Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery

Annual Status Report 2008

This assessment covers fishing methods in the Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery (ETBF), for the methods of longline and minor line, such as poling or trolling, as managed by the Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery Management Plan 2005. The ETBF was declared an approved Wildlife Trade Operation (WTO) under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) on 8 July 2008 for a period of 3 years, to expire on 20 January 2011. A copy of the letter to AFMA, including conditions and recommendations can be found on the Department of the Environment, Water and Heritage (DEWHA) website.

Contents

1. Description of the fishery
2. Socio-economic environment
3. Management
4. Research and monitoring
5. Catch data
6. Status of target stock
7. Interactions with protected species
8. Impacts of the fishery on the ecosystem
9. Progress in implementation of recommendations and conditions resulting from previous assessment of the fishery

Page last updated 14 January, 2010