New submarine cable protection zones in NSW waters

Fishers operating off NSW should be aware that the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has declared protection zones over two key submarine cables that land at Sydney beaches.

In the protection zones, activities that may cause cable damage are prohibited or restricted. Some prohibitions and restrictions will be particularly relevant to commercial fisheries, such as those relating to demersal longlining, trawl fishing and anchoring.

The protection zones will come into effect on 1 October 2007 as follows:

* the Northern Sydney Protection Zone; extending from Narrabeen beach to 40 nautical miles offshore covering northern branches of the Australia Japan Cable and Southern Cross Cable, including the area between these two cables; and

* the Southern Sydney Protection Zone; extending from Tamarama and Clovelly beaches and extending 30 nautical miles offshore covering the southern branches of the Australia Japan Cable and Southern Cross Cable, including the area between these two cables.

It is an offence to engage in a prohibited activity or contravene a restriction in a protection zone, or, to damage a submarine cable.  Penalties for contravention include fines of up to $66,000 for an individual (or up to $330,000 for a corporation) and/or ten years imprisonment for an individual. Persons who damage cables may also be liable for civil damages.

Further information about the zones, including copies of the Declarations and Explanatory Statements, a complete list of prohibitions and restrictions, location information (geographic coordinates and GIS shape files) and maps are available on the ACMA website (www.acma.gov.au/subcables) or by calling 1300 856 337.

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Southern Bluefin Tuna zones in the ETBF

AFMA reviews the location of Southern Bluefin Tuna (SBT) zones for the Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery every two weeks. 

The location of the zones for the fortnight beginning midnight tomorrow, 12 September 2007, will be available on AFMA’s website at www.afma.gov.au/fisheries/tuna/etbf/mgt/zones.htm from midday tomorrow. Maps and other information about minimum quota holdings and observer coverage are also available on the website, or by calling Wez Norris on (02) 6225 5312 or 1300 723 621.

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Zoological Catalogue of Australia

The Zoological Catalogue of Australia documents, for the first time in the history of Australian science, the breathtaking diversity of our fish fauna. This landmark work details Australia’s 4,482 fish species in a 3-part series which has been over twenty years in the making.

For each species, distributions, notes on ecology and significant references are outlined. When the same fish has been given many different names, these are included, but importantly, the correct name is signaled clearly, which is helping to underpin the Australian Fish Name Standard for consistency in fish names.

The Zoological Catalogue of Australia has been supported by the Australian Government, through the Australian Biological Resources Study from the Department of the Environment and Water Resources and the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation. The catalogue may be purchased from CSIRO publishing at www.publish.csiro.au/pid/5474.  It’s expected that this detailed taxonomic work will also be made available online next year.

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e-logbooks and e-monitoring

AFMA is implementing electronic logbooks for all Commonwealth fisheries as an alternative to paper log sheets to report catch, effort and related data. Information can be lodged electronically at port, or while at sea, using e-logbooks, providing near real time data which benefits fishers, fisheries managers and researchers. The start of the roll-out of e-logbooks is targeted for the 2008 NPF Banana Prawn season, with other fisheries to follow over a 12 month period.

Data collection by e-monitoring uses technologies such as digital video, electronic sensors and programmable loggers to provide validation of the fishing catch, effort and practices of Commonwealth fishing vessels. The use of e-monitoring has broader applications for reporting on quota and threatened and protected species interactions, bycatch and discarding. Operational in a number of north American fisheries, e-monitoring has significant industry support in a number of AFMA fisheries where it could be a cost effective alternative to the placement of observers.

Industry representatives have been invited to attend an e-logbook/e-monitoring workshop, in conjunction with the Commonwealth Fisheries Association, which will cover industry and AFMA requirements for the development and implementation of these technologies. The workshop will be held on 20 September 2007 at the Canberra Club, 45 West Row, Canberra.

For further information on e-logbooks, contact Michael Tudman on (02) 6225 5409 or michael.tudman@afma.gov.au.

For e-monitoring information, contact Bob Stanley on (02) 6225 5416 or bob.stanley@afma.gov.au.

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