Vol 3, Issue 15, 4 September 2006 [see previous editions]
Industry groups condemn seal slaughter
The Commonwealth Fisheries Association (CFA) has condemned the recent slaughter of Australian Fur seals.
The CFA President, Michael Thomas, said that it is unfortunate that the alleged actions of the two fishermen cast the entire industry in a bad light. “The reality is that responsible fishers go to extreme lengths to avoid interaction with threatened, endangered and protected species including mammals and seabirds.”
The South East Trawl Fishing Industry Association (SETFIA) has also added its voice to the growing swell of condemnation among fishing industry groups in relation to the slaughter.
Clearly it is now a police matter and SETFIA and the CFA would support the full force of the law being applied.
[top]
Chinese masters found guilty
The masters of the Chinese-flagged fishing vessels De Yuan Yu 1 and De Yuan Yu 2 have been found guilty in the Darwin Supreme Court of operating a fishing vessel illegally inside Australian waters, and of resisting arrest.
The Chinese-flagged vessels were apprehended by HMAS Ipswich earlier this year and escorted to Darwin for further investigation by the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA).
The Court found that the vessels’ fishing gear was not stored or secured while the vessels were inside Australia’s fishing zone, and that the vessels had attempted to avoid apprehension using evasive manoeuvres.
A date for sentencing has yet to be set. The maximum penalty for the fisheries charge is $550,000. The maximum penalty for resisting a Commonwealth official is two years imprisonment.
Proposed changes to fisheries compliance
AFMA is considering whether to introduce change to its domestic compliance program following a recent review of domestic compliance arrangements and seeks consultation with stakeholders on a proposed program and compliance delivery model through the discussion paper: Proposed changes to the domestic compliance program.
AFMA is seeking comments on the proposal which can be found on the AFMA website.
For further information please contact Shalan Bray on (02) 6272 5785 or shalan.bray@afma.gov.au
Electronic Monitoring Trials near completion
The last of the trials of electronic monitoring equipment is nearing completion with a final report of the trials conducted in the ETBF due at the end of September 2006. Over the past year, AFMA has conducted trials of electronic monitoring aboard commercial vessels in the gillnet sector, auto-longline, northern prawn, small pelagic and eastern tuna and billfish.
Electronic monitoring is the integration of digital video, electronic sensors and a programmable logger to create a cost-effective data collection tool aboard a fishing vessel. It operates independently and automatically and can communicate some information from the vessel in near real time.
Results from the trials show that the technology can be used to gather reliable information on protected species interactions, discarding, fishing operations and measurement of fishing effort, catch and even species composition of the catch. Enhanced monitoring of Commonwealth fisheries is a core part of the Government’s Securing our Fishing Future package and AFMA is looking to develop cost-effective electronic techniques to do this. In the second phase of this project, AFMA will now develop the necessary administration and policies for handling these data systems as well as approaches for assessment and accreditation of potential technology suppliers.
For more information or to be part of this program, please contact Bob Stanley, Senior Observer, on (02) 6272 5416 or bob.stanley@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 week beginning 29 August 2006. Full details and updates on SBT zones can be found on the AFMA website.
Stakeholders to discuss ‘Sea Country’ Plan
A Sea Country Workshop is being held on the 6th and 7th of September in Cairns. This workshop is being organised by the Thuwathu/Bujimulla Sea Country Plan group for the Wellesley Islands region of the Gulf of Carpentaria.
The aim of the workshop is for the Country Plan proponents to present proposed strategies and actions to relevant Government agencies. This includes AFMA, as the proposed area of the Sea Country Plan overlaps with both the Northern prawn and the Southern and Western Tuna fisheries.
AFMA will be represented by Wade Whitelaw – Northern Prawn, Western Deepwater Trawl and North West Slope Fisheries Manager. A NPF industry member is also to attend. Feedback will be provided to NORMAC and WestunaMAC.
Western Tuna and Billfish Fishery Management Plan Amendment 2006
AFMA is proposing an amendment to the Western Tuna and Billfish Fishery Management Plan 2005. The amendment will allow AFMA to conduct the allocation of SFRs inline with the original intention of the Plan and with the meaning on which AFMA consulted on. The implementation of this amendment will not effect how catch history and allocation is calculated.
AFMA invites interested persons to make representations on the draft Amendment by 4 October 2006. Copies of the draft Amendment may be obtained from www.afma.gov.au or by contacting AFMA on 1300 723 621. Further information on the draft Amendment can be obtained by contacting Edward Ho-Shon on (02) 6272 4025 or edward.ho-shon@afma.gov.au
