Our fisheries

The Australian Fisheries Management Authority manages more than 20 Commonwealth fisheries. These are worth nearly $288 million in production value alone and generate more than 52,200 tonnes of catch annually (Australian fisheries statistics 2008, ABARE).

The largest of these by value are the Northern Prawn, Southern Bluefin Tuna, Eastern Tuna and Billfish fisheries, and the Commonwealth Trawl sector and Gillnet, Hook and Trap sectors of the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery (providing much of the table fish for east Australian residents).

Antarctic
Includes the Heard Island and McDonald Islands Fishery, Macquarie Island Toothfish Fishery and Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) New and Exploratory Fisheries.

Coral Sea and external territories
Includes the Coral Sea, Norfolk Island and Christmas and Cocos (Keeling) Islands fisheries.

Northern trawl
Includes the Western Deepwater, Northern Prawn and North West Slope fisheries.

Scalefish and shark
The Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery includes the Commonwealth Trawl, Great Australian Bight, East Coast Deepwater and Gillnet, Hook and Trap sectors.

Scallop and squid
Includes the Bass Strait Central Zone Scallop and Southern Squid Jig fisheries.

Small Pelagic
The Small Pelagic Fishery (SPF) extends from the Queensland/New South Wales border, typically outside 3 nautical miles, around southern Australia to a line at latitude 31° south (near Lancelin, north of Perth).

South Tasman Rise
The South Tasman Rise Sector (STR) is a limited entry ‘international’ fishery managed with New Zealand under a memorandum of understanding.

Torres Strait
The Protected Zone Joint Authority (PZJA) is responsible for management of commercial and traditional fishing in the Australian area of the Torres Strait Protected Zone (TSPZ) and designated adjacent Torres Strait waters.

Tuna and Billfish
Includes the Eastern Tuna and Billfish, Southern Bluefin Tuna, Skipjack Tuna and Western Tuna and Billfish fisheries.

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Page last updated 12 April, 2010