The Sub-Antarctic Management Advisory Committee (SouthMAC) is the principal forum where issues relating to the Heard Island and McDonald Islands Fishery and the Macquarie Island Toothfish Fishery are discussed, problems identified and possible solutions developed.

It also provides an avenue for consultation between industry, managers, researchers, environment and conservation groups, and government officers. The committee continues to be AFMA’s main source of advice on the management of the sub-Antarctic fisheries. The committee holds an annual public meeting each year.

Recent discussion topics

  • Total allowable catch for Mackerel Icefish and catch limits for bycatch species in the Heard Island and McDonald islands Fishery for the 2018/19 season.
  • Fisheries Management (Heard Island and McDonald Islands Fishery) (Closures) Direction 2018.
  • Outcomes of the 37th meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR).

Download the SouthMAC - November 2018 (PDF)

Next meeting

The next meeting is scheduled for 9 May 2019.

Current research priorities

  • Stock assessment and management strategy evaluation for sub-Antarctic fisheries
  • Development of robust assessment methods and harvest strategies for spatially complex, multi-jurisdictional toothfish fisheries in the Southern Ocean
  • Heard Island and McDonald Islands Fishery Random Stratified Trawl Survey
  • Development of management strategy evaluation for the Heard Island and McDonald Islands Fishery.

Past meetings

Past decisions and outcomes can be found on the Sub-Antarctic Management Advisory Committee past meetings page.

Members

Members are appointed for the period 1 July 2015 until 30 June 2021.

  • Mr Peter Neville, Chair
  • Ms Jo Fisher, AFMA member
  • Dr Philippe Ziegler, research member
  • Ms Lyn Goldsworthy, environment/conservation member
  • Mr Rhys Arangio, industry  member
  • Mr Malcolm McNeil, industry  member
  • Ms Lihini Weragoda, government member

Contact

Sarah Kirkcaldie
Executive Officer
Tel: 02 6225 5555
Email: sarah.kirkcaldie [at] afma.gov.au