Corporate Governance

AFMA is a Statutory Authority created by the Fisheries Administration Act 1991.

AFMA’s responsibilities are shared between a Commission and the Chief Executive Officer:

  • The Commission is responsible for domestic fisheries management
  • The Chief Executive Officer is responsible for foreign compliance, and for assisting the Commission and giving effect to its decisions.

The CEO is also a Commissioner, and is appointed on a full-time basis.  All other Commissioners are appointed on a part-time basis.

Commissioners are appointed on the basis of their high level of expertise in one or more of the fields of fisheries management, fishing industry operations, science, natural resource management, economics, business or financial management, law, public sector administration or governance.  Commissioners cannot hold any executive position in a fishing industry association, nor can they have a controlling interest or executive role in any entity holding a Commonwealth fishing concession.

The current commissioners were appointed on 1 March 2009 for five year terms of office.

The commission is advised by a Management Advisory Committee (MAC) structure which draws its membership from relevant stakeholder groups, including the commercial fishing industry.