It is now widely recognized that fisheries can have impacts on marine species, habitats and ecosystems beyond the direct impacts of fishing on target species. For example, hundreds of species are regularly caught and discarded in many trawl and longline fisheries and in particular, interactions with threatened species are a concern in many fisheries. Impacts on habitats and ecological communities as a result of fishing activities have also been documented. To address these broader impacts of fishing, ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM) has emerged as a complementary approach to single-species management. Development of practical methods to implement EBFM has generally lagged the policy mandates, and so development of scientific and management tools to support practical implementation has been critical.

Moves towards EBFM have also evolved in Australian fisheries during the past decade, driven by a number of policy directions and initiatives. These include: (i) a national approach to ecologically sustainable development; (ii) development of fisheries legislation that incorporates explicit reference to wider ecological impacts of fishing (e.g. the Fisheries Management Act 1991); (iii) new environmental legislation that assesses fisheries against environmental standards (e.g. the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999); and (iv) Australia’s Oceans Policy, which also adopts an explicit ecosystem-based approach to management.

It is now widely recognized that fisheries can have impacts on marine species, habitats and ecosystems beyond the direct impacts of fishing on target species. For example, hundreds of species are regularly caught and discarded in many trawl and longline fisheries and in particular, interactions with threatened species are a concern in many fisheries. Impacts on habitats and ecological communities as a result of fishing activities have also been documented. To address these broader impacts of fishing, ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM) has emerged as a complementary approach to single-species management. Development of practical methods to implement EBFM has generally lagged the policy mandates, and so development of scientific and management tools to support practical implementation has been critical.

Moves towards EBFM have also evolved in Australian fisheries during the past decade, driven by a number of policy directions and initiatives. These include: (i) a national approach to ecologically sustainable development; (ii) development of fisheries legislation that incorporates explicit reference to wider ecological impacts of fishing (e.g. the Fisheries Management Act 1991); (iii) new environmental legislation that assesses fisheries against environmental standards (e.g. the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999); and (iv) Australia’s Oceans Policy, which also adopts an explicit ecosystem-based approach to management.

It is now widely recognized that fisheries can have impacts on marine species, habitats and ecosystems beyond the direct impacts of fishing on target species. For example, hundreds of species are regularly caught and discarded in many trawl and longline fisheries and in particular, interactions with threatened species are a concern in many fisheries. Impacts on habitats and ecological communities as a result of fishing activities have also been documented. To address these broader impacts of fishing, ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM) has emerged as a complementary approach to single-species management. Development of practical methods to implement EBFM has generally lagged the policy mandates, and so development of scientific and management tools to support practical implementation has been critical.

Moves towards EBFM have also evolved in Australian fisheries during the past decade, driven by a number of policy directions and initiatives. These include: (i) a national approach to ecologically sustainable development; (ii) development of fisheries legislation that incorporates explicit reference to wider ecological impacts of fishing (e.g. the Fisheries Management Act 1991); (iii) new environmental legislation that assesses fisheries against environmental standards (e.g. the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999); and (iv) Australia’s Oceans Policy, which also adopts an explicit ecosystem-based approach to management.

It is now widely recognized that fisheries can have impacts on marine species, habitats and ecosystems beyond the direct impacts of fishing on target species. For example, hundreds of species are regularly caught and discarded in many trawl and longline fisheries and in particular, interactions with threatened species are a concern in many fisheries. Impacts on habitats and ecological communities as a result of fishing activities have also been documented. To address these broader impacts of fishing, ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM) has emerged as a complementary approach to single-species management. Development of practical methods to implement EBFM has generally lagged the policy mandates, and so development of scientific and management tools to support practical implementation has been critical.

Moves towards EBFM have also evolved in Australian fisheries during the past decade, driven by a number of policy directions and initiatives. These include: (i) a national approach to ecologically sustainable development; (ii) development of fisheries legislation that incorporates explicit reference to wider ecological impacts of fishing (e.g. the Fisheries Management Act 1991); (iii) new environmental legislation that assesses fisheries against environmental standards (e.g. the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999); and (iv) Australia’s Oceans Policy, which also adopts an explicit ecosystem-based approach to management.

It is now widely recognized that fisheries can have impacts on marine species, habitats and ecosystems beyond the direct impacts of fishing on target species. For example, hundreds of species are regularly caught and discarded in many trawl and longline fisheries and in particular, interactions with threatened species are a concern in many fisheries. Impacts on habitats and ecological communities as a result of fishing activities have also been documented. To address these broader impacts of fishing, ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM) has emerged as a complementary approach to single-species management. Development of practical methods to implement EBFM has generally lagged the policy mandates, and so development of scientific and management tools to support practical implementation has been critical.

Moves towards EBFM have also evolved in Australian fisheries during the past decade, driven by a number of policy directions and initiatives. These include: (i) a national approach to ecologically sustainable development; (ii) development of fisheries legislation that incorporates explicit reference to wider ecological impacts of fishing (e.g. the Fisheries Management Act 1991); (iii) new environmental legislation that assesses fisheries against environmental standards (e.g. the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999); and (iv) Australia’s Oceans Policy, which also adopts an explicit ecosystem-based approach to management.

It is now widely recognized that fisheries can have impacts on marine species, habitats and ecosystems beyond the direct impacts of fishing on target species. For example, hundreds of species are regularly caught and discarded in many trawl and longline fisheries and in particular, interactions with threatened species are a concern in many fisheries. Impacts on habitats and ecological communities as a result of fishing activities have also been documented. To address these broader impacts of fishing, ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM) has emerged as a complementary approach to single-species management. Development of practical methods to implement EBFM has generally lagged the policy mandates, and so development of scientific and management tools to support practical implementation has been critical.

Moves towards EBFM have also evolved in Australian fisheries during the past decade, driven by a number of policy directions and initiatives. These include: (i) a national approach to ecologically sustainable development; (ii) development of fisheries legislation that incorporates explicit reference to wider ecological impacts of fishing (e.g. the Fisheries Management Act 1991); (iii) new environmental legislation that assesses fisheries against environmental standards (e.g. the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999); and (iv) Australia’s Oceans Policy, which also adopts an explicit ecosystem-based approach to management.

It is now widely recognized that fisheries can have impacts on marine species, habitats and ecosystems beyond the direct impacts of fishing on target species. For example, hundreds of species are regularly caught and discarded in many trawl and longline fisheries and in particular, interactions with threatened species are a concern in many fisheries. Impacts on habitats and ecological communities as a result of fishing activities have also been documented. To address these broader impacts of fishing, ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM) has emerged as a complementary approach to single-species management. Development of practical methods to implement EBFM has generally lagged the policy mandates, and so development of scientific and management tools to support practical implementation has been critical.

Moves towards EBFM have also evolved in Australian fisheries during the past decade, driven by a number of policy directions and initiatives. These include: (i) a national approach to ecologically sustainable development; (ii) development of fisheries legislation that incorporates explicit reference to wider ecological impacts of fishing (e.g. the Fisheries Management Act 1991); (iii) new environmental legislation that assesses fisheries against environmental standards (e.g. the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999); and (iv) Australia’s Oceans Policy, which also adopts an explicit ecosystem-based approach to management.

It is now widely recognized that fisheries can have impacts on marine species, habitats and ecosystems beyond the direct impacts of fishing on target species. For example, hundreds of species are regularly caught and discarded in many trawl and longline fisheries and in particular, interactions with threatened species are a concern in many fisheries. Impacts on habitats and ecological communities as a result of fishing activities have also been documented. To address these broader impacts of fishing, ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM) has emerged as a complementary approach to single-species management. Development of practical methods to implement EBFM has generally lagged the policy mandates, and so development of scientific and management tools to support practical implementation has been critical.

Moves towards EBFM have also evolved in Australian fisheries during the past decade, driven by a number of policy directions and initiatives. These include: (i) a national approach to ecologically sustainable development; (ii) development of fisheries legislation that incorporates explicit reference to wider ecological impacts of fishing (e.g. the Fisheries Management Act 1991); (iii) new environmental legislation that assesses fisheries against environmental standards (e.g. the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999); and (iv) Australia’s Oceans Policy, which also adopts an explicit ecosystem-based approach to management.

It is now widely recognized that fisheries can have impacts on marine species, habitats and ecosystems beyond the direct impacts of fishing on target species. For example, hundreds of species are regularly caught and discarded in many trawl and longline fisheries and in particular, interactions with threatened species are a concern in many fisheries. Impacts on habitats and ecological communities as a result of fishing activities have also been documented. To address these broader impacts of fishing, ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM) has emerged as a complementary approach to single-species management. Development of practical methods to implement EBFM has generally lagged the policy mandates, and so development of scientific and management tools to support practical implementation has been critical.

Moves towards EBFM have also evolved in Australian fisheries during the past decade, driven by a number of policy directions and initiatives. These include: (i) a national approach to ecologically sustainable development; (ii) development of fisheries legislation that incorporates explicit reference to wider ecological impacts of fishing (e.g. the Fisheries Management Act 1991); (iii) new environmental legislation that assesses fisheries against environmental standards (e.g. the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999); and (iv) Australia’s Oceans Policy, which also adopts an explicit ecosystem-based approach to management.