Vol 3, Issue 20, 30 October 2006 [see previous editions]
New catch limits to sustain fish stocks
AFMA has announced new catch limits for 2007 to ensure the sustainability of the key fish and shark species caught in Australia 's southern and eastern Commonwealth fisheries.
AFMA Managing Director Mr Richard McLoughlin said AFMA again used a new harvest strategy framework when setting catch limits to ensure sustainable fishing.
“After reviewing the scientific assessments of stock levels, catch limits for seven species will remain unchanged, indicating that those species are being fished at sustainable levels. Catch limits have been reduced for eighteen species to allow stocks to be fished at a sustainable level or to recover from being overfished. These include flathead, blue grenadier, silver trevally and school shark. Bight redfish will have its catch limit increased after assessments indicated the stocks were abundant and could be safely increased,” he said.
AFMA Chair, Mr Tony Rundle , praised the cooperation and support of the industry, Management Advisory Committees and Resource Assessment Groups throughout the catch setting process, which is being applied across all Commonwealth fisheries for the first time in 2007.
To complement these catch limits other reforms are being implemented in the fishery including changes to the quota reconciliation date from 1 January to 1 May, to avoid the busy seafood consumption period over Christmas. Operators in the fishery will be advised of this change to the administrative processes.
A table showing the 2007 v 2006 Total Allowable catches, and the AFMA Board's rationale for setting the TACs, are on AFMA's website.
[top]
AFMA's on the move!
AFMA is changing premises. In four weeks time, from Monday 20 November 2006, AFMA will be relocating from its current location at John Curtin House in Barton to the former Civil Aviation Safety Authority premises at 73 Northbourne Ave in the city centre.
Please note that AFMA's postal address (PO Box 7051, Canberra Business Centre ACT 2610) and the AFMA Direct number (1300 723 621) will remain the same . However, direct contact phone numbers for staff will be changing, and we will keep you advised of the details. We will also ensure that our website is kept updated with any changes to our details.
We hope that the move will be as smooth a transition as possible not only for our 100-plus staff involved, but for all who deal with AFMA including our operators, and we ask for your patience during the relocation period. It is expected that AFMA will be off line for only one working day as a result of the move.
Outcome of the SESSF August quota reconciliation process
In response to the Minister for Fisheries' Direction to enhance short term quota monitoring, AFMA decided to introduce a 31 August 2006 quota reconciliation process for all Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery (SESSF) operators. The requirement to cover any catch over their quota holding was imposed as a condition on the boat Statutory Fishing Rights/permits of those operators from August 2006.
In addition to the 31 December reconciliation process provided for in the SESSF Plan, SESSF concession holders are required to reconcile all catches against their quota holdings within 28 days from 31 August 2006 by either leasing in quota to cover their catches against their quota holdings and/or advise AFMA of any discrepancies.
The majority of the SESSF concession holders covered their catches with quota by 28 September 2006. There were 13 who failed to meet this deadline. As a result, AFMA suspended 9 concession holders and 4 concession holders received Commonwealth Fisheries Infringement Notices. (Of the 9 concession holders suspended, 5 have subsequently reconciled their catch quota and have been permitted to resume fishing activity.) A further ten concession holders received warnings.
All of these 13 concession holders now have additional reporting requirements and have to ensure their catches are within their quota holding at the end of each reporting period (until 31 December). They are also required to supply AFMA with a reconciliation report each month to verify that this is the case.
SESSF Spatial Management Workshop
AFMA is working to implement measures to address the requirements of the recent Ministerial Direction on sustainability, as well as the outcomes of the Ecological Risk Assessments, in the SESSF. To achieve this, a workshop is planned for 8.30am on Tuesday 21 November at the Forrest Inn, 30 National Circuit, Forrest, Canberra . This workshop is a joint Industry, Management and Research initiative to enable all SESSF trawl and scalefish hook concessions holders remaining in the fishery to provide input and express views on the future management of the SESSF. Registration forms for the workshop will be sent to all SESSF concession holders shortly.
A public meeting for the South East Trawl Management Advisory Committee (SETMAC) will also be held at the same venue at 8.30am on Thursday 23 November. SETMAC 94 will take place following the public meeting on Thursday 23 and Friday 24 November.
Further information can be obtained by contacting SETMAC Executive Officer, Gail Richey, on (03) 6428 7766, AFMA's Melissa Brown on (02) 6272 5465 or Trent Timmiss on (02) 6272 3367.
Your chance to have a say on South-east Commonwealth Marine Reserves
After an extensive consultation and development phase by DEH, a candidate network of Commonwealth Marine Reserves (CMRs) for the south-east marine region were announced in May 2006. Following some minor revisions, including the zoning of the Freycinet CMR, the proposal to declare the 13 new reserves is now open for public comment until 22 December 2006 as part of the statutory declaration process.
Further information, including a map of the proposed areas, is available on the DEH website. Stakeholders and members of the public can send comments to:
ATTN: Daniel Clifton
Marine Protected Areas Section
Department of the Environment and Heritage
GPO Box 787
Canberra 2601or by email to MPA@deh.gov.au.
Limited entry confirmed by Federal Court appeal decision
The Federal Court recently handed down a decision on appeal affirming the application of the limited entry policy in the Gillnet Hook and Trap (GHAT) sector.
The applicant had appealed an adverse decision of the AAT affirming a decision by AFMA to not grant the applicant a permit in the GHAT in 2003. The applicant had previously held a permit in the Southern Shark Fishery which was cancelled in 2001 for non payment of levy.
The Court held that the essence of the limited entry policy could be clearly distilled from the text of the Memorandum of Understanding (between the Commonwealth and Tasmania in relation to school and gummy shark) and the SESSF plan, and that the policy was articulated in the SESSF plan. The Court further rejected the appellant's arguments on cancellation and held that it was within AFMA's prerogative to determine whether it should exercise those powers. The appeal was dismissed and the appellant was ordered to pay AFMA's costs of the appeal.
Full details are avialble from the austlii website.
