New guidance has been published in Australia to help improve cooperation between the offshore petroleum and fishing industries.
Led by the Department of Industry, Science and Resources, the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, and the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA), the framework will help mitigate the effects on fisheries of seismic studies.
“AFMA is pleased to see the guidelines provide for genuine consultation and engagement between the fishing industry and the petroleum industry to identify and minimise on-water conflicts or loss of catch and to resolve those concerns where they are unavoidable,” commented Wez Norris, AFMA chief executive.
It is hoped that the new guidelines will help companies better understand the needs of the fishing industry when developing their environment plan – a mandated element of conducting a seismic study. The guidelines will also help fisheries express their concerns.
The framework builds on recent collaboration such as protocols to compensate fisheries for loss of catch or damage to gear caused by surveys.
