For the fifth year in a row, all Commonwealth fisheries solely managed by the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) have been independently assessed as not subject to overfishing.
The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) Fishery status reports 2018 assessed 95 species that are either solely or jointly managed by AFMA. Chair of the AFMA Commission, Helen Kroger, said the annual assessment of Commonwealth fish stocks is a key indicator showing continued improvement in the management of our fisheries.
“The management of Commonwealth fisheries is underpinned by world-leading scientific research and a strong legislative and policy framework,” Kroger said.
“AFMA draws on decades of independent research to make decisions around total allowable catches, harvest strategies and best practices around bycatch, to maintain healthy stock levels as assessed in the annual ABARES Fishery status reports.”
More to do
AFMA’s CEO, Dr James Findlay, said this result has been sustained over five consecutive years, but warned there is “more work to do given the ABARES report also shows that the status of a number of species is regarded as uncertain.”
He explained: “AFMA will be further investing in science along with its key partner agencies, the FRDC and CSIRO, to resolve the uncertain status of these fish stocks.
“We also understand the challenge of managing fisheries in a dynamic marine environment, including climate effects, and AFMA is investigating how its management system can adapt to meet these challenges.”
