Ray's Bream is one of several species of Pomfrets that has been taken as a by-catch by Japanese longliners fishing for Southern Bluefin Tuna in Southern Australian Waters. Most of this bycatch has in the past been discarded. A well established Ray's Bream longline fishery exists in Spain. The Pomfrets have high quality white flesh, and if landed in quantity and with proper marketing, could form the basis of a valuable new Australian Fishery.

Little is known of the species abundance and distribution in Australia's EEZ. Australian observers placed on the Japanese tuna longliners report that Ray's Bream appear to be associated with the 11°C - 13°C surface water temperatures.

Existing Australian longline fisheries are tightly regulated and any new fishery must be developed so as to minimise interaction with these established fisheries. Catches of Southern Bluefin Tuna are already strictly controlled through quota management and a new longline fishery would need gear developed that would not catch Southern Bluefin Tuna nor seabirds.

There were therefore a number of areas requiring attention if Pomfrets were to be exploited on a sustainable basis. Research into harvesting technology, particularly longlining, needed to be conducted to improve the ability to target the Pomfrets. Info1mation on basic gear arrangements, hook sizes, baits and fishing depth was required to meet management and commercial development needs. The establishment of gear specifications that produce little likelihood of retaining Southern Bluefin Tuna or the capture of seabirds is a prerequisite for the establishment of a Pomfret fishery.

The project developed two longline systems, the first was based on an Australian designed and manufactured system the RB 1 longline and the second an adaptation of the Spanish longline system the AMC/FRDC longline. The latter system was developed as a result of a visit to Spain by project staff to observe the fishery. A report of this visit together with a description of the Spanish longline system is attached as Appendix 1 of the Final Project Report. Changes in the way non-trawl fisheries are managed in southern Australia forced the project to abandon the first system, as it would not have met new fisheries regulations. This project may have had greater success had it reached agreement with AFMA to establish the fishery as a developmental fishery and established the management requirements at the outset (Recommendation 1).

The AMC/FRDC longline was tested through a broad industry based trial. Prior to establishing the trial the project undertook extensive consultations with industry and management agencies to ensure the trial fishing obtained widespread support. Public expressions of interest were sought and ten fishers were provided with trial 2.5 km, 1000 hook test longline systems which were to be used on a voluntary basis by the fishers. Only one trial set was completed with inconclusive results being achieved. In the end the industry trial failed due to the high cost and risk of undertaking any long term fishing trials. This is understandable given the SEF non-trawl fish restructuring that occurred during the project life and the lack of any incentive to undertake the economic risk. If participants, who actively undertook the trials, obtained some future right of access then the incentive may have been sufficient to undertake some trial fishing.

Despite these problems a new AMC/FRDC longline system suitable for the capture of small to medium pelagic species was developed by the project. The light construction provides opportunities to use the gear to catch small-medium pelagics such as Ray's Bream and effectively operate outside the existing longline fisheries and thus truly establish a new fishery. However, existing AFMA regulations, which prohibit the use of auto baiting systems, will be a major impediment to such a development.

Longlining offers several advantages in that fish so caught fetch higher prices due to superior appearance and quality when compared to trawl caught fish. Both demersal and pelagic longlines cause little habitat interference or damage. Bycatch can be controlled to some extent with hook size and break load points. With appropriate deployment methods the seabird bycatch can be eliminated. The focus on both bycatch reduction and the mitigation of habitat damage caused by trawling suggests that some of the new small boat autolines should be trialed in a variety of benthic habitats to determine their impact on habitat, catch composition and rates. Such trials would provide a sound basis for AFMA to review its existing line fishing restrictions.

Recommendation 1: FRDC ensure that applicants reach agreement with the appropriate management agency as to the management parameters surrounding the developmental fishing project and where possible that these agreements include the establishment of the prospective fishery as a developmental fishery so that industry participants can gain some recognition for their pioneering activity.

Keywords: Ray's Bream, Pomfrets, pelagic longline fishing.