Ecological Risk Management

A key initiative driving the implementation of the ecological component of Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) in Commonwealth managed fisheries is the implementation of an Ecological Risk Management (ERM) framework. The framework details a process for assessing and progressively addressing the impacts that fisheries’ activities have on five aspects of the marine ecosystem: target species, byproduct and discard species, protected (TEP) species, habitats and communities.

Fishery Risk Assessment Reports and Management Strategies

A progression of risk assessments have now been completed for all major Commonwealth managed fisheries. The risk assessment methodologies applied are hierarchical in their approach and are an efficient means of screening out low risk activities and focusing increasing attention on those activities assessed as having a greater environmental impact on Australia’s fisheries.

This hierarchical structure is detailed below.

Risk assessments have now been completed to at least the Residual Risk Assessment Level 2 for all major Commonwealth fisheries, with most having undergone further quantitative risk assessments. The result of these risk assessments is a priority list identifying the key ecological areas in  each fishery that require management attention. Ecological risk management strategies have now been developed to address the priority lists identified for each fishery.

For further information on the ERA methodology please see Ecological Risk Management – Further Information

The following individual fishery risk assessment reports and management strategies have been completed (for a summary please see Ecological Risk Management – Highest Level of Assessment Matrix

Title Size
Bass Strait Central Zone Scallop Fishery
Ecological Risk Management Report for the Bass Strait Central Zone Scallop Fishery 276kb
Residual Risk Report of the Level 2 PSA for the Bass Strait Central Zone Scallop Fishery 367kb
Level 2 PSA Report for theBass Strait Central Zone Scallop Fishery 2MB
Coral Sea Fishery
Ecological Risk Assessment Report for the Aquarium Sub-Fishery of the Coral Sea Fishery 690kb
Ecological Risk Assessment Report for the Auto Longline Sub-Fishery of the Coral Sea Fishery 608kb
Ecological Risk Assessment Report for the Demersal Longline Sub-Fishery of the Coral Sea Fishery 600kb
Ecological Risk Assessment Report for the Demersal Trawl Sub-Fishery of the Coral Sea Fishery 628kb
Ecological Risk Assessment Report for the Finfish Trap Trials Sub-Fishery of the Coral Sea Fishery 622kb
Ecological Risk Assessment Report for the Lobster and Trochus Sub-Fishery of the Coral Sea Fishery 633kb
Ecological Risk Assessment Report for the Other Line Sub-Fishery of the Coral Sea Fishery 612kb
Ecological Risk Assessment Report for the Sea Cucumber Sub-Fishery of the Coral Sea Fishery 1.3MB
Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery
Ecological Risk Management Report for the Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery (February 2012) 376kb
Ecological Risk Assessment Report for the Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery (Level 2 PSA Report) 2.96MB
Residual Risk Assessment of the Level 2 PSA Ecological Risk Assessment Species Results for the Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery 182kb
Sustainability Assessment for Fishing Effects (SAFE) Report – Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery Component 462kb
Heard Island and McDonald Islands Fishery
Demersal Trawl
Ecological Risk Management Report for the Heard Island & McDonald Islands – Demersal Trawl Fishery 230kb
Ecological Risk Assessment for the effects of fishing Report for the Heard Island & McDonald Islands – Demersal Trawl Fishery 768kb
Residual Risk Assessment of the Level 2 PSA Ecological Risk Assessment Report for the Herd Island & McDonald Islands – Demersal Trawl Fishery 404kb
SAFE (sustainability assessment for the effects of fishing) 839kb
Demersal Longline
Ecological Risk Management Report for the Heard Island & McDonald Islands – Demersal Longline Fishery 252kb
Ecological Risk Assessment for the effects of fishing Report for the Heard Island & McDonald Islands – Demersal Longline Fishery 720kb
Residual Risk Assessment of the Level 2 PSA Ecological Risk Assessment Report for the Heard Island & McDonald Islands – Demersal Longline Fishery 374kb
SAFE (sustainability assessment for the effects of fishing) 839kb
Mid Water Trawl Fishery
Ecological Risk Management Report for the Heard Island & McDonald Islands – Mid Water Trawl Fishery 231kb
Ecological Risk Assessment for the effects of fishing Report for the Heard Island & McDonald Islands – Mid Water Trawl Fishery 775kb
Residual Risk Assessment of the Level 2 PSA Ecological Risk Assessment Report for the Heard Island & McDonald Islands – Mid Water Trawl Fishery 376kb
SAFE (sustainability assessment for the effects of fishing) 839kb
Macquarie Island Fishery – Demersal Trawl
Ecological Risk Management Report for the Macquarie Island Demersal Trawl Fishery 281kb
Ecological Risk Assessment for the effects of fishing Report for the Macquarie Island Demersal Trawl Fishery 733kb
Residual Risk Assessment of the Level 2 PSA Ecological Risk Assessment Report for the Macquarie Island Demersal Trawl Fishery 403kb
SAFE (sustainability assessment for the effects of fishing) 839kb
Northern Prawn Fishery
Ecological Risk Management Report for the Northern Prawn Fishery 361kb
Ecological Risk Assessment Report for the Northern Prawn Fishery (Level 2 PSA Report) 1.56MB
Residual Risk Assessment of the Level 2 PSA Ecological Risk Assessment Species Results for the Northern Prawn Fishery 750kb
Sustainability Assessment for Fishing Effects (SAFE) Level 2.5 Report – Northern Prawn Fishery Component 22.3MB
Risk assessment and mitigation for sea snakes caught in the Northern Prawn Fishery 6.33mb
Sustainability Assessment for Fishing Effects (SAFE): A new quantitative ecological risk assessment method and its application to Elasmobranch bycatch in an Australian Trawl Fishery 671kb
North West Slope Fishery
Ecological Risk Management Report for the North West Slope Trawl Fishery 231kb
Ecological Risk Assessment for the effects of fishing Report for the North West Slope Trawl Fishery 1.8MB
Residual Risk Assessment of the Level 2 PSA Ecological Risk Assessment Report for the North West Slope Trawl Fishery 250kb
SAFE (sustainability assessment for the effects of fishing) 839kb
Skipjack Tuna Fishery
Ecological Risk Management Report for the Skipjack Tuna Fishery 471kb
Ecological Risk Assessment for the effects of fishing Report for the Skipjack Tuna Fishery 2MB
Residual Risk Assessment of the Level 2 PSA Ecological Risk Assessment Report for the Skipjack Tuna Fishery 405kb
SAFE (sustainability assessment for the effects of fishing) 839kb
Small Pelagic Fishery
Purse Seine
Ecological Risk Management Report for the Small Pelagic Fishery – Purse Seine 172kb
Ecological Risk Assessment for the effects of fishing Report for the Small Pelagic Fishery – Purse Seine 808kb
Residual Risk Assessment of the Level 2 PSA Ecological Risk Assessment Report for the Small Pelagic Fishery – Purse Seine 313kb
SAFE (sustainability assessment for the effects of fishing) 839kb
Mid Water Trawl
Ecological Risk Management Report for the Small Pelagic Fishery – Mid Water Trawl 184kb
Ecological Risk Assessment for the effects of fishing Report for the Small Pelagic Fishery – Mid Water Trawl 827kb
Residual Risk Assessment of the Level 2 PSA Ecological Risk Assessment Report for the Small Pelagic Fishery – Mid Water Trawl 326kb
SAFE (sustainability assessment for the effects of fishing) 839kb
Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery
Great Australian Bight Trawl Sub-Fishery
Ecological Risk Management Report for the Great Australian Bight Trawl Sub-Fishery of the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery 132kb
Ecological Risk Assessment Rport for the Great Australian Bight Trawl sub-Fishery of the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery (Level 2 PSA Report) 1.37MB
Residual Risk Assessment of the Level 2 PSA Ecological Risk Assessment Species Results for the Great Australian Bight Trawl sector 240 kb
Great Australian Bight Trawl SAFE (sustainability assessment for fishing effects) – Chapter 1 Methodology 566 kb
Great Australian Bight Trawl SAFE (sustainability assessment for fishing effects) – Great Australian Bight Trawl sub-fishery case study 50 kb
Great Australian Bight Trawl SAFE (sustainability assessment for fishing effects) – Non-technical summary 21kb
Danish Seine Sector
Ecological Risk Management Report for the Danish Seine sector of the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery 134 kb
Residual Risk Assessment of the Level 2 PSA Ecological Risk Assessment for the Danish Seine sector 106kb
Ecological Risk Assessment Level 2 PSA for the Danish Seine sector of the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery 733kb
SAFE (sustainability assessment for the effects of fishing) 1.3MB
Auto Longline Sector
Ecological Risk Management Report for the Auto Longline sector of the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery 133kb
Residual Risk Assessment of the Level 2 PSA Ecological Risk Assessment for the Auto Longline sector 146kb
Ecological Risk Assessment Level 2 PSA for the Automatic Longline sector of the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery 2.4MB
SAFE (sustainability assessment for the effects of fishing) 1.3MB
Gillnet Hook and Trap Sector
Ecological Risk Management Report for the Gillnet sector of the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery 292kb
Residual Risk Assessment of the Level 2 PSA Ecological Risk Assessment for the Gillnet sector 215kkb
Ecological Risk Assessment Level 2 PSA for the Gillnet sector of the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery 2.4MB
SAFE (sustainability assessment for the effects of fishing) 1.6MB
Otter Trawl Sub Fishery
Ecological Risk Management Report for the Otter Trawl Sub-Fishery of the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery 192kb
Ecological Risk Assessment Report for the Otter Trawl Sub-Fishery of the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery (Level 2 PSA Report) 1.1MB
Residual Risk Assessment of the Level 2 PSA Ecological Risk Assessment Species Results for the Otter Trawl Fishery 311kb
SAFE (sustainability assessment for the effects of fishing)  
Southern Bluefin Tuna Fishery
Ecological Risk Management Report for the Southern Bluefin Tuna Fishery 431kb
Southern Bluefin Tuna Fishery SAFE (Level 3 rapid qualitative risk assessment) 78kb
Residual Risk Report of the Level 2 PSA for the Southern Bluefin Tuna Fishery 153kb
Level 2 PSA Report for the Southern Bluefin Tuna Fishery 1.85MB
SAFE (sustainability assessment for the effects of fishing) 839kb
Southern Squid Jig Fishery
Ecological Risk Management Report for the Southern Squid Jig Fishery 167kb
Ecological Risk Assessment report for the Southern Squid Jig Fishery (Level 1) 796kb
Torres Strait Fisheries
Ecological Risk Assessment for Effects of Fishing, Report for the Torres Strait Rock Lobster Fishery 682kb
Ecological Risk Management Report for the Torres Strait Tropical Rock Lobster Fishery, June 2009 151kb
Western Deepwater Trawl Fishery
Ecological Risk Management Report for the Western Deepwater Trawl Fishery 153kb
Ecological Risk Assessment for the effects of fishing Report for the Western Deepwater Trawl Fishery 1.1MB
Residual Risk Assessment of the Level 2 PSA Ecological Risk Assessment Report for the Western Deepwater Trawl Fishery 222kb
SAFE (sustainability assessment for the effects of fishing) 839kb
Western Tuna & Billfish Fishery
Ecological Risk Management Report for the Western Tuna & Billfish Fishery 434kb
Ecological Risk Assessment for the effects of fishing Report for the Western Tuna & Billfish Fishery 1.1MB
Residual Risk Assessment of the Level 2 PSA Ecological Risk Assessment Report for the Western Tuna & Billfish Fishery 321kb
SAFE (sustainability assessment for the effects of fishing) 839kb