Global Fishing Watch; interesting but of limited value in Australia
Global Fishing Watch (GFW) is an online tool with which users can view the tracks of some of the world’s fishing fleets. The system uses ‘AIS’ data to do this. AIS stands for “automatic identification system”. It is an important safety tool used to avoid collisions between ships at sea. Essentially a tracking system it allows […]
Eastern Orange Roughy 2016 Survey and Biomass Report
CSIRO have released the report on the biomass of orange roughy in the eastern zone. Read the executive summary and download the full report below. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Based on the 2016 acoustic surveys the biomass of spawning orange roughy on the grounds at 38 kHz and 120 kHz ranges from 24 000 (CV 0.12) […]
What has happened to fisheries co-management in Victoria?
By Ross Winstanley* Since 1995, Victoria has see-sawed between structured co-management and “fit-for-purpose” arrangements, depending on the government of the day. Coalition governments have twice introduced broad-based statutory co-management councils while Labor governments have twice turned to less-structured arrangements. From the 1960s, Victoria was at the forefront of sharing responsibilities between government and the commerc
Mandatory electronic logbooks in the South East Trawl Fishery
The Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) has announced that, as of 1 May 2018, all South East Trawl (SET) vessels that have fished more than 50 days in either the 2016 or 2017 fishing seasons will be required to use electronic logbooks (e-logs) to report on their fishing operations. SETFIA members have resolved to support this move. Up […]
The Future of Commercial Fishing in Port Phillip Bay
By Ross Winstanley* The Victorian Government’s proposed restrictions on commercial fishing in Port Phillip Bay from 2022 will leave the remaining fishermen hamstrung. At best, these restrictions reflect the Government’s indifference to the future viability of commercial fishing in the Bay. In my opinion, at worst, they reflect a subterfuge aimed at quietly eliminating all […]
Trawl management levies released
AFMA has just released their draft cost recovered levy proposal for 2017. The latest levies will be recovered under a new cost recovery policy called the AFMA Cost Recovery Implementation Statement 2017 (CRIS2017). AFMA propose to recover $2.8m from industry in 2017 which includes $62,000 from fee-for-service activities such as the cost of processing paper log […]
How do Victorians want their fish?
By Ross Winstanley* In a previous article I advocated for the interests of domestic seafood consumers to be considered alongside those of recreational, commercial and indigenous fishers when resource allocation decisions are made. I used the current Victorian Government’s phase-out of commercial net fishing in Port Phillip Bay as an example of what’s happening around […]
Are There Several Blue-eye Stocks?
By Dr Alan Williams CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Hobart Grilled with garlic, oven baked, or lightly pan fried with a hint of lemon, blue-eye trevalla is one of Australia’s premium fish, and an iconic fish species for commercial fishers and seafood lovers alike! Given its popularity, it’s then surprising to realise the extent of the […]
Time to Recognise Seafood Consumers as Stakeholders
By Ross Winstanley* In July this year, the 8th World Recreational Fishing Conference in Victoria, BC, will feature the theme Allocation issues in fisheries: recreational, commercial, aboriginal, subsistence and artisanal. As part of that discussion, I’m proposing to introduce a proposition that I’ve put forward in co-management and seafood industry forums and, most recently, in […]
New Zealand Orange Roughy achieves MSC certification
SETFIA congratulates New Zealand on the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification of three of its largest orange roughy fisheries, following a lengthy and rigorous assessment process. This achievement is a testament to the New Zealand seafood industry and the Department of Primary Industry’s heavy investment in rebuilding the orange roughy stocks over the last 20 […]