There are increasing national and international pressures to manage fisheries according to the principles of Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD, e.g. Convention on Biological Diversity 1992; National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development 1992; Australia's Ocean's Policy 1998).

Implementing ESD for Australia’s fisheries means that research and management will need to focus increasingly on ecosystem effects. Recent assessments have shown that few data are available on the ecological effects of most fisheries.

These concepts and approaches are in the developmental stages and need to be better defined, applied and communicated.

This project meets four of the strategies within the FRDCs Natural Resources Sustainability Program:
(1) Interactions between fish and their ecosystems;
(2) Effects of fishing activities on fish and their ecosystems;
(3) Health of fish and their ecosystems; and
(4) fisheries and ecosystems management.

Funding this project would ensure FRDC involvement in this critical national initiative in fisheries research and management and extend the valuable long-term relationship between FRDC and ASFB.

Please consider this proposal under Theme 1. Demonstrating Sustainability: Evidence based and low-risk management for Shark-Associated Fisheries.

Information on the genetic population structure of shortfin makos was identified as a research priority at the recent FRDC-funded Australasian Mako Shark Workshop. A support letter was provided by the PI of the workshop, Barry Bruce of CSIRO, Hobart (find attached).

At the workshop it was highlighted that:
1) completion of the current population structure study was a high priority,
2) further sampling resolution was required for the Indian Ocean.

Declines in shortfin mako populations in the Northern Hemisphere led to the listing of this species as ‘Vulnerable’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS). The CMS listing led to the nomination under the Australian Commonwealth Environmental Protection Biodiversity and Conservation Act (EPBC Act, 1999). The listing was debated by stakeholders and was later amended.

A representative from the Australian Fisheries Management Authority indicated that information on the abundance of shortfin makos was a priority for management of Commonwealth fisheries. This proposal addresses this priority for shortfin makos in the Australasian region.

There is limited evidence that shortfin makos make cross-equatorial migrations. Satellite tracking of juveniles by the PI showed restricted northward movements. This suggests that the Southern Hemisphere may comprise one or more independent stocks. This has important implications for management.

Outcomes will be used to inform decisions on whether to manage shortfin mako stocks at ocean basin and/or cross ocean-basin scales, or as discrete spatial units within smaller regions. This will greatly enhance our capability to make recommendations to State and Commonwealth government agencies chartered with managing pelagic fisheries, as well as during the development of fishery risk assessments and Threatened Species Recovery Plans in the future.