Trawl fishery management costs down 24%
AFMA sets a budget in each fishery each year. SETFIA is involved in process for the South East Trawl Fishery (SETF). AFMA’s budgetary year is the financial year (end June to 1 July). However, the first (of three) levy notice arrived in January. The delay in sending the first levy notice means that if the […]
FAO fish price index at all time high
Until recently, the FAO’s food price index failed to incorporate seafood, a key contributor to the global food system. The omission of seafood was surprising because fishing dates back at least 40,000 years and seafood now contributes 15% of average animal protein consumption to three billion people worldwide. Moreover, fisheries and aquaculture directly employed 44.9 […]
Tragedy of the commons
In the 1800s a story emerged of English cow herders sharing a common tract of land. Individual herders added cow after cow and the land’s productivity began to decline. The herders knew that too many cows would make the land useless but all assumed that there was no way to avoid this so all continued […]
New Zealand company purchases survey technology
The Sealord Group, New Zealand’s largest seafood company, has announced it has purchased a NZ$750,000 acoustic optical system (AOS) to conduct research on New Zealand fish stocks. An AOS is a device that emits multiple frequency signals to calculate the amount of fish present. It is particularly effective in assessing aggregations of deep-sea fish and […]
What’s the risk catch cost framework?
In order to pursue its objectives, AFMA makes a range of management decisions in the South East Trawl Fishery (SETF). Given increasing pressure to improve the cost effectiveness of management there is a need to assess the level of information required to make decisions with the appropriate level of risk. This is commonly referred to […]
AFMA keeping costs down
By Dr James Findlay, CEO AFMA. As Commonwealth fishers understand very well, AFMA undertakes cost recovery for expenses incurred as a direct result of management of commercial fishing. While demands on both industry and AFMA continue to rise, AFMA made a commitment to industry to keep a lid on costs. This included keeping the total […]
South east fishery granted a 3 year WTO
The Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Community (SEWPaC), the Hon. Tony Burke has declared the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery to be an approved Wildlife Trade Operation (“WTO”). This is valid until the 25th of February 2016. There are a series of standard conditions that requiring the Australian Fisheries Management Authority […]
AFMA’s compliance passes test
The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) has undertaken an independent performance audit of the effectiveness of AFMA’s administration of their domestic fishing compliance program. The report noted that 320 Commonwealth licensed vessels land in 75 ports around Australia. In 2011-12 the compliance program conducted 222 vessel and fish receiver inspections with 32% of vessels inspected […]
What’s a WTO?
The EPBC Act (1999) states that in order to export fish a fishery must be accredited. This can take the form of an exemption or a Wildlife Trade Operation (“WTO”). A WTO is made through an instrument signed by the Minister for the Environment. The Minister can grant a WTO for up to three years […]
Aerial surveillance
The Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) regularly runs surveillance flights over trawl vessels to ensure that vessels were complying with their seabird management plans (SMP’s). In May 2012 two vessels were ordered back to port. The Association fully supports seabird management plans and will continue to work with member and non-member vessels to ensure they […]