Fisheries managers, industry and the community have identified that there is a paucity of economic data upon which major fisheries resource management decisions are made. The need for economic data clearly exists. For example:
· Government decisions are required on cost recovery, multiple use of marine resources and impacts of coastal developments on fisheries;
· Fisheries managers make decisions on adjustment, resource sharing, and management arrangements;
· Fishers make decisions on fishing operations, vessel maintenance, replacement and upgrades; and
. Processors, boat builders and infrastructure providers make investment decisions.
Each State and Territory in order to meet the objectives of equity, community benefit and efficiency of the use of fisheries resources requires the following:
· a financial and economic database of commercial fisheries and processors which is current;
· economic indicators for general fisheries management planning;
· economic information for structural adjustment of the commercial fishing fleet; and
· economic information for resource allocation decision making.
In some jurisdictions the fishing industry, Governments and Fisheries Agencies, along with the community, understand and accept that there are too many commercial primary fishing authorisations available for harvesting Australia’s fisheries resources. Failure to reduce this excess fishing capacity, particularly in Queensland, may lead to deteriorating economics of the industry and unsustainable levels of fishing.
Most States are now beginning to consider/undertake serious adjustment programs. However no methodology has been developed to incorporate financial viability and socio-economic information into the adjustment process. Queensland has just put into place a major policy for the adjustment of the commercial fishing fleet and has set aside $5M for the implementation over three years. However, cost effective implementation which meets fisheries management objectives requires this economic information.
The Queensland Department of Primary Industries is prepared to partly fund a study to gain economic data on their fisheries. QFMA fisheries logbooks, as is the case in all States, do not contain the financial and economic data needed to understand the profitability and behaviour of the fleet. The information has to be collected independently of these logbooks. The project will quantify the economic and financial aspects of the catching and processing sectors of the fishing industry. The information obtained will lead to better decision making by industry and fisheries management.
