunits should reflect the application of the precautionary principle) and
iv noting that for internationally-managed fisheries to which Australia is a party (such as the Southern Bluefin Tuna Fishery and the Heard Island and McDonald Islands Fishery) the relevant international agreement will prevail where it includes an acceptable scientific process for setting sustainable catch levels In such flora Australia will advocate its domestic policy settings as an example of best practice
b Participate in an expert review of the policy referred to in paragraph 2(a) above which will report to me by 30 June 2006
i The expert-based review of the above initial settings for the Commonwealth Harvest Strategy Policy will determine if and by how much these settings should be amended to ensure that the objectives in relation to sustainability and profitability overfishing and recovery of stocks are met within specified time limits
ii The expectation is that for some species the adoption of more conservative harvest strategies with higher stock size thresholds (eg lsquo3050rsquo strategies) lower exploitation rates or a higher probability (eg 90-95) of avoiding overfishing will be necessary to achieve these objectives
iii The review will be led by the Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) will involve relevant bodies and will be peer reviewed by international fisheries experts
3 Noting that AFMA has released the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) levels for 2006 in the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery (SESSF) and projected TAC and Total Allowable Effort (TAE) levels for the SESSF and the Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery respectively for 2007 AFMA must implement by 1 January 2007 harvest strategies consistent with the reviewed policy in paragraph 2(b) above for all Commonwealth fisheries
a the projected TACs and TAEs for 2007 referred to above will be subject to verification under the reviewed policy in paragraph 2(b) however it is
56
not expected that these will vary significantly from those already announced by AFMA
b the TAC level for the Bass Strait Central Zone Scallop fishery should be set at zero for a minimum of three years from January 2006 (excluding official stock surveys)
4 AFMA must also have regard to participate in or implement the following measures
a Implement the long standing government policy of managing Commonwealth fisheries using output controls in the form of individual transferable quotas by 2010 unless there is a strong case that can be made to me on a fishery by fishery basis that this would not be cost effective or would be otherwise detrimental
b In those fisheries where quota or effort-based Statutory Fishing Rights (SFRs) have been granted conduct a cost-benefit analysis to determine whether boat permits andor boat SFRs are an impediment to autonomous adjustment or are otherwise a barrier to efficient fisheries management and if this is the case whether they could be phased out by 2010 while
i Avoiding overcapitalisation ii Retaining the benefits of government funded structural
adjustment iii Managing access to all retained species
c Minimise the incentives for discarding by ensuring it is factored into the setting of total allowable catch levels
d Manage the broader environmental impacts of fishing including minimising the level of interactions with threatened or otherwise protected species
e Enhance the monitoring of fishing activity for example through increased use of vessel monitoring systems with daily reporting on-board cameras and observers
f Establish a system of independent surveys for all major Commonwealth fisheries by 1 January 2007 to increase the transparency and integrity of catch and effort information
g Identify and implement any required spatial closures in fisheries i Ensure that where ongoing exclusion of fishing is proposed there
is a coordinated approach with other relevant agencies to the identification of the Marine Protected Areas and
h Strengthen the advice to the AFMA Board by engaging high-level expertise in economics and science to provide parallel advice to the AFMA Board in relation to key Board decisions
5 AFMA must provide me with reports in May 2006 November 2006 and May 2007 outlining the following
a how AFMA is implementing this direction (paragraphs 1 to 3 above)
Review of the scope of ESD and EBFM in Australia 57
b AFMArsquos progress in implementing the direction and expected timeframes for completing the direction and
c any problems encountered with implementing the direction and the actions taken to resolve those problems
6 From 2006 ndash 2010 AFMA will outline in its Annual Report its progress in implementing this direction
a AFMArsquos performance in implementing the direction will be monitored in a number of ways These will include but are not limited to
b AFMArsquos reports to me in May 2006 November 2007 and May 2007 c ongoing briefing from my Department on the progress of the expert-based
reviews d the June 2006 report on the expert-based review of the Commonwealth Harvest
Strategy Policy e ongoing advice from Bureau of Rural Science (BRS) on the status of overfished
stocks particularly through its annual Fishery Status Reports f ongoing advice from Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource
Economics (ABARE) on the economic status of Commonwealth fisheries through the annual Fishery Survey Reports
g AFMArsquos Annual Reports the Department of the Environment and Heritagersquos strategic assessments of Commonwealth fisheries
Outline of the proposed Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) networks in the South-East Marine Region
The proposed Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) network in the South-East Marine Region is one of the first in a series of regional representative marine parks to be established nationally and contribute to building the National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas (NRSMPA) The proposed thirteen new Commonwealth Marine Reserves (CMR) are in Commonwealth waters within the South-East Marine Region
There are five different zones in the network 42 of the total area is sanctuary zone managed primarily for scientific research monitoring and where appropriate passive uses 36 of the network is special purpose zone closed to commercial fishing 21 of the network is classified multiple use where low-impact fishing methods and other activities are permitted The remaining area is made up of two specialised zones called the benthic sanctuary zone and the recreational use zone All CMRs are managed primarily for biodiversity conservation
Outline of the fisheries structural adjustment package
The Australian Government allocated $150 million for a one-off voluntary tender process to allow individual fishing businesses to exit from the industry or rationalise their business and remain in the industry Two rounds of a competitive tender process were undertaken within a capped budget with the aim of reducing excess fishing in fisheries that are subject to overfishing or at significant risk of overfishing
58
Business Exit Assistance was delivered through two competitive tenders The first tender round closed on 22 June 2006 and an announcement of the outcomes was made on 15 September 2006 The second round opened on Thursday 19 October 2006 and closed on the 23 November 2006 The results of the 2second round were announced on 22 December 2006 Concession holders in all Commonwealth-managed fisheries (except internationally managed and Joint Authority fisheries) were eligible to tender for Business Exit Assistance
The first tender round closed on 22 June 2006 and an announcement of the 2outcomes was made on 15 September 2006 The first round of Business Exit Assistance spent around $90 million purchasing over 400 fishing concessions from many Commonwealth fisheries In two of the four targeted fisheries ndash the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery (excluding the Great Australian Bight Fishery) and the Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery ndash the Department achieved a very satisfying result Unfortunately very few offers from the Northern Prawn Fishery (NPF) and the Bass Strait Central Zone Scallop Fishery (BSCZSF) were accepted
The second round tender was open to all Commonwealth concession holders with the exception of internationally managed fisheries and Joint Authority fisheries The second round tender specifically targeted the NPF and the BSCZSF but sought value for money within fisheries and across other Commonwealth fisheries Close to 150 concessions were purchased following this round the NPF will realise a one third reduction in concessions while the BSCZSF reduction will be closer to 14 per cent Approximately $60 million was spent in the second round tender process Successful second round tenderers have until 15 March 2007 to hand in their fishing concessions
139 AFMArsquos response to the Ministerrsquos directive AFMA is committed to ecological and economic sustainability of the fishing industry In response to the Australian Governmentrsquos direction AFMA will implement the following measures in all Commonwealth fisheries
Sustainable stocks A new Harvest Strategy Framework will be applied to all Commonwealth managed fisheries by 2008 The framework sets the lsquogoalpostsrsquo for managing catches by setting agreed target and limit reference points and clear decision rules for each species The framework has been used for some time in Australiarsquos sub-Antarctic fisheries and was most recently used to establish Total Allowable Catches in the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery
Managing risk Ecological Risk Assessments (ERAs) identify the risks that fishing poses to the ecological sustainability of the marine environment and help prioritise management needs ERAs will be completed for all Commonwealth fisheries during 2006 Many of our future fisheries management decisions will be based on the outcomes of the ERA process
Improved compliance and data To improve compliance and data and minimise management costs the following actions will be introduced into Commonwealth fisheries
Review of the scope of ESD and EBFM in Australia 59
bull Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) will become compulsory in all Commonwealth fisheries
bull On-board catch-monitoring cameras will also be increasingly used to complement existing Observer programs
bull An electronic licensing transaction system will be developed including the capacity for ldquoself-servicerdquo for some transactions
bull Administrative rather than prosecution based penalties will be used more frequently for fisheries offences to reduce management costs borne by the whole industry rather than the offending individual
bull The integrity of fisheries management arrangements will be improved through measures designed to minimise the black market in illegally caught fish and
bull Measures to protect threatened vulnerable or endangered species will be enhanced and further developed where necessary
Reducing discarding and bycatch
bull Discarding of species subject to a total allowable catch limit or quota management will be illegal in all Commonwealth fisheries by 2007 and
bull Assess and implement measures to significantly reduce bycatch in all Commonwealth fisheries with the goal to halve it by 2008
Efficient management arrangements
bull AFMA will support the negotiation of new Offshore Constitutional Settlement arrangements that improve the integrity of its management systems that are being developed by the Australian Government with the states and Northern Territory and
bull AFMA will begin the process of reviewing those fisheries not on ITQ management during 2006
There are also a number of fishery specific actions that relate to the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery and Bass Strait Central Zone Scallop Fishery
1310 Capability and capacity building
National Resource Management Ministerial Council (NRMMC)
National Resource Management Standing Committees (NRMSC) and Advisory Committees There are two major advisory committees that underpin the work of the NRMSC These are the 2Natural Resource Policies and Programs Committee and the 2Marine and Coastal Committee In addition there are a range of other committees working groups and task forces that undertake work as necessary and generally report to Standing Committee through one or other of the advisory committees
Natural Resource Policies and Programs Committee
The Natural Resource Policies and Programs Committee (NRPPC) was created in early 2004 through an amalgamation of the previous Programs Committee and Land Water
60
and Biodiversity Committee The NRPPC at its inaugural meeting in March 2004 focused on the high priority national issues that should be addressed strategically by the committee The high priority issues selected to set the direction for the NRPPC work plan over the next twelve months are
bull Natural resource management decision-making bull Biodiversity decline bull soil and water quality decline bull Water policy developing a complementary role to several multi-jurisdictional
issues bull Climate change and adaptation effectiveness of regional NRM delivery and bull Invasive species
NRPPC will also liaise with the Marine and Coastal Committee and other relevant bodies as appropriate on matters relevant to the NRPPC This includes advisory committees reporting to the Primary Industries Standing Committee
Marine and Coastal Committee
Membership of the Marine and Coastal Committee MACC) includes Commonwealth and state government natural resource and fisheries management agencies The MACC Secretariat is currently at the Department of the Environment and Heritage The MACC work program is involved with a wide range of issues including those related to EBFM implementation The Marine and Coastal Committee will
bull Advise and support the NRMSC (and Primary Industries Standing Committee (PISC) as appropriate) on issues of national significance relating to the conservation and ecologically sustainable development of marine and coastal ecosystems and resources
bull Provide an ongoing framework to consider issues related to sustainable industry development in the marine and coastal zone
bull Focus on the need for an integrated and strategic approach which is capable of delivering outcomes
bull Establish subordinate structurestaskforces to advance the Committees work program and direct monitor and review their work and
bull Liaise with the Land Water and Biodiversity Committee and the Programs Committee and other bodies as appropriate on matters relevant to the activities of the Marine and Coastal Committee
See httpwwwmincosgovaunrm_sc_committeeshtm
Ecologically Sustainable Development Reporting and Assessment Subprogram
The main objective of the Ecologically Sustainable Development Reporting and Assessment (ESDRA)Subprogram which is funded by the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation is to act as the coordinating hub for the development of information and tools for ESD reporting and assessment This is part of a national initiative to implement ESD within the management of all Australian fisheries and
Review of the scope of ESD and EBFM in Australia 61
aquaculture resources It is aimed at assisting fishery managers the industry environmental groups and the wider community in understanding
bull ESD and issues relating to fisheries bull The initiatives are currently underway to develop methods to assess ESD
performance in fisheries bull The 2structures that have been put in place such as the Fisheries Research and
Development Corporations ESD Reporting and Assessment Subprogram to assist these initiatives and
bull The 2progress that has been made in moving towards ESD-based fisheries management
Scope and objectives of the ESDRA Subprogram Given that Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) effectively includes virtually all the activities conducted by fisheries agencies and the fisheries industry it is important to define the scope of the ESD Reporting and Assessment (ESDRA) Subprogram The ESDRA Subprogram will only address national projects that seek to make a major contribution as to how reporting and assessment of ESD can be undertaken to assist in its implementation
The objectives of the Ecologically Sustainable Development Reporting and Assessment (ESDRA) Subprogram are to
bull Act as the coordinating hub for the development of information and tools for ESD reporting and assessment
bull Facilitate practical implementation of ESD initiatives by providing a leadership role
bull Coordinate and facilitate the development and evaluation of relevant applications on the reporting and assessment of ESD
bull Facilitate the participation of the ESDRA Reference Group bull Assist project integration and value-adding through regular project workshops
and bull Coordinate the formulation and delivery of the ESDRA communications
strategy
The Ecologically Sustainable Development Reporting and Assessment (ESDRA) Subprogram currently uses consultative structures that had already been developed including the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture (SCFA) Working Group in combination with the ESD lsquoReference Grouprsquo The ESDRA Reference Group has four main roles that are to
bull Provide comments and feedback on the progress of current ESDRA projects bull Assist in the identification of future directions for projects within the ESDRA
Subprogram bull Provide comments on applications submitted for funding through the ESDRA
Subprogram and
62
bull Assist the flow of communication into and from the ESDRA Subprogram and their particular agencyindustrygroup
See 3httpwwwfrdccomausubprograms
14 Fisheries policy initiatives and mitigation measures bull Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF)
- Fisheries and Marine Environment Branch - Fisheries policy initiatives and mitigation measures and
bull The Department of Environment Water Heritage and the Arts (DEWHA) - The Coasts and Oceans Division - Fisheries policy initiatives and mitigation measures
141 Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry The role of Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) is to develop and implement policies and programs that ensure Australiarsquos agricultural fisheries food and forestry industries remain competitive profitable and sustainable DAFF policies and programs
bull Encourage and support sustainable natural resource use and management bull Protect the health and safety of plant and animal industries bull Enable industries to adapt to compete in a fast-changing international and
economic environment bull Help improve market access and market performance for the agricultural and
food sector bull Encourage and assist industries to adopt new technology and practices and bull Assist primary producers and the food industry to develop business and
marketing skills and to be financially self-reliant
Fisheries and Marine Environment Branch
Responsibilities include provision of policy advice for sustainable fishing including the effects of fishing on non-target species and the marine environment This includes bycatch policy involving both international and national plans of action for seabirds and sharks (and actions for other listed species) use of marine protected areas and ecosystem based regional marine planning under Oceans Policy and the development of a Coastal Policy The Fisheries Environment section is also responsible for administering of the Recreational Fishing Community Grants Programme and also
bull Invasive marine species tasks include coordinating the development of national policies at the Commonwealth and StateTerritory level to help prevent incursions and translocations of exotic marine pests particularly by commercial shipping operations Other activities include managing research and development activities related to introduced marine pests and
bull Domestic fisheries responsibilities include providing policy advice on national fisheries policy issues legislative processes resource access and use including native title and recreational fishing
Review of the scope of ESD and EBFM in Australia 63
Fisheries policy initiatives and mitigation measures
Two major bycatch policies have been developed to provide guidance to bycatch management in Australia The 3National Policy on Fisheries Bycatch and the 3Commonwealth Policy on Fisheries Bycatch (addressing issues in Commonwealth-managed fisheries) and the National Plans of Action (NOPAs)
National policy on fisheries bycatch Concern about the catch by the commercial fishing sector of non-target species ndash a problem known as bycatch ndash has grown in importance during the past few years with growing awareness of the need for ecologically sustainable development of the commercial fishing industry Australian governments have taken steps to address bycatch including the preparation of a threat abatement plan to mitigate the take of seabirds in longline fisheries and the development of National Plans of Action for 3Sharks and 3Seabirds
Other initiatives taken to further minimise bycatch include agreements by industry for the mandatory adoption of turtle excluder and bycatch reduction devices in several fisheries Underpinning these management practices a number of research programs are testing and promoting technological improvements to fishing gear and methods All Australian governments cooperated to develop a bycatch policy the National Policy on Fisheries Bycatch to provide a national framework for coordinating efforts to reduce bycatch The Policy provides options by which each StateTerritory jurisdiction can manage bycatch coherently and in a national context while still allowing for differences in StateTerritory fisheries Consistent with this National policy the Australian Government has developed its own bycatch policy for use in its fisheries the Commonwealth Policy on Fisheries Bycatch
The Commonwealth Policy on Fisheries Bycatch The Commonwealth Policy on Fisheries Bycatch was released jointly by the Commonwealth Ministers for the Environment and Heritage and Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry in June 2000 The policy recognises that bycatch is an important fishery management problem requiring a broad strategic approach It incorporates the views of a wide range of stakeholders such as the public the fishing industry research management and conservation agencies and non-government organisations
The Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) is committed in the policy to develop Bycatch Action Plans (BAPs) for major Commonwealth fisheries The process for developing BAPs reflect the guiding principles of the policy and the final BAPs recognise the unique biological ecological economic and social nature of individual fisheries
The BAPs focus on practical and cost-effective measures to address important bycatch issues such as the mandatory use of Turtle Excluder Devices in the prawn fisheries preventing the use of wire traces to reduce bycatch of sharks developing species-identification guides and consideration of area closures The BAPs also include commitments to improve data collection assessment and research The BAPS are based on a philosophy of continual improvement The AFMA Boardrsquos Environment
64
Committee monitors the implementation of BAPs and ensures they are reviewed and updated every two years taking into account issues raised by stakeholders
National Plans of Action To complement the various mechanisms being introduced to address the issue of bycatch and to show Australiarsquos commitment to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisationrsquos (FAO) International Plans of Action (IPOA) the Government is developing a National Plan of Action (NPOAs) for reducing the incidental catch of seabirds in longline fisheries (NPOA-Seabirds) and has developed National Plan of Action for conservation of sharks (NPOA-Sharks) 3National Plan of Action to Prevent Deter and Eliminate IUU Fishing (NPOA IUU) and development of a national strategy to address adverse human seal interactions NPOA ndash Seabirds Australia is addressing the problem of seabird bycatch in longline fisheries The principal tool through which bycatch mitigation is currently being tackled is the Threat Abatement Plan for the Incidental Catch (or by-catch) of Seabirds during Oceanic Longline Fishing Operations (TAP) The TAP is a legislated through the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 Under the TAP Australian Government-managed longline fishers must choose between a range of measures to minimise the bycatch of seabirds depending on the circumstances of their particular operations
The Australian Government Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) in conjunction with the Australian Fisheries Management Authority the Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries Water and the Environment and the Australian Government Department of the Environment and Heritage has undertaken an assessment on all Australian longline fisheries and their interactions with seabirds and gathered information on mitigation measures implemented and trailed to date The Assessment Report (above) Seabird Interactions with Longline Fisheries in the Australian Fishing Zone represents the first step in the development of Australiarsquos Seabird-plan
NPOA ndash Sharks The Shark-plan recognises that while Australia is not a major shark fishing nation it is acknowledged that sharks are an important part of the total quantity of Australiarsquos wild fish production and that Australian vessels regularly take sharks as target and non-target catch In addition to commercial fishing sharks may be captured by recreational fishers shark control devices for bather protection and the aquarium trade Sharks are also of cultural and spiritual significance to Australian Indigenous people The spiritual connection to shark varies regionally
Sharks are valued for their contribution to the marine environment where they often fill the role of peak predator Legislation in some states and the Commonwealth provides for the listing and protection of threatened shark species Currently there are nine shark species that are protected in Australian waters The resultant Shark-plan aims to address shark conservation and management issues through six key themes
Review of the scope of ESD and EBFM in Australia 65
bull Reviewing existing conservation and management measures bull Improving conservation and management measures bull Changes to data collection and handling bull Research and development bull Education or awareness raising and bull Improved coordination and consultation
The Shark-plan was endorsed by the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council on 16 April 2004
NPOA-IUU Australia has implemented the IPOA-IUU domestically through its 3National Plan of Action to Prevent Deter and Eliminate IUU Fishing (NPOA-IUU) presented to the FAO on 12 March 2005 The NPOA-IUU closely follows the structure and measures of the IPOA-IUU It was developed through significant consultation with stakeholders in the fishing industry relevant non-government organisations state and territory fisheries agencies and national government departments and agencies Australiarsquos national plan outlines the domestic and international measures taken and will implement in the future to combat IUU fishing covering domestic and foreign fishing in all Australian jurisdictions
In July 2003 the Australian Government decided on a multi-faceted strategy to combat IUU fishing in Australiarsquos Southern Ocean territories The strategy aims to combat IUU fishing through
bull Better coordination and information use in Government bull Enhanced on-the-water surveillance and enforcement and bull Strongly pursuing international action at bilateral and multilateral levels
(including through the Commission on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources CCAMLR) to strengthen existing international instruments and arrangements and where appropriate develop new ones to combat IUU activities
At the national management level Australia already applies a stringent management regime to vessels operating under its flag within the EEZ and on the high seas The fishing operations of Australian-flagged vessels within the AFZ are controlled by Federal State and Territory fisheries legislation Fishing operations are authorised through the issue of licences and concessions that are subject to specific management rules which are directed towards ensuring the long-term sustainability of the fisheries resources Risk-based fisheries monitoring and compliance regimes are developed and implemented by both the Federal and state governments to ensure that the integrity of the fisheries management arrangements is maintained The nature of each compliance program is dependent on the requirements for each fishery and involves a mixture of physical surveillance both on the water and from the air the monitoring of unloads of catches in port the auditing of paper trails to determine catch landings and technical applications such as Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS)
66
Developing a national strategy to address adverse human seal interactions The Marine and Coastal Committee (MACC) established the National Seal Strategy Group (NSSG) comprising relevant Australian State and Territory Government agency representatives to develop a draft strategy to address human-seal interactions The Draft Strategy highlights the need to mitigate adverse impacts on Australian seal populations in the fishing aquaculture and tourism sectors
The objective of the National Seal Strategy is to facilitate a nationally coordinated approach to identify and address human-seal interactions In particular it seeks to assist the commercial fishing industry to understand the legislative requirement for the protection of seals in Australian waters and to guide fishersrsquo efforts to reduce bycatch The strategy also addresses interactions experienced in the aquaculture and tourism industry sectors
The National Seal Strategy will identify
bull Objectives and actions to be undertaken in the period 2005-2010 bull Agencies and organisations responsible for implementing each action bull Timeframes (actions to be implemented over a five year period) and bull Performance indicators
The purpose of the consultation phase is to increase awareness and understanding of the Draft National Seal Strategy and seek public input (httpwwwdaffagovaufisheries)
142 The Department of the Environment Water Heritage and the Arts The role of the Australian Government Department of the Environment Water Heritage and the Arts (DEWHA) is to focus on matters of national environmental significance by
bull Advising the Australian Government on its policies for protecting the environment and water resources
bull Administering environment and heritage laws including the 3Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
bull Managing the Australian Governments main environment and heritage programs including the $3 billion 3Natural Heritage Trust
bull Implementing an effective response to climate change and bull Representing the Australian Government in 3international environmental
agreements related to the environment and Antarctica
Throughout Australia environment and heritage issues are also managed by other levels of government
The Coasts and Oceans Division
The Coasts and Oceans Division is responsible for
bull 4Integrated Coastal Zone Management in Australia (outlined below) bull The Coastal Catchments Initiative (CCI) outlined below)
Review of the scope of ESD and EBFM in Australia 67
bull Great Barrier Reef Water Quality Protection Plan annual report bull 4Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act review bull 4Great Barrier Reef Marine Park structural adjustment package 2004 bull 4Coastal Catchments Initiative and bull 4Queensland Wetlands Programme
Integrated Coastal Zone Management Integrated Coastal Zone Management aims to protect coastal and estuarine water quality coastal biodiversity and the economic base of coastal areas around Australia The fundamental goal of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) is to maintain restore or improve the quality of coastal zone ecosystems and the societies they support National cooperation is required to achieve ecologically sustainable development through ICZM
The Framework for a National Cooperative Approach to Integrated Coastal Zone Management endorsed in October 2003 addresses both development and conservation challenges for coastal Australia that are of national scale and scope It recognises the need for governments to support ongoing economic social and environmental well being in the coastal zone It sets the scene for national cooperation in managing coastal issues and ensuring effective and complementary arrangements within and across jurisdictions and to better reflect the interests of coastal stakeholders
The six priority areas addressed in the framework are
bull Integration across the catchment coast ocean continuum bull Land and marine based sources of pollution bull Climate change bull Pest plants and animals bull Planning for population change and bull Capacity building
While jurisdictions have different legislative and administrative frameworks for managing the coastal zone adopting a national cooperative approach seeks to address cross border and sectoral issues harmonise joint action towards management of common issues and encourage investments from all jurisdictions
An implementation plan that seeks nationally cooperative outcomes within nominated timeframes has been released 4The National Cooperative Approach to Integrated Coastal Zone Management ndash Framework and Implementation Plan sets out under the strategic priority areas implementation objectives and actions required to address coastal management issues Actions identified in the implementation plan will build on existing coastal management initiatives at all levels of government and where feasible will be achieved through the efficient allocation of existing resources
The implementation of the Framework for a National Cooperative Approach to Integrated Coastal Zone Management is managed through the Intergovernmental Coastal Advisory Group (ICAG) comprised of representatives from the Australian Government each state government the Northern Territory Government and the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) ICAG members meet several times a year to share experiences and to work on Framework implementation
68
Coastal Catchments Initiative The Coastal Catchments Initiative (CCI) will seek to deliver significant reductions in the discharge of pollutants to agreed hotspots where those hotspots have been identified through agreement with the relevant jurisdictions The Coastal Catchments Initiative aims to achieve target reductions in pollutant discharges to coastal water quality hotspots This will be through the development and implementation of Water Quality Improvement Plans prepared in accordance with the Australian Governments Framework for Marine and Estuarine Water Quality Protection Rollout of the CCI is to be undertaken in collaboration with State environment protection agencies
The framework builds upon key elements of the 4National Water Quality Management Strategy (NWQMS) and the 4National Principles for the Provision of Water for Ecosystems The key features of the framework include
bull The environmental values of the coastal water bull The catchment that discharges to that coastal water bull The water quality issues (eg algal blooms sedimentation high coliform
concentrations causing beach closures) and subsequent water quality objectives bull The load reductions of pollutants to be achieved to attain and maintain the
water quality objectives bull The setting of the maximum load of pollutants against diffuse and point sources
of pollution bull The river flow objectives to protect identified environmental values having
regard for matters such as natural low flows flow variability floodplain inundation interactions with water quality and the maintenance of estuarine processes and habitats
bull Management measures timelines and costs in implementing the plan and bull The grounds for a reasonable assurance from jurisdictions to provide security
for investments to achieve and maintain the specified pollutant load reduction and environmental flow targets
Fisheries policy initiatives and mitigation measures
Threat Abatement Plans The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) provides for the identification and listing of key threatening processes A process can be listed as a key threatening process if it could cause a native species or ecological community to become eligible for adding to a threatened list (other than conservation dependent) or cause an already listed threatened species or threatened ecological community to become more endangered or if it adversely affects two or more listed threatened species or threatened ecological communities
The incidental catch (or bycatch) of seabirds during oceanic longline fishing operations was listed as a key threatening process on 24 July 1995 As required under Commonwealth legislation (now the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 Act) a Threat Abatement Plan for the Incidental Catch (or By-catch) of Seabirds During Oceanic Longline Fishing Operations was prepared and approved by the Minister for the Environment on 2 August 1998
Review of the scope of ESD and EBFM in Australia 69
The Threat Abatement Plan (TAP) expired in August 2003 necessitating a review under subsection 279 (2) of the EPBC Act The provisions of the new TAP will now apply to all fisheries managed by the Australian Government A 4Threat Abatement Plan 2006 for Bycatch of Seabirds was prepared in consultation with the Longline Fishing TAP Team to meet the requirements of the EPBC Act and to coordinate national action to alleviate the impact of longline fishing activities on seabirds in Australian waters
See 4httpwwwenvironmentgovaucoastsfisheriesindexhtml
15 Australian fisheries management In Australiarsquos federal system the national (Commonwealth) Government and state governments share management of the many high value fisheries in the oceans surrounding the continent Constitutionally the Commonwealth is responsible for the fisheries outside the three nautical mile territorial sea limit while the states manage fisheries in their adjacent waters However for reasons of practicality and efficiency arrangements which allocate the respective responsibilities of the two levels of government on a different basis may be agreed under ldquoOffshore Constitutional Settlementsrdquo for particular fisheries Fisheries management will be discussed under the following headings
bull Commonwealth fisheries bull State and Territory fisheries and bull EBFM key fisheries management concepts
151 AFMA Commonwealth fisheries The Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) is the statutory authority responsible for the efficient management and sustainable use of Commonwealth fish resources on behalf of the Australian community AFMA manages fisheries within the 200 nautical mile Australian Fishing Zone (AFZ) on the high seas and in some cases by agreement with the states to the low water mark As a general rule of thumb AFMA looks after commercial fisheries from three nautical miles out to the extent of the AFZ The states and the Northern Territory generally look after recreational fishing commercial coastal and inland fishing and aquaculture
The Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) is strongly committed to the conservation of marine ecosystems and biodiversity by promoting the sustainable use of fisheries resources AFMA aims not only for healthy fish stocks but to manage fishing in a way that takes into account its effect on the broader environment and to ensure that licensed fishers take appropriate steps to minimise their impact on the ecosystem This is achieved through
bull 5Policy and planning in managing Commonwealth fisheries the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) has an obligation to develop plans and implement policy in the performance of its functions and the pursuit of its objectives
bull 5Licensing and quota management AFMA grants 5Permits and 5Statutory Fishing Rights for Commonwealth fisheries processes transactions in relation to these
70
concessions and maintains registers of individual transferable quota to give effect to fisheries management arrangements
bull 5Compliance AFMA has a responsibility to enforce the provisions of the 5Fisheries Management Act 1991 and the 5Torres Strait Fisheries Act 1984 through the detection and investigation of illegal activities by both domestic and 5foreign fishing boats in the Australian Fishing Zone (AFZ) and Commonwealth managed fisheries
bull 5Environment and sustainability AFMA is strongly committed to the protection of the oceanrsquos ecosystems and biodiversity by promoting the sustainable use of our fisheries resources
bull 5Data collection good decision making depends on having the best quality information available This means providing information which is relevant accurate and timely to our fisheries managers and researchers and
bull 6Partnerships AFMA maintains a firm commitment to managing Commonwealth fisheries resources for the benefit of the community as a whole Accordingly cooperation with the community industry government agencies and others with an interest in the sustainable management of the Commonwealths fisheries resources is a vital part of our approach
Environment and sustainability
The Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) is strongly committed to the conservation of marine ecosystems and biodiversity by promoting the sustainable use of our fisheries resources AFMA aims not only for healthy fish stocks but to manage fishing in a way that takes into account its effect on the broader environmentThe authority ensures that licensed fishers take appropriate steps to minimise their impact on the ecosystem
Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD)
There is considerable community interest in the marine environment and focus is expanding from concerns about specific fish species to include broader issues regarding the use and quality of the marine environment The Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) is strongly committed to contributing to the conservation of the oceans ecosystems and biodiversity by promoting sustainable use of fisheries resources
Under AFMArsquos 6legislative objective (b) pertaining to ecologically sustainable development (ESD) the organisation has a responsibility to ensure exploitation of fisheries resources and related activities are conducted in a manner consistent with ESD and the precautionary principle
Ecosystem Based Fishery Management
Ecosystem based fishery management (EBFM) considers the impact that fishing has on all of the aspects of the broader marine ecosystem not just the target species When managing a fishery in an EBFM approach the impact of fishing on all aspects of the marine environment should be assessed This includes assessing the impact on target species bycatch species protected species habitats and communities
Review of the scope of ESD and EBFM in Australia 71
EBFM is the end goal for managing fisheries To start moving to EBFM the focus of management needs to broaden to focus on non-target species aspects of the marine environment Although this can not be achieved overnight the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) is well on the way to achieving EBFM AFMA is undertaking a number of initiatives for implementing EBFM The following are key aspects of EBFM in AFMA fisheries bull 6Ecological risk assessments to assess the risks that fishing poses to the
ecological sustainability of the marine environment AFMA has initiated the project Ecological Risk Assessment for Commonwealth Fisheries (ERACF)
bull 6Managing bycatch the development of the Commonwealth and National bycatch policies demonstrates a commitment to ensure fisheries are ecologically sustainable through bycatch reduction improved protection vulnerable and threatened species and minimising adverse impacts of fishing on the marine environment and
bull 6Protected species as part of its commitment to promoting sustainable use of fisheries resources AFMA engages in many protected species issues
See 6httpwwwafmagovau
152 State and Territory fisheries State and Territory fisheries (apart from WA which is a stand alone fisheries department) are managed under the respective Departments of Primary Industries with fisheries just one sector of many to be managed The State and Territory departments are responsible for all the fishing sectors (commercial aquaculture recreational charter and indigenous) The State fisheries are diverse the major target species for each state are as follows New south Wales oysters (aquaculture) prawns abalone and sea mullet Northern Territory crabs mackerel gold band snapper and barramundi Queensland prawns prawns (aquaculture) coral trout and crabs South Australia southern bluefin tuna (aquaculture) rock lobster prawns abalone and oysters (aquaculure) Tasmania salmonids (aquaculture) abalone and rock lobster Victoria abalone rock lobster and trout (aquaculture) Western Australia rock lobster pearls (aquaculture) prawns and abalone (ABARE and FRDC 2007)The states and Territory fisheries are managed by the following fishery agencies
bull 6NSW Department of Primary Industries 6httpwwwdpinswgovaufisheries bull 6Northern Territory Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries
6httpwwwntgovaudpifmFisheries bull 7Queensland Department of Primary Industires and Fisheries
7httpwwwdpiqldgovau bull 7South Australia Primary Industries and Resources
7httpwwwpirsagovauindexshtml bull 7Tasmania Department of Primary Industries Water and Environment
7httpwwwdpiwtasgovau bull 7Victoria Department of Natural Resources and Environment
7wwwdpivicgovau bull 7Western Australia Fisheries 7httpwwwfishwagovau
72
All States have made a commitment to managing under ESD and EBFM principles which consider environmetal (target byproduct andbycatch TEPs species habitats and communites) economic and social components Although fisheries management approaches may differ between States generally most commercial fisheries management arrangements include consultation and stakeholder participation management plans regulations and industry codes of conduct allocation of user rights and stock assessments review of strategic management options compliance and monitoring undergo strategic and ecological risk assessments and plan and prioritise reaseach and data management requirements Actions may also include programmes to reduce capacity through structural adjustments The various State agencies are responsible for the declaration and management of MPAs in State waters
153 EBFM key fisheries management concepts A number of management processes measures and tools have been identified as good management practice and necessary elements in the implementation of EBFM These include
bull Management processes such as Fishery Management Plans (FMPs) bull Management measures such as harvest strategies and spatial management bull Management assessment and decision making tools such as
- Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs)
- risk assessments - Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) - qualitative and quantitative models - mapping tools
bull Monitoring performance indicators decision rules and reporting bull Reporting bull Research and bull Consultation
Commonwealth State and Territory fishery agencies apply these tools for the development of policy and planning and the management of fisheries under their jurisdiction Examples of national approaches and development and application of processes measures and tools are provided where relevant
Fisheries Management Plans
An important basis for management identified by the FAO (2003) and the other EBFM approaches is the development and implementation of Fishery Management Plans (FMPs) With regard to FMPs the FAO outlines the suggested elements that should ideally be incorporated into FMPs as well as the process of developing modifying and implementing a fisheries management plan The plan should be a formal or informal arrangement between fishery management authorities and the relevant stakeholders The processes of developing and modifying fishery management plans includes scoping the fishery and area identifying the stakeholders and the broad issues
Review of the scope of ESD and EBFM in Australia 73
According to the guidelines ideally the spatial coverage of the management plan would match with a clearly defined ecosystem However it is recognised that ecosystems do not necessarily have easily defined borders and some span more than one management area The FAO suggests that EAF will also need to recognise existing fisheries management jurisdictions and build incrementally on these This may require adding additional elements to the existing plan andor coordination and additional legal and institutional measures
The FAO (2003) also suggest that it might be necessary to develop a higher level plan that outlines the broad management objectives and measures to achieve them setting out the strategic approach for the following three to five years together with an annual operational plan that sets out operational objectives indicators and performance measures Stakeholder consultation and participation is critical at all stages of developing and reviewing FMPs to maintain transparency credibility and ownership of the outcomes
EPAP (1999) suggest that FEPs must contain information about ecosystems that allow managers to make informed decisions but the primary purpose is to prescribe how fisheries will be managed from an ecosystem perspective and that the plans need to be both substantive and realistic Sissenwine and Mace (2001) believe that FEPs are a useful mechanism for implementing an ecosystem approach to responsible fisheries management WWF (2002) suggest that if FMPs are properly implemented they should enable an integrated approach to fishery management take ecosystem effects into account and mitigate the impacts on or protect significant habitats non target species and associated and dependent species and ensure that stakeholder concerns and legal obligations are addressed
Commonwealth management plans Management plans are required for all fisheries unless AFMA has determined that a management plan for a particular fishery is not warranted Each management plan sets out the objectives of the plan measures by which the objectives are to be attained and performance criteria against which the measures taken may be assessed Each plan is prepared in consultation with participants in the fishery with a draft plan to be made available for public comment Management plans are legislative documents
State and Territory management plans
State and Territory fisheries management plans are developed for those fisheries seeking assessment under Part 10 of the EPBC Act assessments relating to impacts on protected marine species (Part 13) and those required for approval of export of fisheries product (Part 13A) and form part of the submissions to DEWHA DEWHA assessment includes 8accreditation of a plan of management for the purposes of part 13 and 33 under the EPBC Act
Management measures harvest strategies and spatial management
There are a number of different management measures that may be used for harvest strategies and spatial management These are outlined in the table below This is followed by an Australian example of harvest strategies and a brief
74
description on Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) together with an outline of the Australian national approach
INPUTS (effort)
OUTPUTS (catch)
Technical Government Market
Spatial and temporal
Limited entry licence fishing units Fishing permits Gear type allowed Time at sea Vessel capacity
Fish size and sex selectivity Total allowable catch (TAC) Quotas Sustainable harvest strategies Stock assessments Decision rules and triggers
Gear restrictions and selectivity improvements mesh size escapement devices VMS Minimisation of lost fishing gear
Individual transferable quotas (ITQs) Fleet reduction buy back schemes Taxes and subsidies Bonds
Area closures critical life history stages Seasonal closures - spawning Critical habitat and protection Reserves and refuges MPAs Zoning
Draft Commonwealth fisheries Harvest Strategy Policy
The consultation period for the Draft Commonwealth fisheries Harvest Strategy Policy (March 2007) and the Draft Commonwealth fisheries Harvest Strategy Policy Guidelines (March 2007) closes on 11 May 2007 A brief outline of the approach is provided below sourced from the guidelines document Harvest strategies based on the new policy will be applied in all Commonwealth fisheries by 1st January 2008 The Policy reflects key domestic and international legislative and policy obligations for Commonwealth fisheries management Additionally it establishes a harvest strategy framework and default reference points to be applied in Commonwealth fisheries Whilst necessarily focused on the management of key commercial species harvest strategies are also a key element of the Commonwealthrsquos overall Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management (EBFM) approach To pursue the objective harvest strategies for key commercial species taken in Australiarsquos Commonwealth fisheries will be designed to produce the maximum economic yield and ensure fish stocks remain above levels at which the risk to the stock is unacceptably high In meeting all of the outcomes harvest strategies are required to consider ecosystem interactions One consideration is the relationship the species has with others in the food web or community particularly if the harvested species is a keystone species
The guidelines are intended to support harvest strategy development across the full range of Commonwealth fisheries including input and output managed fisheries single and multi-species fisheries large and small fisheries and data rich to data poor situations Rather than expecting a full quantitative assessment for each species in each fishery the Policy advocates a risk management approach whereby exploitation levels reduce as uncertainty around stock status increases This will ensure fisheries are managed at an acceptable level of risk to the Australian Government irrespective of our level of knowledge For a low value fishery AFMA and stakeholders may accept that catches will remain precautionary with supporting fishery research at low levels to better match the management costs to the business environment for that fishery In order of importance harvest strategies should be applied to target species high risk
Review of the scope of ESD and EBFM in Australia 75
byproduct species that have been identified through Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA) or other means and key byproduct species taken in a fishery A harvest strategy is a formal process for setting catch or effort limits in a fishery linked to the current status of the resource There are three key elements that make up a harvest strategy
bull Monitoring bull Stock assessment and bull A harvest control rule
Generally monitoring and stock assessments is a feature of fisheries management but not so for a set of rules for turning assessment of current stock status into clear management responses (a harvest control rule) Harvest control rules can take many different forms but they are all designed to keep stocks near target levels From an industry perspective they provide much more certainty about how management will respond to different situations Harvest strategies are concerned with management of target and major byproduct species in a fishery Additional management measures will still generally be needed to address other issues such as impacts on bycatch and protected species and habitats and communities
A management framework for most commercial fisheries will include a harvest strategy as well as other management tools often using a combination of input and output controls Harvest strategies should be developed with due consideration of these other management tools For example it is possible that Total Allowable Catches (TACs) or Total Allowable Effort (TAEs) recommended under harvest strategies at a stock or regional level may not prevent localised depletion even if overall stock sustainability objectives are achieved In such cases tools such as spatial management may need to be implemented separately or form part of the harvest strategy An increasing focus on the management of discarded or bycatch species also suggests that effective gear controls and spatial management should be carefully considered in the design of single species harvest strategies Where appropriate harvest strategies could also be linked with protected species requirements and AFMArsquos ecological risk assessment outcomes This will be a focus of future development in the application of harvest strategies to Commonwealth fisheries
MSE (outlined below under management assessment and decision making tools) will be relevant in two broad sets of circumstances The first is to develop and test ldquogenericrdquo strategies for broad classes of fishery or for particular stages of fishery development (eg developing fisheries) The second is to develop harvest strategies for specific stocks and fisheries Each approach will use operating models to guide harvest strategy development but for the latter case the operating models will have to be carefully tuned to the specific circumstances of each fishery This typically requires a reasonable time series of fishery-dependent data and information regarding the population dynamics biology and economics of the fishery
76
South East fishery implementation of F-based harvest control rules an example
Harvest control rules are based on current percentage of initial biomass target and limit fishing mortality rates Stock assessments for most species now include the full exploitation history The aim under each Tier is to determine and advise on a recommended biological catch based on information available for each species or stock on application of an explicit harvest control rule
Current harvest control rules are as follows
bull Tier 1 ndash for species with well-established stock assessments F-based harvest control rule
bull Tier 2 ndash for species with stock assessments that are highly uncertain F-based harvest control rule that is more conservative than Tier 1
bull Tier 3 ndash for species without a formal stock assessment with knowledge of catch age structure and natural mortality harvest control rule based on current F from catch curves divided by M and
bull Tier 4 ndash for remaining species a harvest control rule that uses the slope of recent CPUE trends
Many of the State fisheries have also introduced harvest strategies
Marine Protected Areas
EPAP (1999) suggest that Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) offer a means to implement the precautionary approach and mitigate the effects of fishing on ecosystems However Sissenwine and Mace (2001) suggest the MPAs may not be effective on their own as many fisheries are subject to overcapacity and that MPAs may result in displacement of effort As Sumaila et al (2000) explain MPAs may be used in combination with other management measures as part of an adaptive management approach MPAs may be used as a tool for learning and experimentation with target and non target species recovery ecosystem management co-management contribute to the sustainability of future fisheries and may also assist in improving the long term socio-economic welfare of coastal communities To fully realise the potential of MPAs a range of approaches such as ecological assessments ecological and economic modelling and resource use analysis are required
Allison et al (1998) consider MPAs will be essential to conservation efforts because they can provide management with a framework for sustainable multiple use and can potentially act as buffers against some management miscalculations and unforeseen or unusual conditions However they also raise key issues in regard to definition and uses design siting and the application of scientific knowledge suggest that large scale processes need to be taken into account and activities outside the reserve need to be managed
Australiarsquos National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas The establishment of the National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas (NRSMPA) helps to implement international and national agreements and strategies The Convention on Biological Diversity requires all member nations to among other things establish a system of protected areas and to develop guidelines for the selection
Review of the scope of ESD and EBFM in Australia 77
establishment and management of protected areas The Convention recognises that protected areas are not the only mechanism for conserving biodiversity but that they are an important element of the overall approach The Convention introduced the phrase comprehensive adequate and representative (CAR) reserves This phrase has now been incorporated as policy into all major Australian biodiversity programs
The NRSMPA supports national commitments under the 8Inter-governmental Agreement on the Environment (1992) This agreement made a commitment to develop a strategic planning approach to the marine environment with the establishment of representative marine protected areas a key component of the commitment The national commitments under the agreement are implemented through national actions and strategies including
bull 8National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development (1992) and bull 8National Strategy for the Conservation of Australias Biological Diversity
(1996)
Australias governments are working together to set up a National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas (NRSMPA) throughout the entire marine jurisdiction The NRSMPA
bull Forms part of an integrated strategy for marine conservation and management The NRSMPA exists within a broader range of national and State and Territory mechanisms to achieve biodiversity conservation and the complementary sustainable management of Australias marine jurisdiction
bull Is a national system of marine protected areas that aims to contain a comprehensive adequate and representative sample of Australias marine ecosystems and
bull Consists of marine protected areas in Commonwealth State and Territory waters and some associated intertidal areas
The primary goal of the NRSMPA is to establish and manage a comprehensive adequate and representative system of marine protected areas to contribute to the long-term ecological viability of marine and estuarine systems to maintain ecological processes and systems and to protect Australias biological diversity at all levels The following secondary goals are designed to be compatible with the primary goal
bull To promote the development of marine protected areas within the framework of integrated ecosystem management
bull To provide a formal management framework for a broad spectrum of human activities including recreation tourism shipping and the use or extraction of resources the impacts of which are compatible with the primary goal
bull To provide scientific reference sites bull To provide for the special needs of rare threatened or depleted species and
threatened ecological communities bull To provide for the conservation of special groups of organisms eg species
with complex habitat requirements or mobile or migratory species or species vulnerable to disturbance which may depend on reservation for their conservation
78
bull To protect areas of high conservation value including those containing high species diversity natural refuges for flora and fauna and centres of endemism and
bull To provide for the recreational aesthetic and cultural needs of indigenous and non-indigenous people
The goals of the NRSMPA relate primarily to the conservation of biodiversity and sustainable and equitable management of human usage However the marine protected areas that make up the NRSMPA may also protect and manage many other important geological archaeological historical and cultural attributes The national framework for establishing the NRSMPA comprises
bull The Integrated Marine and Coastal Regionalisation of Australia (IMCRA v40) which is a spatial framework for classifying Australiarsquos marine environment into bioregions that make sense ecologically and are at a scale useful for regional planning These bioregions are the basis for the development of a 8National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas (NRSMPA)
bull 8Guidelines for Establishing the National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas were prepared to assist government agencies in developing the NRSMPA and to help stakeholders understand this process Government ministers of the Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council endorsed the Guidelines on 11 December 1998 The Guidelines deal with key aspects of the establishment of marine protected areas including the functions of the NRSMPA and criteria for identifying and selecting marine protected areas The Guidelines continue to be used by each jurisdiction to reinforce the national commitment to establishing the NRSMPA and
bull 8Strategic Plan of Action for the National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas integrates the policy and planning framework and outlines a set of actions to achieve the goals of the NRSMPA Government ministers of the Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council endorsed the Plan in July 1999 The Plan provides a guide to understanding the NRSMPA by defining it in the context of an array of existing mechanisms and agreements that promote the conservation of Australias marine biodiversity The Plan concentrates on the establishment of NRSMPA including performance assessment for the System and a set of actions that reflect both national intention and government priorities The Plan is a long-term national blueprint It is not useful to monitor and report on it at periods of less than one year See 8httpwwwenvironmentgovaucoastsmpanrsmpaindexhtml
Under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 through the marine bioregional planning program the Australian Government will prepare Marine Bioregional Plans for Commonwealth waters and establish networks of Marine Protected Areas as the Commonwealth contribution to the National Representative System of MPAs The States and the Northern Territory are already working on their contribution to the National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas As many ecological processes work across both the state and national jurisdictions
Review of the scope of ESD and EBFM in Australia 79
Management assessment and decision making tools EIAEIS Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) are often described as a process to investigate and assess potential environmental impacts of proposed development actions However as Harvey (1998) points out there are often differences in defining the EIA process and with regard to what is to be included (environment social cultural or economic) Harvey (1998) defines EIA as a process of identifying and predicting the potential environmental impacts (including the environment social cultural or economic) of proposed actions policies programs and proposals and communicating this information to decision makers before they make their decisions on the proposed actions
Other tools that can be used to improve the EIA process are strategic environmental assessments (SEA) As Arce and Gullon (2000) suggest the use of the EIA process as a preventative tool in terms of identifying environmental impacts can be further improved if a strategic environmental assessment (SEA) approach is taken which includes environmental assessment processes for policies plans and programs and proposals It provides the basis for a systematic integrated planning and analysis process by setting environmental policy and programs at national state and local levels and provides the context within which to assess all individual proposals This approach overcomes the problems caused by sectoral or individual decision making where assessment of proposals in isolation ignore the cumulative effects of development and the secondary effects caused through interaction of primary effects of particular industries It has other advantages in that it is an ongoing process and can be used to assess proposals at the earliest stage of development when determining the need for and level of an EIA It also provides a framework for implementation of policy goals objectives strategies and tactics
As Gilpin (1995) highlights until recently the EIA process has been considered complete once it has been decided that the proposal should proceed or not However increasingly it has been suggested that post project analysis monitoring and auditing should be part of the Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) process and may also be considered as a tool to improve the EIA process Once a decision has been made and a proposal has been given the go ahead to start as Noble (2000) suggests the EIA process can be strengthened through the use of adaptive management The environment is a complex and dynamic system There are limitations to how well impacts can be predicted and how effective safeguards and mitigation may be under different circumstances Once a proposal has started an adaptive management approach allows refinement of the original assessment process to take into account any unexpected outcomes and allows the experience and lessons learned to improve existing and future policies and practices
Australian example of the use of an EIS NSW DPI submissions to DEWHA under the EPBC Act are in the form of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Fishery Management Strategy (FMS) NSW DPI provide an Environmental Impact Statement for public consultation These are very detailed documents and address the following
80
bull the ecological (target byproduct bycatch TEP habitats and wider ecosystem) economic and social components
bull a draft fishery management strategy(goals objectives and management responses)
bull performance monitoring and review (predetermined performance indicators and trigger points)
bull proposed harvesting strategy and bull impact on fish resources and biophysical environment (risk assessment)
Risk assessment Risk assessment is an important decision making tool for policy makers and managers in assessing economic and social activities that may pose risks to the environment and to mitigate against such adverse outcomes or surprises According to Bergman (2005) risk is the chance within a time frame of an adverse event with specific consequences Risk assessments are used to make decisions about current activities and their associated uncertain future outcomes in relation to environmental economic and social aspects It is important to evaluate and communicate the extent and nature of uncertainty in relationship to the activities and the risks these pose
Concepts of probability influence risk measurement interpretation and communication Probability can be viewed as the statistical frequency (or relative frequency) with which an event is expected to occur and it can be viewed as the degree of belief warranted by evidence However given the range of words used to indicate probability in terms of what is known perceived or believed about processes or outcomes it is therefore important to be clear about the use and interpretation of such words and the evaluations and conclusions that may be drawn
Judgements about risks may be underestimated or ignored depending on societal choices based on particular values at a particular time Bergman (2005) suggests that environmental risk management cycle includes problem formulation hazard identification risk analysis sensitivity analysis decision making monitoring communication and updating It is viewed as a learning process and as new information becomes available this allows for improved understanding and decision making over time
Risk assessments for Commonwealth fisheries There are a number of different risk assessment approaches used in Australia The Ecological Risk Assessment for the Effects of Fishing (ERAEF) approach has been applied to 30 of AFMA managed Commonwealth fisheries The (ERAEF) framework involves a hierarchical approach that moves from a comprehensive but largely qualitative analysis of risk at Level 1 through a more focused and semi-quantitative approach at Level 2 to a highly focused and fully quantitative ldquomodel-basedrdquo approach at Level 3 This approach is efficient because many potential risks are screened out at Level 1 so that the more intensive and quantitative analyses at Level 2 (and ultimately at Level 3) are limited to a subset of the higher risk activities associated with fishing It also leads to rapid identification of high-risk activities which in turn can lead to immediate remedial action (risk management response) The ERAEF approach is also precautionary in the sense that risks will be scored high in the absence of information evidence or logical argument to the contrary
Review of the scope of ESD and EBFM in Australia 81
The approach makes use of a general conceptual model of how fishing impacts on ecological systems which is used as the basis for the risk assessment evaluations at each level of analysis (Levels 1 to 3) For the ERAEF approach five general ecological components are evaluated corresponding to five areas of focus in evaluating impacts of fishing for strategic assessment under EPBC legislation The five components are
bull Target species bull By-product and by-catch species bull Threatened endangered and protected species (TEP species) bull Habitats and bull Ecological communities
ADM Smith A J Hobday H Webb R Daley S Wayte C Bulman J Dowdney A Williams M Sporcic J Dambacher M Fuller T Walker (2006) Ecological Risk Assessment for the Effects of Fishing Final Report R041072 for the Australian Fisheries Management Authority Canberra
Hobday A J A Smith H Webb R Daley S Wayte C Bulman J Dowdney A Williams M
Sporcic J Dambacher M Fuller T Walker (2006) Ecological Risk Assessment for the Effects of
Fishing Methodology Report R041072 for the Australian Fisheries Management Authority Canberra
Risk assessment for State and Territory fisheries States and territories either use the system developed under the ESD Subprogram based on component trees or tender to independent companies to complete risk assessments In early 2000 the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) funded a study to develop an ESD reporting framework for Australian fisheries One of the major outcomes required from this project was the production of a lsquoHow Torsquo guide to assist individuals agencies and the industry to provide comprehensive accounts of the current performance of their fisheries A manual National ESD Framework Project Ecological Risk Assessment Version 4 has been created to assist participants in meeting all or part of the ESD process in particular those involved in the Risk Assessment stage There are four main elements in the process to complete an ESD report which include
1 Identifying the issues relevant to the fishery 2 Prioritising these issues 3 Completing suitably detailed reports on the performance of the fishery for each
issue (dependent upon their priority and complexity) 4 The compilation of summary background material on the fishery the major
species affected and the environments that the fishery operates within This enables the reader to put the material within the assessment report into an appropriate context
A number of tools have been developed to assist completing each of the four elements A feature of these tools is the high level of involvement and input from each of the major stakeholder groups Some of these tools can be used without completing the entire process eg steps one and two can be used to complete a risk assessment as used in this manual
82
Step 1 How the issues are identified bull The first step in the ESD reporting process is to identify the relevant issues for
the fishery under consideration This is assisted through the use and modification of a set of generic component trees
bull There is one generic component tree for each of the eight components of ESD (see appendix for details) Each of these trees was developed by the ESD Reference group to cover the suite of issues that are relevant to fisheries
bull Each of these components is broken down into more specific sub-components for which ultimately operational objectives could be developed
bull The generic component trees are used as a starting point with each fishery tailoring them to suit their individual circumstances expanding some sub-components and collapsing or removing others depending upon the fishing methods areas of operations and the species involved and
bull Using these component trees assists the process of issue identification by moving through each of the ecological components of ESD in a comprehensive and structured manner maximising consistency and minimising the chances of missing issues
Step 2 How the issues prioritised (risk assessment)
bull Tailoring the component trees to a fishery often results in a large number of issues being identified the importance of which varies greatly In many cases it will be helpful to prioritise the issues so that the level of management actions and the details of the reports generated are aligned with the importance of the issue
bull To determine the priority of issues and the appropriate level of response risk assessment methodology can be used to assist this process This methodology operates by completing an assessment of the Risk associated with each of the identified issues as an initial screening exercise For many issues however this initial screening is likely to be just the first step in a hierarchical process for determining what actions need to be taken
bull The risk analysis tool used in this ESD process is based upon the ASNZ Standard but adapted for use within the fisheries context It works by assigning a level of consequence (from negligible to catastrophic) and the likelihood of this consequence occurring (from remote to likely) for each issue
bull From the combination of consequence and likelihood an overall level of Risk is generated This Risk can then be used to assist in deciding whether an issue requires specific management or not and
bull To be of value it is not sufficient to only quote the levels of consequence and likelihood levels chosen and the subsequent risk ratings generated Instead appropriately detailed justifications got why these levels were chosen and why any decisions were made are also needed The key element is that other parties who were not part of the process to generate the report need to be able to see the logic and assumptions behind the decisions that were made
Step 3 How performance reports are completed (note this is not a formal part of the risk assessment process but an outcome) Two levels of reporting are suggested depending on the appropriate level of management response
Review of the scope of ESD and EBFM in Australia 83
bull Where specific management is not needed (ie low or negligible risk) reports only need to justify this conclusion In some cases only a few lines or a few paragraphs may be needed to achieve this However in other cases this may require a number of analyses and several pages of justification and
bull Where specific management actions are needed a full performance report that details all elements of the management system is probably required
Step 4 The compilation of summary background material on the fishery
An appropriate level of background material on the fishery is necessary to put the other sections of the report into context The material presented should include a detailed description of the history of the fishery its area of operation fishing methods used and species targeted A summary of the biological and ecological characteristics of the main species and habitats that are affected by the fishery should also be provided
National ESD Framework Project Ecological Risk Assessment Version 4 (October 2004) FRDC Project Team (W Fletcher K Sainsbury J Chesson and T Hundloe)
Fletcher W J 2005 The application of qualitative risk assessment methodology to prioritize issues for fisheries management ICES Journal of Marine Science 62 1576e1587
Management Strategy Evaluation As outlined by WWF (2002) Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) is an approach that builds on current fisheries management approaches to include performance evaluation as part of a formal adaptive approach to fisheries management According to Sainsbury et al (2000) Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) is an approach that provides a practical framework for evaluating the effectiveness of prospective management strategies in achieving defined objectives The approach is participatory and requires close collaboration between management agencies stakeholders and technical experts
The MSE approach involves assessing the consequences of a range of management strategies or options and presenting the results in a way that makes explicit the trade-offs in performance across different management objectives The approach does not seek to specify an optimal strategy or decision Instead it aims to provide decision-makers with the information on which to base a rational decision given their own objectives preferences and attitudes to risk It deals explicitly with multiple and potentially conflicting objectives and with scientific uncertainty In dealing explicitly with sources of uncertainty and in predicting the consequences of alternative management actions it directly supports operational use of the precautionary approach
As Sainsbury et al (2000) explain MSE has been used to develop management strategies to achieve objectives relating to target species and to the ecosystem and has been applied to fisheries problems involving spatially based management and should be applicable to the design and monitoring of marine protected areas However the application of MSE to examine a wider range of ecosystem and resource use objectives will involve dealing with greater levels of uncertainty and complexity than has been attempted to date
84
Figure 1531 Framework for management strategy evaluation (MSE) (Sainsbury K Punt and Smith A (2000)
An Australian example the Alternative Management Strategies for the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery The Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery (SESSF) is a multi-species multi-sector fishery that stretches from SE Queensland to SW Western Australia The SESSF includes the former South East Trawl Fishery (SETF) East Coast Deepwater Zone (ECDWZ) Victorian Inshore Trawl (VIT) Gillnet Hook and Trap Fishery (GHATF) and Great Australian Bight Trawl Fishery (GABTF) sectors and was recently brought under a single management plan The GHATF is an amalgamation of the former Southern Shark Fishery and the South East Non-trawl fishery The creation of the SESSF has provided AFMA with a platform to improve management of the fishery by moving towards a more ecosystem based approach by managing the sectors under common goals and objectives
The Alternative Management Strategies (AMS) Project was set up to explore scenarios for improved management of the SESSF and to present these scenarios to stakeholders and decision makers The aim is to focus on integrated management solutions (ie using a coordinated combination of management tools) with impacts on the ecology and all aspects of the fishery and on all sectors being considered simultaneously
Method and approach The AMS Project Team has taken a Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) approach to the task it was set This involves a series of steps
bull Identifying the issues and objectives bull Listing a set of performance indicators that measure success in addressing
issues and meeting objectives
Review of the scope of ESD and EBFM in Australia 85
bull Identifying alternative prospective solutions (alternative integrated management scenarios)
bull Evaluating each management scenario against the performance indicators bull Highlighting the tradeoffs between management scenarios in achieving
objectives and addressing issues bull Communicating the results to stakeholders and decision-makers
Steps 1 and 3 have involved active consultation with stakeholders The Project Team conducted port visits around the fishery in October 2003 to identify specific issues of concern to fishers A Steering Committee comprising representatives from each major fishing sector together with an environmental representative and representatives from the major funding agencies (AFMA FRDC) was established A joint workshop involving the Project Team and the Steering Committee was held in April 2004 to identify the management scenarios that would be evaluated
Qualitative and quantitative models Models may be qualitative or quantitative capturing a diverse range of information such as environmental economic and social According to EPAP (1999) modelling is an essential scientific tool for developing ecosystem approaches for fishery management Models have the potential to provide managers with information about how ecosystems are likely to respond to changes in fishery management practices As with MSE ecosystem models will involve dealing with greater complexity than traditional models As Charles (2001) suggests integrated models focus on the need to understand the complex interrelationships amongst the components (environmental institutional social and economic) of the fishery and can be used as a tool for assessing policy development integrated management and decision making for EBFM Modelling can also be used to understand the past which is particularly valuable in assessing past management practices and thus providing a learning environment (adaptive management) and to predict the future outcomes of proposed management actions
Stefanssonrsquos (2003) view is that many important management questions can only be addressed by the use of complex models and that tools such as these are needed to evaluate ecosystems in a more comprehensive manner He suggests that an important result from modelling is the potential to be able to view the system and fisheries as a whole To do this requires extensive data some of which may not be available but highlights what data is needed to be able to predict the effects of particular management measures or to be able to provide management advice In cases where data is missing if management is to be in accordance with the precautionary approach management measures will need to be implemented to deal with such uncertainty If the necessary data is available providing the ability to predict outcomes of proposed actions and therefore reducing uncertainty it may then be possible to reduce or relax some measures
Qualitative model an Australian example An Australian example of a qualitative model approach Rothlisberg and Okey T (2006) Variation in banana prawn catches at Weipa a comprehensive regional study Fisheries Develeopment Research Corporation final report 2004024 The goal of the overall study has been to better understand why the commercial catch of banana prawns
86
has declined in the Weipa region of Australiarsquos northern prawn fishery An array of possible explanations has been considered over the course of this study and three main hypotheses remain as viable explanations for a decline in catch
bull Prawn recruitment has collapsed due to overfishing bull Recruitment has collapsed due to a change in the prawnrsquos environment and bull Adult banana prawns are still present but fishers cannot find or catch them
because - the searching power of the fishing fleet has declined - adult banana prawns are staying inshore away from fishing grounds - adult banana prawns are no longer schooling
The purpose of this work has been to draw together what is known about the banana prawnrsquos biology ecosystem and fishery within a qualitative modelling framework that in a rigorous manner allows organised thinking about how the system works From this knowledge relatively simple models are developed that are used to the explore possible dynamics of the system and from which hopefully an increased understanding of the system can be gained distinguish what is likely behaviour of the system from what is not and to pose new and testable hypotheses for future management and research efforts
Another purpose of qualitative modelling is to provide a means to juxtapose and compare results from other modelling techniques such as those with statistical and quantitatively derivations so as to better distinguish what is a general and emergent property of the system from what is merely an artefact of a specific modelling assumption A useful attribute of the qualitative modelling approach is the ability to quickly develop and combine sub-models for different elements of a system eg biology fishery economics environmental influences The behaviour of the overall model can be evaluated as well as the behaviour of its component sub-models and compared with the behaviour of models with a simplified structure
Quantitative model an Australian example Atlantis (Fulton et al 2004) is one example of an ecosystem model used for decision support within EBFM in Australia Two other software packages functioning in the same role are Ecopath with Ecosim (Walters et al 1997 Christensen and Walters 2004) and InVitro (Gray et al 2006) Atlantis is an ecosystem-level modelling framework intended for management strategy evaluation (as described in de la Mare 1996 Cochrane et al 1998 Butterworth and Punt 1999 Sainsbury et al 2000) It has been applied in 14 marine systems around the world but has been used primarily in Australia and the USA It is a box-model that contains sub-models representing each step in the management strategy and adaptive management cycles By providing a range of alternative formulations for the main causal mechanisms thought to be acting in marine ecosystems it allows for the deployment of a range of model structures (from simple to highly complicated and complex) with regard to marine ecosystem and management questions Two demonstrative Atlantis-based studies are the evaluation by Fulton et al (2004) of robust ecological indicators of the ecosystem impacts of fishing and the quantitative phase of the Alternative Management Strategies for the southeast Commonwealth fisheries (Fulton et al 2007)
Review of the scope of ESD and EBFM in Australia 87
The first of these two studies the evaluation of ecological indicators considered the performance of hundreds of indicators with regard to their ability to robustly detect or predict trends in key variables of interest (ldquoattributesrdquo) in the system To do this the management strategy evaluation (MSE) approach was used where an ecosystem ldquooperating modelrdquo was used to generate the simulated data which in turn was used to calculate and test the performance of the indicators A number of simulated systems (both coastal and open ocean over multiple scales) were considered interesting the performance of most indicators showed a great deal of continuity over this wide range of system types Ultimately this led to a set of guidelines regarding the need for flexible suites of indicators and the form of indicators monitored (ie easily measured often size or biomass based from a range of species types) which matched recommendations from long term purely empirical studies (Link 2005)
The second study considering alternative management strategies for the southeast fisheries has also taken an MSE approach In this case the MSE is fully closed ndash in that the entire management cycle is considered with feedback rather than breaking it and considering monitoring in semi-isolation The Atlantis model applied to the question broke the system down into 67 ecological components (including detritus oxygen and nutrients) and 25 fisheries (based on targeting and gear type) which were in turn composed of multiple sub-fleets (based on more economically based characteristics such as boat and crew size ) The findings largely back up those of the qualitative phase of the study though they did highlight a few areas where behaviour (as dictated by rules laid down in consultation with fishers) did not go as imagined in the qualitative exercise (eg the costs of changing gear meant it was not as readily adopted as thought in the qualitative study) The demands of quantitative modelling also meant more detail was elucidated in areas where the qualitative study had been allowed to remain vague At time of writing this report these quantitative findings are too new to know their ultimate impact but even now it is considered a highly informative exercise
Mapping tools As Charles (2001) suggests there are many ways of depicting fisheries information graphically and this approach often makes presentation of the facts or issues very clear to stakeholders As Pauly et al (2003) point out mapping of spatial information is now possible with the application of PC based geographical information systems (GIS) to summarise ecosystem and human information based on a range of sources The development of GIS is a useful tool for EBFM These maps can provide for example a snapshot of the geographical boundary of an ecosystem together with the spatial distribution of habitat and fish species fishing effort and management jurisdictions at a temporal scale of a day week month year This snapshot can then provide a basis for future evaluation comparisons A more complicated map may also overlay other marine users showing where there might be potential for conflict between users andor high stress on a particular area of the ecosystem The information presented in this manner can also be used for decision making purposes
Mapping tools an Australian example Bureau of Rural Sciences (BRS) The Atlas of Australian Marine Fishing and Coastal Communities is the first Australia-wide comprehensive and authoritative mapping
88
initiative presenting an overview of Australian fishing activities and coastal communities
The Atlas shows where fish are caught in Australiarsquos oceans the value of those catches where different fishing gears are used and the species that are taken It also provides information on the socio-economic characteristics of coastal communities in eight marine regions around Australia The Atlas is comprised of two products
bull The Marine Matters National Atlas is available in 8hard copy and as a PDF 8download and
bull A companion 9website featuring an interactive online mapping system and more detailed social profiles of coastal Australia
Marine Matters National has been produced to inform decision makers responsible for the management of activities in Australiarsquos marine waters and to aid the Australian and state and territory governments in developing and implementing policy initiatives It is also a flexible and readily accessible information source for anyone with an interest in the management of Australiarsquos marine estate
The Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry produced the Atlas with the support of the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation the Department of the Environment Water Heritage and the Arts and other agencies around Australia with a responsibility related to fisheries This work builds upon the successful 9Marine Matters ndash Atlas of marine activities and coastal communities in Australiarsquos South-East Marine Region
See 9httpwwwaffagovaubrs
Monitoring performance indicators decision rules and reporting
As Cochrane (2002) highlights the high end policy statements set the broad principles for EBFM governance and management but need to be translated into goals and suggest there are four subsets These are biological and ecological which may be viewed as constraints to achieving the economic and social subset benefits Goals are an important first step providing both guidance and highlighting conflicting goals or those needing to be prioritised However goals in themselves are too general for implementation and require the development of operational objectives which precisely outline the agreed objectives and what is to be achieved (outcomes) A management strategy can then be developed using a suite of different management measures setting the parameters for achieving the operational objectives Appropriate reference points and indicators may be developed for each operational objective to measure and monitor outcomes against stated objectives and decision rules in place should the management strategy not be successfully met
The purpose of indicators is to enhance communication transparency effectiveness and accountability in natural resource management As outlined by the FAO (1999) many countries have agreed to develop and report on indicators of sustainable development At an international level indicators can help streamline inputs to global reporting and assessments and make comparisons between countries At a regional level indicators can help in harmonising strategies for management of transboundary resources and
Review of the scope of ESD and EBFM in Australia 89
measuring overall health of large scale marine ecosystems Nationally indicators can produce a holistic picture of the fisheries sector and its environment At the fishery level indicators provide an operational tool for management in policy setting and evaluation assessing objectives and triggering management responses
FAO (1999) suggest that indicators should provide a practical and cost effective means of tracking progress towards sustainable development (for ecosystems economic and social components) predict or warn about potential problems in the future facilitate learning by comparing performance between fisheries and inform policy aimed at mitigating problems According to the FAO (2003) guidelines the aim in setting indicators reference points and performance measures is to provide a framework to evaluate management rules and to assess performance of the fishery An indicator tracks the key outcome identified in the operational objective and when compared with agreed target and limit reference points provides a measure on how well management is performing (performance measure) The target should be the desired state of the indicator and the limit should be a boundary beyond which it is undesirable to be The target and limit can be quantitative or can reflect a trend (FAO 2003 page 55)
Gislason et al (2000) suggest that a key challenge to incorporating ecosystem objectives within fisheries management is to define measurable indicators and cost effective monitoring programs that relate to ecosystem objectives as well as reference points that trigger management actions A challenge for science is to reach consensus on indicators and reference points that will support decision making on ocean use activities and highlight the need to consider impacts on both the structure (biodiversity) and the function (habitat productivity) of marine ecosystems They also suggest that indicators need to have some predictive power and are sensitive to ecosystem change
According to Seijo and Caddy (2000) fishery indicators should be able to provide information for assessing the ecological economic and social performance of the fishery and as an element of the management plan they should become an input for establishing over time new reference points and corresponding management strategies to achieve them They suggest that the use of one or two indicators is unlikely to be effective and may require sets of indices that reflect the state of the resource and the socio-economic aspects
As highlighted by Dahl (2000) each fishery has unique characteristics A challenge is to develop a set of generalised indicators that can be adapted to the local situation while permitting broad comparisons and evaluations For example a general indicator can be used but targets and trends need to be locally determined As Dahl points out indicators only work if there is a data collection system to support them In some instances it may be more practical to choose an indicator that is less satisfactory theoretically but has a greater chance of reliable data collection and use
The WWF (2002) discuss targets in relation to shifting baselines (incremental change over time) and preventing further decline in ecosystems Marine ecosystems are not well understood and there are few long term datasets under these conditions it is difficult to predict and recognise ecosystem changes due to human impacts Adopting targets that trigger actions and intervention to reverse the trend of shifting baselines and incremental change in the condition of ecosystems is important Indicators are helpful
90
in performance evaluation and may be used for example to assess the performance of the fishery in relation to stock and ecological objectives
As the FAO (1999) highlight for indicators to be a successful tool in evaluating performance and progress towards sustainability an adequate form of reporting is essential Reports need to be accurate complete transparent and timely It is helpful for reports to be consistent across fisheries and within jurisdictions as this allows aggregation at the different levels from the local to the national Sainsbury and Sumaila (2003) suggest fisheries management is an interactive system and therefore it is important to report and evaluate the whole management system not just its individual parts
Australia Most fishery management plans outline the monitoring performance indicators and the decision rules A number of reviews research projects and reports have been undertaken to facilitate development and use of monitoring performance indicators decision rules and reporting of performance as listed below Ecological Indicators for the Impacts of Fishing on Non-Target Species Communities and Ecosystems Review of Potential Indicators (3172004) EA Fulton ADM Smith H Webb and J Slater Ecological Indicators of the Ecosystem Effects of Fishing Final Report (3172004) EA Fulton M Fuller ADM Smith A Punt Best Practice Reference Points for Australian Fisheries a report to Australian Fisheries Management Authority and the Department of the Environment and Heritage (In press) K Sainsbury Fletcher WJ Chesson J Fisher M Sainsbury KJ Hundloe T Smith ADM and B Whitworth (2003) National Application of Sustainability indicators for Australian fisheries Final Report FRDC Project 2000145 Fletcher WJ Chesson J Sainsbury KJ Fisher M Hundloe T (2004) ESD Reporting and Assessment Subprogram Development of Assessment Tools for the National ESD Framework ndash initial scoping exercise Final Report FRDC Project 2002086 Canberra Australia Schirmer J and Casey AM 2005 Social Assessment Handbook A guide to methods and approaches for assessing the social sustainability of fisheries in Australia FRDC ESD Reporting and Assessment Subprogram Publication No 7 Fisheries Research and Development Corporation and Bureau of Rural Sciences Canberra
Reporting
State of the Environment reporting (SoEs) The fisheries reporting requirements may be mandated under government (Commonwealth and State and Territory) Acts fishery management Acts Fishery Management Plans or other management arrangements Reporting requirements may be set at a number of different levels from local regional state and national or by organisations such as fishery management agencies and industry
At the national level Australia is responsible for reporting on the state of Australiarsquos environment through the State of the Environment Reports This is an independent report to the Australian Government Minister for the Environment and Heritage The purpose and objectives are to provide accurate up to date and accessible information about environmental and heritage conditions trends and pressures for the Australian continent surrounding seas and Australiarsquos external territories The first report was published in1996 followed by one in 2001 with the most recent report in 2006 These
Review of the scope of ESD and EBFM in Australia 91
reports include seven major themes Two of themes relate to oceans and fisheries in particular these are
bull Coasts and oceans - marine biodiversity - pressure on Australiarsquos coasts and oceans - responses to pressures and
bull Environmental governance - EPBC Act
Most states and territories also prepare SoEs for their respective states which also include reports on oceans and fisheries issues and responses
Department of the Environment Water Heritage and the Arts (DEWHA) prepare a number of annual reports as follows
bull Report on the operation of the EPBC Act 1999 bull Department of the Environment and Heritage Annual Report and bull National Oceans Office annual report
Commonwealth and State and Territory Fisheries reports
bull The Australian Government prepares an annual report for GRBMPA bull CAMMLR bull BRS publish Fishery Status reports for Commonwealth managed fisheries bull AFMA annual reports and bull State and territory fisheries reports vary in terms of reporting period and by
fishery
Research
Research is undertaken for Commonwealth and State fishery management agencies by a number of different government departments as well as by independent researchers The main Commonwealth agencies responsible for research provision for fisheries management include BRS and ABARE divisions within DAFF AFMA within DEWHA and FRDC
BRS Division Bureau of Rural Science (BRS) is a scientific bureau within the Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry At the interface between science and policy BRS is an essential part of the Governments capacity for integrated evidence-based policy development
BRS provides scientific advice to government in support of more profitable competitive and sustainable Australian agricultural food fisheries and forestry industries and enhancing the natural resource base to achieve greater national wealth and stronger rural and regional communities
The Fisheries and Marine Sciences Programme provides scientific advice on Australiarsquos marine ecosystems and the sustainable harvesting of fish stocks Activities
92
include the publication of reports on the status of Commonwealth fisheries and marine resources collaboration with regional agencies in managing high seas fisheries research into target and bycatch species assessments of fish stocks and fisheries management analysis of human interactions with the marine environment and management of national fisheries information systems The program also covers modelling and Geographic Information System (GIS) applications impacts from other industries and international fisheries issues
See 9httpwwwaffagovaubrs
ABARE Division Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics ( 9ABARE) is an Australian Government economic research agency noted for its professionally independent research and analysis and over sixty years has amassed a wealth of expertise in applied economic research ABARE uses latest innovative modelling techniques and extensive corporate databases contain data not available elsewhere
Fisheries Resource Research Fund DAFF administers funds for fisheries related research from the Fisheries Resource Research Fund (FRRF) The FRRF receives an annual Government appropriation and is an important source of research funding Although the FRRF is managed by the DAFF AFMA is consulted on expenditure from the FRRF by participating in an advisory committee that evaluates applications for funding FRRF programs are intended to provide an agreed program of independent assessment of Commonwealth fisheries management performance and support the development of new and improved policies for the management of Australias fisheries
See 9httpwwwaffagovau
AFMA The Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) establishes research priorities for Commonwealth fisheries and arranges for research to be undertaken to address these priorities In line with these priorities research undertaken for AFMA seeks to address a number of fisheries management related issues The majority of research undertaken by AFMA pursues the following research objectives
bull To undertake and improve fishery assessments including biological and economic assessments of target stocks bycatch species and fishery impacts on the ecosystem and
bull To identify strategies to ensure the sustainable use of fishery resources and address information gaps to ensure the effective management of these fisheries
See 9httpwwwafmagovau
Review of the scope of ESD and EBFM in Australia 93
FRDC The Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) and its stakeholders have analysed the fishing industryrsquos business environment and the likely developments during the next 20 years
This analysis resulted in identification of the following five strategic challenges bull 9Natural resource sustainability ndash maintain and improve the management and use
of aquatic natural resources to ensure their sustainability bull 9Resource access and resource allocation ndash optimise resource access resource
allocation and opportunities for each sector of the fishing industry within a rights-based framework
bull 9Response to demand profitability ndash respond to and take advantage of increased demand for seafood and for recreational and customary fishing experiences Enhance the profitability of the fishing industry
bull 1People development ndash develop people who will help the fishing industry to meet its future needs and
bull 1Community and consumer support ndash increase community and consumer support for the benefits of the three main sectors of the fishing industry
Demand for FRDC investment in research and development activities is increasing as stakeholders become more aware of the challenges they are facing Translating the demand into investment that will fulfil stakeholdersrsquo needs is not easy Fisheries and aquaculture managers often have different research and development priorities to industry There is also increasing pressure from other areas of the community for public sector funds This in turn limits the investment in research and development by government
Subprograms and other initiatives On occasion it becomes evident that a planned research and development outcome could be achieved more successfully if a number of related projects were managed more intensively by employing higher levels of coordination integration and communication than for individual projects In that event the FRDC either on its own initiative or at the request of a stakeholder group establishes a managed subprogram An example is the Rock Lobster Enhancement and Aquaculture Subprogram Formation of a managed subprogram provides a higher level of service in project management The role of managed subprograms is to
bull develop strategic plans for research and development that take into account other strategic plans and subsequently maintain strategic directions and be responsive to changing circumstances
bull set research and development priorities to maximise investment in that field avoid duplication and achieve the greatest potential return
bull invite research and development applications to address those priorities bull maximise collaboration between researchers and between researchers fisheries
managers and fishing industry interests bull attract other research and development funding and influence the way in which
other funding entities apply their investments in that field
94
bull standardise on the best scientific methods bull communicate regularly with potential beneficiaries and bull influence the adoption of research and development results
Current subprograms are
bull 1Abalone Aquaculture bull 1Atlantic Salmon Aquaculture bull 1Aquaculture Nutrition bull 1Aquatic Animal Health bull Effects of Trawling bull 1Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) Reporting and Assessment bull 1Rock Lobster Post Harvest bull 1Rock Lobster Enhancement and Aquaculture bull Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishing Industry Development bull 1Southern Bluefin Tuna (SBT) Aquaculture
See 1httpwwwfrdccomauresearchpriorities
Consultation
Consultation is a key aspect of EBFM and is an important feature of Commonwealth and State fisheries management
Commonwealth fisheries The fisheries resources AFMA manages are important community assets which support significant commercial fishing activity recreational fishing and some subsistence and traditional fishing The very nature of fish and their habitats means fisheries resources are also of interest to a range of other stakeholders including environmental groups resource managers researchers indigenous and community groups
The Australian Fisheries Management Authority has a responsibility to consult with all stakeholders on fisheries resources when making management decisions This is achieved through the 1Management Advisory Committees (MACs) established by the 1Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) Board for each major AFMA-managed fishery
State and Territory fisheries State and Territory fisheries also use MACs or similar groups such as Fisheries Management Committees (FMCs) or Fisheries Advisory Committee (FAC) Another example is the West Australian ESD Fisheries Reference Group The purpose of the group is to ensure the effective development and implementation of an ESD policy for WA fisheries and to provide support to stakeholders and the general community The Group has been involved in the development of the States ESD fisheries policy and its review at regular intervals It also monitors the implementation of ESD within each of the seven major fisheries that require immediate attention in terms of preparation of assessment reports required by Environment Australia
Review of the assessment methods of ESD and EBFM in Australia 95
2 REVIEW OF THE STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT METHODS UNDER THE EPBC ACT AND MANAGEMENT APPROACHES
The review will be presented in two parts Review of fishery assessment reports by fishery agencies submitted to DEWHA for Strategic Assessment under the EPBC Act (21) Review and report on the major issues raised from the EPBC strategic assessment process for ESD and EBFM (22)
21 Review of strategic assessment processes under the EPBC Act
This part of the review will include
bull Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999 bull Review of State and Commonwealth fishery strategic submissions to DEWHA
and bull DEWHA assessment of fisheries under EPBC Act
211 Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999
The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999 commenced on 16 July 2000 The aim of the Act is to provide an effective framework for environmental protection and conservation of Australian biodiversity It enables the Commonwealth states and territories to take a national approach to environmental protection and biodiversity conservation The Commonwealth takes responsibility for leadership on the environment and the states take responsibility for delivering on-ground resource management The objectives of the Act are
bull To provide for the protection of the environment especially those aspects that are matters of national environmental significance
bull Promote ecologically sustainable development through the conservation and ecologically sustainable use of natural resources
bull Promote the conservation of biodiversity bull Promote a cooperative approach to the protection and management of the
environment involving governments the community and other relevant stakeholders
bull Assist in the cooperative implementation of Australiarsquos international environmental responsibilities and
bull Recognise the role and interests of indigenous people including the use of their knowledge in the conservation and ecologically sustainable use of Australiarsquos biodiversity
Under the Act if an action will have or is likely to have a significant impact on a matter of national significance it will require approval from the Environment Minister and may require an Environmental Impact Assessment Matters of national significance include
96
bull World Heritage properties bull Ramsar wetlands of international importance bull Listed threatened species and communities bull Migratory species protected under international agreements bull Nuclear actions and bull The Commonwealth marine environment
(EA EPBC Act Guidelines page 1)
When deciding whether to approve the taking of an action and what conditions to impose the Commonwealth Environment Minister must consider social and economic matters and relevant environmental impacts The Minister must also take into account
bull The principles of ecologically sustainable development bull Decision-making processes should effectively integrate both long-term and
short-term economic environmental social and equitable considerations bull If there are threats of serious or irreversible environmental damage lack of full
scientific certainty should not be used as a reason for postponing measures to prevent environmental degradation
bull The principle of inter-generational equity ndash that the present generation should ensure that the health diversity and productivity of the environment is maintained or enhanced for the benefit of future generations
bull The conservation of biological diversity and ecological integrity should be a fundamental consideration in decision-making
bull The assessment report on the impacts of the action bull Any other information about the impacts of the action and bull Relevant comments from other Ministers (such as information on social and
economic factors)
212 Review of State and Commonwealth strategic assessment submissions to DEWHA The following State and Commonwealth fishery agency strategic assessment submissions to DEWHA under the EBPC Act are examples from each jurisdiction Full details are provided in Appendix A In this section for each jurisdiction (NSW NT QLD SA TAS VIC WA and the Commonwealth) the following format will be used
bull List of fisheries managed by that jurisdiction bull Outline the jurisdiction approach to strategic assessment submissions to
DEWHA and bull A summary of management approach adopted by the fishery agency with an
example fishery from each jurisdiction It should be noted that the information provided below and in Appendix A was current at the time of the submission and some aspects of the legislation management monitoring and performance arrangements may have changed since then
Review of the assessment methods of ESD and EBFM in Australia 97
New South Wales fisheries bull 1Abalone Fishery bull 1Estuary General Fishery bull 1Estuary Prawn Trawl bull 1Lobster Fishery
bull 1Ocean Hauling Fishery bull 1Ocean Trap and Line Fishery bull 1Ocean Trawl Fishery
The submissions to DEWHA under the EPBC Act are in the form of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Fishery Management Strategy (FMS) as outlined below
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) NSW DPI provides an Environmental Impact Statement for public consultation These are very detailed documents and address the following bull the ecological (target byproduct bycatch TEP habitats and wider ecosystem)
economic and social components bull a draft fishery management strategy(goals objectives and management
responses) bull performance monitoring and review (predetermined performance indicators and
trigger points) bull proposed harvesting strategy and bull impact on fish resources and biophysical environment (risk assessment)
Fishery Management Strategy (FMS) A fishery management strategy is a document outlining the management goals objectives strategies for achieving the objectives (including the fishing or activity controls) performance indicators and the monitoring programs that apply to a fishery or activity Fishery management strategies are valuable because they bull provide a long term vision for management of a fishery or activity bull clearly outline the strategies that are in place to achieve that vision bull provide stakeholders with greater certainty by knowing the management
programs that apply in the fishery or activity provide useful background information and
bull the strategies will allow the community to scrutinise the management arrangements for each fishery or activity and seek to ensure that the management arrangements in place provide sustainable fisheries and activities into the future
98
NSW Department of Priamry Industry submission to DEWHA (September 2005) for the NSW Abalone fishery an example Legislation Commonwealth legislation Wildlife Protection (Regulation of Export
and Imports) Act 1982 Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999
NSW Legislation Fisheries Management Act 1994 Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 Marine Parks Act 1997 National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 and Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 Port Corporation and Waterways Management Act 1995 Crown Lands Act 1989 and Rivers and Water Act 2000 Foreshores Protection Act 1948 Food Production (safety) Act 1998 Food Production (safety) Act 1998
Management Management plans and regulations Fisheries management (general) regulation
2002 Fisheries Management (Aquatic Reserves) Regulation 2002 New South Wales Abalone Share Management Plan 2000 (5 year statutory plan commenced 18 February 2000) Fisheries Management (Abalone Share Management Plan) Regulation 2000 Fishery Management Strategy (included in EIS report Vol 2 Chapter D) Draft Abalone Fishery Code of Practice
Code of practice Draft Abalone fishery code of practice Harvest strategies Target inputoutput annual quota allocation and
TAC
Spatial management Divided into 6 regions for stock assessment purposes Marine parks and aquatic reserves where harvesting limited Seasonal closures (time and spatial)
Assessment
Stock assessment Target annual stock assessment
EIS Ecological (target byproduct bycatch TEP habitats and wider ecosystem) economic and social components
Review of the assessment methods of ESD and EBFM in Australia 99
Risk assessment Broadly consistent with the guidelines for ESD reporting for Australian fisheries lsquoHow to Guidersquo for Wild Capture Fisheries by Fletcher et al 2002 It addresses the impact on fish resources and biophysical environment Target byproduct and bycatch TEP habitat and ecosystems
Economic components Analysis based on compilation of existing data
Social components Descriptions of community values and views associated with the Abalone Fishery including social capital skills base and transferability of skills with a brief analysis of the basis of these views and perceptions
Governance No Monitoring
Monitoring DPIampF statewide Long Term Monitoring Program (LTMP) started in 19999
Performance indicators and trigger points Objectives performance indicators and review triggers for ecological economic and social components
Observer program No Reporting Fishers A daily docket recording catch and effort
information such as the zones fished dive time catches taken from each zone information on the crew boat used and the consignee
NSW DPI Annual abalone fishery reports Research
Research Strategic research plan objectives strategies and priorities
Consultation
Management Advisory Committees (MACs)
Northern Territory fisheries bull 1Aquarium Fishery bull 1Demersal Fishery bull 1Finfish Trawl Fishery bull 1Mud Crab Fishery
bull 1Shark Fishery bull 1Spanish Mackerel Fishery bull 1Timor Reef Fishery bull 1Trepang Fishery
100
The submissions to DEWHA under the EPBC Act addressed the EPBC principles and objectives for the ecological components only
NT DPIFW submission to DEWHA (May 2002) for the NT Spanish mackerel fishery and example Legislation Commonwealth legislation Wildlife Protection (Regulation of Export
and Imports) Act 1982 Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999 National Policy on ESD and the National ESD framework for Australian fisheries
NT legislation NT Fisheries Act 1998 Review of the Fisheries Act 1998 a discussion paper (February 2006) NT Fisheries Regulations (operational 1st January
1993) Management Management plans and regulations Spanish Mackerel Fishery Management Plan in
force at 1st February1993 Review of Spanish Mackerel Fishery Management Plan discussion paper November 2000
Codes of practice No
Harvest strategies Target species input controls
Spatial management No
Assessment
Stock assessment Target species annual stock assessment based on age structured modelling
EIS No
Risk assessment No
Economic components No
Social components No
Governance No
Monitoring
Monitoring Monitoring of target species and byproduct Bycatch TEP habitat ecosystems provision for comments in logbook
Performance indicators and trigger points Proposed objectives indicators and trigger points and management action (review of management arrangements)
Observer program No
Reporting
Fishers Daily logbook listing catch effort and market details returns to the Fisheries Division on a monthly basis
NT DPIFM Annual status and technical reports
Review of the assessment methods of ESD and EBFM in Australia 101
Spanish mackerel fishery assessment reports every 3-5 years
Research
Research Strategic plan for fisheries research and development 2005-2009
Consultation
Spanish Mackerel Fishery Management Advisory Committee (SMACMAC)
Queensland fisheries bull 1Blue Swimmer Crab Pot Fishery bull 1Coral Fishery bull 1Coral Reef Fin Fish Fishery bull 1Deepwater Finfish Fishery bull 1Developmental Jellyfish Fishery bull 1Developmental Slipper Lobster
Fishery bull 1East Coast Inshore Finfish
Fishery bull 1Finfish (Stout Whiting) Trawl
Fishery bull 1Gulf of Carpentaria
Developmental Finfish Trawl Fishery
bull 1Gulf of Carpentaria Inshore Finfish Fishery
bull 1Gulf of Carpentaria Line Fishery bull 1East Coast Beche-de-mer Fishery
bull 1East Coast Otter Trawl Fishery bull 1East Coast Pearl bull 1East Coast Spanish Mackerel
Fishery bull 1East Coast Trochus Fishery bull 1East Coast Tropical Rock
Lobster Fishery bull 1Eel Fishery bull 1Marine Aquarium Fish Fishery bull 1Marine Specimen Shell Fishery bull 1Moreton Bay Developmental
Beche-de-mer Fishery bull 1Mud Crab Fishery bull 1River and Inshore Beam Trawl
Fishery bull 1Rocky Reef Finfish Fishery bull 1Spanner Crab Fishery
The submissions to DEWHA under the EPBC Act addressed the EPBC principles and objectives (ecological components only)
QLD DPI submission to DEWHA (September 2005) for the QLD Coral reef fin fish fishery (July 2005) an example Legislation
Commonwealth legislation Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975 (Commonwealth)
Marine Parks Act 1982
Nature Conservation Act 1992
Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999
QLD legislation Fisheries Act 1994
102
Fisheries Regulations 1995
Integrated Planning Act 1997
Management
Management plans and regulations Fisheries (Coral Reef Fin Fish Fishery) Management Plan 2003
Code of practice DPIampF intends to hold a stakeholder workshop in early 2005 to develop a code of practice for commercial line fishers on discarding fish Both the commercial and recreational sectors have voluntary Codes of Practice that explicitly refer to minimising and reporting interactions with TEP species
Harvest strategies TAC and ITQs with limited entry catch quota management scheme As part of the ELF project the CRC Reef has evaluated a number of alternative management strategies (Mapstone et al 2004) which has been used to inform management decisions The use of ELFSim a model designed to simulate responses to management changes based on information gained during the ELF project also helps inform management data
Spatial management Zoning and temporal closures
Assessment Stock assessment Target species no formal stock
assessment model has been applied but status is assessed using fishery dependent (logbooks) and independent information
EIS No Risk assessment No however processes have been put in
place in the CRFFF to increase the information available on interactions with ETP species a detailed risk assessment of the actual and potential impacts to particular speciesgroups is still some time off Accordingly in producing this ecological assessment DPIampF contacted a number of experts knowledgeable about different ETP species and threats to them and asked them to rate the likelihood and severity of interactions with the CRFFF
Economic components No
Social components No
Review of the assessment methods of ESD and EBFM in Australia 103
Governance
Monitoring and performance Monitoring The DPIampF statewide Long Term
Monitoring Program (LTMP) started in 1999
Performance indicators and trigger points A detailed evaluation and review process for the CRFFF has been included as a fundamental of the new management arrangements The evaluation and review measures also provide a trigger for responses where the objectives are not being achieved The Plan does not prescribe the type of management measures that will be triggered by review events nor the timeframes in which management change should occur in the event of a review being triggered
Observer program An observer program enabling the placement of observers on commercial line fishing vessels operating on the GBR will be explored further in the coming months and if possible be developed for implementation later in 2005 As part of its ELF program CRC Reef conducted direct observations using at sea observers of commercial fishing operations in the CRFFF over a two-year period from 1996-1998
Reporting Fishers Daily logbook records must be returned to
DPIampF at the end of each month QLD DPI Annual status reports first report planned
2006 Research
Research The Scientific Advisory Group (SAG) of Reef MAC reviewed the research needs for the fishery and a number of projects were identified as priorities
Consultation
Management Advisory Committees (MACs)
South Australian fisheries bull 1Abalone Fishery bull 1Beach-cast Seagrass and Marine
Algae Fishery bull 1Blue Crab Fishery
bull 1Giant Crab Fishery bull 1Lakes and Coorong Fishery bull 1Marine Scalefish Fishery bull 1Pilchard Fishery
104
bull 1Prawn Trawl Fisheries bull 1Rock Lobster (Jasus edwardsii)
Fishery bull 1Scallop and Turbo Fishery
bull 1Seahorse Marine Services bull 1Sea Urchin Fishery bull 1Specimen Shell Fishery
The submissions to DEWHA addressed the EPBC principles and objectives (ecological and included economic social and governance components)
SA PIRSA submission to DEWHA (September 2005) for the SA Lakes and Coorong fishery an example Legislation International United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
1982 Ramsar Convention
Commonwealth legislation Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999
State legislation The Fisheries Act 1982 insofar as this Act applies to the River Murray seeking to further the objects of the River Murray Act 2003 and the objectives of a healthy River Murray under that Act Review of fisheries Act Fisheries (Scheme of Management ndash Lakes and Coorong Fishery) Regulations 1991 Fisheries (General) Regulations 2000 Fisheries (Management Committees) Regulations 1995
Management Management plans and regulations Draft Management Plan for the South Australian
Lakes and Coorong Fishery 2005-2010 (July 2005)
Codes of practice FRDC project( June 2007) development of a code of practice for mitigation of bycatch
Harvest strategies Inputoutput controls
Spatial management Spatial and temporal closures
Assessment
Stock assessment Target sp Full stock assessment status report or literature review
EIS No
Risk assessment Planned for non target species Economic components Economic flow of benefits to broader community
Social components Maintain equitable access recreational fishers and indigenous communities
Governance Cost-effective and participative governance of the fishery
Monitoring and performance Monitoring A strategic monitoring plan developed
Performance indicators and trigger points Target ecosystems economic and social
Review of the assessment methods of ESD and EBFM in Australia 105
governance objectives indicators and reference points and triggers
Observer program No
Reporting Fishers Fishers logbook program which requires
all commercial fishers to compulsorily record daily information on catch and effort levels and other details on daily fishing operations This information is submitted monthly and entered into a database which is managed by SARDI
PIRSA Status reports and literature reviews Research
Research Strategic research and monitoring plan with priorities updated annually
Consultation
The Fisheries (Management Committees) Regulations 1995 outline a set of co-management principles and establish a number of Fisheries Management Committees (FMCs)
Tasmanian fisheries bull 1Abalone Fishery bull 1Commercial Dive Fishery bull 1Giant Crab Fishery bull 1Freshwater Eel Fishery bull 1Kelp Fishery bull 1Marine Aquarium Fish Fishery
bull 1Native Oyster Fishery bull 1Octopus Fishery bull 1Rock Lobster Fishery bull 1Scalaris Abalone Fishery bull 1Scallop Fishery
The submissions to DEWHA under the EPBC Act addressed the EPBC principles and objectives (ecological only)
TAS DPIW submission to DEWHA (April 2006) for the TAS Giant crab fishery an example Legislation Commonwealth legislation Environmental Protection and Biodiversity
Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999 State legislation Tasmanian Living Marine Resources
Management Act 1995 Fisheries (Giant Crab) Rules 2006 Living Marine Resources Management Act 1995 Fishing (Licence Ownership and Interest)
106
Registration Act 2001 Marine Farming Planning Act 1995 Regulations Fisheries (General and Fees) Regulations 2006 Fisheries (Infringement Notices) Regulations 2001 Fisheries Penalty Regulations 2001 Fishing (Licence Ownership and Interest) Registration (Fees) Regulations 2002 Marine Farming Planning Regulations 1996 Orders Fisheries (Research Area) Order 2005 Fisheries (Research Area) Order 1996 Fisheries (Value of Fish) Order 1997
Management Management plans and regulations Fisheries (Giant Crab) Rules 2006
(managed under a management plan) Fisheries (Processing and Handling) Rules 2001
Codes of practice Voluntary industry Clean Green program Harvest strategies Target Outputs Total allowable catch
(TAC) and the minimum size limit Inputs limited entry gear restrictions quota units
Spatial management Closed season for females
Assessment
Stock assessment Target annual stock assessment New stock assessment model under development The assessment also provides analysis of byproduct bycatch TEP interactions ecosystem impacts
EIS No
Risk assessment Risk assessment on impact of traps on habitat (2005)
Economic components No
Social components No
Governance No
Monitoring and performance Monitoring A research program has been initiated to provide
ongoing monitoring of bycatch in the absence of a regular observer program
Performance indicators and trigger points Performance in meeting objectives of maintaining biomass and recruitment measured CPUE size and sex distributions changes in fishing area size of
Review of the assessment methods of ESD and EBFM in Australia 107
giant crab fleet Trigger points are levels of or rates of changed that are considered outside the normal variation of the stocks and fishery which when occurs the Minister will review the management of the fishery
Observer Program No
Reporting Fishers The provision of log sheets on a monthly
basis is mandatory Fishers cannot renew their giant crab licence unless all their log sheets have been submitted Giant crab fishers are required to complete a daily catch and effort log sheet by midnight for every day that fishing occurs
DPIW The Rural and Marine Industry Profiles (1999 20032004) are a comprehensive guide to Tasmanias animal plant fisheries and organics industries The Tasmanian Marine Industry Profiles are a comprehensive guide to the wild fisheries and the aquaculture sector Each profile includes the industry structure economic data government inputs and involvements objectives for the future and topical issues
Research
Research Research program is underway
Consultation
Crustacean Fisheries Advisory Committee (CFAC)
Victorian fisheries bull 1Abalone Fishery addressed
guidelines bull 1Eel Fishery addressed guidelines bull 1Giant Crab Fishery addressed
guidelines bull 1Jellyfish Fishery developmental
fishery management plan bull 1PQ Aquatics management
arrangements was open for comment until 271106
bull 1Rock Lobster Fishery addressed guidelines
bull 1Scallop Fishery statement of management arrangements and bycatch monitoring report
bull 1Sea Urchin Fishery statement of management arrangement VIC DPI submissions to DEWHA
The submissions to DEWHA varied as outlined above For those that addressed the guidelines only the ecological components were considered For the abalone fishery
108
(used as an example) the ecological economic social and governance components were considered
VIC DPI submission to DEWHA (April 2001) for the VIC Abalone fishery an example Legislation Commonwealth legislation Environmental Protection and Biodiversity
Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999 State legislation The Fisheries Act 1995
Management Management plans and regulations Abalone Management Plan (March 2002) Codes of practice No Harvest strategies Target quotas legal minimum lengths
limited entry annual TAC is determined for each zone
Spatial management Zoning and seasonal closure for greenlip abalone
Assessment
Stock assessment Blacklip A fishery assessment model has been developed for blacklip abalone that incorporates reported catch catch rates (optional) and independently estimated abundance The model needs to account for all mortality including landed (illegal legal and recreational) discarding high grading and mortality during discarding Greenlip estimate of absolute abundance was made from the 1998 surveys MAFRI undertakes annual surveys of abalone communities at 150 fixed locations across breadth fishing grounds
EIS No
Risk assessment Blacklip A risk-based approach is adopted that incorporates the uncertainty in estimates of current and predicted stock status into the decision-making process The risk framework provides for robust assessments of the consequences of alternative management strategies on the relative biomass of exploited abalone populations
Economic components Catching production and economic efficiency
Social components Equitable distribution
Governance Costs compliance and co-management
Monitoring and performance Monitoring The Abalone Fishery Committee (AFC)
will monitor the performance of the
Review of the assessment methods of ESD and EBFM in Australia 109
fishery annually as a complement to its role in TAC setting This monitoring will be based largely on reports covering each of the ecological economic social and governance dimensions of the fishery
Performance indicators and trigger points Objectives performance indicators trigger points for ecological economic social and governance Reference points were not applicable for many of the objectives either for reasons of utility or practicality
Observer program MAFRI on-board observer program Reporting Fishers Data include daily commercial catch
weight (kg) of blacklip and greenlip abalone and effort (min) for each operator at a scale of reef complexes small bays and headlands This reporting is a mandatory component of the Abalone Quota Management System administered by Fisheries Victoria
VIC DPI MAFRI observer reports MAFRI assessment reports
Research
Research Research and development is an important component of the abalone fishery management process and includes the ecological economic social and governance components
Consultation
The CAFC to be renamed the Abalone Fishery Committee (AFC) THE CAFC is a committee established by the Fisheries Co-management Council to carry out the functions of a fishery committee under Part 6 of the Fisheries Act 1995
Abalone Fishery Advisory Group
Western Australian fisheries bull 1Abalone Fishery bull 1Abrolhos Island and Mid West
Trawl Managed Fishery bull 1Beche-de-mer Fishery bull 1Broome Prawn Managed
Fishery bull 1Cocos (Keeling) Islands Marine
Aquarium Fish Fishery bull 1Exmouth Gulf Prawn Fishery
bull 1Kimberley Prawn Managed Fishery
bull 1Mackerel Fishery bull 1Marine Aquarium Fish Fishery bull 1Northern Demersal Scalefish
Managed Fishery bull 1Northern Developmental Blue
Swimmer Crab Fishery bull 1Octopus Fishery
110
bull 1Onslow and Nickol Bay Prawn Managed Fisheries
bull 1Pearl Oyster Fishery bull 1Pilbara Trap Fishery bull 2Pilbara Trawl Fishery bull 2Salmon Managed Fisheries bull 2Shark Bay Experimental Crab
Fishery bull 2Shark Bay Prawn Fishery bull 2Shark Bay Scallop Fishery bull 2Shark Bay Snapper Fishery bull 2South Coast Crustacean Fishery bull 2South Coast Trawl Fishery
bull 2Specimen Shell Managed Fishery
bull 2Temperate Shark bull 2Tropical Shark bull 2Western Rock Lobster Fishery
(environmental economic and social aspects)
bull 2West Coast Deep Sea Crab Interim Managed Fishery
bull 2West Coast Purse Seine Managed Fishery and South Coast Purse Seine Managed Fishery WA
The submissions address the EPBC guidelines and provide a ESD performance report and an ecological risk assessment report
WA Fisheries submission to DEWHA (October 2001) for the WA Western rock lobster fishery an example Legislation Commonwealth legislation The Offshore Constitutional Settlement
(OCS) arrangements between Western Australia and the Commonwealth Government of 1995 Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999
State legislation Fish Resources Management Act 1994 (FRMA) Fish Resources Management Regulations 1995 (FRMR) Fisheries Notices amp Orders (Notices made under the Fisheries Act 1905 and Orders made under the FRMA)
Management Management plans Western Rock Lobster Management Plan
The Western Rock Lobster Limited Entry Notice 1993
Code of practice No Harvest strategies Licence limitation minimum size limits
gear restrictions Spatial management Spatial zones and temporal closures
Assessment
Stock assessment Annual assessment of target species using fishery independent surveys and on board monitoring monthly returns from commercial operators and annual
Review of the assessment methods of ESD and EBFM in Australia 111
estimates of recreational and indigenous harvest
EIS No
Risk assessment A formal ecological risk assessment that was conducted by independent consultants International Risk Consultants (see IRC 2001)
Economic components No but the SCFA ESD Component Report contains a comprehensive performance evaluation of the WRL fishery based upon the framework described in the Fisheries WA ESD policy (Fletcher 2001)
Social components No but the SCFA ESD Component Report contains a comprehensive performance evaluation of the WRL fishery based upon the framework described in the Fisheries WA ESD policy (Fletcher 2001)
Governance Performance report using component tree management effectiveness arrangements compliance allocation between users legal arrangements consultation
Monitoring and performance Monitoring Ongoing monitoring programs are
supported by a long history of research programs on the biology ecology and interactions of lobsters along the west coast of WA
Performance indicators and trigger points SCFA ESD Component Reports(see Section 5) contains the available objectives indicators and performance measures for measuring the effectiveness of the management arrangements for the WRL fishery For some components the objectives indicators and performance measures are well established and the data are available to demonstrate levels of performance over time For other components the objectives indicators and performance measures have only just been developed andor the necessary data collection is only just being initiated
Observer program On board observer program covering all zones times and depth ranges
Reporting Fishers Monthly returns voluntary daily logbooks
112
WA Fisheries State of Fisheries Annual Report Annual Reports to industry
Research
Research The Performance reports for retained species non retained species the general environment and governance each provide information on supporting research for the Western Rock Lobster
Consultation
Rock Lobster Industry Advisory Committee (RLIAC) which is a statutory committee under legislation (S29 and S30 of the FRMA) and also from requested submissions from industry groups (eg WAFIC) other stakeholder groups (eg Recfishwest Conservation Council of WA) and the general public
Commonwealth fisheries bull Antarctic
- CCAMLR New and Exploratory
- Heard Island and McDonald Islands
- Macquarie Island bull Bass Strait Central Zone Scallop bull Christmas Island and Cocos
(Keeling) Islands bull Coral Sea bull Eastern Tuna and Billfish bull Norfolk Island bull North West Slope bull Northern Prawn bull Skipjack Tuna bull Small Pelagic
bull Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark
- Commonwealth Trawl - Great Australian Bight
Trawl - Gillnet Hook and Trap - East Coast Deepwater
Trawl bull South Tasman Rise bull Southern Bluefin Tuna bull Southern Squid Jig bull Western Tuna and Billfish bull Torres Strait bull Western Deepwater Trawl
The submissions to DEWHA under the EPBC Act addressed the EPBC principles and objectives (ecological only)
The Commonwealth assessment must specifically address all aspects of the Guidelines for the Ecologically Sustainable Management of Fisheries In particular the assessment must demonstrate that the fishery is ecologically sustainable in terms of its impact on
a) target species b) non-target species and bycatch and c) the ecosystem generally (including habitat)
Review of the assessment methods of ESD and EBFM in Australia 113
In particular the assessment must include a) a description of the potential impacts of the fishery on the environment
(including to the extent possible information on the degree of confidence with which the impacts can be predicted and quantified)
b) an analysis of the nature and extent of the likely environmental impacts including
c) whether the impacts will be short term or long term impacts d) an assessment of whether any environmental impacts are likely to be unknown e) unpredictable or irreversible f) an analysis of the significance of the potential impacts and g) reference to the technical data and other information relied upon in assessing the
environmental impacts of the fishery
The assessment shall include consideration of impacts associated with the conduct of the fishery such as the discharge of waste and other pollution risks (including lost gear) The assessment shall include consideration of the international arrangements established for the management of the species The assessment must include information on the recreational catch sector and its impact on stock sustainability
Summary of Commonwealth fishery submission to DEWHA (September 2003) for the Eastern Tuna and Billfish fishery an example Legislation International United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement
which came into force on 11 December 2001 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nationrsquos Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora South Pacific Forum fisheries Agency Convention 1979 Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL 7378) Bilateral agreements between Japan and Australia regarding the shark bycatch code of practice and seabird mitigation measures
Commonwealth legislation Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) Offshore Constitutional Settlement (OCS)
Management Management plans Fisheries Administration Act 1991 The
legislative basis for AFMArsquos management
114
of fisheries is the Fisheries Management Act 1991 The Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery Management Plan 2005 ETBF Bycatch Action Plan Threat Abatement Plan 1998
Code of practice Agreement between Japan and Australia under the bilateral agreement regarding the shark bycatch code of practice Agreement between Japan and Australia under the bilateral agreement regarding seabird mitigation measures
Harvest strategies Limited entry with vessel restrictions in some areas Revised management arrangements
Spatial management Zones for longline and minor line sectors
Assessment
Stock assessment EIS No
Risk assessment Ecological Risk Assessment for the Effects of Fishing Eastern Tuna amp Billfish Fishery Longline Sub-fishery Report for the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (2006)
Economic components No Social components No
Governance No
Monitoring and performance Monitoring Monitoring logbooks TAP SPC coastal
states VMS effort monitoring Performance indicators and trigger points Performance criteria based on ETBF
management plan 2005 objectives only provisional reference points for primary and secondary species
Observer program AFMA observer program operating since July 2003
Reporting Fishers Daily fishing log on a shot by shot basis to
AFMA 14 days after end of each month verified by AFMA observers
AFMA Annual fisheries data summaries AFMA annual performance reports
Research
Research Eastern tuna and billfish fishery five year research plan 2003-2008
Consultation
Review of the assessment methods of ESD and EBFM in Australia 115
The Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery Management Advisory Committee (Eastern Tuna (MAC)
213 DEWHA Assessment of fisheries Under the EPBC Act the Australian Government has consolidated its major environmental controls and effective from January 2002 the wildlife trade provisions previously implemented through the Wildlife Protection (Regulation of Imports and Exports) Act 1982 The legislation provides a framework that will enable the Australian Government to ensure that any harvesting of marine species is managed for ecologically sustainability The primary roles of the Sustainable Fisheries Section include the evaluation of the environmental performance of fisheries for strategic assessment under Part 10 of the EPBC Act assessments relating to impacts on protected marine species (Part 13) and those required for approval of export of fisheries product (Part 13A)
The EPBC Act requires all Commonwealth managed fisheries to undergo strategic environmental impact assessments before new management arrangements are bought into effect and that all fisheries (Commonwealth and State and Territory) with an export component undergo assessment to determine the extent to which management arrangements will ensure that the fishery is managed in an ecologically sustainable way
The assessments are conducted by the Department of the Environment and Heritagersquos (DEWHA) Sustainable Fisheries Section (SFS) on behalf of the Australian Government Submissions are prepared by the fishery management agency against the Guidelines for the Ecologically Sustainable Management of Fisheries (available from the SFS or at 2httpwwwdewhagovaucoastsfisheriesassessmentguidelineshtml) The guidelines outline principles and objectives designed to ensure a strategic and transparent way of evaluating ecological sustainability See Appendix A for full details
Environmental assessment under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 may include the following documents
bull 2Department of the Environment and Heritage Assessment Report bull 2Accreditation of a plan of management for the purposes of part 13 and 33 bull 2Declaration of an approved Wildlife Trade Operation bull 2Variation to declaration of an approved Wildlife Trade Operation bull DEWHA Ministerial Schedule that revokes existing conditions or includes new
conditions bull 2Amendment to the List of Exempt Native Specimens (LENS) bull 2Ministerial decision recommendations and conditions bull 2Agency submission on ecological sustainability and bull Invitation to comment A period for public comment allows anyone interested in
the fishery to provide DEWHA and fisheries managers with comments on the management agency submission
22Accreditation of a plan of management
The Minister will determine either
bull Accreditation actions taken in accordance with the Management Plan for the fishery are unlikely to have an unacceptable or unsustainable impact on the
116
environment The Management Plan is accredited and further assessment of the impacts of the fishery under the EPBC Act is not required or
bull No accreditation the Management Plan does not address key environmental issues and the planrsquos ability to control unacceptable impacts of the fishery on the environment is uncertain For fisheries operating in Commonwealth waters the Minister will also determine either Part 13 accreditation ndash The fishery management regime requires fishers to take all reasonable steps to avoid killing or injuring protected species and the regime does not or is not likely to adversely affect the survival or recovery in nature of a protected species The Management Plan is accredited and operators are exempt from requiring permits under Part 13 for interactions with protected species or
bull No Part 13 accreditation ndash The Management Plan does not take all reasonable steps to minimise impacts on protected species and the planrsquos ability to control unacceptable impacts on protected species is uncertain The Australian Government Minister for the Environment and Heritage may accredit an environmental assessment process for fisheries by State or Territory authorities if satisfied that the assessment process meets the Accreditation Benchmarks for the Environmental Assessment of Fisheries (available from the SFS)
2Declaration of an approved Wildlife Trade Operation
The Minister may make one of three decisions relating to the export of products from a fishery
bull Exempt the fishery is being managed in an ecologically sustainable way in accordance with the Guidelines Products or species sourced from the fishery are added to the list of exempt native specimens for up to 5 years and recommendations for action over that time may be made or
bull Wildlife Trade Operations (WTO) the fishery is consistent with the objectives in the EPBC Act and is not likely to have an unacceptable impact in the short term However there are uncertainties and further action required This fishery is declared an approved Wildlife Trade Operation (WTO) and export can occur while conditions are being met or
bull Prohibition the fishery has significant environmental impacts that cannot be mitigated through conditions Export is not permitted This is an undesirable situation and in every case DEWHA will strive to find mutual ground and a positive way forward in order to achieve either exemption or a WTO
2Ministerial decision ndash recommendations and conditions
At the completion of the assessment process the Minister for the Environment and Heritage will make a number of decisions based on advice from DEWHA and may include certain recommendations and conditions which are outlined in the ministerial decision document Commonwealth fisheries managed by AFMA are required to produce and present annual reports to DEWHA to allow assessment on progress on implementation of recommendations and conditions
Review of the assessment methods of ESD and EBFM in Australia 117
22 Review and report on the major issues raised from the EPBC strategic assessment process for ESD and EBFM
The review will be presented under the following headings
bull Background bull Review of the first round of EBPC assessment process bull Marine and Coastal Community Network (MCCN) Survey bull AFMADEWHA review lessons learnt and possible future directions bull Reassessment AFMFDEWHA Working Group and bull AFMF national research priorities 2006 to 2008
221 Background The assessment process started in 2000 and 125 fisheries were originally identified The process took longer than was planned (1 December 2003) and the assessment deadline was extended twice to accommodate late submissions The first round of assessments was concluded on 1 December 2005 when 109 assessments had been completed with short term decisions for an additional seven due 2006
The main reason for the need to extend the assessment completion deadline was due to delays in the first step of developing a final draft assessment report for public comment Completing assessments was costly in time and resources It highlighted the differences between fisheries information resources and the need for this information to be readily available and in a form to enable a more easy and timely completion of an assessment
222 Review of the first round of EPBC assessment process The MCCN undertook a survey as an appraisal of the EPBC Act Fisheries Strategic Assessment Australian Fisheries Management Forum (AFMF) and DEWHA prepared papers setting out the lessons learnt from the first round of assessments and recommendations for reassessments which for some fisheries are due to start in 20062007 A summary of these reviews is provided below
MCCN Survey
Background to the survey and questions that the survey was to address
The Marine and Coastal Community Network (MCCN) undertook a short survey of a cross-section of fisheries stakeholders including the Australian Government and all the State agencies The purpose of the survey was to appraise the first round of the EPBC Act Fisheries Strategic Assessments The results were published in WAVES vol 12 (1) Spring 2006 pages 7-10
The stakeholders that responded to the survey included the following Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) Department of Primary Industries (DPI) NSW
118
Fisheries Victoria (FV) Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries(DPIampF) QLD Department of Fisheries Western Australia (DoFWA) Commercial Fishers Association (CFA) Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS)
The other relevant stakeholders that were invited to participate included The fisheries agencies for the Northern Territory South Australia and Tasmania as well as the Australian Society for Fish Biology the Australian Marine Science Association and RecFish Australia but were unable to participate at this time
The MCCN Survey Questions
1 Has the assessment process been rigorous and robust across all types of export fisheries
2 Were the outcomes to a consistent standard 3 Were the conditions and recommendations applied to fisheries
a relevant b practicable c deliverable and d auditable
4 What were the costs and benefits of the EPBC Act Fisheries Strategic Assessments process
5 Do you think the objectives of fisheries ecosystem-based management can be met by fisheries management agencies alone Should they be
6 Was the investment in the process beneficial a for your sector b overall
7 How do you think compliance with the outcomes of the assessment can or will be monitored Do you have any other suggestions for monitoring the outcomes
8 How do you think the process could be improved for re-assessment 9 Should eco-labels (such as the MSC process or equivalent) be taken as
equivalent to the EPBC Act Fisheries Strategic Assessments 10 Any other comments
(Source WAVES vol 12 (1) Spring 2006)
Summary of the key findings
Questions Overall response Q 1 Has the assessment process been rigorous and robust across all types of export fisheries
Yes States were not using a consistent set of assessment approaches The assessments process highlighted the differences between fisheries re data sets monitoring management protocols and compliance Improvements are required for future assessments
Q 2 Were the Reasonable level of consistency
Review of the assessment methods of ESD and EBFM in Australia 119
Questions Overall response outcomes to a consistent standard
Acknowledgement that maintaining consistency across range jurisdictions and fishery types and over an extended period of time therefore achieving consistency was difficult Questions re consistency between large and small fisheries
Q 3 Were the conditions and recommendations applied to fisheries a) relevant b) practicable c) deliverable and d) auditable
In general yes Often required negotiation between DEWHA and states re conditions and recommendations for individual fisheries Issues re cost of and timelines for implementation of conditions and recommendations
Q 4 What were the costs and benefits of the EPBC Act Fisheries Strategic Assessments process
$ costs high and resource intensive but many benefits export approval for fisheries increased stakeholder confidence as fisheries independently assessed documented summary information re fisheries for management purposes acceptance of proposed management measures consistent with DEWHA recommendations improved fisheries management towards ecologically sustainable and economically viable fisheries encouraged more research and frameworks for measuring effectiveness of management arrangements encouraged management plans to include more ecologically based objectives development risk based approaches more rigorous fishery monitoring and regular stock assessments regular state of fisheries reporting to parliament and the public more centralised and standardised fishing information and identification of data gaps burden proof shifted to managers and industry to demonstrate sustainability Full benefits will not be realised for some time Lack of resources for the conservation sector to engage fully in the process given the large volume of assessments Industry concerns re that assessment process more stringent for domestic fisheries than those applying to imported seafood Standards should be consistent for all fish products
Q 5 Do you think the objectives of fisheries ecosystem-based management can be met by fisheries management agencies alone Should they be
No EBM requires extensive cooperationcollaboration between all management agencies with responsibility for fisheries and coastaloceanland use management and includes all stakeholders Interdisciplinary approach needed strong policy and resource commitment by governments Industry consider role of managers to mange fisheries on a sustainable basis and maximise economic return to the community
Q 6 Was the investment in the process beneficial
Similar response to Q4 above high costs $ time and resources but many benefits Assessments reinforced trend towards EBDM better
120
Questions Overall response a) for your sector and b) overall
identification problems and long term solutions vs ad hoc approach more accountability improved community perception and confidence fisheries managed on a sustainable basis
Q 7 How do you think compliance with the outcomes of the assessment can or will be monitored Do you have any other suggestions for monitoring the outcomes
Via annualbiennial or progress reports Further monitoring could be provided through management plans DEWHA experienced difficulties monitoring large number of fisheries within the timeframes Any monitoringcompliance system adopted should effectively integrate with existing regimes Best way to achieve this through incentive based approach and regulatory used for significant breaches
Q 8 How do you think the process could be improved for re-assessment
AFMF and DEWHA working on re-assessment approach Reassessment should be tick-cross of the conditions and recommendations set in the first round Future assessments compare fisheries against a set of best practice fishery characteristics Reassessment documentation minimised while still addressing the guidelines Degree of assessment required and conditions should be commensurate with the level of risk posed by the fishery
Q 9 Should eco-labels (such as the MSC process or equivalent) be taken as equivalent to the EPBC Act Fisheries Strategic Assessments
Mixed response some yes others no MSC considered a higher standardbenchmark which covers entire supply chain Approaches viewed as complementary and potential for developing a joint approach If fishery approved under EBPC should then be possible to meet MSC requirements Conversely if fishery already certified under MSC should automatically be approved under the EPBC
Q 10 Any other comments
Assessments process significantly helps enhance the environmental performance of Australiarsquos commercial fisheries A streamlined approach adopted for assessments that is integrated into other reporting requirements Requires appropriate labelling at point of sale so customers can distinguish between products harvested on sustainable basis The EPBC assessment process is not linked through legislation to the development or review of management plans for State managed fisheries There is the potential for the assessments to perform a vital function in the sustainable management of commercial fisheries production and in reassuring the community that Australiarsquos marine resources are being competently and responsibly managed However as things stand they are widely regarded as yet another burden achieving a relatively narrow set of conservation orientated objectives Instead they should be a part of the broader spectrum of management arrangements that are designed to deliver the two key tenets of fisheries management biological sustainability
Review of the assessment methods of ESD and EBFM in Australia 121
Questions Overall response and economic viability Duplication of processes state and Commonwealth collected in survey
With QLD having to deal with GBRMPA as well there is a duplication of the ecological sustainability accreditation process by two Commonwealth agencies EPBC Act accreditation should be sufficient to meet any requirements of the GBRMPA (AFMF agenda paper)
(WAVES vol 12 (1) Spring 2006)
As outlined by Caitlin Barry (2006) (DEWHA Sustainable fisheries Section) the assessment process has provided an improved understanding of the status of 130 individual fisheries It highlighted the diversity of fishery types and the different management regimes they operate under As well as the differences between fisheries in terms of the different stages of development towards implementation of sustainability and an ecosystem based management regime
A major issue that was identified is the lack of knowledge and information of the biology and status of target byproduct and by catch species Therefore a recommendation is to address the data collection needs for management decision making purposes This includes for example bycatch monitoring programs reporting mechanisms for protected species interactions and more appropriate spatial and temporal scales of fishery data recording (WAVES vol 12 (1) Spring 2006)
223 AFMFDEWHA review lessons learnt and possible future directions The AFMF workshop in May 2006 provided a forum to discuss the issues raised the lessons learned by fishery agencies and DEWHA and future processes The AFMF and DEWHA comments are categorised under the following headings fishery agency submission to DEWHA the DEWHA assessment process the assessments the Ministerrsquos decisions and recommendations issues and future assessments and recommendations
Fishery agency submissions to DEWHA
bull The EPBC guidelines provide a basic framework to address when submitting applications (although this initially produced a level of repetition that has subsequently been addressed by combining some criteria)
bull Preparation of fishery assessment reports to DEWHA requires significant time and budget resources
bull Significant resources are required to demonstrate the ecological sustainability of a given fishery to the satisfaction of DEWHA Invariably scant time and budget resources are taken away from other projects and research in meeting the requirements of the assessment process No additional funding is provided to assist in implementing the process
bull The initial time frame set by Commonwealth Government for assessment of all Australian fisheries (Dec 2002) was unrealistic and placed high resourcing demands on fishery agencies and detracted from other management planning efforts and
122
bull Different approaches were used by jurisdictions in addressing the EPBC guidelines
DEWHA assessment process
bull There is limited direction in the guidelines in relation to the level of detail required in submissions which led to differences in approach by various DEWHA assessment officers and over time since the process commenced in 2000
bull There are no specific criteria in place to provide consistency in determining what characterises a fishery as Export Exempt or Wildlife Trade Operations certified This creates difficulties with the acceptance of outcomes by stakeholders This lack of standard criteria has also led to a large amount of inconsistency in the levels of assessment achieved between fisheries and between similar fisheries in different jurisdictions Outcomes of assessments did not always appear consistent with the quality of the submission (sometimes providing less information was seen to produce a more favourable outcome)
bull ESD includes environmental economic and social whereas the assessments under EPBC only assess the environmental aspects and
bull The process has not adequately addressed multi jurisdictional fisheries or cumulative impacts
Ministerrsquos decisions and recommendations
bull Outcomes from the Ministers decision regarding the final conditions and recommendations in granting a WTO as might be expected resulted in variation across fishery types
bull For many fisheries it also required negotiation on a per fishery basis between fishery agencies and DEWHA in reaching agreement on the set of conditions and achievable timelines
bull The status of compliance with conditions and recommendations is that the majority are still ongoing with only a small percentage completed
bull Recommendations should be outcome based rather than prescriptive bull The 2Ministerial decision states the recommendations and conditions relating to
the fishery Further information relating to the recommendations and conditions are outlined in the DEWHA assessment Commonwealth fisheries managed by AFMA are required to produce and present annual reports to DEWHA to allow assessment on progress on implementation of recommendations and conditions
bull On a per fishery basis it is difficult to assess status and progress It would be useful to have a plan for implementation and report annually for those completed progress to date why planned activities not met and new timelines any related changes that might impact recommendations and conditions Upon completion of recommendations and conditions it would be useful to have an evaluation of how relevant and effective they were in relation to the issues
bull Across similar fishery types an analysis of recommendations and conditions to see if fisheries facing similar requirements helpful in understanding what is needed for implementation of EBFM and research needs and
bull Cross fishery basis an analysis of recommendations and conditions to see all fisheries facing similar requirements
Review of the assessment methods of ESD and EBFM in Australia 123
Issues
Information
bull Data and information resources vary across fisheries (data richpoor highlow value fisheries) Another issue was the differences in assessments submitted Fishery agency submissions varied greatly were often very long yet did not adequately identify key deficiencies in the management arrangements and failed to provide sufficient detail to assess management against the assessment guidelines
bull There is a general lack of consideration of ldquowhatrsquos practicalrdquo in terms of the level of fishery independent information actually required by many fisheries It needs to be recognised that the market for obtaining the limited available external funding to develop and implement fishery independent programs is thin and extremely competitive and
bull There is an unrealistic expectation that fisheries agencies can fund resource rich research projects for low value fisheries If individual management agencies are to meet the research challenges that are being set then significant additional funding will need to be made available
Other
bull Clarity is needed on what is meantrequired regarding continuous improvement bull Clarity is needed on how to demonstrate application of precautionary principle bull No consideration is given by DEWHA to the social and economic consequences
of assessment decisions and the impact of subsequent recommendations and or licence conditions on fishers and the communities that they live in
bull If recommendations from assessments are not developed in the context of the socio-economic factors in the fishery implementation will be unachievable This issues are often not able to be adequately addressed in the assessment process and
bull Difficulty in explaining to fisheries stakeholders that the EPBC process is only about ldquoecological sustainabilityrdquo when ESD and their concerns are also about social economic sustainability ESD is what governments signed up to
Future assessments and recommendations
bull The initial round of assessments was thorough meaning that the extensive reiteration of material taken from submissions that occurred in each DEWHA report is probably not required again in the second round This means that more time can now be spent in further developing and refining management responses in line with previous DEWHA recommendations
bull For most fisheries the next round of assessments could be confined to - reports on condition adherence - exception reports - update reports
bull DEWHA should continue with its collaborative approach with fisheries management agencies as this will expedite the process
bull For the next round of assessments it may be useful to distinguish between those management arrangements that are identified in statutory documents with a
124
legislative head of power from those that are captured in other ways The latter include internal policy documents strategies or statements of management arrangements The former need only to be checked off against a number of minimum requirements while the latter will require a more detailed examination
bull The risk assessment approach to assessing Ecological Sustainability in Fisheries as developed through the Fisheries Research Development Corporation ESD Sub-Program has now been adopted by the NRM Ministerial Council It meets the Australian and New Zealand standard as a risk assessment methodology However the results have not always been adopted by DEWHA in a consistent manner The full adoption of such methods is however going to be vital if the ongoing monitoring of all the fisheries is to be accomplished in an efficient and effective as well as in a consistent manner at the national level In addition the basis for undertaking such assessments need to be clarified ndash will they be based on ecological criteria or incorporate societal elements and if so to what level
bull Clarity is needed on risk assessment approach for assessments and meeting ESD requirements
bull In practice a form of risk assessment is conducted across all fisheries during their assessment - DEWHA receptive to developing agreed risk assessment standards as a pre-
requisite to their incorporation in future re-assessment processes bull Given that DEWHA now has a ldquodatabaserdquo of over 100 fisheries there is
considerable opportunity to refine the national risk assessment approach and generate a summary of what is considered acceptable performance across most categories of fisheries ndash that is looking at national issues and concentrating on them This should take into account - level and scale of Impact on the stock on the environment and on protected
species - whether third party audits are in place (MSC NSW process) etc
bull DEWHA should take more of a true ldquoauditorrsquos approachrdquo to its assessments not a surrogate managerrsquos approach This would involve DEWHA concentrating more of its efforts on fisheries at high risk for habitat impact real stock sustainability and significant protected species interactions A random selection of the other issues and fisheries could then be investigated in depth This will allow a focus of effort on key issues in key fisheries ndash ie taking a true risk based ESD approach
bull In achieving an auditorrsquos role DEWHA could review the database of fisheries and identify within each State andor Territory which fisheries are likely to need improvement ie high risk fisheries which will need to be assessed again due to either their type of operation or stock assessments etc While DEWHA could identify national groupings of high risk and low risk fisheries the particular regional situations need to be accounted for and thus benchmarks in each category may need to be region specific This will ensure that key resources are placed on those fisheries and will enable agencies to devote their resources to improving those fisheries
bull There remains the fundamental question of what is ldquocontinuous improvementrdquo and whether this will impose unreasonable demands on the fishing industry If a fishery has been determined to be sustainable already and gained exempt status then logically if the management settings remain the same and are adhered to
Review of the assessment methods of ESD and EBFM in Australia 125
the existing conditions met and there has been no change in the background environment or our understanding of the issues then the conditions imposed should not be fundamentally changed ie no significant additional requirements should be necessary
bull If the increasing knowledge of the biology of a fish species or stock assessment points to the need for a review then this should be done However much of this has already been anticipated in the performance indicators and reporting procedures and
bull For clarity the new process should be the subject of a set of clear guidelines as to procedure and content There may be merit in an expert review prior to their adoption There are numerous examples in other sectors that undertake such auditing functions perhaps this can be explored so that there is no need to lsquore-inventrsquo any wheels
224 Reassessments AFMFDEWHA working group The DEWHA working group has AFMF nominated representation The group was formed to assist DEWHA in the development of a reassessment process for the second round and beyond of fishery assessments under the EPBC Act The DEWHA working group has been responsible for responding to some of the issues for example providing more detailed guidance for the Guidelines A revised re-assessment approach was prepared for consideration by the Minister The amendments to the EPBC Act were passed by the Parliament on December 2006 The overarching objective of the proposed amendments is to maintain the Australian Governmentrsquos ability to protect the environment and in response to the issues raised above
bull Provide a more effective efficient and strategic regulatory process for stakeholders
bull Reduce duplication in regulatory processes bull Increase the flexibility within Act processes bull Reduce administrative and compliance costs and bull Increase the effectiveness of the compliance regime
23 AFMF national research priorities for 2006-08
231 Background The Australian Fisheries Management Forum (AFMF) has recognised the need to provide direction to both research investors and providers in regard to the highest research and science priorities for fisheries and aquaculture management These priorities should be reviewed and updated bi-annually in order to assist the various research commissioning processes in particular that of the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC)
To assist in the development of these priorities the AFMF has considered the draft National Strategic Plan for Australian Fisheries and Aquaculture This plan is a revision and updating of the first National Research Strategic Plan (1996) incorporating recent research and development outcomes and incorporating an increasing emphasis on
126
aspects of Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) and an ecosystem approach to fisheries management
The Strategic Plan provides for all aspects of fisheries and aquaculture research and development over a five to ten year horizon It identifies seven programs twenty-three subprograms and describes associated research focus areas As well as this broad encompassing strategy AFMF believes it is also necessary to provide an indication of the highest level national research and development priorities The priorities set out in this document are based on a risk management framework and aim to support other evidence-based decision making and policy development guidelines and to be consistent with the principles of ESD and the need for an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management
The priorities are designed to provide information that will assist in the development of fisheries management policies on issues common to fisheries management across jurisdictions in a corporative coordinated and cost effective manner The priorities will help to maximise the outcomes from fisheries research and investment for the benefit of Australiarsquos fisheries resources the environment and the community The role of the AFMF in research is to assist in the coordination of research activities addressing national issues and facilitating cooperation between jurisdictions in implementing research outcomes in managing fisheries resources The development of National Research Priorities is a critical component of this role
232 National fisheries management research priorities 2006 to 2008 The ten priority fishery management issues were identified by the AFMF through consensus following consideration of the draft Strategic Plan and the research requirements resulting from assessments of fisheries under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) The priorities are listed below Each priority is further elaborated in the following section
Project proponents wishing to use these priorities as a guide in drafting research funding applications should be able to clearly indicate the link between the resources required to undertake their proposed research actions and how they will deliver on the fisheries outputs and the high level outcomes indicated in this paper
1 Develop a national framework for fishery performance indicators particularly using non-traditional broader ecosystem-based indicators
2 Develop a rating of risk within rapid stock assessment methodologies for data-poor species that is consistent with the more formal assessments done for target species
3 Improve the cost efficiency of fisheries compliance strategies and operations including techniques to measure and manage illegal fishing
4 Develop a standardised process for determining appropriate methods for the collection reporting and auditing of fishery dependent and independent data including comparative assessment of areas open and closed to fishing
5 Improve assessment of non-commercial fishing impacts 6 Evaluate alternative harvest strategies
Review of the assessment methods of ESD and EBFM in Australia 127
7 Develop methodologies for regional cultural and socio-economic impact assessment of fisheries and aquaculture management interventions Analyse economic performance of user groups to inform the resource allocation process
8 Develop a framework for fisheries management planning that allows for non-regulatory components including co-management options
9 Improve the control of pest organisms that impact on fisheries and aquaculture 10 Develop technologies products and processes to assist Industry to reduce costs
and increase returns for Australian seafood
128
3 REVIEW OF THE MANAGEMENT RESPONSES TO ESD AND EBFM IN AUSTRALIA
The summary survey analysis and results will be presented under the following headings
bull The ESDEBFM survey (31) - background - technical - limitations on interpreting results - overview of summary results and
bull Summary of survey results (32) - Section 2 results - Section 3 results - Section 4 results - Section 5 results
Full details of survey results are provided in Appendix B
31 The ESDEBFM Survey
311 Background A survey was sent to each jurisdiction to a nominated representative for management research and industry The purpose of the survey was to collect the relevant information to review the current experience and management responses for Fisheries ESD and EBFM in Australia for each jurisdiction This has been endorsed by AFMF and FRDC and will be used to inform future investment in development of tools to support ESDEBFM
This survey provided an opportunity for a national snapshot of assessment methods and management responses for Fisheries ESD and EBFM in Australia This is a follow up to the national lsquosnapshotrsquo of experience and approaches regarding ESD (FRDC Project 98168) in 1998
The survey was in five sections as below Section 1 provides a background Sections 2 to 4 ask questions regarding experience and management responses for Fisheries ESD and EBFM in Australia for each jurisdiction Section 5 relates to ESDEBFM implementation generally
Section 1 Background jurisdiction and role in organisation Section 2 How fisheries management has changed with regard to ESDEBFM from 1998 to 2006 Section 3 Where we are now 2006 Section 4 What needs further development over the next 6 years from 2006 to 2012 Section 5 ESDEBFM provides an opportunity for further comments regarding ESDEBFM implementation across all jurisdictions
Survey analysis and results 129
312 Technical The survey was conducted via a web based online format The online software used was SurveyMonkeycom which provided results that can then be downloaded into excel software for analysis
313 Limitations on interpreting results There are a number of limitations on the analysis of the survey which need to be considered when interpreting the results A survey was sent to eight jurisdictions (NSW NT QLD SA TAS VIC WA and Commonwealth) to a nominated representative for management research and industry A full response by all nominated participants would represent 24 possible responses However not all nominated jurisdiction representatives for management research and industry were able to respond to the survey and for those that did respond not all questions were answered
There may also be an issue of different interpretations of questions by respondents One respondent suggested an onsite workshop would most probably produce a superior result and response This option was originally planned but was amended at the ESD Working Group meeting in October 2006
The analysis and full details of the survey results are provided in Appendix C
32 Summary of survey results ndash Section 2 The purpose of Section 2 was to establish how fisheries management responses have changed with regard to ESDEBFM within jurisdictions from 1998 to 2006 The particular areas of interest are
1 Progress towards incorporating ESDEBFM operational measures into policy planning legislation and management arrangements for environmental economic social and governance components
2 Indications of where performance indicators and benchmarks wereare being used for environmental economic social and governance components
3 What wasis the level of confidence in managing the environmental economic social and governance components under ESDEBFM principles
It should be noted that for this section questions were multiple choice options The response for Commonwealth management (AFMA) included further detailed text information (see Appendix B under heading Commonwealth management further information under each questions)
321 Progress towards incorporating ESDEBFM operational measures into policy planning legislation and management arrangements for environmental economic social and governance components Further progress has been made in incorporating ESDEBFM operational measures into policy planning legislation and management arrangements for environmental economic social and governance components for the period 1998 to 2006 as highlighted by the figures below In 1998 all components were considered as having
130
partly implemented operational measures even though levels of progress varied All components had some aspects that were considered at the planned or no progress stage Only the economic component was considered as making some progress towards being fully implemented By 2006 all components (except for the social) showed a shift towards being fully implemented with the target species component showing the most progress For components where incorporation of operational measures are considered partly implemented these show an increase and similar progress There has been a significant shift for components that consider progress as only planned or where no progress has been made with only some aspects of the habitat communityecosystems economic and social components being considered to be in these categories
1998 progress incorporating ESDEBFM operational measures
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2006 Progress incorporating ESDEBFM operational measures
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The figure below provides a comparison of progress in incorporating ESDEBFM operational measures for components from 1998 to 2006 This information was derived
Survey analysis and results 131
by a weighted sum of those components considered fully implemented partly implemented planned or no progress for each year (a relative weighting of levels) This demonstrates the overall progress made from 1998 to 2006 By 2006 progress for the byproduct bycatch TEPs species and governance components were similar and closer to the level of progress made for the target species component The next level of progress was for habitat communityecosystems economic and social components which as a group were at similar levels
Incorporation of ESDEBFM operational measures progress from 1998 to 2006
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19982006
Comments on variations
By role of respondent A variation within and across all jurisdictions for both years was between research and management views on levels of implementation For example research responses viewed implementation as planned and management as partly implemented or research responses viewed implementation as partly implemented and management as fully implemented
322 Indications of where performance indicators and benchmarks wereare being used for environmental economic social and governance components An increasing number of performance indicators and benchmarks are being used for the environmental economic social and governance components for the period from 1998 to 2006 as outlined by the figures below Generally in 1998 use of performance indicators and benchmarks was reported at none or only some for components By 2006 indicators and benchmarks were reported at all for components although at low levels with majority still reporting at some
132
1998 use of performance indicators and benchmarks
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None Some All
2006 use of performance indicators and benchmarks
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Use
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None Some All
The figure below provides a comparison of use of performance indicators and benchmarks for components from 1998 to 2006 This information was derived by a weighted sum of those components considered using none some or all for each year (a relative weighting of levels) This demonstrates an overall increase in use from 1998 to 2006 By 2006 use of performance indicators and benchmarks had increased for all components although there were variations between components With highest use for target and byproduct species components followed by bycatch TEPs and governance
Survey analysis and results 133
as a group then habitat and communityecosystems and then economic and social components
Use of performance indicators and benchmarks from 1998 to 2006
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19982006
Comments on variations
By respondent A variation within and across all jurisdictions for both years was between research and management views on levels of use of performance indicators and benchmarks For example research considered none used and management considered some used or research considered some used and management considered all used
323 Levels of confidence in managing the environmental economic social and governance components under ESDEBFM principles An increasing level of confidence in managing the environmental economic social and governance components under ESDEBFM principles was reported from 1998 to 2006 as outlined in the figures below Overall in 1998 low to medium confidence predominated but by 2006 this had shifted to medium to high confidence However there was only medium confidence for the communityecosystems and social components For those components that reported high confidence the target species component as might be expected had the greatest level of confidence followed by byproduct species governance habitat bycatch and TEPs species and economic components
134
1998 levels of confidence in managing the components under ESDEBFM principles
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Low Medium High
2006 levels of confidence in managing the components under ESDEBFM principles
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Low Medium High
The figure below provides a comparison of levels of confidence in managing the components under ESDEBFM principles from 1998 to 2006 This information was derived by a weighted sum of those components considered low medium or high confidence for each year (a relative weighting of levels) This demonstrates the overall increase in levels of confidence from 1998 to 2006 By 2006 levels of confidence had increased for all components although there were variation in levels between components with least confidence for the communityecosystems and the social components
Survey analysis and results 135
Levels of confidence in managing the components under ESDEBFM principles from 1998 to 2006
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19982006
Comments on variations
By respondent A variation within and across all jurisdictions for both 1998 and 2006 was between research and management views on levels of confidence in managing the components under ESDEBFM principles For example research low confidence and management medium confidence and research medium confidence and management high confidence
Other comments
Overall confidence in managing environmental economic social and governance components has increased since 1998 However there are differences in levels of confidence between these components Generally by 2006 there was greater confidence in managing target species components followed by byproduct species governance bycatch species and TEPs habitat economics communitiesecosystems and social components
The habitat and communityecosystem components are taken into account in decision making but are more likely to be based on qualitative information Economic information is collected but approach and analysis in management decisions varies Much less information is collected and used for managing the social component There is confidence in the governance component but the development of performance indicators is considered difficult In general these differences related to the level of research and information available which tends to be associated with higher value fisheries which have the capacity ($) to collect such information
Other differences reported included perceived benchmark differences between trawl fisheries and other types of fisheries and that recreational fisheries are not managed or assessed on a regular basis
136
Commonwealth management considered there were no differences in the level of confidence they have in managing the various components under ESDEBFM principles which are generally consistent across major fisheries However there are differences in terms of the supporting data and amount of management focus that is applied across the minor fisheries
33 Section 3 Survey results The purpose of Section 3 was to establish status of fisheries management responses with regard to ESDEBFM within jurisdictions in 2006 The particular areas of interest are
1 Use of assessment and management tools 2 Usefulness of current ESDEBFM reporting frameworks 3 Issues of fitoverlapduplication between fishery policy initiatives bioregional
plans Commonwealth and State processes
331 Use of assessment and management tools Overall for all jurisdictions in 2006 the use of assessment and management tools is ranked in the table below (from most to least used)
Other management tools listed as under development or in use included the following
bull Development of codes of practice and conduct bull Development of co-management processes bull Fishery management plans and bull Formal sharing arrangements between commercial and recreational fisheries
Overall for all jurisdictions in 2006 the figure below outlines the use of assessment and management tools in managing components Highest use of assessment and management tools is for the target species component This is followed by the byproduct bycatch and TEPs species components where use is lower but at a similar level and next are the habitat communityecosystems and economic components as a group with least use of assessment and management tools for the social and governance components
Risk assessment
Qualitative assessment
ESD reporting framework
Quantitative assessment
Indicators
Benchmarks
EMS
Decision rules
Harvest strategies
9 9 8 7 7 5 5 4 2
Survey analysis and results 137
2006 assessment and managment tools used by component
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Commonwealth management further information
Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA) and Ecological Risk Management (ERM) together with Harvest Strategies are the main assessment and management tools that are being used to support our EBFM approach Other relevant tools include Bycatch Action Plans (BAPS) and stock assessments conducted for individual fish species AFMA seeks to involve key fishery stakeholders (including industry researchers NGOs etc) in a partnership approach to all aspects of assessment and management consistent with the principles of inclusiveness and transparency under ESD In addition to the direct assessment and management work undertaken by AFMA the BRS and ABARE undertake annual independent assessments of the status of Commonwealth fisheries stocks and economic performance (respectively) Independent strategic assessments of all Commonwealth managed fisheries (regardless of whether they have an export component or not) are also undertaken by the Department of Environment and Heritage (DEWHA) under the EPBC Act 1999 (Commonwealth)
332 Usefulness of current ESDEBFM reporting frameworks In 2006 the overall response from jurisdictions suggests that management and research consider their current ESDEBFM reporting framework to be very useful for fisheries management EPBC requirements but less so for regional marine planning (State) and not for regional marine planning (Commonwealth) In contrast the industry response considered current ESDEBFM reporting framework for fisheries management EPBC requirements regional marine planning (State) as only somewhat useful and regional marine planning (Commonwealth) not very useful
138
Component Fisheries management
EPBC requirements
Regional marine planning State
Regional marine planning Commonwealth
All jurisdictions
Very useful Very useful Somewhat Not very
Management Very useful Very useful Somewhat useful
Not very useful
Research Very useful Very useful Somewhat useful
Somewhat useful
Industry Somewhat useful
Somewhat useful
Somewhat useful
Not very useful
Recommendations
The recommendations for improving approaches to reporting frameworks for fisheries management EPBC requirements regional marine planning (State and Federal) can be categorised under reporting frameworks other reporting management tools the DEWHA process under EPBC Act and other shared stocks (collated from the survey)
Reporting frameworks bull A coordinated integrated and consistent approach that meets fisheries
management EPBC regional marine planning (State) and regional marine planning (Commonwealth) needs
bull Ensuring there is consistency in the reporting frameworks across jurisdictions will also become paramount as we move into a broader regional cross jurisdiction management focus These reporting frameworks do not need to be the same but need to be consistent so that they can inform each other to improve overall ecosystem management
bull Further efforts by DEWHA and AFMF in 2006 to align the requirements of Strategic Assessments with standard ESD reporting mechanisms are also very useful and should continue to be actively supported by all parties and
bull The ESD reporting framework developed and promoted under the FRDC ESD subprogram along with other initiatives in pursuit of EBFM have played a role in providing a common understanding across jurisdictions which has allowed some flexibility for jurisdictions to pursue different risk assessment methodologies etc (Commonwealth management)
Reporting
bull Better integration (indicators being reported on timing of reports) with State of Environment (SoE) reporting at various levels (national State and Regional Local Authority)
bull Better reporting of research outcomes in support of EPBC reporting process and bull Improved TEPs reporting
Survey analysis and results 139
Tools
bull Improved risk assessment for each fishery as part of EPBC reporting and marine planning process
DEWHA process under EPBC Act
bull Coordination and complementary reporting to prevent duplication Risk-based approach to improve efficiency For example no change since previous assessment therefore low risk therefore only low level reporting for EPBC Act Simplify and provide better examples ndash particularly for social and economic analysis and
bull Establish regular recreational assessments Improved risk assessment for each fishery as part of EPBC reporting and marine planning process Better reporting of research outcomes in support of EPBC reporting process Improved TEPs reporting due early 2007
Other (shared stocks)
bull Reporting for shared stocks across jurisdictions and bull Coordination would be the most useful approach Currently states and the
Commonwealth report separately on shared stocks and many use different approaches Many species are fished in different jurisdictions and have different management regimes depending on whether they have crossed a boundary between State to State or State to Commonwealth waters Currently there is no incentive to get people together In the late 80s early 90s there were sub-committees of the southeast fisheries that facilitated sector (egg abalone lobster etc) meeting to discuss collaborative arrangements
333 Issues of fitoverlapduplication between fishery policy initiatives bioregional plans Commonwealth and State processes
Issues
There are issues of fitoverlapduplication between fishery policy initiatives bioregional plans Commonwealth and State processes These are listed below (collated from the survey)
Fit
bull Better interaction and synchronization between fisheries management planning and review timetables and marine parks planning and zoning review including Commonwealth regional marine planning (QLD management)
bull Better integration of aquatic protected species management arrangements between jurisdictions (QLD management)
bull To date there is little evidence of any integration of fisheries and regional state marine planning and park processes (SA industry)
bull Poor integration of fisheries ESD research and management with regional marine planningMPAs (SA research) and
bull Ability to fit State processes with EPBC requirements (TAS management)
140
The fit of processes between states and Commonwealth fisheries EBFM initiatives and reporting frameworks has generally been streamlined effectively under the ESD framework Given the different management legislation policies and focus between the Commonwealth and states there is in many parts a variation in the emphasis placed on aspects of ESD (for example more direct emphasis by the states on social aspects compared to the Commonwealth) The variation in reporting frameworks for ESDEBFM results in a different lsquofitrsquo across the ecosystem Across all jurisdictions the reporting systems appear to vary in terms of the components it covers and where they apply to the same component the level of detail or rigor in the assessment and reporting While this variation arises due to the varying requirements of individual jurisdictions it only becomes an issue when attempting to compare reporting or when fisheries arrangements are being implemented in one jurisdiction but not in neighbouring jurisdictions Although we have some experience from the South East Marine Region it is yet to be seen how the different processes adopted by the various jurisdictions will fit together during the next stage of Bioregional Marine Planning which has commenced in all remaining Commonwealth waters around Australia (Commonwealth management)
Overlap
bull Within the NT there are overlaps between processes such as environmental approvals between EPA and ESD framework for aquaculture ventures This results in duplicate reporting requirements Both Commonwealth and State marine bioregional plans are being undertaken at the same time both will require industry involvement and duplication is expected to occur (NT industry)
bull Overlaps between State and Commonwealth planning processes (WA research) and
bull Overlap between marine planning and fisheries management processes (WA research)
Duplication
bull A fishery that is assessed as ecologically sustainable under the EPBC Act could have onerous restrictions placed on it when formulating bioregional plans ie closed areas to protect biodiversity This situation essentially means that the fishery undergoes a double assessment process Perhaps the real problem is not lsquoduplication of processes but rather a lack of acknowledgement of the DEWHA assessment in the planning process (NT management)
Other
bull Inadequate communication between the jurisdictions If there was more communication it would be easier to identify and discuss the issues (QLD research)
bull The reporting against Management Plan Performance Indicators covers much of the territory under EPBC Consistency of thought and objectives would be beneficial particularly when linking to MPA processes (SA management) and
bull MSC approval should lead to automatic EPBC Act approval for export accreditation Need to align ESD reporting (biological component) with EPBC
Survey analysis and results 141
Act approval Need to provide a solution in order to reduce the cost burden to stakeholders (VIC management)
Recommendations
Recommendations for streamlining processes and reducing duplication can be categorised under legislation planning reporting DEWHA process under the EPBC Act and other
Legislation
bull Consistency between Fisheries legislation and Commonwealth legislation along with clearly defined ESD processes A single document such as an EMS should be able to be used for all processes and adequately cover all relevant issues (NT industry) and
bull Better linkagesintegration of legislation administration and research (SA research)
Planning
bull Regional planning should be consistent with endorsement of management arrangements under the EPBC Act as well as being consistent with localstate sustainable management practices (NT management)
Reporting
bull Annual fishery status reporting to meet requirements for SoE reporting as well as DEWHA EPBC assessment requirements and closer alignment of fisheries performance indicators with revised SoE indicators (QLD management)
DEWHA process under the EPBC Act
bull Fisheries management processes must be opened up to include State or Commonwealth environment agencies so they better understand fisheries control and the benefits of current management arrangements These processes are exclusive of each other at present and a truly integrated process must occur to minimise fishery impacts and costs There needs to be improved information to the EPBC so it understands the ecosystem interactions where they exist (SA industry)
bull EPBC legislation shouldnt be used to manage fisheries Second assessments should be a refinement of the first round not a reinvention of them (SA management) and
bull Further efforts by DEWHA and AFMF in 2006 to align the requirements of Strategic Assessments with standard ESD reporting mechanisms are very useful and should continue to be actively supported by all parties (Commonwealth management)
Other
bull A National forum for ESDEBFM would bring together the people working in this discipline streamlining communication identify gaps and overlap (QLD research)
142
bull Invest in regional sub-committees that cover the entire ecosystem or species range (TAS research) and
bull Set outcome based objectives first complete risk analysis against those objectives then develop strategies to meet objectives against risk ie do not start with a strategy (MPAs) and then look to find the objective (WA research)
34 Section 4 survey results The purpose of Section 4 was to identify what needs further development over the next six years from 2006 to 2012 in order to better implement ESDEBFM The focus was on
bull The key issueschallenges for implementation of ESDEBFM (environmental economic social governance)
bull What management and assessment tools will need to be available and in routine use by 2012 (environmental economic social governance)
bull Possible bottlenecks for successful implementation of ESDEBFM bull Cost implications of implementing ESDEBFM for fisheries (both time and $)
and bull The data analysis research and decision support needs to properly implement
ESDEBFM
341 The key issueschallenges for implementation of ESDEBFM (environmental economic social governance) The key issueschallenges for implementation of ESDEBFM for the environmental economic social and governance components and other important points (collated from the survey) are outlined below
bull Environmental data and information needs regarding target byproduct bycatch and TEP species habitat and community components and further research for understanding the interactions between them
bull Economic identify economic issuesimpacts requiring management data collection and analysis for the development of useful management objectives performance indicators benchmarks and monitoring
bull Social identify social issuesimpacts that need to be considered data collection and analysis for development of meaningful management objectives indicators benchmarks and monitoring and
bull Governance resources for rationalisation and streamlining of governance arrangements and processes to support management and compliance and to also ensure that the environmental economic and social components can be managed effectively within Australia
Other important challenges and points
bull Recognitionof the differences between large high value fisheries and smaller lower value fisheries The identification of differing needs and relative levels of complexity risks and impacts different fisheries pose
bull Balance between the varied environmental economic social and governance objectives
Survey analysis and results 143
bull Regional assessments that integrate across all fishing activities and can link to the broader marine planning activities
bull How to accommodate different stakeholder perspectives and achieve equitable funding and resource allocation to meet the different needs
bull All fishery sectors to be considered and bull Improved understanding of the risks associated with issues external to the
standard biological approach for the target species (eg globalisation fuel climate change etc) is needed
342 What management and assessment tools will need to be available and in routine use by 2012 (environmental economic social governance) The management and assessment tools needed to be available and in routine use by 2012 for the environmental economic social governance components (collated from the survey) are as follows
Environmental
bull Cost effective environmental indicators bull Routine monitoring of target species and key habitats and ecosystem indicators bull A program for monitoring environmental changes and linking these with fishery
performance indicators bull Qualitative and quantitative models that capture some of the behaviour of the
system and use a range of data sources Also need long-term data sets from which to understand change and the processes that underpin observed patterns
bull Risk assessments quantitative studies identification of indicators performance measures and reference pointslimits (ie decision rules) and review of triggers
bull Effective methodology and supporting data to assess and manage the ecological risks associated with marine biological communities
bull Effective methodology and supporting data to take current risk assessments for species from relative risk to a better understanding of absolute (or actual) risk and
bull Effective and complementary cross jurisdictional risk assessment methodology and management for species found across fisheries (ie cumulative impact)
Economic
bull Economic data to reflect full picture (ie flow on costs employment in other sectors and final value of product at the restaurant)
bull A key suite of economic indicators and key aspects for the successful implementation of EBFM
bull Tools that allow economic assessment of complex fisheries ecosystems (recreational + commercial + indigenous + lsquoconservationrsquo)
bull Economic assessment techniques which are efficient and robust bull More effective economic assessment economic risk assessment and analysis
and economic management tools that can be applied consistently across all fisheries (and across different jurisdictions) and
bull Regular economic status reports showing the economic status of each of AFMArsquos fisheries
144
Social
bull Tools for comparing the value of fisheries resources across the commercial and recreational sectors to support objective policy decisions regarding resource allocation
bull Development of a uniform tool to measure social impacts during change bull National social impact assessment tools and bull Social risk assessment and evaluation
Governance
bull Adequate reporting bull Benchmarks for ESD bull Harvesting strategies implemented in the major fisheries bull Difficulties at present are related to habitat and community components and
social impacts Need useful tools in these areas that relate to fisheries management
bull EMS for all major fisheries and recognition of these tools by government as a key management tool
bull Frameworks for managing fisheries in the context of increasing allocation shifts (commercial recreational conservation and indigenous) and external impacts including climate change and IUU fishing scenarios and
bull Review of the OCS arrangements that can effectively deal with all key species and allow them to be managed on an EBFM basis
Other important points regarding management and assessment tools
bull A range of assessment tools are required for fisheries and consideration of the varied levels of available information and research undertaken for the different fisheries
bull Simplified management strategy evaluation tools for use by fishery managers bull Performance indicators for all objectives and mechanism for ensuring balance
between objectives bull Regular recreational surveys bull Improved decision making models to ensure an open and transparent decision
making process bull Tools to address the cumulative impacts for bioregional planning bull Cost effective assessments that can report on the status of ecosystems at a
regional level Management systems to more efficiently reallocate resource access
bull Qualitative models that can simply integrate across all elements of ESD to provide advice on marine resource management and allocation issues and
bull Risk assessments quantitative studies identification of indicators performance measures and reference pointslimits (ie decision rules) economic social and governance probably have similar requirements
Survey analysis and results 145
343 Possible bottlenecks for successful implementation of ESDEBFM A number of possible bottlenecks were identified which are likely to affect the successful implementation of ESDEBFM These are categorised under the following headings funding and associated costs resources and people governancemanagement systems and the EBFM framework and datainformationresearch needs These bottlenecks (collated from the survery) are outlined below
Funding and associated costs
bull Lack of government funding and expectation on industry to pay (with current industry members investing for effects which may not be seen for future users)
bull Increased costs capacity to pay and willingness of governments to recover costs from all industry sectors especially for low value commercial and recreational fisheries
bull Lack of government funding for the co-management processes bull Lack of government funding for regular recreational management monitoring
and compliance bull Lack of government funding for core research bull Cost of research given government mandated research provider bull Industry reluctancelack of support in the cost recovery climate and bull Funding and political support to generate the necessary data tools and
management processes to further develop EBFM
Resources and people
bull The lack of staff working in the field may inhibit implementationinnovation bull Insufficient capacity amongst fishery managers bull Time and energy to focus all the right people into implementing the systems
already developed (ie people are already busy and it is hard to get all the required people to focus long enough to get real progress) ndash gaining momentum and urgency to change
bull Change fatigue in fisheries ndash there has been a lot of management change in recent years in all jurisdictions and stakeholders may be resistant to further change or lack the motivation to make EBFM a continuing priority or be unable to fund the necessary changes given the economic state of many fisheries and
bull High expectations placed on industry by stakeholders in regard to various impacts
Governancemanagement systems and the EBFM framework
bull Poor legislation and policy bull Lack clear allocation and shares between fisheries sectors bull Mismatch in the spatial and temporal scales at which environmental economic
social and governance systems operate and are measured bull Challenges of interjurisdictional (including international) collaborative fisheries
ecosystem-based management and assessment of shared stocks bull Separation of marine planning and fisheriesaquaculture ESD administration and
research
146
bull Recognition of the EBFM process as the framework for fishery management planning
bull Lack of understanding of the key frameworks by fisheries management staff local interpretations affect the consistency of processes
bull Documentation of policy development and performance measures for all areas of EBFM Realistic indicators for ecosystem performance
bull The major bottleneck is the lack of vision by most managers whose backgrounds are primarily biological rather than multi-disciplinary
bull The governance structures both within and across departments agencies and jurisdictions clarity on the scope and objectivesoutcomes to be achieved ndash particularly at whole of government level and
bull Jurisdictional differences in implementing EBFM particularly when implementing different levels of action on the samesimilar species habitats or communities
Datainformationresearch needs
bull Developing acceptable reference points for interactions with TEP species and gaining public confidence in data collected from the fishery
bull Lack of information and need for quantitative studies to fill gaps in information feeding into risk assessments Quantitative studies to determine indicators and performance measures
bull The need for clarity of terminology as the terms ESD and EBFM are now often being used interchangeably This may lead to some confusion particularly with fisheries stakeholders and it would be useful to get an agreed understanding of this terminology across jurisdictions
bull An understanding of the importance of a multi-disciplinary approach that includes economic and social research in addition to environmental In the environmental area there is a need for a greater understanding of physical as well as biological processes and
bull Good social and economic data
344 Cost implications of implementing ESDEBFM for fisheries (both time and money)
A range of time and cost ($) implications were identified regarding implementing ESDEBFM for fisheries which affect research management and industry (collated from the survey)
Research
bull Researchers have insufficient resources to achieve their current workload let alone take on additional tasks of ESDEBFM researchanalysis and reporting The demand for traditional single species assessment advice remains We either need more staff less tasks simplified processes and innovation to better involve researchers in other disciplines
bull To develop appropriate multi-disciplinary teams in many of the agencies and institutes there needs to be an injection of capital for employment or a re-direction if resources are to be moved away from biological towards social and
Survey analysis and results 147
economic components It is unlikely that this can be achieved within the various state agencies and universities due to their small size Amalgamation of groups needs to be achieved with certain groups focused on the different aspects of ESDEBFM across all jurisdictions That is each stateuniversity is unlikely to have its own fisheries economist oceanographer sociologist etc There needs to be incentives for bringing different disciplines together even within the environmental arena such as physical (oceanography and habitat) as well as biological
bull Research costs associated with improving knowledge of ecosystem function to allow comprehensive quantitative risk assessment in complex multispecies fisheries
bull Suggest EBFM costs two to three times the cost of a basic single species stock assessment and
bull It has to be done without raising the overall level of resources required beyond about 10-15 Again getting over the initial hurdle of initiating these systems the start up costs are always more than the ongoing costs
Management
bull Example full time equivalent fisheries manager ndash $85 000 per annum 15 x full time equivalent research scientist ndash $135 000 per annum 15 x full time equivalent research technician ndash $90 000 per annum 10 x full time equivalent returns officer ndash $50 000 per annum approximately $150 000 ndash $200 000 per annum in operational costs to facilitate additional monitoring and generation of information
bull Increased management and monitoring costs Capacity to recover increased management and assessment costs from recreational fishers and non-extractive users of the resources Higher costs associated with undertaking more lsquoquantitativersquo risk assessments techniques
bull Full cost recovery basis from industry so require the most efficient process which implies that the Commonwealth and State processes should link and integrate
bull First round of EPBC assessments were very costly bull We have a set amount of money with which we must do the job This process
takes a lot of time to develop consult and implement thus takes time and money We are struggling to get precise assessments for key target species never mind all those other areas (bycatch TEP habitat ecosystem social economic governance) and
bull AFMA has invested over $15m (in direct attributable costs) in establishing the Ecological Risk Assement project since the year 2000 In addition to these direct costs there are substantial additional costs in terms of AFMA staff researchers industry MACs and Research Assessment Groups (RAGs) and other stakeholders for their time and energy
Industry
bull The move to EBFM comes at significant cost to government and industry and requires ongoing commitment to continual improvement However any discussion of the costs of taking an EBFM approach should be compared to the
148
costs to the marine environment and to our fisheries in not taking an EBFM approach Part of the problem is that the costs are incurred now (ie immediately) but the benefits will not be immediately recognisable (ie there is a time lag between investment and seeing the benefits)
bull Government has not put in the required resources Much responsibility and costs are placed on the industry of today when the benefits may not be seen for years to come
bull Failure to implement is driven by lack of government investment in all key areas of the framework Commercial industry is the only sector that contributes to management research and compliance on a cost recovery basis and
bull Significant costs and considered unaffordable by some industry members in the current climate of cost recovery
345 The data analysis research and decision support needs to properly implement ESDEBFM To properly implement ESDEBFM the following data analysis research and decision support requirements were identified (collated from the survey)
Data
bull Increased spatial detail and the greater detail required in terms of byproduct and bycatch corresponding to an increase in the amount of data to be collected and collated
bull Ecosystem models linkages between ecosystem components requiresdata inputs bull Improved knowledge of basic biology to support quantitative ecological
assessment tools bull Improved social and economic data for extractive and non-extractive users of
the resource bull Standardising and ensuring base level data collection among jurisdictions to
allow comprehensive assessments of ecosystems associated with shared stocks bull Integrated spatial databases ndash all ecological data including fisheries dedicated
research programs to address information needs data-based risk assessment and decision rules
bull Data across a broad range of disciplines as well as longer-term data series bull Develop databases that can handle the different data types (social economic
qualitative visual (video) as well as larger data sets bull There will be an increased need for higher resolution spatial and temporal data
All this will require improved data management and data sharing bull Need data on all components of the marine environment economics and social
aspects This needs to be both fishery related information and ideally fishery independent environmental data to allow for accurate determination of the level of impact
bull Habitat and ecological community data collection and mapping bull Consistency in the collection of data across purposes and jurisdictions is
required to allow information to be brought together when required to get a better regional perspective particularly in relation to assessing cross jurisdictional cumulative impacts and for marine bioregional planning
bull Need quantitative information to underpin the determination of indicators limit and reference points
Survey analysis and results 149
bull Effective methodology and supporting data to assess and manage the ecological risks associated with marine biological communities and
bull Focus on innovative ways of incorporating data across disciplines Research will also need to provide monitoring technology at an affordable price This may require increased collaborations with Industry There will be increasing pressure placed on marine resources if the projected demands for fish increase Marginally harvested species will become economical and previously uneconomical species may also become economical Ecosystems that have adjusted to target species removal will now be faced with removals of species that have not been targeted previously As a small producer of seafood (kgarea of coastline or continental shelf) and the remote location Australia will be faced with increasing costs if the energy crisis eventuates High priced niche products will be important and complying with accreditation schemes The latter will be reliant on demonstrating ecosystem sustainability To do so there will need to be greater effort directed towards more vulnerable species While many of these are bycatch with minimal to no biological knowledge there will need to be improved ways of gathering data on such species
Analysis
bull Requirement for increased spatial detail corresponding to an increase in the complexity of the spatial analysis and the number of species considered
bull Regular ecological social and economic risk assessments using existing tools and refining tools where appropriate
bull Analysis of recreational participation and catch on a regular basis bull Assessment of size of populations of all TEPs bull New and novel approaches to data analysis will be required to develop decision
support mechanisms that in turn support ESD requirements bull Analysis of quantitative data for risk assessment and bull Further develop the ERA methodology to assess absolute (actual) risks from
fishing rather than relative risks cumulative impacts and ecological communities
Research
bull Research and monitoring to be conducted in a more spatially complex environment and a greater emphasis on the finer detail of the behaviour of the fishers and the impacts on additional elements of the ecosystem in addition to that of the target species
bull Spatial and temporal understanding of some key species that are now not taken over abroad area by commercial fishers due to closures and management changes
bull Filling information gaps needed for risk assessment and determination of indicators
bull Improved TEPs monitoring regime bull Better developed performance indicators that are able to take account of
variability of populations beyond fishing impacts bull More validation of the linkages between ecosystem components
150
bull Further development and acceptance by other quantitative scientists of the outcomes of ecosystem modelling techniques (including predictive tools)
bull Research and development of low cost rapid assessment tools for resource assessments in low value data poor fisheries
bull Understanding recreational patterns and behaviour re bycatch and catch and release impacts
bull Co investment by State Government in key environmental and ecosystem research as part of FRDC process
bull Basic research on understanding ecological relationships between target species and associated speciesenvironment Process studies on trophic and energynutrient linkages in the ecosystem Studies to provide information for ecosystem modelling together with the further development and refinement of ecosystem models
bull The development of frameworks and policy in line with strategic directions and supported by research and
bull Further understanding of marine ecosystems and linkages between the various components
Decision support
bull Revised fishery models that better reflect fishery status bull Management strategy evaluation tools framed in the context of ESDEBFM
They need to weight the achievement of particular objectives against the relative importance of each objective and the quality of the information against which the objective is measured
bull Better risk based systems for management decision making specific commercial and recreational allocations with appropriate monitoring a commitment to use the triple bottom line approach to decision making commitment by governments not to interfere in the management process and skew resource shares better understanding and use of performance indicators and better decision making models and
bull Specific decision support needs will be identified through the process of establishing better data to support EBFM
Other important points
bull One size does not fit all as this is dependent on each fishery There is varying levels of risk and certainty A range of tools are required
bull A practical conceptual framework for regional level ESD ndash EBFM development of cost effective bioregional level assessments of the status of community structure Cost effective ongoing general biodiversity and habitat monitoring program Establishment of indicator sites for monitoring climate shifts Ecosystem modelling of specific high risk or priority regions Develop costs effective methods for monitoring the catch of the non commercial sector Assessment of the socio economic outcomes of current and proposed resource allocation decisions and
bull There are increasing demands and pressures on the available resources for fisheries management while the needs of the environment and government demands are continuing to escalate A clear focus on efficiency and cost
Survey analysis and results 151
effectiveness will be key drivers in prioritising what will be possible to pursue in ESDEBFM with limited future funding for data analysis and research
35 Section 5 Survey results The purpose of Section 5 was to provide an opportunity for recommendations and any other comments regarding ESDEBFM across all jurisdictions
351 Recommendations to better achieve ESDEBFM for fisheries in Australia
Recommendations can be categorised by those issues dealt with under other questions in previous Sections 2 3 and 4 and those considered as new issues (collated from the survey)
Those issues dealt with under other questions
bull Benchmarks must be established bull Greater budget and resources bull Simplify the reporting processes bull Better recognition of and an agreed framework for use by all jurisdictions and
agencies (fisheries and environment) Local variations that do not address all of the framework or vary the model leave industry susceptible to other interventions from other jurisdictions or agencies
bull Linked objectives between the environment and fisheries portfolios so we can shoot for the same thing This implies a more rational (and realistic) approach to marine environmental objectives
bull ESDEBFM requires a greater commitment to the collection of quantitative ecosystem data Governments need to be prepared to increase levels of funding for research and development for ESDEBFM to be adequately implemented and
bull OCS reform to better integrate management of fisheries eg Bass Strait scallop fisheries
New issues
bull Continue national forums to facilitate discussion of jurisdictional approaches to implementing EBFM Greater engagement of industry leaders stakeholder representatives in these meetings
bull Full implementation of existing legislation Require all fisheries to comply with legislation Dont issue permitsexemptions to clearly non-compliant fisheries Apply same standards to domestic and export fisheries Community component of FRDC funding should be directed more explicitly to addressing ESD issues Industry component (1+1) only for industry priorities
bull Despite having considerable expertise located around Australia there is still a very fragmented poorly collaborating body For research the environment is still one of competition rather than collaboration Despite attempts (eg FRDC subprograms) there are few examples where the social economic and
152
environmental disciplines are coming together to focus on fisheries issues There are also few examples where the physical and biological disciplines within the environmental area get together The authorrsquos recommendation would be for broader committees tasked with implementing ESD to be established across a range of sectors (eg all trawl fisheries all lobster fisheries all abalone fisheries)
bull This must be seen as the way management is done ndash not as additional processes It must be recognised that ESD and EAFM are specific versions of risk based management processes While the basic EAFM approach is the same for all fisheries the precise methods used for undertaking each of these steps needs to vary according to the situation that is being addressed This includes recognising the level of sophistication in management arrangements and processes that are available the complexity of the problems that are being addressed the level of information available and the level of formal education of those involved What can be appropriate in the assessment of a highly industrial fishery will almost certainly be inappropriate when trying to assess a small fishery in a remote community There is therefore a need for a suite of tools that can be applied in the appropriate situation and
bull To better implement EBFM across Australian Fisheries there needs to be clarity about what EBFM is and how it is to be applied effectively across all jurisdictions Without this there will be varying implementation of EBFM which will create tension between the sectors and may result in the efforts undertaken in one jurisdiction being ineffective due to the under-implementation in another jurisdiction Having consistency in approaches will also assist Australia in reporting efforts internationally where all efforts can be aggregated
352 Other comments concerns issues or suggestions concerning the implementation of ESDEBFM
Responses can be categorised by those issues dealt with under other questions in previous Sections 2 3 and 4 and those considered as new issues (collated from the survey)
Those issues dealt with under other questions
bull There is sometimes a conflict of interest and abuse of the process to drive certain stakeholders agenda The Commonwealth process is currently driving fisheries management Management should be driven from a State Government level
bull Community component of FRDC funding should be directed more explicitly to addressing ESD issues
bull The framework is still not used as the agreed template for all agencies and jurisdictions State and Commonwealth management plans must be developed to match expectations form EPDC and the EBFM framework should be the standard
bull It needs to be realistic ndash so many processes are underway that impose requirements on managing authorities they may just get left behind with no capacity to go forward
Survey analysis and results 153
bull At present there is a high reliance on risk assessments but these are often based on poor data and knowledge gaps leading to largely subjective assessments The outcomes of these assessments are therefore unreliable An increased commitment needs to be made to providing the ecosystem data necessary for informed assessments to be undertaken and
bull The implementation of ESDEBFM is a worthwhile and necessary direction to take within fisheries management However implementation comes at considerable expense and requires a large amount of resources in order to be implemented in a timely and effective manner There is also the additional problem of ensuring compliance of a fishery with the principles of ESDEBFM Furthermore many small scale or low impact fisheries can often be faced with onerous requirements placed on the fishery Invariably these small scale fisheries are lowly resourced and it is difficult to justify the cost of these restrictions when the net benefits to the fishery are analysed Essentially this situation is not cost effective for small scale fisheries particularly when these small fisheries are low impacting (as is the general case in the NT)
New issues
bull This survey needs to be combined with the DPI management response Given the potential length of the survey 12 questions requiring up to 5000 characters or 24 A4pages of text in addition to the multiple choice and the need to collect this information from four to six different groups across the organisation An onsite half day workshop would most probably produce a superior result and response given the face to face interaction with the project interviewer
bull Ecosystems do not follow jurisdictional boundaries A recurrent National forum to resolve ESDEBFM across multiple jurisdictions would be useful
bull Challenge of integration incorporation at various levels of EBFM as it develops and is implemented by fisheries agencies into developing national resource management and coastal zone management frameworks
bull More effort into training re EBFM and ESD assessment techniques both at tertiary level and for current fisheries managerspeak bodiesadvisory bodies
bull Many of the difficulties experienced with implementing EAFM appear to result from a mixture of myth fear and unrealistic expectations about what is needed for this process This produces a situation where it can seem much too difficult to begin These concepts are not just an excuse for undertaking more detailed research They can be started with whatever level of information is available with any additional work being determined by what is really needed rather than simply what is possible The lack of good governance arrangements not the lack of ecological data has been the most commonly identified high risk issue and
bull Australia is currently well placed internationally to not only be talking about EBFM but also to demonstrate that Australia is developing the necessary tools and actively implementing measures to support EBFM in practice
154
REFERENCES
Allison GW Lubchenco J and Carr MH (1998) Marine Reserves are Necessary but not Sufficient for Marine Conservation Ecological Applications 8 (1) Supplement s79-s92
Arce R and Gullon N (2000) The application of Strategic Environmental Assessment to sustainability assessment of infrastructure development Environmental Impact Assessment Review 20 (2000) 393-402
Baker M Bett B Billett D and Rogers (2001) A ldquoThe status of natural resources on the high seasrdquo in The status of natural resources on the high-seas WWFIUCN Gland Switzerland
Bergman M (2005) Risks and decisions for conservation and environmental management Cambridge University Press Cambridge UK
Butterworth DS and Punt AE (1999) Experiences in the evaluation and implementation of management procedures ICES Journal of Marine Science 56 985ndash998
Charles A (2001) Sustainable Fishery Systems Blackwell Science Oxford
Christensen V and Walters C (2004) Ecopath with Ecosim methods capabilities and limitations Ecological Modelling 172 109-139
Christennsen N Bartuska A Brown J Carpenter S DrsquoAntonio C Francis R Franklin J MacMahon J Noss R Parsons D Peterson C Turner M and Woodmansee R (1996) The Report of the Ecological society of America Committee on the Scientific Basis for Ecosystem Management Ecological Indicators 63665-691
Cochrane L (2002) Fisheries management in A fishery managerrsquos guidebook management measures and their application Edited Cochrane K Fisheries Technical Paper No 424 FAO Rome
Cochrane KL Butterworth DS De Oliveria JAA and Roel BA (1998) Management procedures in a fishery based on highly variable stocks and with conflicting objectives experiences in the South African pelagic fishery Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries 8 177ndash214
Commonwealth of Australia (1992a) National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development (NSESD) Prepared by the Ecologically Sustainable Development Steering Committee Endorsed by the Council of Australian Governments December 1992 Australian Govt Pub Service Canberra lthttpwwwenvironmentgovauesdnationalnsesdstrategyindexhtmlgt
Commonwealth of Australia (2006) EPBC Act policy statement 11significant Imapct Guidelines Commonwealth of Australia Canberra
Dahl A(2000)Using indicators to measure sustainability recent methodological and conceptual development Marine and Freshwater Resources 51427-433
References 155
De la Mare WK (1996) Some recent developments in the management of marine living resources In Floyd RB Shepherd AW and De Barro PJ (eds) Frontiers of Population Ecology CSIRO Publishing Melbourne Australia pp 599ndash616
Deere C (1999) Ecolabellin and Sustainable Fisheries IUCN Washington DC and FAO Rome
Dyoulgerov M(2000) Global legal instrument on the marine environemtn at the year 2000 In Seas at the Millennium an environmental evaluation Edited by C Sheppard Elsevier Science place
(EPAP) Ecosystem Principles Advisory Panel (1999) Ecosystem-based Fishery Management A report to Congress by the EPAP National Marine Fisheries Services Silver spring Maryland
Fletcher WJ (2006) Frameworks for managing marine resources using ecosystem approaches how do they fit together and can they be useful Bulletin of Marine Science
Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO 1999) Indicators for sustainable development of marine capture fisheries FAO Technical Guidelines for Responsible Fisheries No 8 FAO Rome
Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO 2003) Fisheries management the ecosystem approach to fisheries FAO Technical Guidelines for responsible fisheries No4 Supplement 2 FAO Rome
Fulton EA Fuller M Smith ADM and Punt AE (2004) Ecological Indicators of the Ecosystem Effects of Fishing Final Report Australian Fisheries Management Authority Report R991546
Fulton E A Smith A D M and Smith D C (2007) Alternative Management Strategies for Southeast Australian Commonwealth Fisheries Stage 2 Quantitative Management Strategy Evaluation Report to Australian Fisheries Management Authority Garcia S Zerbi A Aliamem C and Lasserre G (2003) The Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries issues terminology principles intuitional foundations implementation and outlook FAO Fisheries Technical Paper 443 FAO Rome
Gilpin A(1995) Environmental Impact Assessment cutting edge for the twenty-first Century Cambridge University Press Melbourne Gislason H Sinclair M Sainsbury K and OrsquoBoyle R (2000) Symposium overview incorporating ecosystem objectives within fisheries management ICES Journal of Marine Science 57468-475
156
Gooday P (2002) Fisheries Subsidies ABARE Report to the fisheries Resources Research fund Canberra
Gray J (1997) Marine biodiversity patterns threats and conservation needs GESAMP Reports and studies No 62 International Maritime organisation London
Gray R Fulton EA Little LR and Scott R (2006) Operating model specification within an agent based framework North West Shelf Joint Environmental Management Study Technical Report Vol 16 CSIRO
Griffis R and Kimball K (1996) Ecosystem Approaches to Coastal and Ocean Stewardship Ecological Applications 63708-711
Grumbine R E (March 1994) What is ecosystem management Conservation Biology Volume 8 No1 pgs 27-38
Harvey N (1998) Environmental Impact Assessment procedures practices and prospects Oxford University Press Melbourne Holmlund C and Hammer M (1999) Ecosystem services generated by fish populations Ecological Economics 29253-268
Hughes JMR and Goodall B (1992) Marine Pollution In Environmental Issues in the 1990s (AM Mannion and SR Bowlby eds) pp 97-114 John Wiley and Sons New York
Hundloe T (2002) Valuing fisheries an economic framework University of Queensland Press St Lucia Queensland Australia
International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) (1996) Global Green Standards ISO 14000 and sustainable development IISD Canada
Kimball LA (2001) Intergovernmental Ocean Governance using international law and organisations to manage marine resources sustainably IUCN SwitzerlandC6
Kirkwood and Agnew (2004) pg 9
Mace P (1996) Keynote presentation in Developing and Sustaining World Fisheries Resources the state of science and management Editors DA Hancock D C Smith A
Link JS (2005) Translating ecosystem indicators into decision criteria ICES Journal of Marine Science 62 569 ndash 576
McKay B Mulvaney K and Thorne-Miller B (August 1999) Danger at Sea our changing Ocean USA Seaweb httpseaweborgresourcesdanger
Mangel M Talbot L Meffe G Agardy T Alverson D Barlow J Botkin D Budowski G Clark T Cooke J Crozier R Dayton P Elder D Fowler C Funtowicz S Giske J Hofman R Holt S Kellert S Kimball L Ludgwig D Magnusson K Malayang B Mann C Norse E Northridge S Perrin W Perrings C Norse E Northridge S Perrin W Perrings C Peterman R Rabb G Regier H Reynolds J Sherman K Sissenwine M Smith T Starfield A Taylor R Tillman M Toft C Twiss J Wilen J and Young T (1996) Principles for the conservation of wild living resources Ecological Applications 6 (2)338-362
References 157
Marine and Coastal Community Network (MCCN) Survey on the EPBC Act Fisheries Strategic Assessments 2006 WAVES 121
Metzner and Rawlinson (1998) fisheries Structural adjustment towards a national framework Prepared for management committee standing committee for fisheries and aquaculture Australia Fisheries Victoria Department of Natural Resources and Environment Department of Primary Industries and Energy Canberra
Murawski S (2000) Definitions of overfishing from an ecosystem perspective ICES Journal of Science 57649-658
Noble Bram F (2000) Strengthening EAI through adaptive management a systems perspective Environmental Impact Assessment Review 20 (2000) 97-11
Pascoe S Kirkley J Greoval D and Morrison-Paul C (2004) Measuring and assessing capacity in fisheries issues and methods FAO fisheries Technical Paper No433
Pauly D Watson R and Christensen V (2003) Ecological geography as a framework for a transition towards responsible fishing in Responsible fisheries in the marine ecosystem eds Sinclair M and Valdimarsson FOA of the
Pikitch E Santora C BabcockE Bakun A Bonfil R Conover D Dayton P Doukakis P Fluharty D Heneman B Houde E Link J Livingston P Mangel M McAllister M Pope J and Sainsbury K (2004) Ecosystem-based fishery management Science 305 346-347
Reid D (1995) Sustainable Development an introductory guide Earthscan Publications London
Rothlisberg P and Okey T (eds) (2006) Variation in banana prawn catches at Weipa a comprehensive regional study Fisheries Develeopment Research Corporation final report 2004024 CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research Cleveland
Sainsbury K Haward M Kriwoken L Tsamenyi M and Ward T (1997) Multiple Use Management in the Australian Marine Environment Principles Definitions and Elements Issues Paper 1 A Report commissioned by Environment Australia June 1997 Department of the Environment Canberra Australia
Sainsbury KJ Punt AE and Smith ADM (2000) Design of operational management strategies for achieving fishery ecosystem objectives ICES Journal of Marine Science 57 731ndash741
Seafood Services Australia (2005) The seafood EMS chooser 2nd edition Seafood Services Australia Ltd QLD Australia Seijo J and Caddy J (2000) Uncertainty in bio-economic reference points and indicators of marine fisheries Marine Freshwater Research 51477-483
158
Sinclair M Arnason R Csirke J Karnicki Z Sigurjonsson J Skjoldal R and Valdimarsson G (2002) Responsible fisheries in marine ecosystems Fisheries Research 58255-265
Sissenwine M and Mace P (2001) Governance for Responsible Fisheries an ecosystem approach In Responsible Fisheries in the Marine Ecosystem (Eds Sinclair M and Valdimarsson G) FAO and CABI Publishing London
Stefansson G (2003) Multi-species and ecosystem models in a management context In Responsible Fishereris in the Marine Ecosystem (Eds Sinclair M and Valdimarsson G) FAO and CABI Publishing London
Suchanek TH (1993) Oil impacts on marine invertebrate populations and communities AmerZool 33510-523
Suchanek TH (1994) Temperate coastal marine communities Biodiversity and threats Amer Zool 34100-114
Sumaila R Guenette S Alder J and Chuenpagdee R (2000) Addressing ecosystem effects of fishing using marine protected areas ICES Journal of Marine Science 57752-760 Tsamenyi M and McIlgorm A (1999) International environmental Instruments their effect on the fishing industry (Second Edition) The report of the FRDC (Fisheries Research and Development Corporation ) project 97149 Dominion Consulting Pty Ltd NSW Australia (C6)
Walters C Christensen V and Pauly D (1997) Structuring dynamic models of exploited ecosystems from trophic mass-balance assessments Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries 7 139-172
World Commission on Environment and Development (WECD 1987) Our common future
WWF (June 2002) Policy Proposals and Operational Guidance for Ecosystem-Based Management of Marine Capture Fisheries Compiled by Trevor Ward University of Western Australia Perth Diane Tarte and Eddie Hegerl Marine Policy Advisors Brisbane and Katherine Short WWF Australia Sydney World Wide Fund for Nature Australia
Appendix A 159
APPENDIX A REVIEW OF THE STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT SUBMISSIONS AND MANAGEMENT APPROACHES BY
FISHERIES AGENCIES
EPBC The structure of the Act The Act provides that certain actions ndash in particular actions which are likely to have a significant impact on a matter of national environmental significance ndash are subject to a rigorous assessment and approval process The Commonwealth may through bilateral agreements delegate to the states the responsibility for conducting assessments and in limited circumstances the responsibility for deciding whether to grant approval
Biodiversity conservation The Act contains an extensive regime for the conservation of biodiversity including provisions dealing with
bull The identification and monitoring of biodiversity and the preparation of bioregional plans
bull The listing of nationally threatened species and ecological communities migratory species and marine species
bull The preparation of national recovery plans and wildlife conservation plans for listed species and additional protection for listed species in Commonwealth areas
bull The identification of key threatening processes and the preparation of threat abatement plans for such processes
bull The establishment of the Australian Whale Sanctuary in Australiarsquos exclusive economic zone
bull Access to biological resources on Commonwealth areas bull Invasive species bull Voluntary conservation agreements which may cover environmentally
significant private land including indigenous land and bull The protection and management of protected areas including Commonwealth
reserves (national parks) World Heritage properties Ramsar wetlands and Biosphere reserves
Enforcement and administration The enforcement and administration provisions cover
bull The establishment of Advisory Committees including the Biological Diversity Advisory Committee the Indigenous Advisory Committee and the Threatened Species Scientific Committee
bull A requirement for Commonwealth agencies to report annually on their implementation of ecologically sustainable development
bull The preparation of State of the Environment Reports bull Environment audits and conservation orders
160
bull The liability of corporate executive officers and bull Powers to remedy environmental damage caused by a contravention of the Act
Environmental assessment and approval A person must not take an action that has will have or is likely to have a significant impact on a matter of national environmental significance An action includes a project development undertaking or an activity or series of activities The matters of national environmental significance identified in the Act as triggers for the Commonwealth assessment and approval regime are
bull World Heritage properties bull Ramsar wetlands bull Nationally threatened species and ecological communities bull Migratory species bull Commonwealth marine areas and bull Nuclear actions (including uranium mining)
Assessment options for the Commonwealth Environment Minister are
bull Assessment on a preliminary documentation bull Public environment report (PER) bull Environmental impact statement (EIS) bull Public enquiry or bull And accredited process (on a project by project basis)
When deciding whether to approve the taking of an action and what conditions to impose the Commonwealth Environment Minister must consider social and economic matters and relevant environmental impacts The Minister must also take into account
bull The principles of ecologically sustainable development bull The assessment report on the impacts of the action bull Any other information about the impacts of the action and bull Relevant comments from other Ministers (such as information on social and
economic factors)
ESD Reporting and review All Commonwealth bodies must report annually on their implementation of ecologically sustainable development The Commonwealth must prepare a State of the Environment Report every five years The list of matters of national environmental significance must be reviewed every five years
Enforcement There is a range of enforcement mechanisms included in the Act For example
bull The Commonwealth Environment Minister may direct that an environmental audit be carried out if he or she has reasonable grounds to believe that a person
Appendix A 161
has contravened or is likely to contravene an environmental approval or permit issued under the Act
bull In certain circumstances civil or criminal penalties can apply to executive officers of a corporation that contravenes the requirements for environmental approvals under the Act including the provision of false or misleading information to obtain approval and
bull A person who contravenes the Act may be obliged to pay for the remediation of any resulting environmental damage
EPBC Principles and objectives
Principle 1 A fishery must be conducted in a manner that does not lead to over-fishing or for those stocks that are over-fished the fishery must be conducted such that there is a high degree of probability the stock(s) will recover
Objective 1
The fishery shall be conducted at catch levels that maintain ecologically viable stock levels at an agreed point or range with acceptable levels of probability
Information requirements
Guideline 111 There is a reliable information collection system in place appropriate to the scale of the fishery The level of data collection should be based upon an appropriate mix of fishery independent and dependent research and monitoring
Assessment
Guideline 112 There is a robust assessment of the dynamics and status of the speciesfishery and periodic review of the process and the data collected Assessment should include a process to identify any reduction in biological diversity and or reproductive capacity Review should take place at regular intervals but at least every three years Guideline 113 The distribution and spatial structure of the stock(s) has been established and factored into management responses Guideline 114 There are reliable estimates of all removals including commercial (landings and discards) recreational and indigenous from the fished stock These estimates have been factored into stock assessments and target species catch levels Guideline 115 There is a sound estimate of the potential productivity of the fished stocks and the proportion that could be harvested
Management response
Guideline 116 There are reference points (target andor limit) that trigger management actions including a biological bottom line andor a catch or effort upper limit beyond which the stock should not be taken Guideline 117 There are management strategies in place capable of controlling the
162
level of take Guideline 118 Fishing is conducted in a manner that does not threaten stocks of byproduct species (Guidelines 111 to 117 should be applied to byproduct species to an appropriate level) Guideline 119 The management response considering uncertainties in the assessment and precautionary management actions has a high chance of achieving the objective
Objective 2
Where the fished stock(s) are below a defined reference point the fishery will be managed to promote recovery to ecologically viable stock levels within nominated timeframes
Management response
Guideline 121 A precautionary recovery strategy is in place specifying management actions or staged management responses which are linked to reference points The recovery strategy should apply until the stock recovers and should aim for recovery within a specific time period appropriate to the biology of the stock
Guideline 122 If the stock is estimated as being at or below the biological and or effort bottom line management responses such as a zero targeted catch temporary fishery closure or a lsquowhole of fisheryrsquo effort or quota reduction are implemented
Principle 2 Fishing operations should be managed to minimise their impact on the structure productivity function and biological diversity of the ecosystem
Objective 1 The fishery is conducted in a manner that does not threaten bycatch species
Information requirements
Guidelines 211 Reliable information appropriate to the scale of the fishery is collected on the composition and abundance of bycatch
Assessment
Guidelines 212 There is a risk analysis of the bycatch with respect to its vulnerability to fishing
Management response
Guidelines 213 Measures are in place to avoid capture and mortality of bycatch species unless it is determined that the level of catch is sustainable (except in relation to endangered threatened or protected species) Steps must be taken to develop suitable technology if none is available Guidelines 214 An indicator group of bycatch species is monitored
Appendix A 163
Guidelines 215 There are decision rules that trigger additional management measures when there are significant perturbations in the indicator species numbers Guidelines 216 The management response considering uncertainties in the assessment and precautionary management actions has a high chance of achieving the objective
Objective 2
The fishery is conducted in a manner that avoids mortality of or injuries to endangered threatened or protected species and avoids or minimises impacts on threatened ecological communities
Information requirements
Guidelines 221 Reliable information is collected on the interaction with endangered threatened or protected species and threatened ecological communities
Assessment
Guidelines 222 There is an assessment of the impact of the fishery on endangered threatened or protected species Guidelines 223 There is an assessment of the impact of the fishery on threatened ecological communities
Management response
Guidelines 224 There are measures in place to avoid capture andor mortality of endangered threatened or protected species Guidelines 225 There are measures in place to avoid impact on threatened ecological communities Guidelines 226 The management response considering uncertainties in the assessment and precautionary management actions has a high chance of achieving the objective
Objective 3
The fishery is conducted in a manner that minimises the impact of fishing operations on the ecosystem generally
Information requirements
Guideline 231 Information appropriate for the analysis in 232 is collated andor collected covering the fisheries impact on the ecosystem and environment generally
Assessment
Guideline 232 Information is collected and a risk analysis appropriate to the scale of the fishery and its potential impacts is conducted into the susceptibility of each of the following ecosystem components to the fishery
164
1 Impacts on ecological communities
bull Benthic communities bull Ecologically related associated or dependent species and bull Water column communities
2 Impacts on food chains bull Structure and bull Productivityflows
3 Impacts on the physical environment bull Physical habitat bull Water quality
Management response
Guideline 233 Management actions are in place to ensure significant damage to ecosystems does not arise from the impacts described in 231 Guideline 234 There are decision rules that trigger further management responses when monitoring detects impacts on selected ecosystem indicators beyond a predetermined level or where action is indicated by application of the precautionary approach Guideline 235 The management response considering uncertainties in the assessment and precautionary management actions has a high chance of achieving the objective
Assessment of Fisheries A single assessment is done for each fishery resulting in one two or three independent decisions relating to Part 10 (accreditation for matters of NES) Part 13 (accreditation for protected species interactions) and Part 13A (export)
Commonwealth Fisheries ndash strategic assessment of Commonwealth fisheries involves consideration of the requirements of Part 10 of the EPBC Act to assess the impacts of actions taken under a fishery management regime on matters of national environmental significance (NES)
Fisheries operating in Commonwealth waters ndash the assessment also considers the impact of fishery operations on cetaceans and threatened species migratory species marine species and threatened ecological communities listed under Part 13 of the EPBC Act
Export fisheries ndash the assessment of fisheries with an export component involves consideration of the requirements of Part 13A of the EPBC Act and seeks to determine the extent to which the fishery is managed in an ecologically sustainable way
The aim is to strengthen and complement existing fisheries management responsibilities with a common and fundamental goal of best practice ecosystem-based fisheries management The processes are designed to incorporate a flow of communication between fisheries managers and the Sustainable Fisheries Section thus facilitating the best outcome for the fishery
A 28 day public comment period allows anyone interested in fisheries management to provide DEWHA and fisheries managers with comments on the management agency submission
Appendix A 165
Accreditation Benchmarks for the Environmental Assessment of Fisheries This includes the following key requirements
bull Environmental assessment must be conducted under State or Commonwealth legislation
bull Terms of reference (see summary below) for the assessment must require the preparation of an assessment report that - assesses all impacts of the fishery on the environment providing enough
information to allow the Commonwealth Minister for the Environment and Heritage to make an informed decision on whether the fishery is ecologically sustainable
- the terms of reference must be prepared in consultation with Environment Australia
- the terms of reference must ensure the assessment report addresses at least the requirements relating to matters if national environmental significance (Section 31)
- a draft assessment report must be prepared in accordance with the terms of reference for the assessment and
bull The draft report must be released for public comment for a period of at least 28 days (after Environment Australia has confirmed that the draft report adequately addresses the terms of reference) The final assessment report must clearly address any comments received from the public and from Environment Australia during the public comment period
Terms of Reference for Environmental Assessment of Fisheries
bull Description of the fishery bull A detailed description of the environment and significant environmental
characteristics likely to be affected by the fishery bull Proposed management arrangements that will be applied to the fishery
- a description of legislation and policies that are relevant to the management of the fishery and its environmental impacts
- the agencies that are responsible for administration of relevant legislation and the policies
- international agreements that affect the management of the fishery should also be identified
- the assessment must identify (amongst other things) any management plan for the fishery any bycatch action plan relevant regulations and any strategic research plan for the fishery
- identify elements of the management regime for the fishery that are intended to ensure that the fishery operates in an ecologically sustainable manner
bull Environmental Assessment of the fishery must include a comprehensive analysis of the potential impacts of the fishery on the environment The assessment must specifically address all aspects of the Guidelines for the
166
Ecologically Sustainable Management of Fisheries (as outlined above) and demonstrate that the fishery is ecologically sustainable in terms of its impact on
- target species - non-target species and bycatch - the eco-system generally including habitat
bull The assessment must include - a description of the potential impacts of the fishery on the environment
(including to the extent possible information on the degree of confidence with which the impacts can be predicted and quantified)
- an analysis of the nature and extent of the likely environmental impacts including whether the impacts will be short term or long term impacts
- an assessment of whether any environmental impacts are likely to be unknown unpredictable or irreversible
- an analysis of the significance of the potential impacts and - reference to the technical data and other information relied upon in
assessing the environmental impacts of the fishery bull The assessment shall include consideration of impacts associated with the
conduct of the fishery such as the discharge of waste and other pollution risks (including lost gear)
bull Management measures and safeguards to ensure ecological sustainability - the assessment must provide a detailed analysis of the specific elements of
the proposed management regime for the fishery that are designed to ensure the fishery is ecologically sustainable (must demonstrate that the management arrangements for the fishery are consistent with the requirements of the Guidelines
- the assessment must identify and describe the specific measures intended to prevent minimise or compensate for the potential environmental impacts of the fishery and any measures to rehabilitate damage to the environment
- the assessment should include an analysis of the expected or predicted effectiveness of these measures Distinguishing between those measures designed to protect target species and protect the ecosystem generally including non-target species and habitat
- the assessment should include a list of relevant measures Identify the basis (eg statutory or policy) for implementation of each measure and the agency or authority responsible for ensuring implementation The assessment must also identify how the relevant agency or authority will ensure compliance with these measures and what steps will be taken in the event of non-compliance
- the assessment should identify the mechanisms for reviewing the environmental impact of the fishery during the life of the proposed management arrangements and for adjusting the life of the proposed management arrangements and for adjusting elements of the management arrangements as necessary in response to the outcome of these reviews
- the assessment must also identify any program that is proposed to be put in place to monitor the impacts of the fishery on the environment in the short and long term
- any proposed independent environmental auditing mechanism should be identified
Appendix A 167
- the assessment should to the extent reasonably practicable describe any feasible alternatives to the proposed management arrangements (or elements of those arrangements) The alternatives should be discussed in sufficient detail to make clear the reasons for preferring certain options and rejecting others Discussion should cover matters such as alternative fishing methods and technologies increasing or reducing permitted levels of effort alternative mechanisms for controlling effort and other alternative measures for preventing or minimising environmental impact and
bull Information Sources for information in the assessment the assessment must state
- the source of the information - how recent the information is - how the reliability of the information was tested
what uncertainties (if any) are in the information
168
Fishery agency submissions and DEWHA assessments In this section for each jurisdiction (NSW NT QLD SA TAS VIC WA and the Commonwealth) the following format will be used
bull List of fisheries managed by that jurisdiction bull Outline the approach taken for the submission to DEWHA and bull Example fishery from each jurisdiction
Part 1 provides a summary and details of the agency submission on ecological sustainability to DEWHA and management approaches by fisheries agencies under the following headings
bull Legislation - list of legislation Acts and regulation
bull Management - plans and regulations - codes of practice - co-management arrangements - fishery management strategy - harvest strategy - spatial management
bull Assessment - stock assessments - EIS - Risk assessments
bull Monitoring and performance - monitoring - indicatorstriggers (examples where available) - observer programs
bull Reporting - fishers - fishery agencies
bull Research bull Consultation bull Supporting documents and reports bull References
The above information in general comes from the assessment report submitted to DEWHA and other information from the jurisdiction fishery web page Sources of information will be noted Part 2 provides summary information of DEWHA assessment of the fishery and the Ministerial decision conditions and recommendations The assessment (specific to each fishery) may include
bull 2Department of the Environment and Heritage Assessment Report
Appendix A 169
bull 2Accreditation of a plan of management for the purposes of part 13 and 33 bull 2Declaration of an approved Wildlife Trade Operation bull 2Variation to declaration of an approved Wildlife Trade Operation bull DEWHA Ministerial Schedule that revokes existing conditions or includes new
conditions bull 2Amendment to the List of Exempt Native Specimens (LENS) bull 2Ministerial decision recommendations and conditions bull 2Agency submission on ecological sustainability and bull Invitation to comment A period for public comment allows anyone interested in
the fishery to provide DEWHA and fisheries managers with comments on the management agency submission
DEWHA assessment report
bull Key information from overall assessment The Ministerrsquos decision
bull Decision subject to any conditions and recommendations It should be noted that the information provided below was current at the time of the submission but some aspects of the legislation management monitoring and performance arrangements may have changed since then
170
State Fisheries
New South Wales Fisheries bull 2Abalone Fishery (EIS and FMS) bull 2Estuary General Fishery (EIS
and FMS) bull 2Estuary Prawn Trawl (EIS and
FMS) bull 2Lobster Fishery (EIS and FMS)
bull 2Ocean Hauling Fishery (EIS and FMS)
bull 2Ocean Trap and Line Fishery (EIS and FMS)
bull 2Ocean Trawl Fishery (EIS and FMS)
NSW DPI submissions to DEWHA
The submissions to DEWHA under the EPBC Act are in the form of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Fishery Management Strategy (FMS) as outlined below Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) NSW DPI provide an Environmental Impact Statement for public consultation These are very detailed documents and address the following
bull The ecological (target byproduct bycatch TEP habitats and wider ecosystem) economic and social components
bull A draft fishery management strategy(goals objectives and management responses)
bull Performance monitoring and review (predetermined performance indicators and trigger points)
bull Proposed harvesting strategy and bull Impact on fish resources and biophysical environment (risk assessment)
Fishery Management Strategy (FMS) A fishery management strategy is a document outlining the management goals objectives strategies for achieving the objectives (including the fishing or activity controls) performance indicators and the monitoring programs that apply to a fishery
or activity Fishery management strategies are valuable because they
bull Provide a long term vision for management of a fishery or activity bull Clearly outline the strategies that are in place to achieve that vision bull Provide stakeholders with greater certainty by knowing the management
programs that apply in the fishery or activity provide useful background information and
bull The strategies will allow the community to scrutinise the management arrangements for each fishery or activity and seek to ensure that the management arrangements in place provide sustainable fisheries and activities into the future
Appendix A 171
The NSW 2Abalone Fishery an example Part 1 provides a summary and details of the NSW DPI agency submission on ecological sustainability to DEWHA (September 2005) Part 2 provides summary information of DEWHA assessment of the fishery and the Ministerial decision conditions and recommendations
Part 1 NSW DPI Submission to DEWHA (September 2005) Submission for the purposes of the protected species provisions of Part 13 and the wildlife trade provisions of Part 13 A of the EPBC Act The following information is from the Abalone Fishery Environmental Impact Statement Vol 1 2 and 3 (September 2005) prepared by The Ecology Lab Pty Ltd on behalf of NSW Department of Primary Industries and shareholders of the NSW Commercial Abalone Volume 1 Chapter B Review of the existing fishery and was current at time of the submission (September 2005) to DEWHA Other relevant information that is included is sourced from the NSW (DPI) fisheries web documents and in each case source references are provided
A summary of the NSW (DPI) submission to DEWHA is provided in the table below and then in more detail under the same headings This is followed by other NSW (DPI) supporting documents and reports and references for this section
Legislation Commonwealth legislation Wildlife Protection (Regulation of Export and
Imports) Act 1982 Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999
NSW Legislation Fisheries Management Act 1994 Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 Marine Parks Act 1997 National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 and Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 Port Corporation and Waterways Management Act 1995 Crown Lands Act 1989 and Rivers and Water Act 2000 Foreshores Protection Act 1948 Food Production (safety) Act 1998 Food Production (safety) Act 1998
Management Management plans and regulations Fisheries management (general) regulation 2002
Fisheries Management (Aquatic Reserves) Regulation 2002 New South Wales Abalone Share Management Plan 2000 (5 year statutory plan commenced 18 February 2000) Fisheries Management (Abalone Share Management Plan) Regulation 2000 Fishery Management Strategy (included in EIS report Vol 2 Chapter D) Draft Abalone Fishery Code of Practice
Code of practice Draft Abalone fishery code of practice
172
Harvest strategies Target inputoutput annual quota allocation and TACC
Spatial management Divided into 6 regions for stock assessment purposes Marine parks and aquatic reserves where harvesting limited Seasonal closures (time and spatial)
Assessment
Stock assessment Target annual stock assessment
EIS Ecological (target byproduct bycatch TEP habitats and wider ecosystem) economic and social components
Risk assessment Broadly consistent with the guidelines for ESD reporting for Australian fisheries lsquoHow to Guidersquo for Wild Capture Fisheries by Fletcher et al 2002 It addresses the impact on fish resources and biophysical environment Target byproduct and bycatch TEP habitat and ecosystems
Economic components Analysis based on compilation of existing data Social components Descriptions of community values and views
associated with the Abalone Fishery including social capital skills base and transferability of skills with a brief analysis of the basis of these views and perceptions
Governance No Monitoring
Monitoring DPIampF statewide Long Term Monitoring Program (LTMP) started in 19999
Performance indicators and trigger points Objectives performance indicators and review triggers for ecological economic and social components
Observer program No Reporting Fishers A daily docket recording catch and effort
information such as the zones fished dive time catches taken from each zone information on the crew boat used and the consignee
NSW DPI Annual abalone fishery reports Research
Research Strategic research plan objectives strategies and priorities
Consultation
Management Advisory Committees (MACs)
Appendix A 173
NSW DPI submission to DEWHA in more detail
Legislation Acts
Act Relevant Authority Regulatory provisions
NSW Legislation Fisheries Management Act 1994
DPI Fishing authorisations fishing closures declaration and management of aquatic reserves protection of certain fish including threatened and protected species
Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979
Department of Planning (Planning NSW) and Local Councils
Administration of the environmental impact assessment and project approval system Development of environmental planning instruments which may protect wetlands or certain other areas
Marine Parks Act 1997 Marine Parks Authority Declaration and management of marine parks
National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 and Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995
National Parks and Wildlife Service
Declaration and management of nature reserves and national parks protection of certain mammals birds and foreshore species including threatened and protected species
Port Corporation and Waterways Management Act 1995
Waterways Authority or relevant Port Corporation
Use of ports wharfs berths moorings etc licensing of vessels and maintenance of safe navigation in waterways
Crown Lands Act 1989 and Rivers and Water Act 2000 Foreshores Protection Act 1948
Department of Land and Water Conservation
Use of Crown land for wharfs berths or moorings and protection of river estuary and coastal foreshores
Food Production (safety) Act 1998
Safe food Fish products safe for human consumption
Commonwealth Legislation
Wildlife Protection (Regulation of Export and Imports) Act 1982
Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries Australia and Environment Australia
Licence to export protected wildlife
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999
Environment Australia Environmental Assessment of matters of National Significance including those affecting protected or threatened species Ramsar wetlands bird and mammal species protected under international agreements
Management
Plans and regulations
New South Wales Abalone Share Management Plan 2000 (5 year statutory plan commenced 18 February 2000)
Fisheries Management (Abalone Share Management Plan) Regulation 2000
174
Components of the Abalone Share Management Plan Part Title Purpose Part 1 Management Advisory Committees Describes the role and composition of the MAC Part 2 The NSW Abalone Fishery Profile A brief description of the fishery and its key
management components
Part 3 Strategic Plan for the Abalone Fishery
Outlines strategies in management research and compliance to meet objectives of the fishery
Part 4 Fisheries Management (Abalone Share Management Plan) Regulation 2000
The legislated component of the share management plan
Draft Abalone Fishery Code of Practice
The Code is presently in its initial stages and has been written to respond to current issues in the fishery and to assist with the implementation of particular management responses proposed in the Draft FMS for the Abalone Fishery The Code is to be adaptive to the changing needs of the fishery and is expected to evolve as the needs in the fishery change The Scope of the Code is as follows
bull This Code is voluntary bull This Code is directed towards the NSW commercial abalone divers deckhands bull It is envisaged that processors and the marketing and aquaculture sector of the
abalone industry will also adopt the principles of the Code and bull The Code may be revised from time to time as a result of changes in the
abalone industry or the seafood industry as a whole An objective under the code is to promote the ecologically sustainable development of the seafood industry and the sustainable use of living aquatic resources and their environments Underlying this Code of Practice one of the general principles applying across the seafood industry is that the abalone seafood industry will strive to conserve and protect aquatic ecosystems
Fishery Management Strategy (FMS)
A fishery management strategy is a document outlining the management goals objectives strategies for achieving the objectives (including the fishing or activity controls) performance indicators and the monitoring programs that apply to a fishery or activity Fishery management strategies are valuable because they
bull Provide a long term vision for management of a fishery or activity bull Clearly outline the strategies that are in place to achieve that vision and bull Provide stakeholders with greater certainty by knowing the management
programs that apply in the fishery or activity and provide useful background information
Appendix A 175
The strategies will allow the community to scrutinise the management arrangements for each fishery or activity and seek to ensure that the management arrangements in place provide sustainable fisheries and activities into the future
Harvest strategies
The Abalone Fishery is currently managed by a combination of input and output Controls including restricted entry size limits and a Total Allowable Commercial Catch (TACC) A stock assessment is applied to the Abalone fishery each year A quota management system was introduced into the Abalone Fishery on 1 August 1989 Quota was originally equally allocated to divers Since becoming a share managed fishery individual quotas are allocated (by weight) in proportion to shareholding on an annual basis The total allowable commercial catch (TACC) is set by the statutory and independent Total Allowable Catch Setting and Review Committee (Section B183) The TACC setting process takes into account an assumed level of recreational catch and unreported (illegal) commercial catch and all relevant scientific Industry community social and economic factors
Spatial management
The coastline of NSW has been divided into the following six regions for the purposes Of stock assessment Although regions differ in size they were originally chosen in1994 to be equivalent in the amount of commercial catch of abalone over the previous 10 years (TAC Committee 2002) although this has since changed In addition the coastline of NSW has been divided into 72 sub-zones This has been done to provide information on the harvest of abalone at small spatial scales and for the purposes of compliance reporting Marine parks and aquatic reserves where harvesting is limited and seasonal closures (time and area)
Assessment
Stock assessment
Target annual stock assessment The basis for the ongoing stock assessment program was initiated by DPI and Industry in 1993 through a Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) grant and it has been fully-funded by Industry since 1996 The program has undergone considerable development and expansion over the past 11 years The annual assessment is presented to the TAC Committee and forms the basis for their determination of the TACC for each fishing period The assessment of the stock involves combining different sources of data as outlined in the table below
176
Sources of data Objectives and Comments
Fishery independent surveys
Involves researchers counting abalone in three size classes annually between July and December in fixed areas in each of the 6 stock assessment regions
Size structure of commercial catch
Fishery-dependent data collected from catch return sheets The average length of abalone in commercial catches is calculated The number of individuals and weight of each catch is used to calculate the average length of abalone in individual catches This is used to estimate the frequency distribution of sizes of abalone in the commercial catch
Analysis of commercial catch and effort data
Fishery-dependent data collected from catch return sheets Spatial and temporal trends in catch and effort are estimated Currently done annually
Stock assessment of abalone
Fishery-dependent and fishery-independent data are fed into a length-structure model with spatial components and used to make predictions that would result from various changes to management (TACs in particular) This information is presented to the TAC Committee annually
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
NSW DPI provide an Environmental Impact Statement for public consultation These are very detailed documents and address the following
bull The ecological (target byproduct bycatch TEP habitats and wider ecosystem) economic and social components
bull A draft fishery management strategy(goals objectives and management responses)
bull Performance monitoring and review (predetermined performance indicators and trigger points)
bull Proposed harvesting strategy and bull Impact on fish resources and biophysical environment (risk assessment)
Appendix A 177
Economic and social issues considered
Economic This information draws heavily upon a report on economic issues associated with the NSW Abalone Fishery prepared by Dominion Consulting Pty Ltd The Dominion report was compiled from existing information augmented by economic and social surveys conducted around 200102 DPI reports and Australian Bureau of Statistics data on NSW fisheries Much of the information presented in this section is now out of date particularly in light of recent significant changes in abalone beach prices and this is an acknowledged shortcoming of this analysis The economic issues considered include the following
bull Information sources bull Investment in fishing equipment and processing facilities bull Employment in the fishery bull Economic return from the fishery bull Gross revenue bull Shares bull Profitability in the fishery bull Productivity in the fishery bull Rents community contribution and management charges bull Economic contribution to local and regional economies and multiplier effects
and bull Overall risk from current operations to economic viability
Social Dominion Consulting Pty Ltd has described the community values and views associated with the abalone fishery including social capital skills base and transferability of skills with a brief analysis of the basis of these views and perceptions Umwelt Pty Ltd described Indigenous values and views associated with fishery as well as issues associated with European heritage The reports by Dominion Consulting Pty Ltd and Umwelt Pty Ltd also identified the overall social risks from the current operational regime taking into consideration the likelihood of the impacts and their predicted consequences The social issues considered include the following
bull Demography of shareholders divers and their families bull Demography of deckhands and their families bull Community values and views associated with the fishery bull The importance of social identity bull Job satisfaction bull Health risks to divers bull Health risks to consumers bull Indigenous cultural heritage and community issues bull Important indigenous sites and places bull The interface with traditional fishing and access to fishery resources bull Current implications for indigenous community well being bull Heritage issues
178
bull Locations of historic shipwrecks bull Overall risk from current operations to social issues bull Illegal activities bull Reduced employment and limited alternative employment and bull Indigenous community wellbeing
Risk assessment
The EIS includes a risk assessment which is broadly consistent with the guidelines for ESD reporting for Australian fisheries lsquoHow to Guidersquo for Wild Capture Fisheries by Fletcher et al 2002 It addresses the impact on target byproduct and bycatch TEPs habitats and other species assemblages
Monitoring and Performance
Monitoring
A number of monitoring programs are being used to gather information to measure performance indicators for the fishery For example the stock assessment program is the basis for providing information about biomass Performance indicators and trigger points for biomass and commercial catch rate are related to values for 1994 as this was the first year of the current stock assessment program for the fishery Other monitoring programs include measuring rates of compliance as indicated by the number of inspections that show illegal activity Monitoring rates of compliance are used as an indication of whether the number of offences is being minimised
Indicators and Trigger Points
The effectiveness of performance indicators in the share management plan in monitoring the performance of the fishery depends on how well they monitor the achievement of objectives For example the failure of the economic indicators to trigger in recent years when information has pointed to a reduced economic viability in the fishery suggests a review of economic indicators may be required Current indicators of economic viability are based mostly on the value and market of shares in the fishery and the independence of these to the economic situation in the fishery In addition indicators for biomass are ambiguous as it is unclear as to whether the objective is to maintain stocks at current levels or increase them There is also no indication of the preferred time period for recovery of the target stock should recovery be required
The performance indicators for the share management plan were developed to determine if the management objectives are being attained The trigger points specify a point when a performance indicator has reached a level that suggests there may be a problem with the fishery and a review is required Some performance indicators vary naturally from time to time The following table identifies the performance indicators and trigger points that are used to measure whether each of the management objectives described in the share management plan are being attained Under this existing regime a review of the share management plan is required if the Minister for Primary Industries
Appendix A 179
is satisfied that a trigger for review is breached An annual report is completed at the end of each fishing period which examines the performance of the fishery against the objectives of the plan Specifically it addresses each of the performance indicators and triggers identified in the table
180
Mon
itori
ng P
erfo
rman
ce in
dica
tors
and
trig
ger
poin
ts c
urre
nt p
erfo
rman
ce m
onito
ring
for t
he A
balo
ne F
ishe
ry (S
ourc
e S
MP
2000
) O
bjec
tive
Pe
rfor
man
ce In
dica
tor
M
onito
ring
and
Tri
gger
for
Rev
iew
Prom
ote
com
mer
cial
fish
ing
pr
actic
es fo
r aba
lone
that
do
not
impa
ct o
n th
e br
oade
r eco
syst
em
Com
mer
cial
fish
ing
prac
tices
for a
balo
ne d
o no
t hav
e an
adv
erse
en
viro
nmen
tal i
mpa
ct o
n th
e br
oade
r eco
syst
em
Rese
arch
con
duct
ed b
y or
on
beha
lf of
DPI
indi
cate
s th
at c
omm
erci
al
fishi
ng
for a
balo
ne is
hav
ing
an a
dver
se e
nvir
onm
enta
l im
pact
on
the
broa
der
ecos
yste
m
Mai
ntai
n or
incr
ease
the
biom
ass
of
mat
ure
and
lega
l siz
ed a
balo
ne
Biom
ass
of m
atur
e an
d le
gal s
ized
aba
lone
incr
ease
or d
o no
t ch
ange
in a
ny a
rea
to w
hich
a to
tal a
llow
able
cat
ch a
pplie
s
(usi
ng a
mod
el b
ased
ass
essm
ent
with
sur
vey
of a
balo
ne s
tock
co
nduc
ted
by D
PI in
199
4 to
be
used
as
a be
nchm
ark)
(a) T
he b
iom
ass
of m
atur
e or
lega
l siz
ed a
balo
ne in
an
area
in w
hich
a to
tal
allo
wab
le c
atch
app
lies
falls
bel
ow th
e 19
94 b
ench
mar
k by
mor
e th
an 1
5
(b) T
here
is gt
50
cha
nce
of (a
) occ
urri
ng in
the
next
5 y
ears
if th
e to
tal
allo
wab
le c
atch
is u
ncha
nged
Ensu
re m
anag
emen
t ar
rang
emen
ts fo
r the
fish
ery
do
not h
ave
a si
gnifi
cant
impa
ct o
n
the
cost
s of
taki
ng a
balo
ne fo
r sal
e
Man
agem
ent c
harg
e fo
r the
fish
ery
(und
er S
ectio
n 76
of t
he A
ct)
does
not
incr
ease
sig
nific
antly
dis
rega
rdin
g an
y in
crea
se th
at is
at
trib
utab
le to
the
prov
isio
n of
add
ition
al re
sour
ces
by D
PI (e
g
the
prov
isio
n of
add
ition
al c
ompl
ianc
e of
ficer
s)
Man
agem
ent c
harg
e fo
r the
fish
ery
incr
ease
s in
any
yea
r at a
rate
exc
eedi
ng
the
rate
of i
nfla
tion
(as
mea
sure
d by
the
cons
umer
pri
ce in
dex)
di
sreg
ardi
ng in
crea
ses
that
are
attr
ibut
able
to th
e pr
ovis
ion
of a
dditi
onal
re
sour
ces
by D
PI a
fter c
omm
ence
men
t of t
his
Plan
Prom
ote
cost
effi
cien
t m
anag
emen
t
Inde
pend
ent r
evie
w o
f the
man
agem
ent a
rran
gem
ents
for t
he
fishe
ry c
ondu
cted
per
iodi
cally
at t
he re
ques
t of t
he M
inis
ter
de
term
ines
that
man
agem
ent a
rran
gem
ents
are
app
ropr
iate
Inde
pend
ent r
evie
w d
eter
min
es th
at th
e m
anag
emen
t arr
ange
men
ts fo
r the
fis
hery
are
inap
prop
riat
e
Ensu
re th
e fis
hery
rem
ains
ec
onom
ical
ly v
iabl
e
Stan
dard
ised
com
mer
cial
cat
ch ra
tes
rela
tive
to 1
994
Ther
e is
a
buyi
ng m
arke
t for
quo
ta T
here
is a
buy
ing
mar
ket f
or s
hare
s in
th
e fis
hery
Val
ue o
f sha
res
in th
e fis
hery
is m
aint
aine
d or
in
crea
sed
Stan
dard
ised
cat
ch ra
tes
fall
by m
ore
than
15
o
f199
4 be
nchm
ark
20
(or
mor
e) o
f quo
ta a
vaila
ble
for t
radi
ng c
anno
t be
trad
ed 1
5
(or m
ore)
of
shar
es a
vaila
ble
for t
radi
ng c
anno
t be
sold
Val
ue o
f sha
re p
acka
ges
for a
fis
hing
per
iod
decr
ease
s by
mor
e th
an 1
0
(usi
ng 1
999
valu
e as
a
benc
hmar
k)
Ensu
re a
ppro
pria
te re
sear
ch a
nd
mon
itori
ng in
the
fishe
ry
Nec
essa
ry d
ata
are
avai
labl
e fo
r ass
essm
ent o
f aba
lone
sto
cks
In
suffi
cien
t dat
a ar
e av
aila
ble
for t
he p
urpo
se o
f set
ting
the
tota
l allo
wab
le
catc
h fo
r aba
lone
Ensu
re th
e nu
mbe
r of
endo
rsem
ents
in th
e fis
hery
doe
s
not i
ncre
ase
sign
ifica
ntly
Ther
e is
no
sign
ifica
nt in
crea
se in
the
num
ber o
f per
sons
elig
ible
fo
r an
endo
rsem
ent a
fter t
he c
omm
ence
men
t of t
his
Plan
N
umbe
r of p
erso
ns e
ligib
le fo
r an
endo
rsem
ent e
xcee
ds 4
2
Min
imis
e th
e nu
mbe
r of o
ffenc
es
com
mitt
ed b
y co
mm
erci
al d
iver
s
and
fish
proc
esso
rs
Num
ber o
f offe
nces
rela
ting
to a
balo
ne c
omm
itted
by
dive
rs
annu
ally
as
indi
cate
d by
qua
lity
insp
ectio
ns c
ondu
cted
by
DPI
in
dica
tes
subs
tant
ial c
ompl
ianc
e w
ith th
e A
ct t
his
Plan
and
the
ot
her r
egul
atio
ns u
nder
the
Act
Ove
rall
rate
of c
ompl
ianc
e w
ith th
e A
ct t
his
Plan
and
oth
er re
gula
tions
un
der t
he A
ct (e
stim
ated
ann
ually
by
the
Dir
ecto
r) is
less
than
70
Appendix A 181
Reporting Fishers Endorsed divers must comply with a daily catch reporting procedure A daily docket recording catch and effort information such as the zones fished dive time catches taken from each zone as well as information on the crew boat used and the consignee must be recorded Divers are required to validate their catch before moving more than 50 metres from the boat ramp or associated car park NSW DPI Abalone share management fishery annual reports
Research Strategic plan for abalone research from Abalone share Management Plan (2000)
Objective Maintain or increase the biomass of mature and legal sized abalone
Strategies
bull Describe and analyse patterns in commercial catch effort catch rate and the size of abalone caught
bull Complete annual independent surveys to provide an index of the relative abundance of abalone of different sizes
bull Incorporate all data sources into a formal modelling framework to assess the current state of the stock and the risk and performance of future TAC
bull Release hatchery-produced larval and juvenile abalone to depleted reefs bull Investigate interactions between the fisheries for abalone and sea urchins with
particular reference to the potential for enhancement of the abalone fishery bull Complete surveys of the infection rate by Perkinsus with the potential of
minimising losses caused by mortality bull Provide a description of the impact of fishing practices upon the mortality of
undersized abalone and bull Complete experiments and analysis of meat-weight shell-length relationships
and provide the information to compliance Objective Ensure appropriate research and monitoring in relation to the fishery
Strategies
bull Consultation with the MAC Industry community Department other agencies and users of the information and
bull External review of existing strategies and their cost-effectiveness Ongoing stock assessment research projects (Source Abalone share Management Plan 2000)
182
Research Projects Objectives and Comments
Fishery independent surveys
Involves researchers counting abalone in three size classes annually between July and December in fixed areas in each of the 6 stock assessment regions
Size structure of commercial catch
Fishery-dependent data collected from catch return sheets The average length of abalone in commercial catches is calculated The number of individuals and weight of each catch is used to calculate the average length of abalone in individual catches This is used to estimate the frequency distribution of sizes of abalone in the commercial catch
Analysis of commercial catch and effort data
Fishery-dependent data collected from catch return sheets Spatial and temporal trends in catch and effort are estimated Currently done annually
Stock assessment of abalone
Fishery-dependent and fishery-independent data are fed into a length-structure model with spatial components and used to make predictions that would result from various changes to management (TACs in particular) This information is presented to the TAC Committee annually
Other Research
A revision of research priorities in late 2002 indicated the following research priorities ranked in order of importance from 1 (highest priority) to 3 (lowest priority) Ecological Processes
Development of the sea urchin fishery to enhance abalone populations Rank 2
Impacts of Management and Manipulation Utility of alternative size limits and fish-downs for abalone Rank 3 Reporting Managerial and Policy Methodologies Estimation of the illegal catch of abalone Rank 1 Disease and Pollution Effects of Perkinsus and water quality on abalone Rank 1 Post-harvest and Value-adding Development of improved tanking and marketing of abalone Rank 2 Socio-economics Education and Communication Economic assessment of the impact of the Abalone Fishery Rank 2
Consultation Management Advisory Committees (MACs) Ministerial Advisory Councils The Ministerial Advisory Councils currently established are
bull The Seafood Industry Advisory Council (SIAC)
Appendix A 183
bull The Advisory Council on Recreational Fishing (ACoRF) and bull Total Allowable Catch Setting and Review Committee (TAC)
Supporting documentsreports (NSW DPI) bull NSW status of fisheries resources 200102 bull Planning strategic research for fisheries aquaculture and aquatic conservation
in NSW 2004-2009 bull TAC Committee Abalone Fishery Report and Determination 200607 bull Draft Fishery Management strategy bull 2Taking of Abalone Prohibited ndash Poster bull 2Abalone Share Management Plan bull 2Abalone Share Managed Fishery Annual Report 20012002 bull 2Abalone Share Managed Fishery Annual Report 200203 and bull Future Governance of the NSW Abalone Fishery Alternative Arrangements
2Final Report March 2004
References NSW DPI submission to DEWHA Abalone Fishery Environmental Impact Statement Vol 1 2 and 3 (September 2005) prepared by The Ecology Lab Pty Ltd on behalf of NSW Department of Primary Industries and shareholders of the NSW Commercial Abalone DEWHA Assessment Assessment of the New South Wales Abalone Fishery (November 2006) Australian Government Department of the Environment and Heritage Legislation Commonwealth Legislation
bull Wildlife Protection (Regulation of Export and Imports) Act 1982 and bull Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999
NSW legislation
bull Fisheries Management Act 1994 bull Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 bull Marine Parks Act 1997 bull National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974 and Threatened Species Conservation Act
1995 bull Port Corporation and Waterways Management Act 1995 bull Crown Lands Act 1989 and Rivers and Water Act 2000 Foreshores Protection
Act 1948 and bull Food Production (safety) Act 1998
184
Management
bull Fisheries Management (general) Regulation 2002 bull Fisheries Management (Aquatic Reserves) Regulation 2002 bull Abalone fishery Share Management Plan (2000) and bull Fisheries Management (Abalone Share Management Plan) Regulation (2000)
Other
bull FisheryDraft Abalone Fishery Code of Practice bull 2Taking of Abalone Prohibited ndash Poster bull 2Abalone Share Managed Fishery Annual Report 20012002 bull 2Abalone Share Managed Fishery Annual Report 200203 bull Future Governance of the NSW Abalone Fishery Alternative Arrangements ndash
2Final Report March 2004 and bull How to Guidersquo for Wild Capture Fisheries by Fletcher et al 2002
Part 2 DEWHA Assessment 2Abalone Fishery
The assessment
The submission has been assessed in accordance with the protected species provisions of Part 13 and the wildlife trade provisions of Part 13A of the EPBC Act The assessment includes
bull 2Department of the Environment and Heritage Assessment Report (December 2005)
bull 2Department of the Environment and Heritage Assessment Report (November 2006)
bull 2Accreditation of a plan of management for the purposes of part 13 (28th November 2005)
bull 2Declaration of an approved Wildlife Trade Operation ndash Gazetted on Wednesday 30 November 2005 S212
bull 2Variation to Declaration of an approved Wildlife Trade Operation (21 November 2006)
bull 2Amendment to the List of Exempt Native Specimens ndash Registered on Wednesday 30 November 2005 F2005L03806
bull 2Ministerial decision (November 2005) bull 2Ministerial decision (November 2006) bull 2Agency submission on ecological sustainability (September 2005) bull Invitation to comment closed Friday 14 October 2005
The assessment of the fishery was based primarily on the FMS contained within the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) provided by NSW DPI The FMS has not yet been finalised or formally implemented into the management arrangements of the fishery and requires modification to ensure the ongoing ecologically sustainable management of the fishery
Appendix A 185
DEWHA assessment report
The assessment of the New South Wales Abalone Fishery (November 2006) Australian Government Department of the Environment and Heritage (from Overall assessment pgs 8-9) The material submitted by NSW DPI demonstrates that the existing management arrangements for the fishery in conjunction with the commitments made in the draft FMS and determination of the fishery under the NSW EPampA Act by the NSW Minister for Primary Industries meet most of the requirements of the Australian Government Guidelines for the Ecologically Sustainable Management of Fisheries While the final FMS will allow the fishery to be relatively well managed DEWHA has identified a number of current risks and uncertainties that must be further managed to ensure that their impacts are minimised
bull Significantly depleted stocks in several management regions bull Absence of defined recovery strategies to address depleted stock levels bull Need for finer spatial scale management to address potential localised and serial
depletion of available stocks bull Uncertain levels of recreational and illegal catches and bull Continuing significant impacts of illegal harvesting
The operation of the fishery is consistent with the objects of Part 13A of the EPBC Act DEWHA recommends that the existing WTO for the fishery be extended for a further 2 years up to 28 November 2008
2Ministerial decision
November 2005 2Declaration of an approved Wildlife Trade Operation (Gazetted on Wednesday 30 November 2005 S212) under Part 13A of the EPBC Act 3 This declaration would allow the export of product from the fishery for the next 12 months The declaration was subject to the conditions (set out in Attachment A) November 2006 The accreditation under Part 13 of the EPBC Act granted in November 2005 will continue to apply to the fishery The Minister decided to extend the current WTO for the Abalone Fishery until 28 November 2008 subject to the conditions and recommendations below
186
Conditions and recommendations Conditions Conditions on the Approved Wildlife Trade Operation Declaration for the New South Wales (NSW) Abalone Fishery
1 Operation of the fishery will be carried out in accordance with the NSW Abalone Share Management Plan 2000 in force under the NSW Fisheries Management Act 1994
2 NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) to advise the Department of the Environment and Heritage (DEWHA) of any material change to the Abalone Fishery management arrangements that could negatively affect the assessment of the fishery against the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 criteria within three months of that change being made
3 A report to be produced and presented to DEWHA annually and to include
a information sufficient to allow assessment of the progress of NSW DPI in conjunction with industry and other stakeholders in implementing the conditions and recommendations made and
b the status of the Abalone Fishery performance indicators compared to the trigger points
4 The Fishery Management Strategy for the NSW Abalone Fishery to be finalised and approved by the end of April 2007
5 NSW DPI in conjunction with NSW Abalone Fishery stakeholders to develop and implement within 12 months an agreed recovery strategy for abalone stocks across the fishery that defines the following
bull precautionary recovery targets and associated timeframes bull specific measures to promote the rebuilding of stocks to target levels and bull stock and catch monitoring and compliance measures required to evaluate
and enforce the recovery of depleted stocks Recommendations Recommendations for the extended Wildlife Trade Operation Declaration for the New South Wales (NSW) Abalone Fishery
1 NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) to work with other abalone stakeholders to ensure that the necessary consultative and co-management arrangements through the Abalone Fishery Management Advisory Committee or other mechanisms continue to operate to address the management commitments of the fishery
2 NSW DPI in conjunction with NSW Abalone Fishery stakeholders to develop and commence implementing within 6 months scientific surveys of the status of stocks in the Region 1 of the fishery
Appendix A 187
3 NSW DPI within 18 months to develop and implement measures to improve estimates of illegal recreational and indigenous catches of abalone for incorporation into the fishery resource assessment process
4 NSW DPI in conjunction with industry to develop and progressively implement in the next 18 months a program of finer scale management measures including catch limits at sub-regional levels spatially and temporally specific size limits and specific management arrangements for the closure and re-opening of areas of the fishery
5 NSW DPI in cooperation with other jurisdictions to develop more effective strategies and specific measures to quantify and reduce the extent of illegal take of abalone in NSW
188
Northern Territory Fisheries assessments bull 2Aquarium Fishery bull 2Demersal Fishery bull 2Finfish Trawl Fishery bull 2Mud Crab Fishery
bull 2Shark Fishery bull 2Spanish Mackerel Fishery bull 2Timor Reef Fishery bull 2Trepang Fishery
NT DPIFM submissions to DEWHA
The submissions to DEWHA under the EPBC Act addressed the EPBC principles and objectives for the ecological components only
2NT Spanish Mackerel Fishery an example Part 1 provides a summary and details of the NT DPIFM agency submission on ecological sustainability to DEWHA (May 2002) Part 2 provides summary information of DEWHA assessment of the fishery and the Ministerial decision conditions and recommendations
Part 1 NT DPIFM submission to DEWHA (May 2002) Submission for the purposes of the protected species provisions of Part 13 and the wildlife trade provisions of Part 13 A of the EPBC Act
The following information is from the report Assessing the ecological sustainability of the Northern Territory Spanish Mackerel Fishery compiled by Annette OrsquoGrady (May 2002) a report prepared for Environment Australia as required for assessment under the EPBC Act 1999 and was current at time of the submission (May 2002) to DEWHA Other relevant information that is included is sourced from the NT (DPIFM) fisheries web documents and in each case source references are provided
A summary of the NT (DPIFM) submission to DEWHA is provided in the table below and then in more detail under the same headings This is followed by other NT (DPIFM) supporting documents and reports and references for this section Legislation Commonwealth legislation Wildlife Protection (Regulation of Export and
Imports) Act 1982 Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999 National Policy on ESD and the National ESD framework for Australian fisheries
NT legislation NT Fisheries Act 1998 Review of the Fisheries Act 1998 a discussion paper (February 2006) NT Fisheries Regulations (operational 1st January 1993)
Management Management plans and regulations Spanish Mackerel Fishery Management Plan in
force at 1st February1993
Appendix A 189
Review of Spanish Mackerel Fishery Management Plan discussion paper November 2000
Codes of practice No
Harvest strategies Target species input controls
Spatial management No
Assessment
Stock assessment Target species annual stock assessment based on age structured modelling
EIS No
Risk assessment No
Economic components No
Social components No
Governance No
Monitoring
Monitoring Monitoring of target species and byproduct Bycatch TEP habitat ecosystems provision for comments in logbook
Performance indicators and trigger points Proposed objectives indicators and trigger points and management action (review of management arrangements)
Observer program No
Reporting
Fishers Daily logbook listing catch effort and market details returns to the Fisheries Division on a monthly basis
NT DPIFM Annual status and technical reports Spanish mackerel fishery assessment reports every 3-5 years
Research
Research Strategic plan for fisheries research and development 2005-2009
Consultation
Spanish Mackerel Fishery Management Advisory Committee (SMACMAC)
NT DPIFW Submission to DEWHA in more detail
Legislation Acts Commonwealth legislation
bull Wildlife Protection (Regulation of Export and Imports) Act 1982 bull Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999 and bull NT are signatories to the National Policy on ESD and the National ESD
framework for Australian fisheries
190
NT State legislation bull NT Fisheries Act 1998 bull Review of the Fisheries Act 1998 a discussion paper (February 2006) and bull NT Fisheries Regulations (operational 1st January 1993)
Management
Plans and regulations
Spanish Mackerel Fishery Management Plan in force at 1st February1993 Review of Spanish Mackerel Fishery Management Plan discussion paper November 2000 Current management arrangements take into account controls in neighbouring jurisdictions whilst complementary management arrangements between the statesTerritory have been agreed should research define shared stocks of Spanish mackerel This forum is effective in addressing cross jurisdictional issues particularly stock assessment and bycatch information
Spanish mackerel byproduct limits have been imposed for a range of offshore and nearshore fisheries The Timor Reef and Demersal fisheries have a nil byproduct of Spanish mackerel and the Commonwealth-managed Northern Prawn and Western Tuna fisheries may have a total of ten finfish in possession including Spanish mackerel Spanish mackerel byproduct arrangements for Northern Territory fisheries that target other species have been canvassed through the review of the Spanish Mackerel Fishery Management Plan The Barramundi and Shark fisheries have agreed to implement Spanish mackerel byproduct limits
The selective nature of Spanish mackerel fishing gear and targeting practices restricts the take of byproduct and limits most byproduct to other pelagic species The most common observed byproduct species are grey (or broad-barred) mackerel (Scomberomorus semifasciatus) long tail tuna (Thunnus tonggol) coral trout (Plectropomus spp) cobia (Rachycentron canadus) and various trevallies (Family Carangidae) Byproduct currently comprises less than 25 percent (by whole weight) of the commercial Spanish mackerel fishery catch
There are no threat abatement plans or recovery plans implemented for species of relevance to the Northern Territory Spanish mackerel fishery The Territoryrsquos fishing effort is restricted to very selective fishing gear that aims to minimise both interaction with the environment and limit bycatch If it became apparent that a threat abatement planrecovery planbycatch action strategy was in the Northern Territory the Fisheries Regulations or the Spanish Mackerel Fishery Management Plan would be amended to facilitate the plan The review of the Spanish Mackerel Fishery Management Plan has proposed that a Spanish mackerel bycatchbyproduct action plan be developed for fisheries targeting species other than Spanish mackerel It is envisaged that the Spanish
Appendix A 191
mackerel bycatchbyproduct action plan will be implemented throughout the latter half of 2002
Harvest strategies
The commercial Spanish mackerel fishery is managed by input controls including limited entry a licence reduction scheme and gear restrictions Licences have decreased from 28 to 19 since the introduction of a two for one licence reduction program in 1992 whereby two restricted Spanish mackerel licences are relinquished for the provision of one fully transferable licence During 2001 14 commercial fishers actively participated in the fishery
Spatial management
The target species is most commonly found in clear oceanic waters from the NT coast to the edge of the Australian Fishing Zone (AFZ)
Assessment
Stock assessment
Logbook returns from commercial Spanish mackerel fishers and fishing tour operators (FTOs) are submitted to the Fisheries Division and provide the necessary details for stock assessments The Spanish mackerel fishery and Spanish mackerel stocks are reviewed annually at the Northern Australian Fisheries Management Workshop attended by fisheries managers researchers and compliance officers from Western Australia the Northern Territory Queensland and the Commonwealth Various stock assessment methods have been applied to the NT Spanish Mackerel Fishery Age-structured models using the available time series of catch and effort have provided the best results but even those assessments are considered to be only moderately reliable Stock assessment of Spanish mackerel in the NT has proved quite problematic Assessments in 1997 and 2000 noted that the fishery has been recovering from over-fishing by the Taiwan-Australia joint venture fishery of the 1970s and 1980s but without better information on harvest rates or abundance the real impact of the fishery cannot be ascertained In addition to the geographic relationships of stocks being finely divided it is difficult to estimate the size of Spanish mackerel stocks as they are not amenable to survey by trawling or gill net or even by air and are difficult to capture uninjured for tagging (Source Fishery Status Reports 2004 (December 2005) Fishery Report No82) A range of national and international expert fisheries researchers have contributed to stock assessments of the Northern Territory Spanish mackerel fishery Peer review of the Spanish mackerel stock assessment process was provided through a seminar presented at the 1993 Australian Society for Fish Biology Conference Public stock assessment workshops reviewing the Spanish mackerel fishery were conducted in July 1997 and August 2000 These workshops were led by nationally and internationally recognised stock assessment scientists
192
Technical analyses involved northern Australian researchers from a range of institutions including DBIRD (then DPIF) Queensland Department of Primary Industries Fisheries Western Australia Sydney University CSIRO and the Bureau of Resource Sciences Members of the public commercial Spanish mackerel fishers industry recreational representatives fisheries managers conservation and indigenous groups attended the public sessions of the stock assessment workshops Introductory and conclusion sessions were held to inform and gather input from stakeholders for stock assessment modelling undertaken by researchers during the remainder of the workshop
Risk assessment
Given the negligible level of bycatch a risk assessment and risk analysis of bycatch species has not been undertaken This is appropriate to the size and scale of the fishery
Commercial fishersrsquo and fishing tour operatorsrsquo logbooks independent observers technical and research officers have not indicated any interaction with endangered threatened or protected species Information gathered from these sources is considered reliable and appropriate to the size and scale of the fishery There are no threatened ecological communities identified in Northern Territory waters It is for this reason that no assessment of the impact of the fishery on threatened ecological communities has been undertaken
The Spanish mackerel fishery is a surface-based line fishery that does not impact on the substrate As there are no identified impacts of the Spanish mackerel fishery on the ecosystem there are no relevant management actions in place The nature of fishing operations as well as the restriction of gear and vessels limits the effects of fishing on the environment The Spanish mackerel fishery is a surface-based fishery of hand-hauled hook line and lure method that has minimal impact on the ecosystem
Monitoring performance indicators and trigger points
Monitoring
The fishery is assessed and monitored through logbook returns observers and fishery dependent research Commercial fishers are required by legislation to submit daily or monthly logbook returns on all targeted catch and byproduct There is a comments section on the logbook for fishers to note any impacts on the fishery ecosystem or any general environmental considerations It is considered that comments on logbook returns together with observer and research studies provide an adequate reporting system appropriate to the scale of the fishery that is sufficient to monitor the impact of the Spanish mackerel fishery on the wider marine ecosystem As the Spanish mackerel fishery imposes no risk and has minimal interaction with all components of the ecosystem there is currently no monitoring of any ecosystem indicators
Appendix A 193
Performance indicators and trigger points
The Fisheries Act aims to conserve enhance protect utilise and manage the fish and aquatic life resources of the Territory to
bull Promote develop and maintain commercial and amateur fishing bull Provide for optimum yields from a fishery and maintain the quality of the yield bull Ensure that the fisheries of the Territory are not endangered or overexploited bull Encourage tourist and scientific interest in fish and aquatic life andor bull Ensure that the habitats of fish or aquatic life and the general environment is not
detrimentally affected These objectives are achieved by the Spanish Mackerel Fishery Management Plan primarily through reducing commercial participation rates to extremely low levels and further effort reduction programs monitoring of catches and regular review of management plans Possession limits have been imposed for recreational anglers The effectiveness of these management arrangements are assessed through the annual desktop review of the Spanish mackerel fishery The review of the Spanish Mackerel Fishery Management Plan promotes
bull The long term sustainability of the Spanish mackerel fishery and the ecological processes on which they rely
bull Equitable quality fishing opportunities for all stakeholder groups and bull Effective efficient and consistent management that supports the sustainable use
of individual Spanish mackerel stocks These objectives and performance indicators will be incorporated in the revised Spanish Mackerel Fishery Management Plan A notional catch limit of 90 of this target annual yield (by whole weight) has been defined as a major trigger point for the fishery The reference point has been determined in consultation with stakeholders and the wider community as a precautionary level at which a major review of the fishery will take place If 90 of the estimated sustainable yield (by whole weight) is reached Fisheries Division will request SMACFMAC to review management arrangements so that the total take of Spanish mackerel will not exceed sustainable yield estimates The proposed introduction of sectoral catch shares has been generally agreed for inclusion in the revised Management Plan That is each sector (commercial and recreational) is allocated a share of the fishery Individual sectors will trigger revised management arrangements for that sector if that sectorrsquos catch level changes by more than 20 percent (whole weight) Any significant (20 percent) change (increase or decrease) in catch of a sectoral catch share or a 30 decline in the total catch of the fishery (by whole weight) will trigger a review of the fishery and the management arrangements Catch levels are reviewed annually through the production of the Spanish mackerel Status Report and at the North Australian Fisheries Management Workshop
194
Proposed management strategies for the Spanish mackerel fishery Objective Performance Indicator Trigger Point Management Action Ensure the sustainability of the Spanish mackerel stocks
Estimated catch by all sectors does not exceed the estimated sustainable yield of Spanish mackerel
Aggregate landings by all sectors reach 90 of the sustainable yield (by whole weight) andor total fishery catch declines by 30 (by whole weight)
Management arrangements for the Spanish mackerel fishery will be reviewed by SMACFMAC Management regime to be implemented to ensure that aggregate landings by all sectors do not exceed estimated sustainable yield
Genetic studies indicate discrete Spanish mackerel stock(s)
Discrete Spanish mackerel stocks identified
SMACMFAC to review and make recommendations on appropriate management response to ensure the sustainability of discrete Spanish mackerel stocks
Sustainable yield estimates are reviewed annually
Annual review Continue existing research and review alternative yield estimate methodologies annually
Optimal utilisation of Spanish mackerel
Estimated catch share (as a percentage of total aggregate landings by whole weight) for all sectors remains unchanged
Estimated catch share by a stakeholder group(s) (commercial or recreational) changes (increase or decrease) by more than 20 (by whole weight)
Undertake a desktop study to determine the circumstances leading to the increasedecline in catch share arrangements SMACFMAC to make recommendations to the Director of Fisheries on appropriate management arrangements to address any changes in catch shares
Ensure the sustainability of byproduct taken in the Spanish mackerel fishery
Byproduct in the Spanish mackerel fishery increases significantly
Byproduct in the Spanish mackerel fishery increases to 10 of the total catch (whole weight)
SMACFMAC to make recommendations to the Director of Fisheries on appropriate management arrangements to address any changes and reduce byproduct levels
Minimise effects of fishing operations on endangeredthreatened protected speciescommunities
Endangeredthreatened protected speciescommunities are identified in NT waters
Impacts are observed by commercial fishers or fisheries observers
Threat abatement plan implemented
Appendix A 195
Reporting Fishers
Commercial fishers are required under the Fisheries Act to provide logbook returns to the Fisheries Division listing catch effort and market details on a monthly basis NT DPIFM
bull Annual status and technical reports and bull Spanish mackerel fishery assessment reports every 3-5 years
Research Queensland the Northern Territory and Western Australia have commenced collaborative research projects on Spanish mackerel that seek to address the limitations in information that is currently available for stock assessment and management This information will provide an improved understanding of stock relationships throughout northern Australia Such research projects include the FRDC funded study Stock Structure of northern and Western Australian Spanish mackerel (98159) and Stock Assessment of Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus commerson) in Western Australia (99151) A summary of the Northern Territory Strategic Plan for Fisheries Research and Development 2005-2009 Wild harvest Spanish Mackerel is provided below
196
The
Nor
ther
n Te
rrito
ry S
trate
gic
Plan
for F
ishe
ries R
esea
rch
and
Dev
elop
men
t 200
5-20
09 W
ild h
arve
st S
pani
sh M
acke
rel
Proj
ect P
riorit
y H
= H
igh
M =
Med
ium
L =
Low
NT
= N
T Fu
nded
E =
Ext
erna
lly fu
nded
Y =
Yet
to b
e fu
nded
PLA
NN
ED
O
UT
CO
ME
S
SPE
CIF
IC R
ampD
OU
TC
OM
ES
20
05 P
RO
JEC
TS
FU
ND
ING
SO
UR
CE
S
DU
RA
TIO
N
(YE
AR
S)
SUST
AIN
AB
LE
H
AR
VE
STIN
G
Fish
ery
asse
ssm
ent r
epor
ts o
n th
e st
atus
of t
he
NT
stoc
ks o
f Spa
nish
mac
kere
l in
clud
ing
sust
aina
bilit
y in
dica
tors
M
anag
emen
t Pla
n fo
r Spa
nish
Mac
kere
l fis
hery
revi
ewed
N
ew
tagg
ing
met
hodo
logy
de
velo
ped
and
appl
ied
to
impr
ove
accu
racy
of
st
ock
mod
ellin
g
Envi
ronm
enta
l ac
cred
itatio
n un
der
the
EPB
C
Act
obt
aine
d
- Pro
visi
on o
f ong
oing
ass
essm
ents
of t
he N
T Sp
anis
h m
acke
rel
stoc
ks [H
]
- Im
plem
enta
tion
of G
ENET
AG
bul
k ta
ggin
g m
ark-
reca
ptur
e te
chno
logy
for S
pani
sh m
acke
rel
deve
lope
d in
col
labo
ratio
n w
ith F
RD
C i
nclu
ding
recr
eatio
nal t
aggi
ng p
roto
cols
[H]
- P
rovi
sion
of i
nfor
mat
ion
for t
he m
anag
emen
t of t
he fi
sher
y us
ing
stoc
k as
sess
men
t ef
fort
dyna
mic
s and
pop
ulat
ion
mod
els t
o id
entif
y th
e po
tent
ial o
f the
fish
ery
incl
udin
g ris
k as
sess
men
t and
sust
aina
bilit
y in
dica
tors
[M]
- P
ilot i
nves
tigat
ion
of th
e va
lue
of m
orph
omet
ric in
form
atio
n in
mon
itorin
g th
e m
acke
rel f
ishe
ry [L
]
N
T
N
TEX
T
N
TEX
T
Y
20
05 ndash
200
9
2005
ndash 2
006
20
05 ndash
200
8
4 ye
ars
PRO
TE
CT
ION
OF
BIO
DIV
ER
SIT
Y
The
troph
ic re
latio
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ps b
etw
een
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l an
d its
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ironm
ent d
efin
ed i
nclu
ding
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scrip
tion
of d
iet a
nd it
s ass
ocia
tions
Non
-ta
rget
cat
ch d
ocum
ente
d
Ris
k as
sess
men
t of f
ishe
ry im
pact
s on
by-
catc
h b
ypro
duct
- In
form
atio
n on
die
t of
Spa
nish
mac
kere
l an
d by
-cat
ch t
o be
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llect
ed d
urin
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onito
ring
[M]
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ic c
olle
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n of
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cal i
nfor
mat
ion
on o
ther
pe
lagi
c fis
h [M
]
Y Y
4
year
s
4 ye
ars
OPT
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M
UT
ILIS
AT
ION
Info
rmat
ion
on th
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f the
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atch
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olle
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] - P
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ars
Appendix A 197
Consultation Spanish Mackerel Fishery Management Advisory Committee (include representatives from both commercial and recreational fishing sectors) (SMACFMAC)
Supporting documentsreports (NT DPIFM) bull Spanish mackerel stocks and management arrangements are reviewed annually
through the production of the Spanish Mackerel Status Report and the l Technical Report providing updated catch trends and status of the Spanish mackerel fishery These reports are available to the public online through the Departmentrsquos website or in hard copy through the Fisheries Division
bull Fishery Status reports and bull Northern Territory Strategic plan for fisheries research and development 2005-
2009
References Submission to DEWHA
bull Assessing the ecological sustainability of the Northern Territory Spanish Mackerel Fishery compiled by Annette OrsquoGrady (May 2002) a report prepared for Environment Australia as required for assessment under the EPBC Act 1999
DEWHA assessment
bull Assessment of the Northern Territory Spanish Mackerel Fishery (January 2003) Marine and Water Division Environment Australia
Legislation Commonwealth legislation
bull Wildlife Protection (Regulation of Export and Imports) Act 1982 bull Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999 and bull NT are signatories to the National Policy on ESD and the National ESD
framework for Australian fisheries NT State legislation
bull NT Fisheries Act 1998 bull Review of the Fisheries Act 1998 a discussion paper (February 2006) and bull NT Fisheries Regulations (operational 1st January 1993)
Management
bull Spanish Mackerel Fishery Management Plan in force at 1st February1993 and bull Review of Spanish Mackerel Fishery Management Plan discussion paper
November 2000 Other
bull Northern Territory Strategic Plan for Fisheries Research and Development 2005-2009
198
bull Walters C and Buckworth R (1997) Shark and Spanish mackerel stocks
assessed Northern Territory Fisheries Industry Council Newsletter July 1997 8(2)14-15
bull Fishery Status Report 1999 bull Fishery Status Report 2000 bull Fishery Status Report 2001 bull Fishery Status Report 2002 bull Fishery Status Report 2003 bull Fishery Status Report 2004 bull Mackerel and Reef Fisheries ndash A Review of the NT 1979 bull Spanish Mackerel ndash Age Structure of the Commercial Catch of Northern bull Territory Narrow-Barred 1998 bull Spanish Mackerel ndash Future Management Options for the NT Fishery 2000 and bull Spanish Mackerel Fishery ndash Fishery Assessment Report for the NT 1999
Part 2 DEWHA assessment of the 2NT Spanish Mackerel Fishery
The assessment
The submission has been assessed in accordance with the protected species provisions of Part 13 and the wildlife trade provisions of Part 13A of the EPBC Act The assessment includes
bull 2Department of the Environment and Heritagersquos Assessment Report (January 2003)
bull 2Accreditation of a Plan of Management for the Purposes of Part 13 (4th February 2003)
bull 2Amendment of List of Exempt Native Specimens ndash Gazetted on Friday 28 March 2003 No S101
bull 2Ministerial decision (4th February 2003) and bull 2Agency submission on ecological sustainability (May 2002)
DEWHA assessment report
Assessment of the Northern Territory Spanish Mackerel Fishery (January 2003) Marine and Water Division Environment Australia (Overall assessment selections from page 4) The material submitted by NT Fisheries indicates that the fishery operates in accordance with the Commonwealthrsquos Guidelines for the ecologically sustainable management of fisheries As the official fishery area encompasses Commonwealth as well as State waters consideration under Part 13 of the EPBC Act is required regarding the impact of the fishery on listed threatened species listed migratory species cetaceans and listed marine species A number of protected species occur in the fishery area EA is satisfied that the monitoring of interactions assessment of the impacts current management responses and triggers for future management are sufficient to ensure that all persons engaged in fishing are required to take all reasonable steps to minimise impacts EA considers that the fishery is unlikely to have an unacceptable
Appendix A 199
impact on protected species EA recommends that this fishery be accredited under Part 13 of the EPBC Act The assessment concludes that the fishery is managed in an ecologically sustainable way EA recommends that the export of species taken in the fishery should be exempt from the export permit requirements of Part 13A of the EPBC Act with that exemption to be reviewed in five years
2Ministerial decision The management arrangements for the fishery meet the Commonwealths Guidelines for the Ecologically Sustainable Management of Fisheries For the purposes of the wildlife trade provisions in part 13A of the EPBC Act the management arrangements provide the basis for the fishery to be managed in an ecologically sustainable way Therefore the Minister amended the list of exempt native specimens to include all specimens taken in the Spanish Mackerel Fishery for a period of five years Such listing will serve to exempt the fishery from other export controls of the Act and exempt exporters from requiring export permits under the Act To further strengthen the effectiveness of the management arrangements for the SMF and to contain the environmental risks in the medium to long term a series of recommendations have been developed The implementation of these recommendations and other commitments made by NT Fisheries in the submission will be monitored and reviewed as part of the next Commonwealth review of the fishery in five years time Before the next review in 2008 NT Fisheries will
Recommendations
1 Inform Department of the Environment and Heritage of any future amendment to the management regime for the Spanish Mackerel Fishery
2 Formalise the objectives performance indicators trigger points and management actions outlined in Table 1 of the NT submission into the Spanish Mackerel Management plan where appropriate
3 Implement the Byproduct Action Plan for fisheries targeting species other than Spanish mackerel within the first year
4 Report on objectives performance indicators and triggers in the annual status report
5 Conduct a compliance risk assessment for the Spanish Mackerel Fishery 6 By 2005 formalize guidelines including clear timeframes for implementation
for undertaking review of the fisheries management arrangements once reference points and triggers are reached
7 Continue to seek out alternative cost effective fishery independent sampling techniques and report outcomes in the annual status report
8 Include yearly results of observer surveys (including information on target species bycatch and protected species interactions) in the annual status report and implement alternative data collection validation techniques if observer trips are no longer feasible
200
9 Make reporting of all protected species interactions compulsory and implement an education program to ensure industry has the capacity to make accurate reports
10 Gather information that would support a move to a precautionary biological reference point for Spanish mackerel
11 Monitor the species composition of bycatch and byproduct with a view to undertaking a more rigorous risk analysis if there is a significant increase in the catch of individual species
12 Monitor the size composition of the commercial catch of Spanish mackerel and introduce additional management measures if the catch composition shifts to pre mature fish
Appendix A 201
Queensland fisheries bull 2Blue Swimmer Crab Pot Fishery bull 2Coral Fishery bull 2Coral Reef Fin Fish Fishery bull 2Deepwater Finfish Fishery bull 2Developmental Jellyfish Fishery bull 2Developmental Slipper Lobster
Fishery bull 2East Coast Inshore Finfish
Fishery bull 2Finfish (Stout Whiting) Trawl
Fishery bull 2Gulf of Carpentaria
Developmental Finfish Trawl Fishery
bull 2Gulf of Carpentaria Inshore Finfish Fishery
bull 2Gulf of Carpentaria Line Fishery bull 2East Coast Beche-de-mer Fishery
bull 2East Coast Otter Trawl Fishery bull 2East Coast Pearl bull 2East Coast Spanish Mackerel
Fishery bull 2East Coast Trochus Fishery bull 2East Coast Tropical Rock
Lobster Fishery bull 2Eel Fishery bull 2Marine Aquarium Fish Fishery bull 2Marine Specimen Shell Fishery bull 2Moreton Bay Developmental
Beche-de-mer Fishery bull 2Mud Crab Fishery bull 3River and Inshore Beam Trawl
Fishery bull 3Rocky Reef Finfish Fishery bull 3Spanner Crab Fishery
QLD DPI submissions to DEWHA
The submissions to DEWHA under the EPBC Act addressed the EPBC principles and objectives (ecological components only)
The QLD 3Coral Reef Fin Fish Fishery an example Part 1 provides a summary and details of the QLD DPI agency submission on ecological sustainability to DEWHA Part 2 provides summary information of DEWHA assessment of the fishery and the Ministerial decision conditions and recommendations
Part 1 QLD DPI submission to DEWHA (19 July 2005) Submission for the purposes of the protected species provisions of Part 13 and the wildlife trade provisions of Part 13A of the EPBC Act The following information is from the report Ecological assessment of the Queensland coral reef fin fish fishery A report to the Australian Government Department of Environment on the ecologically sustainable management of a multi-species line fishery in a coral reef environment (2005) Other relevant information that is included is sourced from the QLD (DPI) fisheries web documents and in each case source references are provided
A summary of the QLD (DPIFM) submission to DEWHA is provided in the table below and then in more detail under the same headings This is followed by other QLD (DPI) supporting documents and reports and references for this section
202
Legislation
Commonwealth legislation Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975 (Commonwealth)
Marine Parks Act 1982
Nature Conservation Act 1992
Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999
QLD legislation Fisheries Act 1994
Fisheries Regulations 1995
Integrated Planning Act 1997
Management
Management plans and regulations Fisheries (Coral Reef Fin Fish Fishery) Management Plan 2003
Code of practice DPIampF intends to hold a stakeholder workshop in early 2005 to develop a code of practice for commercial line fishers on discarding fish Both the commercial and recreational sectors have voluntary Codes of Practice that explicitly refer to minimising and reporting interactions with TEP species
Harvest strategies TAC and ITQs with limited entry catch quota management scheme As part of the ELF project the CRC Reef has evaluated a number of alternative management strategies which has been used to inform management decisions The use of ELFSim a model designed to simulate responses to management changes based on information gained during the ELF project also helps inform management data
Spatial management Zoning and temporal closures
Assessment Stock assessment Target species no formal stock assessment model
has been applied but status is assessed using fishery dependent (logbooks) and independent information
EIS No Risk assessment No however processes have been put in place in
the CRFFF to increase the information available on interactions with ETP species a detailed risk assessment of the actual and potential impacts to particular speciesgroups is still some time off Accordingly in producing this ecological assessment DPIampF contacted a number of experts knowledgeable about different ETP species and threats to them and asked them to rate the likelihood and severity of interactions with the CRFFF
Economic components No
Appendix A 203
Social components No
Governance No
Monitoring and performance Monitoring The DPIampF statewide Long Term Monitoring
Program (LTMP) started in 1999 Performance indicators and trigger points A detailed evaluation and review process for the
CRFFF has been included as a fundamental of the new management arrangements The evaluation and review measures also provide a trigger for responses where the objectives are not being achieved The Plan does not prescribe the type of management measures that will be triggered by review events nor the timeframes in which management change should occur in the event of a review being triggered
Observer program An observer program enabling the placement of observers on commercial line fishing vessels operating on the GBR will be explored further in the coming months and if possible be developed for implementation later in 2005 As part of its ELF program CRC Reef conducted direct observations using at sea observers of commercial fishing operations in the CRFFF over a two-year period from 1996-1998
Reporting Fishers Daily logbook records must be returned to DPIampF
at the end of each month QLD DPI Annual status reports first report planned 2006 Research
Research The Scientific Advisory Group (SAG) of Reef MAC reviewed the research needs for the fishery and a number of projects were identified as priorities
Consultation
Management Advisory Committees (MACs)
QLD (DPI) submission to DEWHA in more detail
Legislation Acts Commonwealth legislation
bull Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975 (Commonwealth) bull Marine Parks Act 1982 bull Nature Conservation Act 1992 and bull Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999
204
QLD State legislation bull Fisheries Act 1994 bull Fisheries Regulations 1995 and bull Integrated Planning Act 1997
Management
Plan and regulations
Fisheries (Coral Reef Fin Fish Fishery) Management Plan 2003
A comprehensive revision and restructure of the management arrangements in the CRFFF has recently been completed and implemented The fishery is now managed through the Fisheries (Coral Reef Fin Fish) Management Plan 2003 (the Plan) legislated under the Fisheries Act 1994
The Coral Reef Fin Fish Fishery (CRFFF) is a diverse fishery that includes commercial recreational charter and indigenous fishers The fishery is almost exclusively based within the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) with over 95 percent of the total catch taken within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (GBRMP) This adds additional responsibilities to manage the fishery with respect to the world heritage area values for which the GBR has been listed An important tourism industry worth hundreds of millions of dollars to the Australian economy also operates in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area (GBRWHA) in the same areas as the CRFFF
The commercial sector is focused on a relatively small number of target species Coral trout (Plectropomus spp) and red throat emperor (Lethrinus miniatus) are the two key species groups representing approximately two thirds of the unitised commercial catch under the quota arrangements recently introduced into the fishery A further 80 to 100 species of coral reef fin fish from a number of families comprise the remainder of the commercial catch generally caught only in low quantities There is little difference between target and bycatch species in the CRFFF The species that comprise the majority of the lsquobycatchrsquo from the fishery are actually target species released or discarded for a variety of reasons The Plan has enhanced DPIampFrsquos ability to ensure the sustainability of the major bycatch species The Plan specifically mentions bycatch as an issue potentially affecting the long term sustainability of the fishery and includes a review event relating to bycatch species DPIampF considers that few biological or ecological risks exist to the bycatch species in the CRFFF
DPIampF and its predecessors have assumed ultimate responsibility for the management of fish stocks in the CRFFF however a number of organisations have also been involved in the management of the fishery Management arrangements administered by the following State and Commonwealth agencies apply to the CRFFF
Appendix A 205
bull Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries ndash DPIampF (State) bull Environmental Protection Agency Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service ndash
(EPAQPWS) (State) and bull Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority ndash GBRMPA (Commonwealth)
Summary of key management arrangements under the Plan
1 Designation of a comprehensive list of coral reef fin fish such that all species caught in the CRFFF are managed under the Plan
2 Minimum legal size limits implemented for all designated CRFF species and applicable to all fishers
3
Significant reduction in the number of commercial operators able to fish in the CRFFF (from 1700 to approximately 412) through allocating lsquoRQrsquo (reef quota) symbols only to those fishers able to demonstrate a historical involvement in the fishery (above a certain level)
4
Significant reduction in commercial catches through the introduction of a commercial total allowable catch (TAC) of 3061 tonnes for all CRFF species in total separated into three categories for coral trout (1350 tonnes) red throat emperor (700 tonnes) and lsquoother speciesrsquo (1011 tonnes)
5 Sharing of the commercial TAC among eligible RQ-endorsed fishers through a tradeable quota system (again based on the historical catches of the fisher)
6 Reduced recreational possession limits applicable to all non-commercial fishers for all coral reef fin fish in total (20 fish maximum) and for individual speciesspecies groups (variable between 5-10 fish)
7 Listing of 7 coral reef fin fish as no take due to their iconic status or ciguatoxic concerns
8 Requirement that fishers (except for those with a filleting permit) land all coral reef fin fish
whole (ie not filleted) to overcome identification and measurement difficulties in enforcing minimum legal size and possession limits
9 Three annual nine-day spawning closures implemented fishery-wide and for all fishers to protect the spawning potential of key coral reef fin fish species
10 A comprehensive evaluation and review process to ensure that the Plan is achieving its stated objectives of promoting applying and balancing the principles of ecologically sustainable development
206
Code of practice
DPIampF intends to hold a stakeholder workshop in early 2005 to develop a code of practice for commercial line fishers on discarding fish Both the commercial and recreational sectors have voluntary Codes of Practice that explicitly refer to minimising and reporting interactions with TEP species
Harvest strategies
The main measures are a TAC and ITQs with limited entry catch quota management scheme As part of the ELF project the CRC Reef has evaluated a number of alternative management strategies which has been used to inform management decisions The use of ELFSim a model designed to simulate responses to management changes based on information gained during the ELF project also helps inform management data
Spatial management
bull Zoning with area closures or restrictions (under the Fisheries Act 1994 and the Marine Parks legislation) and
bull Closures during spawning season
Three annual 9-day closures have been implemented in the CRFFF under the Plan to protect spawning aggregations from fishing during their most vulnerable time The closures extend to all east coast Queensland tidal waters between 10ordm41rsquosouth and 24ordm50rsquosouth in which coral reef fin fish stocks are found and apply to all fishers (commercial recreational and charter) The waters are closed for 6 days prior to and 2 days following the new moon (9 days) during the three lunar cycles in late SeptemberOctober to December in 2004-2008
Rezoning of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park through the Representative Areas Program With over 95 percent of commercial CRFF catches and the major share of recreational catches taken within the boundaries of the GBRMP the zoning arrangements within the Marine Park have a significant effect on the operation and long-term sustainability of the CRFFF The World Heritage Area (WHA) status of the GBR confers an additional responsibility to manage the fishery with respect to the WHA values for which the GBRMP has been listed The rezoning of the GBRMP introduced on July 1st 2004 following the Representative Areas Program (RAP) has significantly enhanced the network of closed areas Under the new zoning arrangements approximately 33 of the marine park area is now included in green zones which are closed to all extractive uses including commercial and recreational fishing The new network of closed areas has considerably increased the level of protection afforded to ecological communities within the GBRMP and will certainly produce flow on benefits to the CRFFF
Appendix A 207
As part of the Representative Areas Program the Australian Government agreed to implement a structural adjustment package for those significantly affected by the rezoning This has effectively reduced the total quota by approximately 10
Assessment
Stock assessment
Target Under the new Plan a lsquocatch upper limitrsquo for the commercial sector has been set through a commercial TAC which is distributed as line units among eligible licence holders Licence holders were allocated an RQ symbol to commercially take CRFF species based on their historical involvement in the fishery
The new Management Plan deals directly with excess fishing capacity through a catch quota management scheme intended to reduce and cap the commercial harvest at 3061 tonnes down from catches in 2002 of 4500 tonnes The restructuring of the commercial line fishing fleet is aimed at addressing the latent (excess) fishing capacity that currently exists on Queenslandrsquos east coast Together with the quota allocation a reduction in the number of licenses will ensure a more economically viable line fishing fleet A number of factors have traditionally impeded the development of an accurate assessment methodology for the species involved in the CRFFF A large degree of the difficulty relates to the complex life history characteristics exhibited by the various CRFFF species groups and families Although no formal stock assessment model has yet been applied to CRFFF species DPIampF and other organisations involved in the fishery have assessed the status and sustainability of the CRFFF based on the extensive fishery-dependent and independent information available which are based primarily on fishery-dependent data (eg commercial logbooks RFISH diaries) are produced for each of Queenslandrsquos state managed fisheries including the CRFFF when required It is anticipated that a Condition and Trend report for the CRFFF will be undertaken during 20052006 allowing adequate time for the fishery to adjust to recent management changes
It was agreed at a meeting of the SAG in October 2004 that formal stock assessments will be undertaken jointly by DPIampF and CRC Reef for key CRFF species (ie common coral trout and red throat emperor) while risk assessments will be carried out for those secondary species that may be vulnerable to fishing pressure as a result of their biologylife history It is anticipated that the stock assessments will coincide with the completion of the CRC Reef ELF project A comprehensive fishery assessment is currently underway on red throat emperor
The planned use of observers on commercial fishing vessels within the CRFFF to directly observe and record catch and effort of commercial fishers will allow the collection of detailed information on fishing effort in hours species and sizes caught fish harvested and the fate of those not harvested and a range of other details not reported in the commercial logbooks In particular the observer program will assist in validating logbook returns
208
The Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPIampF) and its various predecessors have developed an integrated Queensland Fisheries Information System (QFISH) to gather fishery dependent information on the fisheries under its management Fishery dependent information collected by DPIampF includes a complete daily census of commercial fishing activities via a compulsory logbook program and a regular large-scale statewide voluntary recreational fishing survey The information provides a longitudinal survey of fishing activities and fish catches including both target and byproduct species and more recently endangered threatened and protected species QFISH is one of the most comprehensive fishery-dependent information collection systems in Australia
In order to halt any further expansion of commercial fishing effort in the fishery the Department in consultation with the ReefMAC determined to apply the ldquoprecautionary principlerdquo in the face of incomplete scientific information (ie no formal stock assessment) Consequently the commercial TAC was set at approximately 10 below the 1996 commercial harvest level Future stock assessments will provide clarification on whether the commercial harvest is set at an appropriate level
BycatchByproduct
The definition of target byproduct and bycatch species is difficult (and somewhat arbitrary) for the CRFFF as it is for most multi-species fisheries The primary reasons for this difficulty are the diversity of speciesspecies groups present in the GBRMP the significant variations in spatial and temporal patterns of fish abundance and catchability the substantial and seasonally variable price differentials between the various species caught and the various product forms landed and the complications these factors create for accurate logbook recording of which speciesgroups are targeted and to what extent
DPIampF is committed to ensuring management of bycatch and byproduct is based on accurate and reliable information The Plan has recently introduced new requirements for measuring the means of achieving the objectives of the Plan Schedule 1 3(d) prescribes that Achievement of the main purpose must be measured by the following reliable information about the level of by-catch of coral reef fin fish regulated by species
Despite the scale of the CRFFF and its volume of catch limited information has been collected to quantify bycatch rates in the commercial sector The recently introduced Plan specifically mentions bycatch as an issue potentially impacting on the long-term sustainability of the fishery Schedule 1 of the Plan includes a specific bycatch review event which if exceeded will trigger a review of the achievement of the main purpose of the Plan The review event is that ldquothe level of bycatch of coral reef fin fish has increased by more than 10 in a 4 year periodrdquo
The most comprehensive and reliable existing information on commercial CRFF fishersrsquo bycatch comes from the CRC Reefrsquos Effects of Line Fishing (ELF) Program Over a two-year period from 1996-98 CRC Reef carried out an observer program on the lsquoliversquo and lsquodeadrsquo operators in the commercial sector as part of a FRDC-funded project (FRDC Project No 96138 Mapstone et al 2001)
Appendix A 209
TEP A number of species present in the waters of the CRFFF are protected under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act 1999) Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Regulations 1983 the Nature Conservation Act 1992 (NCA 1992) and the Fisheries Regulation 1995 There are no threatened ecological communities listed under the EPBC Act 1999 or its amendments within the area of operation of the CRFFF
Traditionally commercial fishers in the CRFFF have not been required to report interactions with ETP species The new LF04 and Species of Conservation Interest (SOCI) logbooks were introduced into the CRFFF from 1 July 2004 as part of the commencement of the new quota management arrangements The LF04 logbook contains a specific requirement for all Queensland line fishers to record on a daily basis if they have interacted with any species of conservation interest If an interaction has occurred the fisher must complete a separate SOCI logbook sheet detailing the species involved the time and location of the interaction and the condition of the individual following release
The introduction of the SOCI logbook for commercial fishers and information provided in future RFISH surveys will enhance DPIampFrsquos ability to assess the type and level of interactions with ETP species in the CRFFF A more accurate and quantitative assessment of interactions will in turn allow DPIampF in consultation with the Queensland EPA DEWHA and GBRMPA to implement more appropriate management There has been no formal assessment of the impact of the CRFFF on endangered threatened and protected (ETP) species responses
Habitats and ecosystems No specific studies have been conducted to date to determine the impacts of the CRFFF on the ecosystems with which the fishery interacts There is general consensus among fishers researchers and other stakeholders involved in ReefMACrsquos processes that the line fishing gear and methods utilised in the CRFFF are unlikely to impose significant negative impacts on the broader marine ecosystem This view is supported by the GBRMPA (2000a) which considers line fishing to be relatively benign in terms of impacts to the environment Two recent reviews of the collateral impacts of various fishing gears (Morgan and Chuenpagdee 2003 and AMCS 2004) have also assessed hook and line fishing as among the least harmful of all fishing methods with only minimal impacts to either benthic habitats or marine fauna
Risk assessment
The National Strategy for the Survival of Released Line Caught Fish an initiative of the FRDC is a collaborative research development and extension program aimed at quantifying and increasing the post release survival of released line-caught fish As part of the National Strategy McLeay et al (2002) conducted a preliminary risk assessment for the major line-caught fish species for each state The results for the Queensland component reveal that CRFFF species have variable susceptibility to post release mortality Coral trout (Plectropomus spp) and red throat emperor (Lethrinus miniatus) the two major commercial target species were both rated as having a medium
210
susceptibility to post release mortality relative to other species listed Sweetlips (Family Haemulidae) emperors (Lethrinus spp) tuskfish (Choerodon spp) and cods (Family Serranidae) were also rated a mid-range risk By comparison nannyai (Lutjanus malabaricus and L erythropterus) jobfish (Pristipomoides spp) and tropical snappers and seaperch (Lutjanus spp) all rated a relatively high risk
Although several processes have been put in place in the CRFFF to increase the information available on interactions with ETP species a detailed risk assessment of the actual and potential impacts to particular speciesgroups is still some time off Accordingly in producing this ecological assessment DPIampF contacted a number of experts knowledgeable about different ETP species and threats to them and asked them to rate the likelihood and severity of interactions with the CRFFF A research priority identified was a risk assessment for byproduct and by-catch species (also protected species)
Monitoring and Performance
Monitoring
The DPIampF statewide Long Term Monitoring Program (LTMP) started in 1999 The primary aim of the LTMP is to collect data to assess the resource (ranging from analysis of trends in stock abundance indices to more complex quantitative stock assessments) and to evaluate management strategies For example the type of data collected in monitoring surveys for the coral reef fin fish fishery Species Type of data collected Data collection method
Coral reef fin fish species abundance size sex and age for some target species and incidental catch
structured research line surveys catch sampling and commercial fishing surveys
Indicators and trigger points
A detailed evaluation and review process for the CRFFF has been included as a fundamental of the new management arrangements and adds a level of transparency and accountability to the management and review process of the fishery These provisions will measure the sustainability of the fishery in terms of target species bycatch and ecosystem impacts and matters of fair access to and community benefit from use of the fishery resources DPIampF is currently evaluating the adequacy of the current review event which is likely to result in changes which will make the reviews more quantitative and therefore measurable The evaluation and review measures also provide a trigger for responses where the objectives are not being achieved The evaluation and review section of the Plan also provides for dealing with high use areas adjacent to community centres The section requires that a review be undertaken where evidence indicates that localised depletion has occurred and provides for continued assessment of the performance of the quota management scheme Schedule 1 of the Plan provides for the events that will trigger an obligation to review the achievement of the main purpose of the Plan These triggers include review events
Appendix A 211
(a) Reliable information shows (i) the estimated abundance of coral trout or red throat emperor has in each of
the last 3 years decreased from the preceding year or (ii) the fish size and age distribution of coral trout or red throat emperor in a
region have in each of the last 3 years changed from the preceding year or
(iii) the fishery is having a significant impact on stocks of other coral reef fin fish
(b) Reliable information shows any of the following (i) the estimated abundance of coral reef fin fish has in each of the last 3
years decreased from the preceding year (ii) the fish size and age distribution for other coral reef fin fish have in each of
the last 3 years changed from the preceding year (iii) the level of by-catch of coral reef fin fish regulated by species has increased
by more than 10 in a 4 year period (c) Information in statistical returns required under the Act shows any of the following for the fishery
(i) recreational catch including recreational catch from commercial fishing tours in the fishery increased more than 10 in a 4 year period
(ii) commercial fishing or recreational fishing on commercial fishing tours in a region in a year increased more than 20 from the preceding year
(iii) the average commercial catch of coral trout red throat emperor or other coral reef fin fish in a region in each of the last 3 years decreased from the preceding year
(iv) a significant decrease in participation in commercial fishing tours in a period of at least 3 years
(d) Reliable information shows (i) a significant decrease in community compliance with this plan or (ii) increased significant community dissatisfaction with management of the
fishery and opportunity for fishing in the fishery (e) Reliable information from an economic study about the fishery shows a significant decrease in the fisheryrsquos economic efficiency (f) Compliance with the requirements under the Act about statistical returns for any of the following decreases progressively or significantly
(i) commercial fishers and commercial fishing tours for the fishery (ii) holders of RQ licences (iii) commercial buyers of coral reef fin fish
(g) The chief executive does not receive information about levels of recreational catch and participation for the fishery and (h) The chief executive reasonably believes information given to the chief executive by commercial or recreational fishers or commercial fishing tour operators under the Act is not accurate The Plan does not prescribe the type of management measures that will be triggered by review events nor the timeframes in which management change should occur in the event of a review being triggered DPIampF is hesitant to become overly prescriptive in regulation This is particularly the case in regard to review events which may in fact be triggered by shifts outside the control of fisheries management such as international
212
disasters (eg SARS and the recent Tsunami disaster) market changes and industry adjustment to new management arrangements (from DPIampF GBRMPA or EPA) DPIampF would prefer to maintain a level of flexibility in the arrangements while still ensuring that adequate review is built into the Plan These points also apply to why broad figures are used in the review events and in particular why they are in relative terms rather than gross figures
Observer program
The planned use of observers on commercial fishing vessels within the CRFFF to directly observe and record catch and effort of commercial fishers will allow the collection of detailed information on fishing effort in hours species and sizes caught fish harvested and the fate of those not harvested and a range of other details not reported in the commercial logbooks In particular the observer program will assist in validating logbook returns An observer program enabling the placement of observers on commercial line fishing vessels operating on the GBR will be explored further in the coming months and if possible be developed for implementation later in 2005 This activity should be coordinated with other similar activities being undertaken for the management and monitoring of other fishery stocks (eg Spanish mackerel) to ensure that effort in developing such a program and fisher contact during the program is not duplicated To assist in monitoring the bycatch of the fishery DPIampF is also implementing an observer program onboard commercial vessels as part of the monitoring strategy for coral reef fish As part of its ELF program CRC Reef conducted direct observations using at sea observers of commercial fishing operations in the CRFFF over a two-year period from 1996-1998 (Mapstone et al 2001a) Both lsquolive fishingrsquo and lsquodead fishingrsquo operations were observed
Reporting Fishers All commercial fishers in Queensland have a legal obligation to provide information about their fishing activity (through daily logbook recording) Fishery-dependent data from the commercial sector of the fishery is collected via CFISH ndash the Commercial Fisheries Information System Since its commencement in 1988 CFISH has collected daily data from commercial fishers about their commercial fishing activity through the use of compulsory logbooks The daily logbook records must be returned to DPIampF at the end of each month for fisheries such as the Coral Reef Fin Fish Fishery (CRFFF) Two independent investigations of the accuracy of the logbook-derived total catch information suggest that logbook data are not substantially different to the independent estimates of total catch
Appendix A 213
QLD DPI To provide more frequent information to the public DPIampF prepares annual status reports for each individual fishery throughout the year The 2006 Status reports lists the Coral Reef Fin Fishery but is not yet available
Research A range of fishery-dependent and independent research and monitoring is routinely undertaken to ascertain the participation in the fishery and level of harvest from all sources In addition research projects investigate the life history biology and ecology of the species and habitats of the CRFFF and on the dynamics of the fishery and its various sectors
The dynamic nature of fish stocks and fisheries dictates that these research priorities will change particularly when significant new management arrangements are introduced Consequently the Scientific Advisory Group (SAG) of Reef MAC recently reviewed the research needs for the fishery The following projects were identified as priorities
bull Improved validated catch and effort data for ReefMAC species in all fishing sectors
bull Determine the degree of change in fishing practices for ReefMAC species resulting from recent management changes on social and economic dimensions
bull Risk assessment for byproduct and by-catch species (particularly OS quota group but also protected species)
bull Development of a framework for assessing social consequences of management actions in the Reef Line Fishery
bull Determine (or improve knowledge of) the basic biology including reproductive biology and behaviour of ReefMAC species
bull Evaluate the effectiveness of zoning and marine protected areas as tools for managing ReefMAC stocks on an ecological and social basis
bull Estimate survival of releaseddiscarded line-caught fish (focus on pelagics and sharks)
bull Improving compliance in the line fisheries through an understanding of fisher behaviour
bull External environmental impacts on ReefMAC managed species bull Determine the degree to which the reef-line fishery has extended into new deep-
water grounds and assess the vulnerability of deep-water target species to exploitation
bull Assess the vulnerability of large-mouth nannygai (Lutjanus malabaricus) and small-mouth nannygai (L erythropterus) to fishing pressure and determine the appropriateness of current management measures
bull Identify and evaluate appropriate performance measures for ReefMAC stocks and their fisheries
bull Stock assessment of coral trout (Plectropomus spp)
214
bull Stock assessment of Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus commerson) bull Stock assessment of snapper (Pagrus auratus) including impacts of habitat
change bull Risk assessment of the impacts of anchor damage bull Effective monitoring of by-catch species and bull Development of size specific fishing techniques for Spanish mackerel
The priorities identified by Reef MAC and the SAG were rated on the basis that areas of limited information were of a higher priority than core business or current research projects already underway The priorities will be ratified by the SAG in April 2005 and will guide both research and monitoring in the near future In addition to the above research and monitoring priorities DPIampF is able to access the results of three ongoing research programs that focus specifically on the species harvested in the CRFFF These programs are the primary sources of current information on the CRFFF and include
bull DPIampF Long Term Monitoring Program (hereafter the DPIampF LTMP) bull Australian Institute of Marine Science Long Term Monitoring Program
(hereafter the AIMS LTMP) and bull CRC Reef Effects of Line Fishing Project (hereafter the CRC Reef ELF
Project) Queensland Fisheries 2010 Vision ndash Ensuring a sustainable future for all (QFISH foresight project) A strategic planning and futuring project designed to create a strong coordinated commitment by all stakeholders to an agreed vision of Queensland Fisheries of the future The projects objectives are
bull To promote cultural change in the fishing industry through scenario planning bull To provide an holistic framework for the development of the fishing industry in
Queensland including all stakeholders eg commercial recreational indigenous charter boat operators aquaculture marketeers environmental groups and
bull To promote both ecological and economic sustainable development through cooperative planning
Consultation Management Advisory Committees (MACs) provide advice to Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPIampF) on the development of appropriate management arrangements for Queensland fisheries Seven MACs have been formed
bull Trawl MAC bull Reef MAC bull Crab MAC bull Gulf of Carpentaria MAC bull Inshore finfish MAC bull Harvest fisheries MAC and bull Freshwater MAC
Appendix A 215
Queenslandrsquos seven MACs play a vital role in providing expert advice information and recommendations to DPIampF on the management use protection and development of fisheries resources MACs are made up of individuals who offer expertise from a range of backgrounds including all major fishing interest groups local authorities and other natural resource management agencies The MACs are independently chaired Specific tasks undertaken by MACs include
bull Advising on the development of discussion papers and other planning processes
bull Advising on draft policy to be released for stakeholder and community consultation
bull Identifying and advising on priority research needs and bull Addressing specific fisheries management issues and making recommendations
to DPIampF on a needs basis
Supporting documentsreports (QLD DPI) bull 2006 Status report for the coral reef fin fish fishery listed but not yet available bull Fisheries resource allocation policy (30 June 2003) bull Queensland Fisheries 2010 Vision Ensuring a Sustainable Future for all (draft
currently with interested parties for comment) bull Preferred Scenario for Queensland Fisheries in 2010 (draft currently with
major stakeholders for comment) bull Individual Stakeholder Scenarios in 2010 (draft currently with major
stakeholders for comment) and bull Looking after protected species in Queensland a comprehensive guide for
commercial fishers (2005) QLDDPIF
References Submission to DEWHA Ecological assessment of the Queensland coral reef fin fish fishery A report to the Australian Government Department of Environment on the ecologically sustainable management of a multi-species line fishery in a coral reef environment (2005) Claire Andersen Kadesh Clarke Jim Higgs and Shannon Ryan With contributions from Danny Brooks Mark Elmer Malcolm Dunning Brad Zeller Jeff Bibby Lew Williams Clare Bullock Stephanie Slade and Warwick Lee (DPIampF Fisheries) Ian Brown and Wayne Sumpton (DPIampF Animal Sciences) Gavin Begg and Ashley Williams (CRC Reef )Bob Grimley (DPIampF Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol) Queensland Government Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries DEWHA Assessment Assessment of the Queensland Coral Reef Finfish Fishery (October 2005) Australian Government Department of the Environment and Heritage Legislation Commonwealth legislation
bull Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975 (Commonwealth) bull Marine Parks Act 1982
216
bull Nature Conservation Act 1992 and bull Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
QLD State Legislation
bull Fisheries Act 1994 bull Fisheries Regulations 1995 and bull Integrated Planning Act 1997
Management
bull Fisheries (Coral Reef Fin Fish Fishery) Management Plan 2003 and bull Fisheries Status reports
Other
bull Mcleay L Jones K and Ward T 2002 National strategy for the survival of line-caught fish ndash a review of research and fishery information Draft final report for comments by workshop participants March 20 2002 FRDC Project 2001101 Fisheries research and development corporation and SARDI and
bull FRDC Project No 96138 Mapstone et al 2001
Part 2 DEWHA Assessment of the QLD 3Coral Reef Fin Fish Fishery
The assessment
The submission has been assessed for the purposes of the protected species provisions of Part 13 and the wildlife trade provisions of Part 13A of the EPBC Act
bull Department of Environment and Heritage assessment report (October 2005) bull 3Accreditation of a Plan of Management for the Purposes of Part 13 (16
November 2005) bull 3Declaration of an approved Wildlife Trade Operation ndash Gazetted on Wednesday
23 November 2005 GN 46 bull 3Amendment of List of Exempt Native Specimens ndash Registered Wednesday 23
November 2005 F2005L03688 bull 3Ministerial Decision (16 November 2005) bull 3Agency submission on ecological sustainability (2005) and bull Invitation to comment closed Monday 18 July 2005
DEWHA assessment
Assessment of the Queensland Coral Reef Finfish Fishery (October 2005) Australian Government Department of the Environment and Heritage (Overall assessment pgs 4-5) The material submitted by DPIampF demonstrates that the management arrangements for the CRFF meet the requirements of the Australian Government Guidelines for the Ecologically Sustainable Management of Fisheries While the fishery is relatively well managed DEWHA has identified a number of risks that must be managed to ensure that impacts are minimised
Appendix A 217
bull Absence of stock and risk assessments for target byproduct and bycatch species
bull Lack of information on total mortalities of target byproduct and bycatch species
bull Lack of validation of target and byproduct catch logbook data bull Lack of performance measures for byproduct of non-coral reef finfish protected
species and the ecosystem generally bull Lack of a risk-based compliance program bull Lack of robust estimates of recreational catch and bull Lack of consideration of recreational catch in the estimate of the sustainable
level for a TAC The operation of the fishery is consistent with the objects of Part 13A of the EPBC Act DEWHA recommends that the fishery be declared an approved Wildlife Trade Operation (WTO) Specifically the WTO declaration would allow the export of product from the fishery for a period of three years As the official fishery area encompasses Commonwealth as well as State waters consideration under Part 13 of the EPBC Act is required regarding the impact of the fishery on listed threatened species listed migratory species cetaceans and listed marine species Protected species occurring in the fishery area include marine turtles dugong cetaceans sharks and seabirds The available evidence from fishery-dependent and fishery-independent studies suggests that there are limited interactions with protected species and DEWHA concurs with DPIampFrsquos assessment that line fishing gear is likely to have negligible impacts on protected species There are no listed threatened ecological communities in the fishery area The assessment also considers the possible impacts on the World Heritage Values of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (GBRMP) since approximately 95 of the catch of the CRFF is taken in the GBRMP DPIampF notes that it is committed to protecting the values of the Park and that line fishing gear has negligible impacts on benthic communities DEWHA believes that the CRFF Management Plan together with increased area closures in the Park under the Representative Areas Program and the implementation of recommendations made in this assessment will provide adequate protection for the World Heritage Values of the GBRMP The implementation of recommendations and other commitments made by DPIampF in the submission will be monitored and reviewed as part of the next DEWHA review of the fishery in three years time
Ministerial decision
The management arrangements for the Coral Reef Finfish Fishery meet the requirements of Part 13 of the EPBC Act Accreditation of the management arrangements will ensure that individual fishers operating in accordance with the management arrangements are not required to seek permits in relation to interactions with protected species in Commonwealth waters
218
Performance against the Australian Government Guidelines for the Ecologically Sustainable Management of Fisheries is adequate however there are a number of issues that need to be addressed to contain environmental risks in the longer term Hence I propose to declare the fishery an approved Wildlife Trade Operation (WTO) under Part 13A of the EPBC Act This declaration would allow the export of product from the fishery for the next three years The declaration subject to the conditions and recommendations below Conditions Conditions on the approved wildlife trade operation declaration for the Coral Reef Finfish Fishery
1 Operation of the fishery will be carried out in accordance with the Fisheries (Coral Reef Fin Fish) Management Plan 2003 in force under the Queensland Fisheries Act 1994 and the Queensland Fisheries Regulation 1995
2 DPIampF will inform the Department of the Environment and Heritage (DEWHA) of any intended amendments to the Coral Reef Finfish Fishery management regime that may affect the sustainability of the target species or negatively impact on bycatch protected species or the ecosystem
3 Reports to be produced and presented to DEWHA annually and to include
bull information sufficient to allow assessment of the progress of DPIampF in implementing the recommendations made in the Assessment of the Coral Reef Finfish Fishery
bull a description of the status of the fishery and catch and effort information
bull a statement of the performance of the fishery against objectives performance indicators and measures once developed and
bull research undertaken or completed relevant to the fishery Recommendations
1 DPIampF to inform DEWHA of any intended amendments to the management arrangements that may affect sustainability of the target species or negatively impact on bycatch protected species or the ecosystem
2 From 2006 DPIampF to report publicly on the status of the CRFF on an annual basis including explicitly reporting against each performance measure
3 DPIampF to reassess the review events in the Fisheries (Coral Reef Fin Fish) Management Plan 2003 to ensure their appropriateness that they are quantitative where possible and they are consistent with the application of operational objectives for the fishery By December 2006 DPIampF is to establish revised objectives performance measures and indicators for bycatch protected species and impacts on the ecosystem
4 DPIampF to monitor the status of the fishery in relation to the review events and performance measures Within three months of becoming aware that a review
Appendix A 219
event has been triggered DPIampF to finalise a clear timetable for the implementation of appropriate management responses
5 DPIampF to complete a compliance risk assessment for the CRFF by mid 2006 and implement a risk-based compliance strategy by December 2006 taking into account risks associated with non-compliance with
bull catch possession size and gear limits bull reporting of protected species interactions bull area and fishery closures and bull quota limits
6 DPIampF to implement a program to validate logbook data by June 2006 DPIampF to ensure that the program enables collection of information on the composition of lsquoother coral reef fin fishrsquo sufficient for DPIampF to monitor and respond to changes in the composition of this group
7 By end 2006 DPIampF to develop a robust and regular fishery assessment process that provides a basis for management decisions which are precautionary and recognise the uncertainty and level of risk The assessment process will examine the ecological sustainability of the take of Coral trout (Plectropomus leopardus) and Red-throat emperor (Lethrinus miniatus) using robust stock assessments
8 Within 18 months DPIampF to undertake a risk assessment to identify lsquoother coral reef finfishrsquo most at risk from the fishery Actions seeking to reduce risk to be implemented as appropriate within a further 12 months
9 DPIampF to develop a process to improve estimates of recreational take and factor this into stock assessments and management controls to ensure overall catch levels are sustainable
10 DPIampF to reassess the appropriateness of the total allowable commercial catches for the main target species and lsquoother coral reef finfishrsquo taking into account the outcomes of the stock and risk assessments for CRFF species by end 2007
11 DPIampF to review current management arrangements and ensure that adequate protection is being given to spawning stocks of the main target species
12 DPIampF to use the results of stock and risk assessments and research projects to review the need for specific bycatch management measures and introduce effective and appropriate methods to reduce bycatch or increase survivability as needed
13 DPIampF to continue to work with industry and other management agencies to reduce the impact of the CRFF on the broader ecosystem including impacts relating to anchoring
220
South Australian fisheries bull 3Abalone Fishery bull 3Beach-cast Seagrass and Marine
Algae Fishery bull 3Blue Crab Fishery bull 3Giant Crab Fishery bull 3Lakes and Coorong Fishery bull 3Marine Scalefish Fishery bull 3Pilchard Fishery
bull 3Prawn Trawl Fisheries bull 3Rock Lobster (Jasus edwardsii)
Fishery bull 3Scallop and Turbo Fishery bull 3Seahorse Marine Services bull 3Sea Urchin Fishery bull 3Specimen Shell Fishery
SA PIRSA submissions to DEWHA
The submissions to DEWHA addressed the EPBC principles and objectives (ecological and included economic social and governance components)
The SA Lakes and Coorong 3 Fishery an example Part 1 provides a summary and details of the SA PIRSA agency submission on ecological sustainability to DEWHA Part 2 provides summary information of DEWHA assessment of the fishery and the Ministerial decision conditions and recommendations
Part 1 SA PIRSA submission to DEWHA (September 2005) Submission for the purposes of the wildlife trade provisions of Part 13A of the EPBC Act The following information is from the report Ecological Assessment of the South Australian Lakes and Coorong Fishery Assessment Report Prepared for the Australian Government Department of Environment and Heritage against the Guidelines for the Ecologically Sustainable Management of Fisheries For the purposes of Part 13(A) of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 5 September 2005 Other relevant information that is included is sourced from the SA (PIRSA) fisheries web documents and in each case source references are provided
A summary of the SA (PIRSA) submission to DEWHA is provided in the table below and then in more detail under the same headings This is followed by other SA (PIRSA) supporting documents and reports and references for this section Legislation International United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
1982 Ramsar Convention
Commonwealth legislation Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999
State legislation The Fisheries Act 1982 insofar as this Act applies to the River Murray seeking to further the objects of the River Murray Act 2003 and the objectives of a healthy
Appendix A 221
River Murray under that Act Review of fisheries Act Fisheries (Scheme of Management ndash Lakes and Coorong Fishery) Regulations 1991 Fisheries (General) Regulations 2000 Fisheries (Management Committees) Regulations 1995
Management Management plans and regulations Draft Management Plan for the South Australian
Lakes and Coorong Fishery 2005-2010 (July 2005)
Codes of practice FRDC project( June 2007) development of a code of practice for mitigation of bycatch
Harvest strategies Inputoutput controls
Spatial management Spatial and temporal closures
Assessment
Stock assessment Target sp Full stock assessment status report or literature review
EIS No
Risk assessment Planned for non target species Economic components Economic flow of benefits to broader community
Social components Maintain equitable access recreational fishers and indigenous communities
Governance Cost-effective and participative governance of the fishery
Monitoring and performance Monitoring A strategic monitoring plan developed
Performance indicators and trigger points Target ecosystems economic and social governance objectives indicators and reference points and triggers
Observer program No
Reporting Fishers Fishers logbook program which requires all
commercial fishers to compulsorily record daily information on catch and effort levels and other details on daily fishing operations This information is submitted monthly and entered into a database which is managed by SARDI
PIRSA Status reports and literature reviews Research
Research Strategic research and monitoring plan with priorities updated annually
Consultation
The Fisheries (Management Committees) Regulations 1995 outline a set of co-management principles and establish a number of Fisheries Management Committees (FMCs)
222
SA (PIRSA) submission to DEWHA in more detail
Legislation Acts bull United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 bull Ramsar Convention (1971) bull Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999 bull The Fisheries Act 1982 insofar as this Act applies to the River Murray seeking
to further the objects of the River bull Murray Act 2003 and the objectives of a healthy River Murray under that Act bull Review of fisheries Act bull Fisheries (Scheme of Management ndash Lakes and Coorong Fishery) Regulations
1991 bull Fisheries (General) Regulations 2000 and bull Fisheries (Management Committees) Regulations 1995
Management
Plans and regulations
Draft Management Plan for the South Australian Lakes and Coorong Fishery 2005-2010 (July 2005) Plan to be reviewed in 2009
The regulations that govern the management of the Lakes and Coorong Fishery are the Fisheries (Scheme of Management ndash Lakes and Coorong Fishery) Regulations 1991 and the Fisheries (General) Regulations 2000 The Fisheries (Management Committees) Regulations 1995 (the FMC regulations) provide the legal basis for the preparation of the management plan The report serves as the first step in the process to have key species taken from the waters of the South Australian Lakes and Coorong fishery placed on the list of exempt native species for export under Part 13(A) of the EPBC Act The entire catchment spans across four state management jurisdictions and has been significantly modified since European settlement because of its importance in supporting human existence and industrial development The fishery includes area of the waters of three separate but closely linked freshwater estuarine and marine ecosystem components A range of stakeholder values are attached to the fishery which include commercial recreational indigenous and conservation interests The fishery operates within a very dynamic ecosystem which is influenced by high natural variation in river flooding and periods of extended drought This presents challenges to management with respect to matching total harvesting capacity and exploitation rates with annual changes in fish stock abundance particularly during extended periods of drought Thirty-seven commercial fishers target a diversity of native and exotic finfish species throughout the fishery predominantly using mesh nets and rakes traps set line razor fish tongs spear electro-fishing gear
Appendix A 223
The commercial fishery is managed using a complex mix of input and output controls aimed at matching harvest capacity with resource availability and controlling growth in aggregated harvesting capacity The Management Plan aims to provide a foundation for the fishery to continue moving towards a more integrated ecosystem-based approach to management The first step in this process is to integrate environmental management principles with conventional species and gear based fisheries management This will ensure that management decision-making incorporates critical environmental factors such as the timing and volume of freshwater flows barriers to fish passage and Murray Mouth opening There has been a long standing informal ecosystem-based approach to management of the fishery which is underpinned by the capacity commercial fishers have to transfer effort between a diversity of species in the marine estuarine and freshwater ecosystem components of the fishery These unique characteristics allow commercial fishers the necessary individual flexibility to respond to inter and intra-annual variations in overall ecosystem health and fish stock abundance or to changes in the market In addition a range of flexible management measures can be introduced in response to fish stock declines or significant environmental disturbances such as extended periods of drought low freshwater flow or closure of the River Murray Mouth The Management Plan aims to achieve outcomes that are consistent with broader Government objectives for the management of the Lakes and Coorong region Other important policy drivers that have been taken into account in the development of this Management Plan are
bull The National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development bull The Precautionary Principle as set out in the Intergovernmental Agreement on
the Environment bull The Australian Government lsquoGuidelines for the Ecologically Sustainable
Management of Fisheriesrsquo which relate to the requirements of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
bull Native Fish Strategy for the Murray-Darling-Basin 2003-2013 bull The National Policy on Fisheries By-catch bull The Coorong and Lakes Alexandrina and Albert Ramsar Management Plan and bull The Coorong National Park Management Plan
The objectives and strategies of the Lakes and Coorong Fishery Management Plan have been developed to take the management framework and objectives provided by the Ramsar Management Plan into account Goals of sustainable harvest minimising fishery impacts on the ecosystem collection of biological environmental and ecological information equitable access participative governance and the concept of lsquowise usersquo are pursued through the objectives and management strategies of the Lakes and Coorong Fishery Management Plan Acknowledging that the commercial exploitation of fish is permitted inside a national park the objectives of the National Park Management Plan have been taken into account in the development of the harvest strategy for the Lakes and Coorong Fishery to achieve where possible complementarity between management of the fishery and the Coorong National Park
224
While the Management Plan aims to provide a firm basis for the long-term sustainability of the fisheries resources of the lower Murray lakes and Coorong region it does not aim to return the ecosystem to its original unmodified state To do this would require substantial reengineering of the water flow management system along the entire length of the River Murray system which is beyond the scope of the Management Plan The Management Plan provides direction and strong support for a range of Government industry and community based programs aimed at habitat restoration (eg barrage fish passage-ways)
Codes of practice
FRDC project (to be completed in June 2007) development of a code of practice for mitigation of bycatch
Co-management arrangements
Section 46 of the Fisheries Act establishes a set of regulation-making powers to formalise a co-management process for fisheries management in South Australia The Fisheries (Management Committees) Regulations 1995 outline a set of co-management principles and establish a number of Fisheries Management Committees (FMCs) for key fisheries or groups of fisheries including the Inland FMC The Fisheries Act requires that the Minister the Director of Fisheries and the FMCs to operate in accordance with the principal objectives outlined in the Fisheries Act The FMC regulations assign responsibility for the preparation of management plans to individual FMCs The necessary tasks required to complete management plans are undertaken by PIRSA Fisheries Key stakeholder and community input to the development of management arrangements and strategic research and monitoring priorities for the Lakes and Coorong Fishery are facilitated through the Inland FMC process and during public consultation on draft management plans A review of the Fisheries Act is currently being undertaken which may result in changes to broader FMC membership structure and operation In the interim agreement has been reached to broaden the membership of the Inland FMC to more accurately reflect stakeholder group interests and move towards a more community-based approach to management This involves participation by members of the indigenous community and non-Government conservation groups Increased participation of representatives from the South Australian Department of Environment and Heritage (National Parks) through FMC processes has started to more closely link natural resource management decision-making across Government agencies The Inland FMC is required to produce an annual report to he Minister and to hold a public meeting each year to provide an opportunity for the FMC to publicly report on its yearly activities and allow for members of the broader community to discuss relevant issues with FMC members Observers are welcome to attend meetings with agreement from the chairperson The operating costs of the Inland FMC are currently
Appendix A 225
funded through a combination of fees paid by commercial fishery licence holders and Government funds The Inland FMC meets approximately four to six times per year
Harvest strategies
The harvest strategy for the fishery aims to provide a strategic framework to guide annual decision-making on harvesting rates for all sectors of the fishery In a practical sense the harvest strategy describes the linkages between management objectives strategies performance indicators reference points management triggers and agreed management actions to be introduced upon reaching reference points or triggers The harvest strategy also describes how fishery data should be collected how the data should be analysed and how the results of data analyses should be interpreted and used to determine management actions A formal harvest strategy strengthens the link between annual fishery stock assessment processes and management decision-making
The harvest strategy framework integrates a set of basic environmental management principles into the day-to-day management of the fishery to ensure that management decision making incorporates critical environmental factors such as the timing and volume of freshwater flows barriers to fish passage and river mouth opening This approach aims to ensure that fundamental environmental processes are maintained or where necessary restored to maximise benefits for fish stocks Under this integrated approach instead of simply measuring the performance of individual fish stocks against management objectives critical environmental drivers will be explicitly taken into account when assessing the overall health of the fishery and in decision-making processes If water flow rates or other key environmental parameters fall outside of reference levels in any given period the Management Plan will require a management response to be initiated to ensure fish stocks are not left unmanaged during periods of low ecosystem health such as extended periods of drought or low water flow
Spatial management
A number of spatial and temporal closures have been introduced for the recreational sector of the Lakes and Coorong Fishery primarily to ensure sustainability of fish stocks Some closures are consistent with those in place for the commercial sector These closures are usually focused on a given species but may be explicitly linked to a restriction on the use of a particular fishing method Similar to the current set of gear restrictions a series of spatial and temporal closures have been introduced which are in many cases explicitly linked to a restriction on the use of a particular fishing method Closures are used to restrict catch levels to protect fish stocks during specific stages of their life cycle or to reduce gear conflict between the commercial and recreational sectors
226
Assessment
Stock assessment Target There is a robust assessment of the dynamics and status of the speciesfishery and periodic review of the process and the data collected Assessment should include a process to identify any reduction in biological diversity andor reproductive capacity Review should take place at regular intervals but at least every three years
History of Assessment and Review Goolwa cockles an example Year of assessment Type of assessment Reference 1976 Fishery biology of Goolwa cockles along the
Coorong beach fishery independent survey of size composition of stock reproductive biology
King 1976
1999 Commercial catch and effort trends to 199798 CPUE relatively poor indicator of stock abundance Stock fully exploited
Pierce and Doonan 1999
2003 Review biology of species Analysis of commercial catch effort and CPUE data from LampCF and MSF fisheries to 200102
Murray Jones and Johnson 2003
200001 NRIFS survey harvested and released numbers of Goolwa cockles harvested by recreational fishers during May 2000 ndash April 2001
Jones and Doonan 2005
Overall fishery Year of assessment Type of assessment Reference 1846 ndash 198384 Review of history of commercial Olsen (1991) harvest in the LampCF fishery pre- and post barrages 198485 ndash 199798 Pierce and Doonan 1999
Review of commercial catch and effort by gear type
198485 ndash 200203 Review of fishery in Management Sloan 2005 Plan The strategic research and monitoring program outlines the current staged approach to establishing stock assessment and stock status information for all commercially and recreationally important species in the Lakes and Coorong Fishery Species to which a high priority has been assigned will have a full stock assessment report produced at least every two to three years Lower priority species will have a full stock assessment report produced every three years In years when full stock assessment reports are not produced stock status reports will be produced These status reports will provide a brief assessment of fish stocks as measured by stock performance against established management objectives and reference values outlined in this Management Plan
Byproduct
Appendix A 227
The total catches of target and byproduct species harvested by commercial fishers in the Lakes and Coorong Fishery Marine Scalefish Fishery and Rock Lobster Fisheries in 200001 Species harvested predominantly as byproduct species (marked ldquoBPrdquo) for the lagoon and ocean components of the fishery include Australian salmon sharks (bronze whalers and gummy) rays school whiting trevally garfish snapper and other unnamed species By-product species for the lakes fishery include yabbies Murray cod and other un-named species Fishers report either single target species or multiple target species on the catch and effort forms
Bycatch Currently there are no estimates available of the size of bycatch from any of the commercial sectors nor the harvest and bycatch by indigenous fishers The SARDI bycatch project (funded by FRDC) commencing in 200506 will develop potential performance indicators and reference points related to bycatch of the main fishing gear used in the Coorong lagoons The management plan makes a commitment to develop and implement a bycatch action plan for the fishery by 2006 TEP Under South Australian legislation all marine mammals and sea birds are protected under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 and are listed as endangered vulnerable or rare The vulnerability of non-target species and regulated undersized species to current fishing operations will be assessed following a study of the interactions between current fishing operations and non-target species including endangered threatened and protected species The study will allow for a risk assessment to be undertaken and provide a basis for future consideration of the need for management actions to address non-target species sustainability
Habitat The water-bird habitats of this region were designated as wetland habitats of international importance under the Ramsar convention in 1985 and in 2000 the ldquoCoorong and Lakes Alexandrina and Albert Ramsar Management Planrdquo was prepared Ecosystems The Coorong beach ecosystem This ocean beach ecosystem of sand substrate is a highly dynamic one with strong long-shore drift medium tidal amplitude and strong oceanic ground swells (Bryars 2003) Both the benthic and open water communities associated with this ecosystem are mainly mobile (eg patches of D deltoides are mobile Murray-Jones and Johnson 2003) and so the impact of fishing gear on these communities is believed to be minimal Coorong Lagoon and Estuary Ecosystem All fishery habitats found within the Coorong lagoon are regarded as threatened (Bryars 2003) The lagoon has been separated into two ecosystems a) the estuarine river adjacent to the seaward side of the barrages and b) the lagoon south of the estuarine river For the estuarine river ecosystem major threats are due to
228
bull Increased levels of nutrients caused by agricultural runoff from Murray River catchment
bull Decreased freshwater flow caused by abstraction from Murray River catchment bull Altered patterns of freshwater flow caused by locks and barrages bull Increased sediment caused by lack of flow and bull Decreased tidal flows caused by increased sedimentation inside the Murray
Mouth (Bryars 2003)
For the Coorong lagoon ecosystem major threats are due to
bull Decreased tidal flows caused by sedimentation and closure of the Murray mouth and
bull Decreased freshwater flows caused by abstraction from the River Murray catchment (Bryars 2003)
These threats to the communities within the lagoon have been highlighted through the closure of the Murray mouth in 1982 and more recently in 2003 Effects of these threatening issues and implications to the fishery and the sustainability of the fish stocks include the diminution of optimum habitat for several of the estuary dependent species (ie lower salinities for mulloway flounder and black bream) With diminished flows through the barrages there is a risk that a significant proportion of the populations of these species occurring in the Coorong Lagoon will aggregate in the vicinity of water of the lower salinity (ie adjacent to the barrages) thus increasing their vulnerability to targeted fishing
Lakes Alexandrina and Albert Ecosystem The construction of the barrages converted this area of the Lakes and Coorong Fishery from one of the most extensive estuaries along the southern Australian coast to largely freshwater lakes with minimal variation in lake level (Reynolds 1976) This has resulted in significant changes to the fish community structure as well as the bottom and open water communities Additionally a number of exotic pest species have been introduced to this ecosystem again influencing the community structure and associated trophic dynamics
Risk assessment
Bycatch A research program to assess the composition and magnitude of retained and discarded catches and rates of capture of retained and discarded species in the main types of gear used by commercial and recreational fishers in the Coorong lagoons in order to establish a risk assessment framework for bycatch management was commenced in 2005 TEP The vulnerability of non-target species and regulated undersized species to current fishing operations will be assessed following a study of the interactions between current fishing operations and non-target species including endangered threatened and
Appendix A 229
protected species The study will allow for a risk assessment to be undertaken and provide a basis for future consideration of the need for management actions to address non-target species sustainability
Economic social and governance issues
See indicators and trigger points below
Monitoring and performance
Monitoring
The Lakes and Coorong Fishery can be classified as a data poor fishery with only limited quantitative information available to managers during annual decision-making processes A strategic research and monitoring plan has been developed as part of the fishery management plan The primary focus of the strategic research and monitoring plan is to increase the amount of quantitative information available for management of the fishery This plan aims to ensure that all research and stock assessment undertaken in the Lakes and Coorong Fishery is carried out to address established management priorities and information gaps
Performance indicators and trigger points
The following management goals aim to address key challenges facing the fishery and take into account key policy drivers such as the lsquoprinciples of ecologically sustainable developmentrsquo the lsquoprecautionary principlersquo the lsquoguidelines for the ecologically sustainable management of fisheriesrsquo set out in the Australian Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 the National Policy on Fisheries Bycatch the Coorong National Park Management Plan the Coorong and Lakes Alexandrina and Albert Ramsar Management Plan and the Murray-Darling Basin Commission Native Fish Strategy
A series of objectives have been established to ensure management goals are actively pursued
Goal 1Sustainable harvesting of fisheries resources a Fishing is conducted at a level that maintains ecologically viable stock levels and
protects fish stocks from overfishing b Sufficient biological and environmental information is collected and analysed to
make informed management decisions and c For fish stocks that are determined to be operating outside of established reference
levels the fishery will be managed to promote recovery to ecologically viable stock levels within agreed timeframes
Goal 2 Optimum utilisation and equitable distribution of fisheries resources within the constraints of sustainability imperatives
230
a Maintain a flow of economic benefit from the fishery to the broader community through the wise use of Lakes and Coorong fisheries resources
b Maintain equitable public access and recreational fishing opportunities c Provide opportunities for indigenous communities to access fish stocks for traditional
purposes d Maintain equitable levels of commercial access and the regional development nature
of the commercial fishery and e Sufficient economic information exists to make informed management decisions Goal 3 Minimise impacts on the structure productivity function and biological
diversity of the ecosystem a Monitor any external impacts on fish stocks associated with broader environmental
or ecosystem health b Minimise fishery impacts on bycatch species and the ecosystem c Avoid the incidental mortality of endangered threatened and protected species d Reduce the population size and ecological impact of non-native fish species Goal 4 Cost-effective and participative governance of the fishery a Promote cost-effective and efficient management of the fishery b Have regard to the range of social cultural and wider community values attached to
the fishery and c Promote compliance with management controls
App
endi
x A
231
Man
agem
ent O
bjec
tives
M
anag
emen
t Str
ateg
ies
Perf
orm
ance
Indi
cato
rs
Res
pons
ibili
ty
Sche
dule
R
efer
ence
Poi
nts
Tri
gger
s
Goa
l 1 S
usta
inab
le h
arve
stin
g of
fish
erie
s res
ourc
es
1 R
estri
ct to
tal c
atch
and
eff
ort i
n
1 T
otal
ann
ual c
omm
erci
al c
atch
PI
RSA
A
nnua
l 1
The
ann
ual t
otal
com
mer
cial
th
e fis
hery
fo
r eac
h ke
y sp
ecie
s
ca
tch
(all
sect
ors)
is a
bove
or
be
low
the
uppe
r or l
ower
2
Res
trict
the
num
ber o
f 2
Tot
al a
nnua
l com
mer
cial
fish
ing
PI
RSA
A
nnua
l re
fere
nce
valu
es fo
r eac
h ke
y
com
mer
cial
fish
ing
licen
ces i
n
effo
rt le
vel f
or e
ach
fishi
ng
sp
ecie
s
the
fishe
ry to
no
mor
e th
an 3
7
met
hod
in e
ach
area
of t
he
fis
hery
2 T
here
is a
gre
ater
than
25
3
Res
trict
the
fishi
ng m
etho
ds th
at
chan
ge b
etw
een
year
s in
the
m
ay b
e us
ed in
the
com
mer
cial
3
The
tota
l num
ber o
f act
ive
PI
RSA
A
nnua
l to
tal t
arge
t com
mer
cial
fish
ing
an
d re
crea
tiona
l sec
tors
co
mm
erci
al fi
shin
g lic
ence
s
effo
rt le
vel f
or a
ny fi
shin
g
op
erat
ing
in th
e fis
hery
met
hod
in e
ach
area
of t
he
4 R
estri
ct th
e am
ount
of f
ishi
ng
fishe
ry
gear
that
may
be
used
in th
e
4 T
otal
ann
ual c
omm
erci
al c
atch
PI
RSA
A
nnua
l
com
mer
cial
and
recr
eatio
nal
per u
nit e
ffor
t (C
PUE)
for e
ach
3 A
nnua
l ave
rage
com
mer
cial
se
ctor
s
key
spec
ies
CPU
E fo
r eac
h ke
y sp
ecie
s is
ab
ove
or b
elow
the
uppe
r or
5 R
estri
ct c
omm
erci
al a
nd
5 A
nnua
l com
mer
cial
cat
ch
PIR
SA
Ann
ual
low
er re
fere
nce
valu
es
re
crea
tiona
l fis
hing
in c
erta
in
com
posi
tion
ar
eas a
t cer
tain
tim
es to
pro
tect
4
The
rate
of c
hang
e in
the
annu
al
key
spec
ies d
urin
g cr
itica
l sta
ges
6 A
ges
ize
com
posi
tion
of k
ey
PIR
SA
In p
erio
dic
stoc
k
tota
l cat
ch o
f eac
h ke
y sp
ecie
s of
thei
r life
cyc
le
spec
ies p
opul
atio
ns
asse
ssm
ent
(ove
r a th
ree
to fo
ur y
ear
6 R
estri
ct th
e m
inim
um a
ndo
r 7
Ann
ual p
re-r
ecru
it ab
unda
nce
of
PIR
SA
In p
erio
dic
stoc
k
perio
d) is
gre
ater
than
(plusmn) t
he re
fere
nce
valu
e
m
axim
um si
ze a
t whi
ch fi
sh
key
spec
ies
as
sess
men
t
may
be
capt
ured
5
The
rate
of c
hang
e in
the
annu
al
8
Est
imat
ed to
tal a
nnua
l PI
RSA
In
per
iodi
c re
crea
tiona
l to
tal a
vera
ge C
PUE
for e
ach
7
Mai
ntai
n a
capa
city
for
recr
eatio
nal c
atch
of k
ey
surv
eys
ke
y sp
ecie
s (ov
er a
thre
e to
four
co
mm
erci
al fi
sher
s to
trans
fer
harv
estin
g ef
fort
betw
een
sp
ecie
s
ye
ar p
erio
d) is
gre
ater
than
(plusmn) t
he
refe
renc
e va
lue
and
betw
een
ecos
yste
m
co
mpo
nent
s in
the
fishe
ry
a F
ishi
ng is
con
duct
ed a
t a le
vel
that
mai
ntai
ns e
colo
gica
lly
viab
le st
ock
leve
ls a
nd p
rote
cts
fish
stoc
ks fr
om o
verf
ishi
ng
with
in a
nd b
etw
een
year
s
232
Man
agem
ent O
bjec
tives
M
anag
emen
t Str
ateg
ies
Perf
orm
ance
Indi
cato
rs
Res
pons
ibili
ty
Sche
dule
R
efer
ence
Poi
nts
Tri
gger
s
Goa
l 1 S
usta
inab
le h
arve
stin
g of
fish
erie
s res
ourc
es
a F
ishi
ng is
con
duct
ed a
t a le
vel
that
mai
ntai
ns e
colo
gica
lly
viab
le st
ock
leve
ls a
nd p
rote
cts
fish
stoc
ks fr
om o
verf
ishi
ng
8 D
evel
op fi
shin
g m
etho
ds to
m
inim
ise
inci
dent
al m
orta
lity
of
unde
rsiz
ed c
atch
es a
ssoc
iate
d
with
com
mer
cial
and
re
crea
tiona
l fis
hing
ope
ratio
ns
9 D
evel
op m
anag
emen
t stra
tegi
es
to m
inim
ise
inci
dent
al fi
sher
y
inte
ract
ions
with
und
ersi
zed
fis
h
10R
estri
ct th
e qu
antit
y of
eac
h
spec
ies t
hat m
ay b
e ha
rves
ted
by
the
recr
eatio
nal s
ecto
r usi
ng b
ag
and
boat
lim
its a
nd p
osse
ssio
n
limits
11
Red
uce
late
nt e
ffor
t in
othe
r So
uth
Aus
tralia
n co
mm
erci
al
fishe
ries
whi
ch c
ould
thre
aten
fu
ture
sust
aina
bilit
y of
key
sp
ecie
s in
the
Lake
s and
C
ooro
ng F
ishe
ry
12E
xerc
ise
a pr
ecau
tiona
ry
appr
oach
to m
anag
emen
t
shou
ld se
rious
or i
rrev
ersi
ble
th
reat
s to
fish
stoc
ks o
r the
w
ider
eco
syst
em b
ecom
e
appa
rent
ndash p
artic
ular
ly d
urin
g
perio
ds o
f ext
ende
d dr
ough
t
13D
evel
op a
pac
kage
of
man
agem
ent m
easu
res t
o co
ntro
l th
e ta
rget
ed h
arve
st o
f bla
ck
brea
m in
rela
tion
to fr
esh
wat
er
outfl
ows
9 T
he le
vel o
f lat
ent e
ffor
t in
othe
r So
uth
Aus
tralia
n co
mm
erci
al
fishe
ries t
hat i
mpa
ct o
n th
e
Lake
s and
Coo
rong
Fis
hery
PIR
SA F
ishe
ries a
nd In
land
FM
C
Ann
ual
6 T
here
is a
gre
ater
than
50
ch
ange
ove
r a fo
ur y
ear p
erio
d
in th
e to
tal c
omm
erci
al fi
shin
g
effo
rt le
vel f
or a
ny fi
shin
g
met
hod
in e
ach
of th
e fo
ur a
reas
of
the
fishe
ry
7 A
sign
ifica
nt c
hang
e in
the
sp
ecie
s com
posi
tion
of th
e
com
mer
cial
cat
ch b
etw
een
ye
ars
8
A si
gnifi
cant
redu
ctio
n in
the
ab
unda
nce
of p
re-r
ecru
its fo
r ke
y sp
ecie
s
9 L
aten
t eff
ort l
evel
s in
othe
r So
uth
Aus
tralia
n co
mm
erci
al
fishe
ries i
mpa
ctin
g on
the
Lake
s an
d C
ooro
ng F
ishe
ry a
re n
ot
redu
ced
belo
w 2
004
leve
ls
durin
g th
e lif
e of
this
M
anag
emen
t Pla
n
10 S
urve
ys in
dica
te re
crea
tiona
l ca
tch
and
effo
rt le
vels
are
hi
gher
than
the
leve
ls id
entif
ied
in
the
2001
Nat
iona
l R
ecre
atio
nal a
nd In
dige
nous
Fi
shin
g Su
rvey
(Hen
ry a
nd L
yle
2003
)
App
endi
x A
233
Man
agem
ent O
bjec
tives
M
anag
emen
t Str
ateg
ies
Perf
orm
ance
Indi
cato
rs
Res
pons
ibili
ty
Sche
dule
R
efer
ence
Poi
nts
Tri
gger
s
Goa
l 1 S
usta
inab
le h
arve
stin
g of
fish
erie
s res
ourc
es
1 E
stab
lish
base
line
biol
ogic
al
3 A
vaila
bilit
y of
bas
elin
e
Inla
nd F
MC
amp P
IRSA
A
nnua
l 1
Bas
elin
e bi
olog
ical
info
rmat
ion
in
form
atio
n fo
r all
key
spec
ies
bi
olog
ical
info
rmat
ion
for a
ll
is
not
ava
ilabl
e fo
r all
key
key
spec
ies
spec
ies
in li
ne w
ith ti
mef
ram
es
2 M
onito
r the
per
form
ance
of k
ey
set o
ut in
the
stra
tegi
c re
sear
ch
spec
ies p
opul
atio
ns t
hrou
gh th
e
4 P
rodu
ctio
n of
stoc
k as
sess
men
t an
d m
onito
ring
plan
pr
oduc
tion
of in
depe
nden
t re
ports
or s
tatu
s rep
orts
to
Inla
nd F
MC
amp P
IRSA
A
nnua
l in
line
with
stra
tegi
c pl
an
sc
ient
ific
stoc
k as
sess
men
t and
in
form
man
agem
ent
2 S
tock
ass
essm
ent r
epor
ts a
nd
stat
us re
ports
st
atus
repo
rts a
re n
ot p
rodu
ced
5 A
nnua
l upd
ate
of th
e st
rate
gic
In
land
FM
C
Ann
ually
upd
ated
in
line
with
the
stra
tegi
c
3 R
evie
w a
nd u
pdat
e th
e st
rate
gic
re
sear
ch a
nd m
onito
ring
plan
rese
arch
and
mon
itorin
g st
rate
gy
rese
arch
and
mon
itorin
g st
rate
gy
an
nual
ly t
o en
sure
that
rese
arch
6
Per
iodi
c re
view
and
upd
ate
of
Inla
nd F
MC
PIR
SA F
ishe
ries amp
3
Stra
tegi
c re
sear
ch a
nd
prog
ram
s add
ress
man
agem
ent
the
com
mer
cial
logb
ook
PI
RSA
A
t lea
st e
very
five
m
onito
ring
stra
tegy
is n
ot
prio
ritie
s
ye
ars
upda
ted
annu
ally
7 S
cope
of i
ndus
try-
base
d ca
tch
4
Per
iodi
cally
revi
ew a
nd u
pdat
e
sam
plin
g pr
ogra
ms f
or a
ll
Inla
nd F
MC
amp P
IRSA
A
nnua
l
the
info
rmat
ion
colle
cted
se
ctor
s
thro
ugh
com
mer
cial
fish
ing
logb
ooks
8
Sco
pe o
f fis
hery
-inde
pend
ent
m
onito
ring
PI
RSA
amp In
land
FM
C
Ann
ual
5
Dev
elop
an
indu
stry
-bas
ed c
atch
sam
plin
g pr
ogra
m fo
r all
user
9
Ava
ilabi
lity
of in
form
atio
n on
gr
oups
- to
col
lect
bio
logi
cal
recr
eatio
nal c
atch
and
eff
ort
PI
RSA
A
nnua
l
info
rmat
ion
on k
ey sp
ecie
s
6 E
xplo
re th
e co
sts a
nd b
enef
its o
f
deve
lopi
ng a
fish
ery-
inde
pend
ent m
onito
ring
prog
ram
7 E
xplo
re o
ptio
ns to
mon
itor
recr
eatio
nal c
atch
and
eff
ort
b S
uffic
ient
bio
logi
cal a
nd
envi
ronm
enta
l inf
orm
atio
n is
co
llect
ed a
nd a
naly
sed
to m
ake
in
form
ed m
anag
emen
t de
cisi
ons
leve
ls a
nd im
plem
ent d
ata
234
co
llect
ion
syst
ems
whe
n av
aila
ble
M
anag
emen
t Obj
ectiv
es
Man
agem
ent S
trat
egie
s Pe
rfor
man
ce In
dica
tors
R
espo
nsib
ility
Sc
hedu
le
Ref
eren
ce P
oint
sT
rigg
ers
Goa
l 1 S
usta
inab
le h
arve
stin
g of
fish
erie
s res
ourc
es
1 U
nder
take
inve
stig
atio
n of
1
A fu
ll in
vest
igat
ion
of th
e
Inla
nd F
MC
Ann
ual
1 S
tock
reco
very
rate
s do
not
mee
t re
ason
s for
one
or m
ore
re
ason
s why
one
or m
ore
the
targ
ets i
dent
ified
in th
e
refe
renc
e va
lue
bein
g re
ache
d
refe
renc
e va
lue
has b
een
reco
very
pla
n
re
ache
d is
und
erta
ken
2
Whe
re p
erfo
rman
ce is
Im
med
iate
ly u
pon
advi
ce b
eing
co
nsid
ered
to b
e un
acce
ptab
le
form
ally
pro
vide
d to
the
FMC
re
view
exi
stin
g m
anag
emen
t
stra
tegi
es a
nd d
evel
op a
nd
2 A
stoc
k re
cove
ry p
lan
is
Inla
nd F
MC
A
nnua
l
impl
emen
t sto
ck re
cove
ry p
lans
de
velo
ped
with
in 4
mon
ths
fo
r ind
ivid
ual s
peci
es w
ith
incl
udin
g pr
opos
ed m
anag
emen
t
es
tabl
ishe
d tim
efra
mes
and
ac
tions
tim
efra
mes
and
targ
ets
targ
ets f
or st
ock
reco
very
fo
r sto
ck re
cove
ry
3
Rat
e of
stoc
k re
cove
ry r
elat
ive
c F
or fi
sh st
ocks
that
are
de
term
ined
to b
e op
erat
ing
ou
tsid
e of
est
ablis
hed
refe
renc
e
leve
ls t
he fi
sher
y w
ill b
e
man
aged
to p
rom
ote
reco
very
to
ecol
ogic
ally
via
ble
stoc
k le
vels
w
ithin
agr
eed
timef
ram
es
to
est
ablis
hed
targ
ets i
n re
cove
ry
plan
In
land
FM
C
Ann
ual
App
endi
x A
235
Man
agem
ent O
bjec
tives
M
anag
emen
t Str
ateg
ies
Perf
orm
ance
Indi
cato
rs
Res
pons
ibili
ty
Sche
dule
R
efer
ence
Poi
nts
Tri
gger
s
Goa
l 2 O
ptim
um u
tilis
atio
n an
d eq
uita
ble
dist
ribu
tion
of fi
sher
ies r
esou
rces
with
in th
e co
nstr
aint
s of s
usta
inab
ility
impe
rativ
es
a M
aint
ain
a flo
w o
f eco
nom
ic
bene
fit fr
om th
e fis
hery
to th
e br
oade
r com
mun
ity th
roug
h th
e w
ise
use
of L
akes
and
Coo
rong
fis
herie
s res
ourc
es
3 D
evel
op a
nd im
plem
ent
arra
ngem
ents
that
allo
w
com
mer
cial
ope
rato
rs to
max
imis
e op
erat
iona
l fle
xibi
lity
and
econ
omic
eff
icie
ncy
4
Dev
elop
and
impl
emen
t ar
rang
emen
ts th
at p
rom
ote
optim
um u
tilis
atio
n an
d m
inim
ise
was
te
5 M
aint
ain
mec
hani
sms t
o al
low
fo
r aut
onom
ous f
leet
adj
ustm
ent
(eg
lic
ence
am
alga
mat
ion
sche
me)
6 D
evel
op a
nd
impl
emen
t met
hods
to a
sses
s the
ec
onom
ic b
enef
its o
f alte
rnat
ive
harv
est s
trate
gies
7
Mon
itor i
nter
stat
e m
arke
t pric
es
for a
ll ke
y sp
ecie
s
4 T
rend
in G
ross
Val
ue o
f Pr
oduc
tion
(GV
P) o
f the
co
mm
erci
al fi
sher
y
5 T
rend
in m
arke
t pric
es fo
r key
sp
ecie
s 6
Tre
nd in
the
aver
age
annu
al
com
mer
cial
lice
nce
valu
e
7 T
rend
in a
nnua
l ret
urn
on
inve
stm
ent i
n th
e co
mm
erci
al
fishe
ry
8 T
rend
in a
nnua
l tot
al e
cono
mic
im
pact
of t
he c
omm
erci
al fi
sher
y
9 T
rend
in th
e nu
mbe
r of
com
mer
cial
fish
ing
licen
ses
10
Tre
nd in
the
amou
nt o
f co
mm
erci
al fi
shin
g ge
ar a
vaila
ble
to th
e fis
hery
PIR
SA v
ia E
cono
mic
Sur
vey
A
nnua
l PI
RSA
A
nnua
l P
IRSA
A
nnua
l PI
RSA
via
Eco
nom
ic S
urve
y
Ann
ual
PIR
SA v
ia E
cono
mic
Sur
vey
A
nnua
l PI
RSA
A
nnua
l PI
RSA
A
nnua
l
1 A
dec
reas
ing
trend
in a
nnua
l re
turn
on
inve
stm
ent o
ver a
thre
e ye
ar p
erio
d