The lack of a consolidated report on the 1995 pilchard mortality event hampered the Joint Pilchard Scientific Working Group in its investigation of the 1998 mortality event. It remains uncertain that the response to the 1998 mortality was efficient and it poses the risk that should another event occur in the future, it too will be met with a poorly-coordinated response. Such a response may not yield adequate data or appropriate data for researchers and fisheries managers around Australia. There is also a risk that scientific investigations may be duplicated, resulting in an inefficient use of industry and public resources.

The lack of a detailed analysis of the events of both 1995 and 1998 and of similar events in other parts of the world compound the difficulties involved in an evaluation of the implications of the mortalities to commercial fisheries and other species which depend wholly or in part on access to pilchards, eg sea lions and penguins.