Antarctic fisheries at a glance

Macquarie Island Toothfish Fishery
Principal Species Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides)
Fishing Technique Demersal otter board trawling and demersal longlining fishing
Number of Vessels 3
2012-13 Total Allowable Catch limits
  • 455 tonnes Patagonian Toothfish
  • 200 tonnes for all other species combined, with a 50 tonne limit on any one species

See also: Historical Total Allowable Commercial Catch for the Macquarie Island Toothfish Fishery
Estimated Catch & Value To maintain operator confidentiality AFMA is unable to release this information
Main Markets United States of America, Japan
Stock Status Not overfished/ No overfishing
Management Method AFMA determines total allowable catches for toothfish, which are set to protect the target fish stocks and species that depend upon them. Access to the Fishery is limited and strict operating conditions are imposed to minimise negative effects on the environment, including effects on non-target species. For more information see Policy and Planning.
Consultative Forum Sub-Antarctic Fisheries Management Advisory Committee (SouthMAC)
Heard Island and McDonald Islands Fishery
Heard Island and McDonald Islands (HIMI) are external territories of Australia located in the Southern Indian Ocean about 4,000 km south-west of Perth. The islands lie within the Antarctic Convergence.The HIMI Marine Reserve declared in October 2002 under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) comprises the islands, the territorial sea around the islands (to 12 nautical miles) plus additional marine areas extending in parts to the 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone boundary.The Marine Reserve is closed to fishing, in accordance with the Heard Island and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve Management Plan 2005 . The waters surrounding HIMI out to 200 nautical miles are also part of the Australian Fishing Zone (AFZ) which is managed by AFMA. Heard Island and McDonald Islands are the only unmodified example of a sub-Antarctic island ecosystem in the world. They provide valuable breeding and feeding areas for many species of marine mammals and birds, while supporting a vast array of endemic invertebrates. They are included on the register of the National Estate and the World Heritage List.
Principal Species
Fishing Technique Demersal otter board trawling, demersal longlining & potting.
Number of Vessels 3
2010-11 total allowable catch
  • 2,730tonnes Patagonian toothfish
  • 30 tonnes Mackerel icefish
  • 80 tonnes Grey rockcod
  • 150 tonnes Unicorn icefish
  • 120 tonnes skates & rays
  • 360 tonnes macrourids
  • 50 tonnes each for other deepwater species

See also: Historical Total Allowable Commercial Catch for Heard Island and McDonald Islands Fishery
Estimated Catch & Value To maintain operator confidentiality AFMA is unable to release this information
Main Markets United States of America, Japan
Stock Status Not overfished/ No overfishing for both target species – Patagonian toothfish and mackerel icefish
Management Method As the islands lie to the south of the Antarctic convergence, they also fall under the jurisdiction of the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) determines Total Allowable Catches (TACs), which are set to protect the target fish stocks and species that depend upon them. Access to the Fishery is limited and strict operating conditions are imposed to minimise negative effects on the environment, including effects on non-target species
Consultative Forum Sub-Antarctic Fisheries Management Advisory Committee (SouthMAC)