An Introduction to Sustainability
Sustainable fisheries are those in which target species stock, byproduct species, bycatch species, threatened and endangered species and ecosystems are maintained over the long term.
Maintaining sustainable fisheries requires management arrangements base on the best available scientific evidence available, and take into account traditional knowledge and relevant environmental, economic and social factors.
How We Manage Our Fisheries
Fisheries Science
Fisheries science endeavours to understand the biology of fish and the state of fish stocks. It draws on a range of disciplines including marine and freshwater biology, oceanography, physics, chemistry and mathematics. One of the main aims of fisheries science is to provide fisheries managers with quality data on which they can make informed decisions about how best to manage fish stocks. Data about fish stocks is collected through surveys and monitoring. Fisheries science work is undertaken by fisheries agencies (both state and commonwealth), government science organisations (e.g. CSIRO and the Australian Antarctic Division etc), universities, non-government organisations and independent research providers.
There are a range of different survey and monitoring tools used to collect data. Fisheries data is split into fishery-dependent data and fishery-independent data. Fishery dependent data is collected directly from a fishery of fisher and includes creel surveys, boat ramp cameras, logbooks, fishery observers and port sampling. Fishery-independent data is collected outside of normal fishing and includes baited remote underwater video surveys, tagging experiments, trawl surveys, dive surveys and experiments.
It’s important to make sure that results from fisheries science research is communicated to stakeholders and the public. This ensures the data is used to best manage Australia’s fisheries and provide the public with the confidence that the fish they buy comes from sustainable stocks.
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Fisheries Management
Fisheries management sets out the rules for sustainable fishing. These rules can apply to specific species, whole fisheries, fish stocks and ecosystems. Fisheries management is a process of decision-making, allocation of resources and formulation and implementation of regulations or rules. These rules govern fisheries activities to ensure the continued productivity of the resources and the accomplishment of other fisheries objectives.
The tools used to manage fisheries generally include the following three components:
- Science and research that informs fisheries management.
- Regulations and other management arrangements that set-out fisheries rules.
- Enforcement and monitoring to enusure the rules are followed.
Fisheries management is undertaken by government agencies but relies on the input of stakeholders such as fishers and environmental NGOs as well as external scientists.
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Stock Assessment
Stock assessments are undertaken to check that stocks are being fished sustainably, both biologically and economically. From a biological point of view, stock assessments generally address two questions about a fish stock:
- Is the size of the fish stock (for example the biomass) above a level that is considered overfished?
- Will the current levels of fishing cause the stock to become overfished?
Stock assessment methods are many and varied and the type of method used largely depends on the amount and type of data available. The amount of data available for a species (or stock) is often related to the value of that stock and the risk posed to it by the fishery. The more quality data available, the more complex the stock assessment can be, and the more confidence you can have in its results. The results of stock assessments are used in harvest strategies to compare indicators against target reference points (the point you want the fishery to be) and limit reference points (the point at which the risk to the stock is too high).
Harvest Strategy
A harvest strategy is an agreed process used to manage a fishery. The elements of a harvest strategy include what and how data is collected, how the data is assessed, rules for what happens if indicators hit certain levels and the management actions that are intended to achieve agreed ecological, economic and/or social objectives. A havest strategy clearly describes what is considered a ‘healthy’ or sustainable fish stock, what needs to be measured to see if the fish stock is healthy, and what intervention needs to be taken if the stock is considered unhealth. Harvest strategies are transparent and consistent decision-making frameworks that give stakeholders an understanding of how fisheries will be managed.
Compliance and Enforcement
Governments use a range of approaches to make sure fisheries are sustainable including setting rules, collecting information and making sure the rules are being followed. Compliance and enforcement aim to effectively deter illegal fishing. Activities undertaken to ensure compliance and enforcement include:
- Communication and education is used to make sure people know the fishing rules, demonstrating commitments to enforcing regulations, reducing the misconception by offenders that they won’t be caught, increase understanding of the impacts of non‑compliance on fisheries sustainability and industry viability, and increase willingness and capacity to comply with the rules.
- General deterrence is used to encourage compliance by providing a high visual presence.
- Using a targeted risk-based compliance approach allows enforcement agencies to put their efforts into areas when and where they will be most effective.
- Maintenance ensures that previously significant risks do not re-emerge. Examples include quota reconciliation, fishing/navigating in closed areas, bycatch mishandling, failing to report Threatened, Endangered and Protected (TEP) Species Interactions, and compliance with Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) and e-monitoring requirements.
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Presentations
Directory
Resources and organisations about sustainable fishing.
Glossary
All of the industry lingo explained in one place.
Policies and Legislation
Fishery legislation resources.