There is an urgent need to ensure that the spatial structure of the management arrangements in the Commonwealth-managed Small Pelagics Fishery matches the ecology of the species taken. Present fishery zoning is essentially jurisdictional, whereas spatial management arrangements need to be both based on whatever biological information exists, and reflect appropriate precaution for uncertainties. As a consequence, there is a need to gather the best information about the spatial structure of small pelagic fish species taken in the fishery that will provide input to both inform a precautionary approach to spatial management and identify the most appropriate research in the next 5 years (approx.) to improve the basis of spatial management and reduce the reliance on precaution. In the absence of definitive scientific proof, a precautionary approach would usually assume small spatial units rather than large ones.