Project number: 2003-061
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $1,429,399.00
Principal Investigator: Margot Sachse
Organisation: Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA)
Project start/end date: 30 Aug 2003 - 30 Nov 2008
Contact:
FRDC

Need

As part of a move towards EBFM, there is a clear need to identify the variety of management measures in place across fisheries within the region, and to evaluate a range of comprehensive and “integrated” management strategies that would best meet the needs of all fisheries across the full range of management objectives. The AFMA Board has recently signalled that it wants the MACs in the region to consider these issues, and particularly the implementation of a wider mix of strategies for managing fisheries, including time and area closures and gear modifications, in addition to existing output controls such as TACs. This project will assemble the information and provide the analytical tools to undertake such evaluations. A carefully evaluated set of management strategies would support the existing management process (including the MACs, AFMA management, and the National Oceans Office) in developing an operational management plan for south eastern fisheries that is tightly integrated with other uses of the marine environment in the region, including implementation of the National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas and of the South East Regional Marine Plan. If such a plan can be developed, it would put these fisheries and Australia at the forefront of practical implementation of EBFM. The need is to have all the issues, objectives and options on the table at the same time, to consider simultaneously the impacts of a set of management arrangements in addressing each issue and objective, and to support a process that will arrive at a comprehensive and balanced outcome considering all fishery sectors and all other legitimate stakeholders with interests in the region.

Objectives

1. Identify the key economic and environmental issues facing the Shark, SET, SENT and GAB fisheries.
2. Identify the regional and fishery specific management objectives and strategies, encompassing the full range of management measures that are able to be adopted in the SESSF.
3. Evaluate integrated management strategies against regional and fishery specific management objectives:· Qualitative evaluation by February 2007· Preliminary quantitative evaluation by February 2007· Quantitative evaluation by September 2007
4. Make available evaluated strategies to AFMA, relevant MACs and other stakeholders.

Final report

ISBN: 978-1-877044-37-3
Author: Margot Sachse
Final Report • 2010-04-28 • 9.76 MB
2003-061-DLD.pdf

Summary

In early 2004, when this project commenced, the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery (SESSF) was in a critical situation with respect to its ecological and economic performance, and in the external management environment that it faced. It was clear that, as the prime management tool, the quota management system in place in the SESSF since 1992 had been unsuccessful in addressing most of these issues. Recognition of this failing had led to general agreement among managers, industry, scientists and NGOs that a fundamental rethink of management was required. The need was to have all the issues, objectives and options on the table, to consider simultaneously the impacts of a set of integrated management arrangements in addressing each issue and objective.  A process was needed that would assist the fishery to arrive at a balanced outcome considering all fishery sectors and other legitimate stakeholders with interests in the region. A management strategy evaluation (MSE) approach was adopted.

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