• Environment and sustainability
  • Petroleum industry consultation
    • Guidelines for petroleum industry consultation with AFMA
    • Petroleum industry information for fishing operators
    • Fisheries Consultation Directory
  • Ecological Risk Management
  • Strategic assessment
  • Bycatch and discarding
  • Protected species
  • AFMA’s climate change strategy
  • Sharing the ocean with other users
  • Marine Protected Areas
  • Marine Bioregional Planning
• Fisheries A to Z index
  • Antarctic fisheries
    • Antarctic fisheries at a glance
    • Antarctic fisheries maps
    • Antarctic fisheries notices and announcements
    • Antarctic fisheries management
    • Antarctic fisheries publications
  • Bass Strait Central Zone Scallop Fishery (BSCZSF)
    • BSCZSF at a glance
    • BSCZSF map
    • BSCZSF notices and announcements
    • BSCZSF management
    • BSCZSF publications
  • Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands fisheries
  • Coral Sea Fishery (CSF)
    • CSF at a glance
    • CSF map
    • CSF notices and announcements
    • CSF management
    • CSF publications
  • Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery (ETBF)
    • ETBF at a glance
    • ETBF map
    • ETBF notices and announcements
    • ETBF management
    • ETBF publications
  • High Seas permits
    • High Seas maps
    • High Seas fisheries publications
  • Norfolk Island Fishery
    • Norfolk Island Fishery at a glance
    • Norfolk Island Fishery map
    • Norfolk Island Fishery notices and announcements
    • Norfolk Island Fishery publications
  • North West Slope Trawl Fishery (NWSTF)
    • NWSTF at a glance
    • NWSTF map
    • NWSTF notices and announcements
    • NWSTF management
    • NWSTF publications
  • Northern Prawn Fishery (NPF)
    • NPF at a glance
    • NPF map
    • NPF notices and announcements
    • NPF management
    • NPF publications
  • Skipjack Tuna fisheries
    • Skipjack Tuna fisheries at a glance
    • Skipjack Tuna fisheries maps
    • Skipjack Tuna fisheries notices and announcements
    • Skipjack Tuna fisheries management
    • Skipjack Tuna fisheries publications
  • Small Pelagic Fishery (SPF)
    • SPF at a glance
    • SPF map including zones
    • SPF notices and announcements
    • SPF management
    • SPF publications
  • Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery (SESSF)
    • SESSF at a glance
    • SESSF maps
    • SESSF notices and announcements
    • SESSF management
    • SESSF publications
  • Southern Bluefin Tuna Fishery (SBTF)
    • SBTF at a glance
    • SBTF map
    • SBTF notices and announcements
    • SBTF management
    • SBTF publications
  • Southern Squid Jig Fishery (SSJF)
    • SSJF at a glance
    • SSJF map
    • SSJF notices and announcements
    • SSJF management
    • SSJF publications
  • South Tasman Rise (STR)
    • STR at a glance
    • STR map
  • Torres Strait Fisheries
  • Western Deepwater Trawl Fishery (WDTF)
    • WDTF at a glance
    • WDTF map
    • WDTF notices and announcements
    • WDTF management
    • WDTF publications
  • Western Tuna and Billfish Fishery (WTBF)
    • WTBF at a glance
    • WTBF map
    • WTBF notices and announcements
    • WTBF management
    • WTBF publications
• Compliance activities
  • Australia’s National Compliance Strategy
  • The Domestic Compliance Program
  • CRIMFISH
    • CRIMFISH frequently asked questions
  • Monitoring programs
  • International monitoring, control and surveillance
• Co-management
  • Great Australian Bight Trawl Fishery co-management trial
  • Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery co-management trial
  • Northern Prawn Fishery co-management trial
• Harvest strategies
  • Antarctic fisheries Harvest Strategy
  • Bass Strait Central Zone Scallop Fishery Harvest Strategy
  • Coral Sea Fishery – Hand Collection Sector: Aquarium Harvest Strategy
  • Coral Sea Fishery – Hand Collection Sector: Lobster and Trochus Harvest Strategy
  • Coral Sea Fishery – Hand Collection Sector: Sea Cucumber Harvest Strategy
  • Coral Sea Fishery: Line, Trawl and Trap Sectors Harvest Strategy
  • Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery Harvest Strategy
  • Northern Prawn Fishery Harvest Strategy under Input Controls
  • Skipjack Tuna Harvest Strategy
  • Small Pelagic Fishery Harvest Strategy
  • Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery Harvest Strategy
  • Southern Squid Jig Fishery Arrow Squid Harvest Strategy
  • Western Deepwater Trawl and North West Slope Trawl Fishery Harvest Strategy
• Data collection
  • Data collection programs
  • Data principles
  • Data application
  • E-Monitoring
• Consultation
  • Opportunity to comment on the transhipment of fish at sea in the Small Pelagic Fishery
  • Management Advisory Committees (MACs)
    • Great Australian Bight trawl sector MAC
    • Northern Prawn MAC
    • Southern Bluefin Tuna MAC
    • ScallopMAC
    • South East MAC
    • Sub-Antarctic MAC
    • Torres MAC
    • Tropical Tuna MAC
  • Resource Assessment Groups (RAGs)
    • Northern Prawn RAG
    • Tropical Tuna RAG
    • Sub-Antarctic RAG
    • ScallopRAG
    • Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery RAG
    • Small Pelagic Fishery RAG
    • SquidRAG
  • Coral Sea Fishery Stakeholder Group
  • Species workshops

WTBF management

The target species in the Western Tuna and Billfish Fishery are tuna and billfish. The majority of targeted effort is at Yellowfin Tuna, Bigeye Tuna, Broadbill Swordfish and Striped Marlin. Blue Shark, and Mahi Mahi, are also an important component of the catch.

The fishery is currently managed by the granting of annual fishing permits which apply conditions and limit the number of boats operating. However there have been major changes to the WTBF management with the provisional grant of Statutory Fishing Rights (SFRs) under the Plan. Once SFRs have been granted the annual fishing permits for the WTBF will cease to have effect. Instead, access to fish in the fishery will be provided through tradeable SFRs granted under the Plan.

Management committees

• Tropical Tuna Management Advisory Committee (TTMAC)
• Tropical Tuna Resource Assessment Group (TTRAG)

Go Fish Quota Board