At a glance

Commonwealth Trawl Sector
Area The Commonwealth Trawl Sector (CTS) covers the area of the Australian Fishing Zone extending southward from Barranjoey Point (north of Sydney) around the NSW, Victorian and Tasmanian coastlines to Cape Jervis in South Australia
Comprising fisheries South East Trawl Fishery (SETF) and Commonwealth Victorian Inshore Trawl (CVIT) Fishery
Principal species The principal species caught are Blue Grenadier, Tiger Flathead, Pink Ling and Spotted Warehou (Silver Warehou).
Number of concessions 59 CTS Boat statutory fishing rights (SFRs)
21 Victorian coastal waters trawl permits
Estimated catch SETF: 2008-2009 = 15,210.9 tonnes
CVIT: 2008-2009 = 165.1 tonnes
Estimated value of production 2008-09 = $55,940,000
Main markets Fresh fish supplied to the eastern seaboard and some export components
Fishing methods Predominantly otter trawl and danish seine methods, with some midwater trawling. Pair trawling also permitted under the SESSF Management Plan.
State of the resource 16 species are classified as not subject to overfishing, five classified as uncertain and four subject to overfishing (2008 BRS Fishery Status Report).
Consultation and communication The consultative process for the CTS occurs through the South East Management Advisory Committee (SEMAC).
Great Australian Bight Trawl Sector
Area covered The Great Australian Bight Trawl Sector (GABTS) extends from Cape Leeuwin, Western Australia, to Cape Jervis near Kangaroo Island, South Australia. The Sector excludes State (SA and WA) fishery shelf waters to the extreme east and west which have traditionally been fished by State based fishers.
Principal species The Sector is primarily a demersal (bottom) and developmental mid-water trawl sector based on regular trawling of shelf and upper slope species and periodic trawling for the deeper dwelling species.

The GABTS is based on demersal catches from three distinct depth regions: the shelf/upper slope fishery, slope fishery and the deepwater fishery.

The shelf fishery extends approximately out to the 250m depth and is where the majority of the catch is taken. The predominant shelf species taken are Deepwater Flathead and Bight Redfish. The slope fishery extends from about 300 to 750m depth with sporadic targeting of Blue Grenadier, Western Gemfish and other such species. The deepwater fishery is in waters over 750m depth and in the past mainly targeted Orange Roughy.
No. of Fishing Concessions 10 boat statutory fishing rights (SFRs)
Estimated catch 2008-09 = 2,505 tonnes
Estimated value of production 2008-09 = $8,997,000
Main markets Mainly domestic, some export to Europe
Fishing methods Otter trawl, some midwater trawling
Management arrangements TACs were introduced in 2006 for the 3 major species in the GABTS: Deepwater Flathead, Bight Redfish and Orange Roughy (Albany and Esperance zones). Target and limit reference points are specified for these species as part of the Commonwealth Harvest Strategy Policy and implemented through the SESSF Harvest Strategy Framework.

The GABTS has a development strategy in place for species not currently under a TAC, with associated catch trigger-limits for species such as Western Gemfish and Blue Grenadier. This strategy is designed to improve assessments of species as the size of the catch increases.

The GABTS is also managed by limited entry and area closures..
State of the resource Deepwater Flathead and Bight Redfish are currently classified as not overfished and not subject to overfishing. The overfished status of Orange Roughy is uncertain, but is not subject to overfishing. (2008 BRS Fishery Status Report.)
Consultation and communication The consultative process for the GABTS occurs through the Great Australian Bight Trawl Sector Management Advisory Committee (GABMAC) and through the co-management arrangements with the Great Australian Bight Industry Association (GABIA)..
East Coast Deepwater Trawl Sector
Principal species: Alfonsino is the main target species in the ECDWTS.
Number of fishing concessions 10 fishing permits
Estimated catch 2008-2009 = 0 tonnes
Main markets Domestic
Fishing methods Demersal and midwater trawling
Management arrangements Orange Roughy and pelagic Armourheads / Boarfish are under competitive Total Allowable Catch (TAC) limits. Statutory Fishing Rights (SFRs) for Alfonsino have been allocated since 2006. A harvest strategy has been in place since 2005.

A trawl exclusion area is in place to protect a chain of seamounts, known as the Eastern Australian Seamounts, that lie within the Sector. All fishing is prohibited within 25 nautical miles of Lord Howe Island and Ball’s Pyramid.
State of the resource There was no fishing in the sector in 2008-2009 and there has been little catch or effort in 2009-10. Alfonsino stocks are classified as not subject to overfishing, with the overfished status uncertain (2008 BRS Fishery Status Report). The status of Alfonsino in the ECDWTS is largely unknown, with the exception of the stock in the area south-east of Lord Howe Island.
Consultation and communication The consultative process for the ECDWTS occurs through the South East Management Advisory Committee (SEMAC).
Gillnet, Hook and Trap Sectors
Area covered: While the total area of the Scalefish Hook, Shark Hook, Gillnet, Tasmanian Rock Lobster, South Australian Coastal Waters and Tasmanian Coastal Waters Sectors (GHT Sectors) is large, operators are limited to specific areas based on historical fishing methods, as specified on their fishing permits.
Principal species 34 species/species groups/species baskets are subject to quota management arrangements in the SESSF through the setting of Total Allowable Catch (TAC) limits. Twenty eight (28) of these species will be managed under Quota Statutory Fishing Rights (SFRs) in 2010. Six additional species will be managed through Individual Transferable Quotas (ITQs).
Estimated catch 2008-09 = 4,509 tonnes
Estimated value of production 2008-09 =$30,569,000
Main markets Fresh fish supplied to the eastern seaboard and some export components
Fishing Methods Scalefish hook, shark hook, gillnets, fish traps, automatic longlines (depending on the specific SFR or fishing permit)
No. of Fishing Concessions Gillnet 62
Shark Hook 13
Scalefish Hook 58
Trap 2
Stock status Gummy Shark not overfished, Saw Shark and Elephant Fish uncertain, School Shark overfished
State of the Resource SharkRAG and SlopeRAG produce annual stock assessments summarising fish stocks in the Gillnet, Hook and Trap Fishery.
Consultation and Communication The consultative process for the GHT Sector occurs through the South East Management Advisory Committee (SEMAC).