Predicting the impact of hook decrements on the distribution of fishing effort in the ETBF
AFMA recently announced the completion of amendments to the ETBF management plan, and the call for applications for statutory fishing rights. These fishing rights, and the effort allocation of effort that accompanying them, will be managed using Spatial Area Factors (SAFs). SAFs are multipliers that translate the actual amount of fishing effort expended, e.g. in thousands of hooks, into the amount of effort units that are taken off an SFR holders allocation. The intent of these SAFs is to allow spatial management of the fishery, by providing incentives for fishing in areas with low SAFs and disincentives in areas with high SAFs. If used effectively, these SAFs may provide a mechanism for reducing many of the management conflicts in the fishery, such as catch of seabirds and turtles, local depletion of target stocks, and under-exploitation of high seas areas. However, in order to effectively apply the SAFs, AFMA will need to be able to determine the motivational effect of the SAF on fishermen's location choices. Moreover, the SAFs will affect the total allowable effort (TAE) that is actually realized in the fishery in a given year, so not only will they affect individual fishers, they will also affect the performance of the fishery as a whole. It will be critical to be able to make some predictions about how the realized TAE will change, based on the structure of the SAFs in order to weigh alterative management options prior to implementing them. Finally, a move from TAEs to TACs and ITQs will substantially affect the structure of the fishery. Although we will not directly address those changes in this proposal, the behavioral models developed in this project would be rapidly adaptable to a TAC/ITQ system, and could form a basis for informing management as to the potential effects.
Final report
A Practical Guide to ITQs for Fishery Managers and the Fishing Industry
Significant problems have emerged in the design and implementation of ITQ systems both in Australia and worldwide. For example, although ITQs were introduced more than five years ago in the South East Fishery (SEF) there is continuing dissatisfaction with the scheme. A recent review by the South East Fishery Adjustment Working Group (1996) pointed out that 'the implementation process from boat units to Individual Transferable Quotas (ITQs) was appallingly handled ...'; and that 'since 1992 there have been at least eight internal or public reviews into various aspects of the SEF, as well as several litigation and AAT decisions'.
Similar difficulties with the implementation of ITQs have been experienced in state managed fisheries. A current example is the proposed introduction of ITQs in the Tasmanian crayfish fishery. This proposal has met with significant industry resistance which has resulted in the announcement of a review by the Tasmanian Legislative Council Select Committee. Overseas fisheries have suffered similar problems. For example, the ITQ system introduced into the Canadian halibut fishery has been sucessfully challenged in court with respect to the approach taken to allocation.
A number of the problems experienced to date, such as ineffective and costly monitoring, discarding and dissatisfaction with allocations can be related to the improper design and implementation of ITQ systems as opposed to difficulties intrinsic to ITQs.
Despite the above mentioned difficulties in implementing and operating ITQ systems, there is a strong and growing focus on the use of these management instruments. If implementation mistakes of the past are not to be repeated, a compilation of the practical experiences of ITQs and analysis of the operational difficulties experienced would be useful. What is needed is a non-theoretical, easily understood, operational guide to ITQs.
References
South East Fishery Adjustment Working Group (1996), 'Report to the Minister of Resources and Energy of the South East Fishery Adjustment Working Group', Canberra.
Final report
Dissatisfaction with the results of input control based management has led to an increasing worldwide interest in the use of output controls, such as individual transferable quotas (FTQs). Individual transferable quotas involve setting a total allowable catch (TAC) for a given fish stock and allocating a share of the TAC to each of the various participants within the fishery. However, significant problems have emerged in the design and implementation of ITQ systems.
Given the strong and growing focus on ITQs as an alternative to effort controls, prevention of the FTQ implementation mistakes of the past is therefore extremely important. This project was designed to address this need by reviewing the practical experiences of FTQs, analysing the operational difficulties encountered when implementing ITQs and compiling a non-theoretical, easily understood operational guide to ITQs targeted at those directly involved in implementing ITQ regimes: fishery managers and the fishing industry.
The methods used to carry out the research included a review of Australian and international literature on ITQ implementation, semi-stmctured interviews with fishery managers in AFMA and state fisheries management agencies, discussions with industry on their experiences with ITQs, active participation in the process of introducing ITQs and information gathering from fisheries managers and economists working in Canada, Iceland, Norway, New Zealand and the United States.
Retrospective assessment of ITQs to inform research needs and to improve their future design and performance
As stated in the call for proposals, the implementation of individual tradeable quota (ITQ) in Australian fisheries has brought about many demonstrable gains (e.g. increased capacity utilisation and profit). At the same time, there have been some social, economic and environmental consequences associated with the move to tradeable fishing rights that, even if predictable, may have been unintended. For example, ITQ markets have not always operated as envisaged; thin markets (few buyers and sellers), high transactions costs and the de-coupling of the ownership of quota from fishing practice may have undermined the performance of some ITQ systems. Ownership of quota by processors, exporters and others further along the value chain has also distorted the price incentives in some fisheries. In others, non-fisher quota ownership has resulted in a lease-dependent component of the fishery that are not capturing the benefits generated by the ITQ system. Changing quota ownership characteristics also have an impact on the configuration of industry representatives on co-management committees. It is not yet clear what the longer term impact of this is on stewardship and the decision making process and ultimately on management outcomes. As the extension of ITQs in Australia to a greater number of commercial fisheries, and potentially to support inter-sectoral allocations, is contemplated there is a need to learn from experience of ITQs both in Australia and internationally
ITQs globally have come under intense scrutiny in the fisheries management and economics literature. Synthesising and critically analysing learnings from these studies, as well as relevant knowledge from individuals/groups/organisations involved in the administration of, or affected by, existing ITQ systems will help identify key issues and, where possible, reforms that through adaptive management can improve the performance of existing markets and inform the design of new tradable rights markets.
Final report
The use of transferable fishing rights has increased internationally over recent decades with most industrialised countries now using some form of individual transferable catch quota (ITQ) or individual transferable effort (ITE) system for at least some of their fisheries. Australia also has considerable experience in the use of ITQs and ITEs, with examples of ITQ or ITE management in each State and also Commonwealth fisheries.
SCRC: Visiting Expert Application: Dr Doug Tocher
Dr Douglas Tocher from the University of Stirling in Scotland is a world-renowned expert in both the practical aspects and the molecular biology of lipid nutrition in fish. He will be visiting Sydney in September 2009 to speak at the Oils and Fats conference. This is an excellent opportunity to have him visit Adelaide and Port Lincoln researchers and industry personnel to discuss possible international collaborative projects in finfish lipid nutrition.
Final report
This visiting expert grant allowed a visit to South Australia by Dr Douglas Tocher. Dr Tocher is based at the Institute of Aquaculture at Stirling University in Scotland and he is internationally-recognised for his work as a research scientist in the area of finfish lipid and fatty acid nutrition. The objectives of his visit were to exchange information about the most recent developments in finfish lipid and fatty acid nutrition in Europe and Australia and to hold a workshop to develop international collaborative research projects between the Seafood CRC and the Institute of Aquaculture at Stirling University.
Dr Tocher met for technical discussions with research providers at SARDI Aquatic Sciences, Adelaide University and Flinders University. He also visited the Lincoln Marine Science Centre in Port Lincoln. The culmination of Dr Tocher's visit was a symposium on finfish lipid and fatty acid nutrition and the human health implications held at Flinders University on Thursday October 8, 2009. The symposium was attended by approximately 25 researchers from Ridley Aquafeed, the Seafood CRC, Flinders University, University of Adelaide, the Royal Adelaide Hospital, SARDI and Deakin University.
The symposium was followed by a workshop to discuss possible future collaborative research projects in the area of finfish lipid nutrition. The workshop resulted in a cluster of proposed Seafood CRC Honours projects adding value to the feeding trials planned within "Sustainable Feeds and Feed Management for Yellowtail Kingfish" and "Understanding Yellowtail Kingfish".