The Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) has announced new catch limits for 2007 to ensure the sustainability of the key fish and shark species caught in Australia ''s southern and eastern Commonwealth fisheries.
AFMA Managing Director Mr Richard McLoughlin said the Authority used a new harvest strategy framework when setting catch limits to ensure sustainable fishing.
“After reviewing the scientific assessments of stock levels, catch limits for seven species will remain unchanged, indicating that those species are being fished at sustainable levels.
“Catch limits have been reduced for eighteen species to allow stocks to be fished at a sustainable level or to recover from being overfished. These include flathead, blue grenadier, silver trevally and school shark.
“Bight redfish will have its catch limit increased after assessments indicated the stocks were abundant and could be safely increased,” he said.
AFMA Chair, Mr Tony Rundle praised the cooperation and support of the industry, Management Advisory Committees and Resource Assessment Groups throughout the catch setting process, which is being applied across all Commonwealth fisheries for the first time in 2007.
Mr Rundle also thanked CSIRO for its assistance throughout the process, providing valuable scientific advice on species and on the harvest strategies used.
“The use of sound scientific principles, developed in partnership with CSIRO, to set catch levels for a national industry is probably a world first and a credit to their efforts,” he said.
To complement these catch limits other reforms are being implemented in the fishery including changes to the quota reconciliation date from 1 January to 1 May, to avoid the busy seafood consumption period over Christmas. Operators in the fishery will be advised of this change to the administrative processes.
Australia 's southern and eastern Commonwealth fisheries, extending from Queensland 's Fraser Island , down to Tasmania , and across to the southern coast of Western Australia , provide much of the locally caught fish for Australia's restaurants, fast food outlets and dining tables.
The SESSF Total Allowable Catches Comparison Table can be downloaded from the AFMA website: http://www.afma.gov.au/information/newsroom/media/2006/mr20061023.htm
