History

The Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) was established in February 1992. Our operations are governed by the Fisheries Administration Act 1991 and the Fisheries Management Act 1991. These laws created a statutory authority model for fisheries management whereby day-to-day management of fisheries was vested in AFMA, with the broader fisheries policy, international negotiations and strategic issues being administered by a smaller group within the then Department of Primary Industries and Energy (now the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry).

An important feature of the AFMA model is that it enables the Minister with portfolio responsibility for fisheries to remain at arm’s length from the day-to-day decisions on fisheries management.

Decision making is passed to an expertise based Board. In turn, the Board is advised by a Management Advisory Committee (MAC) structure which draws its membership from relevant stakeholder groups, including the commercial fishing industry

Page last updated 6 May, 2008