Managing bycatch and discarding

The development of the Commonwealth and National bycatch policies demonstrates a commitment to ensure fisheries are ecologically sustainable through bycatch reduction, improved protection for vulnerable/threatened species and minimising adverse impacts of fishing on the marine environment.

Central to these policies is a recognition that bycatch is a resource, environmental, educational, engineering and economic issue and needs to be addressed strategically and in a focused, coordinated manner.

The policies recognise that there will be different requirements for addressing the bycatch issue in different fisheries and guide AFMA to develop fishery specific bycatch action plans (BAPs). AFMA is currently moving from its existing BAPs to a more focused approach in the form of Bycatch and Discard Workplans. AFMA coordinates the efforts of various interest groups to develop these plans by establishing bycatch and discard working groups consisting of scientific, industry, government and conservation members.

Bycatch and Discard Workplans identify the specific bycatch issues in a fishery based on the outcomes of Ecological Risk Assessments (ERAs) and detail actions required to address those issues. The three main areas covered by bycatch action plans are protected species and ecological communities, high risk and other bycatch species and the broader marine ecosystem. The Bycatch and Discard Workplan is then integrated into the management arrangements for the fishery to enable the actions to be implemented. These workplans will be reviewed every 12 months, and formally renewed every 2 years, in line with the Commonwealth Policy of Fisheries Bycatch 2000. Until the new workplans are in place, each fishery is expected to report to their existing Bycatch Action Plan.

Bycatch and Discarding Implementation Strategy

AFMA established a bycatch and discarding program in February 2007 to provide additional resources and direction for pursuing policy and legislative objectives in relation to bycatch and discarding. The program will be resourced until mid-2009 at which point individual fisheries will assume direct responsibility for program outputs. The bycatch and discarding program is aimed at assisting fisheries tackle bycatch and discarding issues in a focused and cost-effective way.

Page last updated 29 September, 2009