In response to the EPBC Act, related regulations and international obligations, AFMA has moved beyond target species to an ecosystem-based approach to managing Commonwealth fisheries — aiming for broader environmental sustainability including for bycatch species, habitat and communities. Typically, a risk based approach is being taken for this purpose. Research has demonstrated that demersal fishing gears can impact seabed habitats and communities, which consequently are considered potentially at risk. Accordingly, ecological risk assessments (ERAs) for habitats have been conducted for the major Commonwealth fisheries. However, these ERAs were interim in nature, and non-spatial, largely due to inadequate data for most fisheries. More recently, new data and methods have become available that would permit an advancement of these assessments; and further, new management has been implemented — including effort management, fishery closures and the Commonwealth Marine Reserve System (CMRS) — that may change the level of potential risk. Thus, AFMA has identified a need to extend the ERAs covering habitats and communities, taking into account the new information, methods and management. In particular, AFMA has specified a priority requirement for a gap analysis to determine the extent to which individual fishery ERAs, and hence ERM, need to address habitats following the finalisation of the CMRS network and considering other fishery management measures in place, including effort reduction & closures. It is this latter priority need that this proposal addresses. Note that while there is some uncertainty around the timing and scope of the government review of CMRS, the need addressed by this proposal remains a priority for AFMA due to the significant fishery management measures that have been implemented in recent years.

Australia is at the forefront of economics based fisheries management, with explicit targets of maximum economic yield in Commonwealth fisheries and strong economic efficiency objectives in most States. The need to improve economic research capability in Australia to meet the needs of these management objectives has been recognized by FRDC through the economic capacity building project (FRDC 2008/306) and funding from the Seafood CRC to run a series of "Master classes" for managers and industry to explain the basic economic concepts that apply to fisheries management. While these programs have been successful, there is substantial benefit in attracting the world's best fisheries economists to present new ideas and methods that can ultimately benefit Australian fisheries and aquaculture industries. The aim of the conference is to attract such economists as well as practitioners (managers and industry) with strong economic focus. This also provides an opportunity to showcase the work being undertaken in Australia to an international audience, gaining strong feedback that will ultimately lead to improved economic analyses and hence management of Australian fisheries.