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Industry

Guidelines for the updated Harvest Strategy Policy

Project number: 2016-234
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $665,000.00
Principal Investigator: James Larcombe
Organisation: Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) ABARES
Project start/end date: 30 Jun 2016 - 29 Jun 2017
Contact:
FRDC

Need

The Commonwealth first implemented a Fisheries Harvest Strategy Policy (the policy) in 2007. In 2012 the then Department of Agriculture conducted a review of the policy which found the policy to be effective. The review also concluded that additional policy direction was required in some areas. An updated Harvest Strategy Policy is currently being drafted that builds on the successes of the 2007 policy and addresses the needs identified. Like the 2007 policy, this updated policy will require guidelines for its effective implementation.

In collaboration with experts and a broad range of stakeholders, this project will facilitate the development and delivery of updated guidelines for the updated policy. Every effort will be made to ensure that these new guidelines are as practical as possible and provide genuine guidance for fisheries managers (and the various experts that support fisheries management processes) whose jobs it is to operationalize the directives contained within the updated policy.

See attachment for further detail.

Objectives

1. Delivery of clear, practical guidance for implementation of policy directives by fisheries managers.
2. Address key information needs for implementation of the updated Harvest Strategy Policy
3. See attachment for further detail.

Final report

ISBN: 978-1-76003-158-9
Author: Department of Agriculture and Water Resources 2018
Final Report • 2018-11-21 • 1.37 MB
2016-234-DLD.pdf

Summary

The Commonwealth Fisheries Harvest Strategy Policy (Harvest Strategy Policy) establishes the requirement for developing a harvest strategy in Commonwealth-managed fisheries. Objectives for fishery harvest strategies are prescribed by the Harvest Strategy  Policy, along with the need for assessment and evaluation of performance against those objectives.

These guidelines aim to provide practical assistance in the development of fishery-specific harvest strategies in Commonwealth-managed fisheries that meet  the intent of the Harvest Strategy Policy. The guidelines provide important contextual information to assist interpretation of the Harvest Strategy Policy and to support harvest strategy development and implementation. While the guidelines have made every attempt to cover the latest scientific and economic thinking, there will likely be technical and scientific advancement relevant to harvest strategies during the lifetime of these guidelines. Such advancements should be monitored for their utility in pursuing the objectives and requirements for harvest strategies in Commonwealth-managed fisheries. Throughout the document, examples are provided to illustrate key points or provide practical examples of how to address specific challenges associated with harvest strategy implementation.

Operating in parallel with the Harvest Strategy Policy is the Commonwealth Fisheries Bycatch Policy (the Bycatch Policy). The Australian Government has also developed Guidelines for the Implementation of the Commonwealth Fisheries Bycatch Policy. These two sets of guidelines are intended to be complementary and provide guidance across the full suite of stocks and species interacted with in Commonwealth-managed fisheries.

Chapter 2 of these guidelines elaborates on principles introduced or articulated in  the policy. These include principles of risk–cost–catch (RCC), the use of indicators, performance measures, reference points and harvest control rules (HCR) in harvest strategies, interpretation of the 90% risk criterion, spatial and temporal management, and application of the Harvest Strategy Policy to jointly managed, shared and international stocks.

Chapter 3 of these guidelines focuses on the key elements of categorisation including how to distinguish key commercial stocks from byproduct stocks.

Chapter 4 expands on the requirements for developing harvest strategies in Commonwealth-managed fisheries, including the legislation and policy requirements, the maximum economic yield (MEY) target, operationalising the MEY objective and maintaining risk equivalency across stocks.

Chapter 5 provides guidance on determining limit reference points, including the policy requirements, proxies and alternatives for limit reference points, indicators, ecological risk assessment (ERA), ecological risk management (ERM) and other controls to manage risk.

Chapter 6 discusses aspects of rebuilding overfished stocks, including selecting rebuilding time frames, performance monitoring, recommencing targeted fishing  and reviewing rebuilding strategies.

Chapter 7 explains concepts of variability, regime shift and climate change and applying these concepts to harvest strategy design.

Chapter 8 provides guidance on performance assessment and reporting, including technical evaluation of harvest strategies, collection and maintenance of records,  the role of fishery management strategies and reporting requirements.

Chapter 9 discusses implementation and review and Chapter 10 provides a number of examples that demonstrate how harvest strategies or elements of harvest strategies may be developed and implemented across different fisheries and stocks.

Industry
Industry
PROJECT NUMBER • 2011-222
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Development of a cohesive industry-wide policy on Eco-Certification for Australian commercial fisheries

The project facilitated on-going discussion within industry on eco-certification for the Australian seafood industry. The project demonstrated that clear benefits can be gained from eco-certification and that there are numerous certification programs available to industry. This is consistent with...
ORGANISATION:
Pro-Fish Pty Ltd
Environment
PROJECT NUMBER • 2014-028
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Mud cockle (Katelysia spp.) stock enhancement/restoration: practical implementation and policy evaluation

This study was conducted to restore the Mud Cockle population in the Section Bank of Port River, South Australia, which had drastically decreased due to commercial fishing. Mud Cockles are important not only for commercial purposes but also for stabilizing sediment and reducing turbidity in the...
ORGANISATION:
SARDI Food Safety and Innovation
SPECIES
Industry

Integrating indigenous fishing: extending adoption pathways to policy and management

Project number: 2022-076
Project Status:
Current
Budget expenditure: $140,000.00
Principal Investigator: Stan Lui
Organisation: Indigenous Marine Resources Consultants Australia (IMRCA)
Project start/end date: 14 Dec 2022 - 4 Jan 2024
Contact:
FRDC

Need

See Opportunities section

Objectives

1. Document the impediments and opportunities for Indigenous engagement and adoption of IRG project outputs across fisheries management jurisdictions in Australia.
2. Identify the priorities for Indigenous fishing in jurisdictions with a focus on the 5 IRG RD&E priorities.
3. Develop a report synthesizing the impediments, opportunities and priorities for Indigenous fishing engagement and adoption to guide future IRG investment.
4. Develop a template for future IRG projects that will ensure engagement and adoption are maximized.
5. Professional development and capacity building of the Indigenous Principal Investigator and grow cultural awareness in wider participants.

Technical Review for the Commonwealth Policy on Fisheries Bycatch: risk-based approaches, reference points and decisions rules for bycatch and byproduct species

Project number: 2011-251
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $105,000.00
Principal Investigator: Shalan Scholfield
Organisation: Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry
Project start/end date: 27 Feb 2012 - 29 Jun 2012
Contact:
FRDC

Need

In the past few years, the fishing sector has come under intense scrutiny for the poor management of bycatch, especially threatened, endangered and protected species, and incidentally caught shark species. It has been ten years since the development of the commonwealth and national bycatch policies and circumstances and issues relating to bycatch management have changed considerably from a domestic and international perspective.

Outputs/outcomes from a review of existing Australian bycatch policies will assist in delivering the following:
- streamlining current approaches for the management of bycatch and threatened, endangered and protected species, to reduce regulatory and financial burden to fishers and fisheries managers while increasing the effectiveness of minimising bycatch;
- increase the confidence of consumers that the management of Australian fisheries and production of seafood can be sustainable;
- further advancing claims that Australia has sustainably managed fisheries that link with domestic and international legislative and policy objectives.

Objectives

1. Assess the robustness and applicability of risk based approaches to bycatch management for species or groups of species, taking into account their biological status, data availability and other factors.
2. Evaluate the efficacy and appropriateness of reference points and structured decision rules in meeting the legislative and policy objectives for some bycatch species and/or groups.
3. Initially assess approaches to incorporating and addressing the potential cumulative impacts of fisheries’ interactions with bycatch.
4. Assess the robustness and application of risk based approaches to byproduct management for species or groups of species, taking into account their biological status, data availability and other factors

Final report

ISBN: 978‐1‐74323‐136‐4
Author: Shalan Bray
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