Fisheries and the environment

Assessment report of the Tasmanian Abalone Fishery

Environmental assessment under the EPBC Act
Department of the Environment and Heritage, December 2001
ISBN 0 6425 4858 7

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3. Summary

Evaluation of the ecological sustainability of the Tasmanian Abalone Fishery

against the Commonwealth Guidelines for the Ecologically Sustainable Management of Fisheries

To satisfy the Commonwealth Government requirements for a demonstrably ecologically sustainable fishery, the fishery or fisheries if a species is caught in more than one fishery, must operate under a management regime that meets Principles 1 and 2. The management regime must take into account arrangements in other jurisdictions, and adhere to arrangements established under Australian laws and international agreements.

Component of management framework	Assessment	Comment
The management regime does not have to be a formal statutory fishery management plan as such, and may include non-statutory management arrangements or management policies and programs. The regime should:	Satisfactory	Management of the fishery is based on a formal statutory instrument and supporting documentation
be documented, publicly available and transparent;	Satisfactory framework	Documents are available on request, or through web sites, and may be circulated to interested parties. Indigenous interests are considered through established advisory process.
be developed through a consultative process providing opportunity to all interested and affected parties, including the general public;	Satisfactory framework	Statutory process sets out public comment process , advisory structure provides formal avenue for input from interest groups.
ensure that a range of expertise and community interests are involved in individual fishery management committees and during the stock assessment process;	Satisfactory, could refine	Management, research scientists, industry and community groups on some consultative committees, some concerns raised by divers over capacity for effective input to advisory structure
be strategic, containing objectives and performance criteria by which the effectiveness of the management arrangements are measured;	Needs refinement	Objectives and performance measures need refinement to provide improved system-based focus. Agency has committed to undertake a review of current management objectives, to provide clearer system-based framework and objectives for assessment of risks, performance standards and evaluation measures.
be capable of controlling the level of harvest in the fishery using input and/or output controls;	Satisfactory framework	Current arrangements include input controls, with limited entry and gear, and output controls including area-specific minimum size limits, with zoning and zonal distribution of TAC established and reviewed annually using suite of indicators.
contain the means of enforcing critical aspects of the management arrangements;	Satisfactory framework	Sound framework for catch reporting and monitoring and for enforcement activity under service agreement, may require refinement of performance measures and reporting for evaluation, national study has not provided additional information for assessment of local risks.
provide for the periodic review of the performance of the fishery management arrangements and the management strategies, objectives and criteria;	Needs refinement	Current major management document is due for review in 2004. Scientific advice is provided through fully-funded agency associated with University of Tasmania. There is no planned independent review of management arrangements and TAC advice. Public comment raised concerns over potential difficulty of access to fishery data for external review of assessment advice.
be capable of assessing, monitoring and avoiding, remedying or mitigating any adverse impacts on the wider marine ecosystem in which the target species lives and the fishery operates; and	Requires review and refinement	No direct treatment of information gathering required to assess the of removals of significant proportion of biomass of a major grazer. Proposed refinement of management objectives and establishment of reference areas should improve framework.
require compliance with relevant threat abatement plans, recovery plans, the National Policy on Fisheries Bycatch, and bycatch action strategies developed under that policy	Not directly applicable	None applicable - very low levels of direct impact on other species from operation.
The management regime also must comply with any relevant international or regional management regime to which Australia is a party. Compliance with the international or regional regime does not mean Australia cannot place upon the management of the Australian component of the fishery management controls that are more stringent than those required through the international or regional regime.	Not directly applicable	Little or no direct impact, other than on requirements for submission of catch statistics and implementation of Code of Conduct for responsible fishing in domestic operations.

Principle 1

A fishery must be conducted in a manner that does not lead to over-fishing, or for those stocks that are over-fished, the fishery must be conducted such that there is a high degree of probability the stock(s) will recover.

Component	Assessment
1.1 Objective 1. The fishery shall be conducted at catch levels that maintain ecologically viable stock levels at an agreedpoint or range, with acceptable levels of probability.	Requires implementation of system-based management objectives
Information requirements 1.1.1 There is a reliable information collection system in place appropriate to the scale of the fishery.The level of data collection should be based upon an appropriate mix of fishery independent and dependent research and monitoring.	Needs refinement, current imbalance, with reliance on industry-dependent information in assessment.
Assessment 1.1.2 There is a robust assessment of the dynamics and status of the species/fishery and periodic review of the process and the data collected. Assessment should include a process to identify any reduction in biological diversity and /or reproductive capacity. Review should take place at regular intervals but at least every three years.²	Good framework, requires refinement to provide risk assessment.Current annual assessment process allows adaptive response at sub-block level.
1.1.3 The distribution and spatial structure of the stock(s) has been established and factored into management responses.	Good framework with capacity for block and sub-block indicators, requires refinement in scale of catch and effort controls
1.1.4 There are reliable estimates of all removals, including commercial (landings and discards), recreational and indigenous, from the fished stock. These estimates have been factored into stock assessments and target species catch levels.	Good framework for reporting and checking commercial catch date,no monitoring of recreational catches
1.1.5 There is a sound estimate of the potential productivity of the fished stock/s and the proportion that could be harvested.	Good research and assessment framework, requires refinement to deal with serious questions arising from hyperstability in abalone CPUE in this fishery and current levels of precaution.
Management responses 1.1.6 There are reference points (target and/or limit), that trigger management actions including a biological bottom line and/or a catch or effort upper limit beyond which the stock should not be taken.	Sound framework, requires refinement for system-based objectives
1.1.7 There are management strategies in place capable of controlling the level of take.	Very good framework in place, capable of adaptive refinement.
1.1.8 Fishing is conducted in a manner that does not threaten stocks of by-product species. (Guidelines 1.1.1 to 1.1.7 should be applied to by-product species to an appropriate level)	Little or no bycatch
1.1.9 The management response, considering uncertainties in the assessment and precautionary management actions, has a high chance of achieving the objective.	Good framework
1.2 Objective 2. Where the fished stock(s) are below a defined reference point, the fishery will be managed to promote recovery to ecologically viable stock levels within nominated timeframes.
Management responses 1.2.1 A precautionary recovery strategy is in place specifying management actions, or staged management responses, which are linked to reference points. The recovery strategy should apply until the stock recovers, and should aim for recovery within a specific time period appropriate to the biology of the stock.³	Adequate framework, requires refinement in the light of refinement of biological reference levels. No explicit recovery targets or timelines at present.
1.2.2 If the stock is estimated as being at or below the biological and/or effort bottom line, management responses such as a zero targeted catch, temporary fishery closure or a 'whole of fishery' effort or quota reduction are implemented.	Current management framework provides sound basis for response, provides basis for adaptive response, but does not have explicit decision rules

Principle 2

Fishing operations should be managed to minimise their impact on the structure, productivity, function and biological diversity of the ecosystem.⁴

Component	Assessment
Objective 1. The fishery is conducted in a manner that does not threaten bycatch species.	No significant bycatch
Information requirements 2.1.1 Reliable information, appropriate to the scale of the fishery, is collected on the composition and abundance of bycatch.	No significant bycatch
Assessments 2.1.2 There is a risk analysis of the bycatch with respect to its vulnerability to fishing.⁵	No significant bycatch
Management responses 2.1.3 Measures are in place to avoid capture and mortality of bycatch species unless it is determined that the level of catch is sustainable (except in relation to endangered, threatened or protected species). Steps must be taken to develop suitable technology if none is available.	No significant bycatch
2.1.4 An indicator group of bycatch species is monitored.	No significant bycatch
2.1.5 There are decision rules that trigger additional management measures when there are significant perturbations in the indicator species numbers	No significant bycatch
2.1.6 The management response, considering uncertainties in the assessment and precautionary management actions, has a high chance of achieving the objective.	No significant bycatch
Objective 2. The fishery is conducted in a manner that avoids mortality of, or injuries to, endangered, threatened or protected species and avoids or minimises impacts on threatened ecological communities. ⁶	Little or no impact likely
Information Requirements 2.2.1 Reliable information is collected on the interaction with endangered, threatened or protected species and threatened ecological communities.	Little or no impact likely
Assessments 2.2.2 There is an assessment of the impact of the fishery on endangered, threatened or protected species.	Little or no impact likely
2.2.3 There is an assessment of the impact of the fishery on threatened ecological communities.	Little or no impact likely
Management responses 2.2.4 There are measures in place to avoid capture and/or mortality of endangered, threatened or protected species.	Little or no impact likely
2.2.5 There are measures in place to avoid impact on threatened ecological communities.	Little or no impact likely
2.2.6 The management response, considering uncertainties in the assessment and precautionary management actions, has a high chance of achieving the objective.	Little or no impact likely
Objective 3. The fishery is conducted in a manner that minimises the impact of fishing operations on the ecosystem generally.	Fishery is low impact on non-target species, system-level impacts related to effects of fishery on target species
Information requirements 2.3.1 Information appropriate for the analysis in 2.3.2 is collated and/or collected covering the fisheries impact on the ecosystem and environment generally.	Good framework, but requires refinement
Assessment 2.3.2 Information is collected and a risk analysis, appropriate to the scale of the fishery and its potential impacts, is conducted into the susceptibility of each of the following ecosystem components to the fishery. Impacts on ecological communities Benthic communities Ecologically related, associated or dependent species Water column communities Impacts on food chains Structure Productivity/flows Impacts on the physical environment Physical habitat Water Quality	No formal risk analysis has been performed, requires refinement in light of system-based objectives. General assessment is that direct impact on non-target species is minimal.
Management responses 2.3.3 Management actions are in place to ensure significant damage to ecosystems does not arise from the impacts described in 2.3.1.	Satisfactory framework in place, subject to refinement of system-based management objectives
2.3.4 There are decision rules that trigger further management responses when monitoring detects impacts on selected ecosystem indicators beyond a predetermined level, or where action is indicated by application of the precautionary approach.	Decision rules required to define response when refined management objectives implemented.
2.3.5 The management response, considering uncertainties in the assessment and precautionary management actions, has a high chance of achieving the objective	Satisfactory framework in place, subject to refinement of system-based management objectives

²Review should be undertaken by the relevant management authority in a transparent way

³ Strategies require that recovery should take place within specified times with certain degrees of probability

⁴ The issues addressed under the principle are those that define components of ecosystem integrity

⁵ The vulnerability of a bycatch species may be its vulnerability to fishing technology (eg its catchability), or its vulnerability in terms of ecological impact (eg loss of predators or prey)

⁶ "Protected" species are those which warrant a higher degree of conservation and for which explicit legislative or other mechanisms exist, eg they may be categorised under separate legislation as "endangered", "threatened", "protected"