The Northern Prawn Fishery (NPF) received certification under the Marine Stewardship Council in 2013, becoming the first tropical prawn fishery in the world to receive ecocertification under this process. Certification was conditional upon a number of actions being addressed. Included among them was the need to demonstrate, using robust scientific information, that fishing in the JBG sub-fishery is not having adverse impacts on at-risk species, vulnerable habitats or ecosystems.
To maintain certification under the MSC, NPF Industry Pty Ltd must undertake a number of actions by September 31 2013. They include:
- evaluating existing information to confirm its suitability for understanding key ecosystem elements in the JBG, understanding the nature, distribution and vulnerability of main habitat types present, and monitoring at-risk species (where identified). Identify deficiencies/gaps;
- implementing a program of activities to address deficiencies/gaps where required; and,
- using existing and newly implemented (as required) research and monitoring activities to assess the status of at-risk species, vulnerable habitats and ecosystems in the JBG sub-fishery.
This proposal will seek to progress these actions. Failure to do so would jeopardise ongoing certification of the NPF.
Final report
To evaluate the ecological sustainability of the at‐risk species, habitats and ecosystems impacted by the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf (JBG) sub‐fishery, we synthesized existing data and assessments, and detailed the changes that have occurred in the fishery in relation to temporal and spatial trends in effort, implementation of bycatch reduction devices and the scale of monitoring of the fishery bycatch by scientists and industry. Fishery effort data was sourced from Northern Prawn Fishery (NPF) logbooks and the vessel monitoring system (VMS) program and bycatch data was sourced from NPF logbooks, Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) scientific observer program and the NPF crew member observer (CMO) program. The key outcome of this project was the collation of information to inform an external review of the JBG sub‐fishery’s ecological footprint and the research required to address the key information gaps.
Keywords: Joseph Bonaparte Gulf, Red‐legged banana prawns, Observer program, Bycatch species, TEP species, At risk species, Monitoring, Habitat, Ecosystem
