Vol 3, Issue 14, 18 August 2006 [see previous editions]
New SESSF quota reconciliation date
AFMA has announced an additional quota reconciliation date for all Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery (SESSF) operators.
SESSF concession holders are now required to reconcile all catches up to 31 August against their quota holdings by 28 September 2006. This must be done by either leasing in quota to cover their over quota catches and/or advising AFMA of any discrepancies in time to ensure that they can reconcile by 28 September. This new date is in addition to the 31 December reconciliation process provided for in the SESSF Plan. AFMA has implemented this additional requirement to minimise the risk of large numbers of operators being over quota at the end of the SESSF season.
Those operators who have reconciled by 28 September will not need to reconcile again until after 31 December. However those concession holders who have failed to reconcile their overcatch by 28 September will incur additional reporting and reconciliation requirements for the remainder of the fishing season and may also have their concession suspended.
It is the responsibility of concession holders to ensure they are not in an over quota position at any time by carefully monitoring their catch against held quota. QuotaView is available to assist concession holders to monitor their catch and quota position and all concession holders are encouraged to use this facility as well as keeping their own records. Industry is also encouraged to make sure they submit their leases to AFMA early to avoid any complications.
AFMA has written a letter to all SESSF concession holders and fish receivers permit holders detailing the changes to their concession and their additional reporting requirements.
If you haven’t received a letter informing you of these changes , please contact:
Brendan Kearney or Ben Munstermann
Licensing & Quota Management Officers
on 1300 723 621. Or email brendan.kearney@afma.gov.au or ben.munstermann@afma.gov.au.
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Do you know who has access to your information?
AFMA is currently auditing our records of who is nominated to act for concession holders in signing forms, logbooks, catch disposal records etc. This is standard practice to maintain accurate records and to minimise the risk of someone submitting paperwork who is not approved by the concession holder.
To assist in doing this a new form has been sent to all concession holders who have previously nominated persons to represent them for the completion of logbooks, catch disposal records, transit forms and licensing documentation. The new form is referred to as an Authorised Agent Nomination (AA). All future nominations of agents will need to be made using the AA form.
If you require an AA form please contact Laura Walker on 02 6272 5382, email laura.walker@afma.gov.au or fax your request to 02 6272 3730. If you have any enquires regarding nominating an agent who can sign licensing documentation please call Josh Davis on 02 6272 5533 or email josh.davis@afma.gov.au
Location of SBT core and buffer zones in the ETBF
The area of the southern bluefin tuna (SBT) core and buffer zones in the Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery have been reassessed for the next two week period beginning 19 August 2006. The northern boundary of the core zone starts at the point where 31°S intersects with the coastline then moves east until it intersects with the longitude 154°E, then moves north until it meets 29°S and then moves due east. The buffer zone starts at the point 154°E, 29°S, then moves north to154°E, 28°10S, and then moves due east.
Full details and updates on SBT zones can be found on the AFMA website.
New AFMA member on WTMAC
Ms Trysh Stone, Senior Manager Tuna and International Fisheries, has been appointed as the AFMA member on the Western Tuna and Billfish Management Advisory Committee (WTMAC).
Trysh Stone can be contacted on 02 6272 3263, or emailed at trysh.stone@afma.gov.au .
Quota to sell? Wanting to buy?
AFMA’s online quota classified service, QUOTABOARD, will put you in touch with the people who have got what you need… or need what you’ve got!
Current offers include:
- Wanted to lease: school shark
- Wanted to lease: 1000kg Ling and 1500 Gummy shark
- For lease: 17 000kg Blue Warehou 2006 season
For more details visit: www.quotaboard.afma.gov.au
Research news
AFMA’s Research Committee met in July and endorsed a draft Research Catch and Effort Allowance Policy. The policy sets out the processes AFMA will employ for setting and managing research catch and effort allowance for research projects. The policy will augment AFMA’s Guidelines for categorising research costs in accordance with the Cost Recovery Impact Statement, as it relates to scientific surveys using industry vessels. MACs, industry associations, researchers and others have been given the opportunity to provide comments on the draft policy. The Board will consider the policy at its meeting later this month.
The Commonwealth Fisheries Research Advisory Body (ComFRAB) also met in July to consider over 50 research pre- and full-proposals. Researchers are reminded that full-proposals are required to be submitted by 1 September. ComFRAB also reviewed the complex funding arrangements for research in Australia’s fisheries that have and international context, including the tuna, sub-Antarctic and Torres Strait fisheries. ComFRAB is working towards establishing principles to guide evaluation of research proposals in these fisheries so that funding recommendations are made to the appropriate funding partners (eg. AFMA, CSIRO, DAFF, DEH, FRDC, etc).
For more information please contact AFMA’s Research Manager, Dave Alden, on 02 6272 5180.
