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Edgar, Ward, and Stuart-Smith ([2]) argue that Australian fishery stocks are suffering rapid declines and that to meet sustainability targets an expanded network of "no-fishing" reserves is required. We contend that an assessment based on 11 commercially exploited species, mainly confined to shallow waters within Queensland, is not a sound basis for extrapolating to an Australia-wide assessment of the status of fisheries that cover offshore waters with a wide array of species and habitats. An assessment of the status of Australian fisheries resources is a major exercise and requires evaluating all available information as undertaken in the peer-reviewed SAFS rather than the approach adopted by Edgar et al. ([2]). [Extracted from the article]

South eastern Australia is a global warming hotspot, and is also home to ~70% of Australia's population and one of Australia's largest fisheries—the South East Scalefish and Shark Fishery. This fishery spans shelf to deep waters, subtropical to temperate waters, employs many gears, and interacts with over 100 species. Despite following best practice fisheries management principles, including taking an ecosystem perspective to overall fisheries interactions, management interventions have failed to arrest or recover the decline of some focal species. Using an Atlantis ecosystem model developed for the fishery over the past 20 years, this paper presents simulations that suggest climate change may be a major contributor to the trajectories seen for a number of species—such as jackass morwong (Nemadactylus macropterus), blue warehou (Seriolella brama), and gemfish (Rexea solandri). This kind of climate influence poses many challenges for fisheries management into the future, raising questions about what to do when climate change undermines or overrides fisheries management actions and objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Illegal fishing is a widespread, global phenomenon that is affecting already heavily depleted wild fish stocks, threatening marine habitats and contributing to marine pollution through discarded fishing gear. Many different measures have been implemented by nation states to deter and prevent illegal fishing. These include coastal surveillance and policing, policies and regulation, and education. In this paper, we examine the case of Australia through an analysis of regulative arrangements, policies and guidelines that form the governance framework to better understand the changing seascape of illegal fishing. We argue that joint efforts with neighbouring states such as Indonesia and regional fisheries management authorities have contributed to a decrease in illegal fishing in and around the Australian EEZ. Finally, we discuss current and future challenges, opportunities, recent advancements and technological approaches for reducing illegal fishing around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We respond to criticism of our earlier paper where we report Australia‐wide declines in fisheries catches that parallel the declining trends in fish populations observed underwater, and we highlight concerns about the low levels of precaution applied when regulating fisheries catches using the avoidance of recruitment failure approach.Most fished species worldwide lack the data needed for accurate stock status assessments, and consequently exploitation of these species should be managed with high precaution.For the relatively few species and stocks with individually modelled assessments, the errors associated with model output are extremely large as a result of the multiplicity of confounding factors (including effects of changing climate, technological advances that increase catch efficiency, fisher behaviour, interactions with other species, and changes in habitat quality), and the compounding of error introduced by subjective assumptions in multiple parameter estimates. The magnitude of this assessment uncertainty appears to be rarely recognized and incorporated into management decisions.Given the difficulties in accurately predicting and managing fishing impacts, including species interactions across space and time, a well‐designed set of no‐take marine reserves is critically needed. Although not a universal panacea, an effective global network of marine reserves arguably represents the most efficient and publicly acceptable next step – in addition to greenhouse gas reduction – towards solving the unfolding global dilemma confronting fish populations and ocean ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1988, responding to international legislation that requires sustainable fishery management, the Australian Fishery Management Authority (AFMA) implemented an individual transferable quota (ITQ) management system to address the environmental crisis in the South East Fishery. Defining sustainability in its broadest context to include social as well as economic and ecological dimensions, this paper firstly describes the environmental crisis and the South East Fishery's ITQ management system. Secondly, Christy's (1973) paper is employed as a catalyst to compare the theoretical socio-economic outcomes with the actual operation of ITQs. The brief South East Fishery experience suggests that the logic behind ITQs is correct. Production has become reorganised. Operators are not only fewer, but also embrace professionalism, quality, efficiency, and the operation of the free market within the industry. However, because of the local idiosyncrasies of this multi-species fishery, the legislation over territorial waters, and the absence of alternative employment, fishers have adopted non-quota fishing techniques and entered seas under New South Wales jurisdiction. Without a social re-adjustment policy or buy-out scheme, the AFMA's objective of ecologically sustainable development cannot be attained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fishery-independent scientific surveys are highly valuable for monitoring lobsters and other fisheries. Yet, there are relatively few long-term monitoring surveys to support the provision of management advice. A number of challenges can prevent the continuity of long-term monitoring series. This paper uses the 35-year continuous annual dive surveys for Australia's Torres Strait tropical rock lobster (TRL) to overview strengths and limitations of a long-term scientific survey, as well as lessons learnt from having overcome a range of challenges. Fishery-independent surveys are more reliable than fishery-dependent data and are more robust to external shocks such as market drivers and fuel prices. The primary purpose of the surveys is to provide a reliable index of stock abundance together with data to inform on size and age structure, plus model parameters and reference points. Here, we also highlight additional survey benefits including: yielding positive gains relative to cost, facilitating an adaptive management approach that serves as an early warning system, reducing and resolving inter-sector conflicts, reduced frequency of stock assessments, providing data from associated habitat monitoring, improved stakeholder buy-in, utility for development of Operating Models for Management Strategy Evaluation, contribution to achieving certification, contributing to biodiversity agreements and consistent cross-jurisdictional monitoring. We analyse lessons learnt from challenges such as changes in resource management, budget cuts, increased health and safety requirements, maintenance of capability and staff capacity, stakeholder buy-in, need to validate survey results, a pandemic and changing climate. Our experiences highlight why long-term scientific surveys are considered the gold standard for fisheries monitoring and we provide insights for building and maintaining key marine monitoring series. [Display omitted] • Fishery-independent surveys are valuable but challenging to maintain long-term. • Challenges include costs, capacity, management changes, COVID19, climate change. • Survey data robust to extreme events and external system shocks. • Benefits include reliability, positive benefit:cost, habitat data, science buy-in. • Long-term scientific surveys considered the gold standard for fisheries monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on papers distributed at meetings of administrators and research workers with fishers of the South East Trawl (SET) Fishery in Australia. SET management plan; Role of information flow in fisheries administration; Research priorities; Fishery assessment report.

Much progress has been made in recent decades in achieving high-level recognition of indigenous fishing rights. Despite these advances, actualization of indigenous rights to own and control marine resources has proven challenging. Insufficient attention to the centrality of power and its workings in fisheries are often the subject of critiques and of calls for more empirical research. This paper draws on interviews, participant observation, cognitive mapping, scenario workshops, and policy document review to examine power configurations and dynamics in the tropical rock lobster (TRL) fishery in Torres Strait (TS), Australia. Despite recognition of indigenous commercial fishing rights by the High Court in 2013, there have been only limited changes in how fisheries governance operates in the region. The current TRL management plan also risks entrenching non-indigenous interests in the fishery, thereby preventing Islanders from achieving their aspiration to fully own and control TS fisheries. Through an analysis drawing from Foucault's theory of governmentality and Blaser's political ontology framework, we show (1) how current fisheries management structures, processes and discourses are at odds with Islanders' conceptions of the fisheries; and (2) how the existing regime excludes and renders silent Islander priorities. Our findings extend to indigenous-state relations in other state-managed fisheries. We believe our proposed conceptual framework can be useful in unveiling power relations that constrain indigenous rights and in identifying transformation options. We conclude that a sea change in conventional fisheries governance arrangements is needed to respond to new imperatives and expectations around indigenous fishing rights and interests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Responsible stock enhancement initiatives require baseline data of wild population demographic conditions that can be used in testing management outcomes. This study provides the first fishery-independent assessment of length- and age-based biological characteristics of exploited populations of Platycephalus fuscus in eastern Australia prior to stock enhancement. Sampling was conducted over seven estuaries spanning seven degrees of latitude and the geographical range of proposed stock enhancements. Populations in all estuaries showed evidence of length and age truncation, especially those subject to commercial fisheries where young individuals of both sexes dominated populations. Maximum longevities were 12 and 11 years for females and males respectively, but few females >5 years and males >3 years were generally sampled. Females dominated populations, and on average, the mean lengths and ages of females were greater than males within each estuary and across all age classes. Sexually dimorphic variation in growth was evident across all estuaries, with females attaining greater maximum lengths than males. Estuary-specific differences in individual growth were not identified. On average, over 50% of females sampled in each estuary were > the minimum legal length (MLL), but the opposite was evident for males. In contrast, over 25% of males in each estuary were > the mean length at maturity (L50), whereas in all but one estuary <13% of the females were > the L50. Stocked male and female P. fuscus should recruit to the fishery in 2 and 3 years, and contribute to the spawning stock in 1.5 and 4.5 years, respectively. This study provides important historical baseline data that can contribute to testing stock enhancement outcomes on populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines why Western Australia's Integrated Fisheries Management ( IFM) policy was adopted, its development, achievements, lessons learned and future directions. Adopted in 2004, IFM aims to achieve and maintain fish resource sustainability through optimal catch share arrangements between competing users. It involves setting an allowable harvest level for each resource, using an independent allocation committee process to allocate explicit catch shares for commercial, recreational and customary sectors, and monitoring sectoral catch. IFM provides guidance for managing each sector within its catch share, providing access to that share, and developing reallocation mechanisms to transfer sectoral catch shares. The three most important multi-sector resources, western rock lobster, Panulirus cygnus George, metropolitan Roe's abalone, Haliotis roei Grey, and west coast demersal scalefish, have undergone the allocation process. The first two are operational while the third is almost complete. Allocation outcomes demonstrate the need to account for each sector's catch, with credible scientific data to underpin decision-making, independent transparent allocation processes, robust sectoral representation, workable reallocation mechanisms and management arrangements to ensure that all sectors can access their allocated share. IFM generates fair decisions for optimal resource use to reduce intersectoral conflict and provide better community outcomes, with wide applicability across other jurisdictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Southern bluefin tuna (Thunnus Maccoyii) is a global resource, which is critically endangered. The Committee for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna sets commercial quota levels for member nations, including Australia, each year. However, southern bluefin tuna is also a popular 'trophy' fish with recreational anglers. The size of the total recreational catch, which is not included in the quota, is unknown but thought to be significant. This paper reports the findings of a study designed to estimate the recreational value of the non-commercial southern bluefin tuna catch at Portland, in southwest Victoria. The results indicate that the size of the recreational catch at Portland is considerable and therefore significant in terms of the management of the fishery. Furthermore, the non-market recreational values associated with the fishery are substantial with the on-site recreational use value (consumer surplus) per person per visit estimated to be between $33 and $132 and the on-site annual recreational use value of the fishery for one season is estimated to be between $449,533 and $1,325,124. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The many risks associated with fisheries management can be attributed to the substantial uncertainties that exist within fishery systems and their numerous possible consequences for fishers and fish stocks. Compounding these risks are the possible disparities between different fisheries professionals on the nature and source of these risks. This paper attempts to categorise the risks as reported by fishery scientists and managers in Australia and along the US Atlantic Coast. Through the use of semi-structured interview data, this paper attempts to provide a categorisation of the risks identified by fisheries professionals; and to compare the identified risks by professional group and by country. The analysis yields three broad categories and 12 subcategories of risk found in both nations. Results indicate that: (1) fisheries management risks can be broadly categorised through interview data; (2) the frequency of identification of a particular risk category reflects the management system in which they operate; and (3) risk categorisation could be useful from a risk management perspective as risks in different categories may be evaluated and managed using different risk management approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incorporating social and economic relationships, together with ecological sustainability objectives into models to provide management advice creates a number of challenges, particularly when this advice requires complex trade-offs between objectives. This is further complicated by differences in quality and quantity of data across fisheries, and difficulties in quantifying some measures, particularly around social objectives and outcomes. Internationally, a wide variety of approaches have been used, some as part of the formal management strategy evaluation process, and others more exploratory. In this paper, we outline the general challenges around incorporating multiple objectives into models for management advice under different levels of data availability. We present three case Australian study fisheries where different approaches have been used to include social, economic and ecological considerations, reflecting the differences in data types and availability. We focus on Australian fisheries as the sewere among the first in the world to embrace a management objective of maximizing net economic returns as the primary objective of fisheries management, and, more recently, social objectives have increasingly been promoted in fisheries management. Quantifying the latter has created challenges for the development of fisheries models, requiring innovate ways to link the different components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper details Australian research that developed tools to assist fisheries managers and government agencies in engaging with the social dimension of industry and community welfare in fisheries management. These tools are in the form of objectives and indicators. These highlight the social dimensions and the effects of management plans and policy implementation on fishing industries and associated communities, while also taking into account the primacy of ecological imperatives. The deployment of these objectives and indicators initially provides a benchmark and, over the life of a management plan, can subsequently be used to identify trends in effects on a variety of social and economic elements that may be objectives in the management of a fishery. It is acknowledged that the degree to which factors can be monitored will be dependent upon resources of management agencies, however these frameworks provide a method for effectively monitoring and measuring change in the social dimension of fisheries management. Essentially, the work discussed in this paper provides fisheries management with the means to both track and begin to understand the effects of government policy and management plans on the social dimension of the fishing industry and its associated communities. Such tools allow the consideration of these elements, within an evidence base, into policy arrangements, and consequently provide an invaluable contribution to the ability to address resilience and sustainability of fishing industries and associated communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective management of recreational fisheries requires information on fine-scale spatial patterns of recreational exploitation. Such information is particularly important for specially designated regions such as recreational-only fishing areas ( ROFAs). Using data acquired through progressive counts and interview-based surveys, this study quantitatively compared recreational effort, harvest-per-unit-effort ( HPUE) and species composition among zonal habitats in three representative estuarine ROFAs in eastern Australia. The zones compared were as follows: (1) entrance channels; (2) lake areas; (3) artificial reefs; (4) tributary creeks; (5) rivers; and (6) canals. In most cases, effort was concentrated in the lake zones, which had the greatest access to fisheries resources. The lake and channel zones were associated with some of the highest HPUEs for key taxa [ Acanthopagrus spp. (hybrid complex of Acanthopagrus butcheri (Munro) × Acanthopagrus australis (Owen)), Platycephalus fuscus (Cuvier), Sillago ciliata (Cuvier) and Girella tricuspidata (Quoy & Gaimard)] and a greater number of highly sought-after species. Drawing on specific examples from these findings, this paper concludes by illustrating how spatial information on exploitation gained from this type of research can be used to meet the fundamental goals of recreational fisheries management at fine spatial scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Commercial marine fishing contributes significantly to the Australian economy, and has great importance for coastal communities. However, climate change presents significant challenges for Australia's fishing industries, now and into the future. With greater use of targeted information, the fishing industry will be better placed to minimise the negative impacts and take advantage of opportunities associated with the effects of climate change. The future of the fishing industry-specifically wild capture fisheries-will depend on its ability and capacity to apply appropriate adaptation strategies for its viability and sustainability in the long-term. Knowledge regarding expected long-term changes in species distributions, improved weather and seasonal climate forecasts and their influence on target species, and better understanding of species tolerances, can inform adaptation responses. This paper provides a review of recent advances in research addressing Australia's priorities in relation to commercial marine fisheries' responses to current and anticipated future climate change impacts, and considers barriers and adaptation options for fisheries management over the near-term planning horizon of 5-7 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capacity reduction programmes, in the form of buybacks or decommissioning, have had relatively widespread application in fisheries in the US, Europe and Australia. A common criticism of such programmes is that they remove the least efficient vessels first, resulting in an increase in average efficiency of the remaining fleet, which tends to increase the effective fishing power of the remaining fleet. In this paper, the effects of a buyback programme on average technical efficiency in Australia's Northern Prawn Fishery are examined using a multi-output production function approach with an explicit inefficiency model. As expected, the results indicate that average efficiency of the remaining vessels was generally greater than that of the removed vessels. Further, there was some evidence of an increase in average scale efficiency in the fleet as the remaining vessels were closer, on average, to the optimal scale. Key factors affecting technical efficiency included company structure and the number of vessels fishing. In regard to fleet size, our model suggests positive externalities associated with more boats fishing at any point in time (due to information sharing and reduced search costs), but also negative externalities due to crowding, with the latter effect dominating the former. Hence, the buyback resulted in a net increase in the individual efficiency of the remaining vessels due to reduced crowding, as well as raising average efficiency through removal of less efficient vessels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  The biology of elasmobranchs makes them very vulnerable to fishing pressure and there is increasing international concern over their exploitation. In northern Australia the stocks of some species may be shared with those in southern Indonesia. Indonesia has the highest landings of elasmobranchs worldwide (>100,000 t p.a.) and millions of Indonesian artisanal fishers rely heavily on elasmobranchs taken in target fisheries. They are also taken by industrial trawlers and as bycatch in pelagic tuna fisheries. This paper, resulting from a collaborative project between Australia and Indonesia, summarises the elasmobranch fisheries; the characteristics of the fisheries are outlined, the status of the stocks are assessed, and management options described and discussed. The project focussed on representative markets and fish landing sites in southern Indonesia from 2001 to 2005. Data were from market surveys, the records of the Indonesian Directorate General of Capture Fisheries, and from research cruises. Data from the ongoing tuna monitoring programme showed that shark bycatch from the tuna fleets forms about 11% of shark landings in Indonesia. Yield per recruit and related analyses were used to integrate biological information to indicate the productivity of each species to allow for management policy options and constraints. Research cruise data show that catch rates of elasmobranchs in the Java Sea declined by at least one order of magnitude between 1976 and 1997. The results indicate strongly that many of the shark and ray species in Indonesia are overfished and that the most effective management strategy may need to involve capacity control, such as licencing, gear restrictions and catch limits, together with controls on the fin trade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of legal minimum lengths is one of the oldest forms of regulation in fisheries management. Management objectives using minimum legal lengths are varied, often conflicting and generally poorly communicated. This paper introduces a decision support system that will assist fisheries managers in determining optimal legal minimum lengths. The system uses multi-criteria decision analysis to enable the integration of objective scientific and biological information into a system that assesses the success of any potential length limit in achieving each of the management objectives. The system can also document trade-offs between options that achieve management objectives and short-term socio-economic impacts. The decision support system is demonstrated using 13 commercially and recreationally important coastal species from New South Wales, Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The right of prompt release has been interpreted by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea as a safeguard, balancing the right of the coastal State to detain and deal with arrested fishing vessels and crew on the one hand, with the interests of the flag State to secure the release of detained vessels on the other. As the incidence of illegal fishing within national fishing zones has increased in the past decade, many coastal States, such as Australia, have implemented increasingly harsh penalties aimed at deterring the fishers. One such measure involves the operation of an automatic forfeiture regime whereby the detained vessel, gear and catch are forfeited to the Commonwealth. This regime operates in the absence of any judgement on the merits. This paper examines the details of the Australian legislation in addition to recent case law and concludes that the operation of the automatic forfeiture regime has the potential to upset the balance established in Article 73 of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The declaration of marine protected areas (MPAs) in Australia generates much confusion and controversy between government conservation and fisheries agencies, the fishing industry and NGOs. There are fundamental differences between the principles and practices underpinning the implementation of MPAs and fisheries management. This paper analyses the interactions between these two approaches to natural resource management and highlights the difficulties in integrating them effectively. The major challenges for governments are: poor cooperation between fisheries and conservation agencies; in principle inconsistencies between allocation of fishing rights by fisheries agencies and loss of these rights through MPA declaration; re-allocation of resources between user groups through spatial zoning; lack of fisheries expertise in conservation planning, and inappropriate single-species/single-issue approach to fisheries management. As fisheries agencies are now considering developing their own MPAs as tools for fisheries management, the need to address inconsistencies between conservation and fisheries approaches to the spatial management of natural resources increases further. Better collaboration between government agencies and better coordination of their activities would help more effective and less conflicting management of marine resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Swordfish (Xiphias gladius) are a widely distributed (45°N–45°S) large pelagic fish targeted by fisheries worldwide. Swordfish that occur at high latitudes tend to disproportionately be large adults, so their movements have implications for population dynamics and fisheries management. In the southwest Pacific, little is known about this subset of the stock and existing evidence suggests limited movement from the subtropics into cooler high latitude waters. Here, we capitalize on the recent emergence of a recreational swordfish fishery off temperate southeast Australia to characterize movements of swordfish caught in the fishery with pop-up satellite archival transmitting tags. Data were recovered from tags deployed for 56–250 days on 11 swordfish (50–350 kg) tagged between 38 and 43°S in the western Tasman Sea. Five swordfish entered the Coral Sea (< 30°S), with four reaching north to 11–24°S, up to 3275 km away from location of capture. Behavior modelling suggests these four individuals rapidly transited north until encountering 23–27 °C water, at which point they lingered in the area for several months, consistent with spawning-related partial migration. One migrating swordfish still carrying a tag after the spawning season returned to ~ 120 km of its release location, suggesting site fidelity. Movements toward the central south Pacific were confined to two individuals crossing 165°E. Swordfish predominantly underwent normal diel vertical migration, descending into the mesopelagic zone at dawn (median daytime depth 494.9 m, 95% CI 460.4–529.5 m). Light attenuation predicted daytime depth, with swordfish rising by up to 195 m in turbid water. At night, swordfish were deeper during the full moon, median night-time depth 45.8 m (37.8–55.5) m versus 18.0 m (14.9–21.8) m at new moon. Modelling fine-scale (10 min−1) swordfish depth revealed dynamic effects of moon phase varying predictably across time of night with implications for fisheries interactions. Studying highly migratory fishes near distribution limits allows characterization of the full range of movement phenotypes within a population, a key consideration for important fish stocks in changing oceans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shark depredation is a complex social-ecological issue that affects a range of fisheries worldwide. Increasing concern about the impacts of shark depredation, and how it intersects with the broader context of fisheries management, has driven recent research in this area, especially in Australia and the United States. This review synthesises these recent advances and provides strategic guidance for researchers aiming to characterise the occurrence of depredation, identify the shark species responsible, and test deterrent and management approaches to reduce its impacts. Specifically, the review covers the application of social science approaches, as well as advances in video camera and genetic methods for identifying depredating species. The practicalities and considerations for testing magnetic, electrical, and acoustic deterrent devices are discussed in light of recent research. Key concepts for the management of shark depredation are reviewed, with recommendations made to guide future research and policy development. Specific management responses to address shark depredation are lacking, and this review emphasizes that a "silver bullet" approach for mitigating depredation does not yet exist. Rather, future efforts to manage shark depredation must rely on a diverse range of integrated approaches involving those in the fishery (fishers, scientists and fishery managers), social scientists, educators, and other stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Australian federal fisheries policy identifies maximising net economic returns as the primary objective of fisheries management. This has largely been interpreted as maximising the net economic yield (MEY) in fisheries. More recently, the influence of reducing yields to achieve MEY on prices and the transfer of consumer surplus to producers has been raised as a potential issue. Achieving fishery MEY may result in a reduction in net economic returns in a broader sense if the loss to consumers exceeds the gain to the industry. The transfer of consumer surplus to producers is also potentially undesirable, and may result in a dead weight loss. Similarly, the disutility associated with bycatch in fisheries may also affect our interpretation of “optimal” yields if non-monetary values are considered. These externalities are generally not considered in determining MEY. In this paper, we develop a generic multispecies bioeconomic model that is used to estimate the impact of broadening the consideration of net economic returns to include changes in consumer surplus as well as the inclusion of non-market values associated with bycatch. We find that traditional measures of MEY may not achieve maximum returns to society overall if these externalities exist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasingly, natural resource management decision making is being undertaken by management committees that consist of a range of stakeholder groups. Representatives on these committees potentially have widely differing objective preferences. Consequently, there exists the potential for management decisions to be affected not only by the type of representation, but by the individuals themselves. In this paper, the robustness of management decision making to both the stakeholder representation and the individual representatives is tested using the case of fisheries management, for which a number of studies have been undertaken in Australia to assess objective preferences within a multi-objective framework. The results suggest that, in most cases, management decisions are robust to membership, but in a small number of instances the actual composition of individuals in a committee may result in different decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large gap has been identified between the current and optimal economic performance of wild-capture commercial fisheries in Australia. Economic approaches have the potential to assist fisheries to bridge this gap, such as bio-economic models that combine biology with fishing costs to evaluate the economic performance of a broad range of management measures. Economic objectives are prevalent in overarching Australian fisheries legislation, however economic data is often not collected and economic analyses or instruments not broadly applied. This paper reviews selected Australian fisheries to demonstrate the accrued economic benefits from applying formal bio-economic models and conducting empirical analyses of the impact of supply on product value. Challenges to the implementation and continued use of economic analyses and instruments are discussed including: (i) short-term transition costs and associated trade-offs between ecological, economic, social and political objectives; (ii) scarce logistical and financial capacity to collect and analyse economic data; (iii) a lack of desire among industry to change and transition to economic targets such as maximum economic yield (MEY), particularly when it is associated with lower catches; and (iv) a lack of economic literacy among fisheries managers and industry. It is contended that many of these challenges initially arise from an absence of clearly identified and prioritised objectives within overarching legislation and management plans. Once objectives are prioritised, limited resources can be allocated more efficiently to improve data collection, economic analysis and increase awareness as well as education of managers and industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the stock assessments conducted in the USA and in New Zealand are based on packages that have been developed for generic use, are well documented, and have been tested using simulation. However, this is not the case for assessments conducted in Australia and many other countries. This paper reviews all of the model-based stock assessments for Australian fisheries to evaluate how many of these assessments could have been conducted using the publicly-available stock assessment packages used widely in the USA and New Zealand. The 76 model-based assessments reflect 37% of the 2013 catch recorded in Australia's Status for Key Australian Fish Stocks Reports (or 34% of the total catch in 2013). All but 18 (or 24 if full rather than approximate age-size-structured models need to be used) of the stock assessments could have been conducted using stock assessment packages used in the United States and New Zealand. Adoption and use of packages for more stocks in Australia should increase the likelihood that results are based on correctly-coded models whose estimation performance is widely understood, reduce the time needed to conduct assessments, and speed up the peer-review process. The availability of training, manuals, and example data sets for stock assessment packages should partially address their additional complexity. Additional benefits, in terms of numbers of assessed stocks, could occur if Australian stock assessment scientists develop a forum to collaborate and share methods. These results are applicable to many other jurisdictions that undertake stock assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australian marine wild-capture fisheries are managed by eight separate jurisdictions. Traditionally, fishery status reports have been produced separately by most of these jurisdictions, assessing the fish stocks they manage, and reporting on the effectiveness of their fisheries management. However, the format, the type of stock status assessments, the thresholds and terminology used to describe stock status and the classification frameworks have varied over time and among jurisdictions. These differences complicate efforts to understand stock status on a national scale. They also create potential misunderstanding among the wider community about how to interpret information on the status of fish stocks, and the fisheries management and science processes more generally. This is especially true when considering stocks that are shared across two or more jurisdictional boundaries. A standardised approach was developed in 2011 leading to production of the first national Status of key Australian fish stocks reports in 2012, followed by a second edition in 2014 ( www.fish.gov.au ). Production of these reports was the first step towards a broader national approach to reporting on the performance of Australian fisheries for target species and for wider ecosystem and socioeconomic consequences. This paper outlines the challenges associated with moving towards national performance reporting for target fish stocks and Australia’s successes so far. It also outlines the challenges ahead, in particular those relating to reporting more broadly on the status of entire fisheries. Comparisons are drawn between Australia and New Zealand and more broadly between Australia and other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Management of fisheries by preventing commercial, whilst allowing recreational-only fishing in some areas, is intended to increase stocks so that sustainable recreational fishing is conserved or enhanced. This study examined whether the relative abundances and length and age characteristics of five harvested species of fish differed between recreational-only fished (ROF) estuaries, and those open to both recreational and commercial fishing (non-ROF) in southeastern Australia. Specific predictions based on absolute and ranked values of a range of parameters were made so that conclusions could be reached about the effects of management. Fish were sampled using multimesh gillnets in a standard and stratified manner across two ROF and two non-ROF estuaries over three years, six to eight years post ROF implementation. Abundances of each species fluctuated among individual estuaries and sampling times with no indication of greater abundances in ROF estuaries. For four species (Sillago ciliata, Mugil cephalus, Acanthopagrus spp. and Girella tricuspidata), the mean lengths and the proportions of individuals of legal length, were mostly greater in the ROF compared to the non-ROF estuaries. However, for Platycephalus fuscus there were no discernible patterns. Three species (P. fuscus, S. ciliata and Acanthopagrus spp.) had a significantly greater proportion of older fish in the ROF estuaries, but for M. cephalus and G. tricuspidata this was only evident in one ROF estuary. It is hypothesised that the cessation of commercial fishing and subsequent reduction in fishing pressure in the ROF estuaries allowed a greater proportion of individuals of each species to survive to become larger and older. This study provides correlative evidence that ROF estuaries can protect some harvested species at the local scale of estuary. Examination of lengths and ages of fish, rather than simply their abundances, was necessary to identify the effects of removing commercial fishing. Further research is required to determine the potential broader-scale and long-term sustainability benefits on species as well as any spill-over effects on other organisms and estuarine ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploited abalone (genus Haliotis) populations are prone to serial depletion and stock collapse. Spatial management units (MUs) aim to separate monitoring and management of meta‐populations with varying productivity. In the South Australian Southern Zone blacklip abalone (Haliotis rubra rubra, Leach) fishery, spatial terms at scales of kilometres (reporting areas, RAs) and tens of kilometres (MUs) explained a greater proportion of variability in daily catches than effort in linear mixed models. Temporal patterns in spatial structures of catches among RAs were consistent with those among MUs based on similar productivity. Results of this study support the hypothesis that changes in the spatial distribution of catches differs among management regimes based on minimum legal lengths (MLLs) and annual total allowable commercial catches (TACCs). Stable distribution of catches during 1992–2012 occurred contemporaneously with zonal TACCs combined with catch caps (sub‐TACCs) and MLLs applied to areas of low productivity providing a reference for future management. The number of MUs fished annually by each licence increased during this period. Results of this study suggest that successful spatial management of abalone fisheries requires MUs at scales based on biological productivity combined with MLLs and mandatory, conservative catch caps applied to each MU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genome-wide, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) typing can improve the management of valuable marine species by delineating finer scale population structure compared with traditional markers. This approach was applied to the spiny lobster, Panulirus ornatus distributed in the Indo-West Pacific and is one of the most highly valuable seafood products in the world. A total of 3008 SNPs was generated from DArTseq sequencing of 224 lobsters sampled at 13 locations across the Indo-Pacific. SNPs revealed a highly significant genetic structure among samples (analysis of molecular variance FST = 0.046). Pairwise genetic comparison showed significant differences among the majority of sampling locations. Outlier loci (including an outlier SNP mapped to the CASc gene with different allele frequencies among sampling locations) revealed highly significant pairwise differentiation, especially a genetic break between regional populations in northern Australia and South East Asia. Significant pairwise differences in outliers among sampling locations, even over small geographic scales, suggest a possible role of local adaptation on the population structure. Genetic differences identified among samples from northern Australia and South East Asia are sufficient to refute the single-stock hypothesis proposed using conventional genetic markers. The results of genome-level SNPs identify five management units across the species' range, with significant implications for the future fisheries management and aquaculture development of this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historical ecology has revolutionized our understanding of fisheries and cultural landscapes, demonstrating the value of historical data for evaluating the past, present, and future of Earth's ecosystems. Despite several important studies, Indigenous fisheries generally receive less attention from scholars and managers than the 17th–20th century capitalist commercial fisheries that decimated many keystone species, including oysters. We investigate Indigenous oyster harvest through time in North America and Australia, placing these data in the context of sea level histories and historical catch records. Indigenous oyster fisheries were pervasive across space and through time, persisting for 5000–10,000 years or more. Oysters were likely managed and sometimes "farmed," and are woven into broader cultural, ritual, and social traditions. Effective stewardship of oyster reefs and other marine fisheries around the world must center Indigenous histories and include Indigenous community members to co-develop more inclusive, just, and successful strategies for restoration, harvest, and management. 'Commercial fisheries have decimated keystone species, including oysters in the past 200 years. Here, the authors examine how Indigenous oyster harvest in North America and Australia was managed across 10,000 years, advocating for effective future stewardship of oyster reefs by centering Indigenous peoples.' [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cascade of climate and environmental changes, government intervention and economic responses has led to major social impacts on the Western Australian fishing community of the Abrolhos Islands. In 2006, a significant decline in the number of settling lobster larvae was met with major changes to the management of the fishery. The decline in larval settlement appears to be climate driven. Stocks were protected by reducing the overall catch, but these measures also led to a decrease in the number of fishers operating in the fishery. The management changes have resulted in the decline of this well-established fishing community. From the perspectives of fishing women, this paper explores the tension between the contribution that women make to fishing and their well-documented ‘invisibility’ in this industry. The authors suggest that the lack of management focus on social outcomes and subsequent community impacts are related to the invisibility of women in the fishing industry. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Increasingly, social considerations are having an influence on fisheries policy as well as day-to-day management decision making. Social objectives, unlike economic or conservation objectives, are often poorly defined in fisheries policy, providing substantial leeway for managers to develop management plans in response to the perceived importance of different social outcomes, and potential inconsistencies between different fisheries and jurisdictions. In this paper, through a literature review and workshop with managers across different Australian jurisdictions, we develop a set of social objectives that may be applicable in Australian fisheries. We assess the importance of these different objectives using the Analytic Hierarchy Process, and find considerable diversity in opinion as to which social objectives fisheries management should prioritise to achieve. This diversity of opinion is not directly related to jurisdiction, but does seem related to the context and social environment in which fisheries managers are operating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamics of ocean boundary currents and associated shelf processes can influence onshore and offshore water transport, critically impacting marine organisms that release long-lived pelagic larvae into the water column. The western rock lobster, Panulirus cygnus , endemic to Western Australia, is the basis of Australia's most valuable wild-caught commercial fishery. After hatching, western rock lobster larvae (phyllosoma) spend up to 11 months in offshore waters before ocean currents and their ability to swim transports them back to the coast. The abundance of western rock lobster post-larvae (puerulus) provides a puerulus index used by fishery managers as a predictor of lobster abundance 3–4 years later. This index has historically been positively correlated with the strength of the Leeuwin Current. In 2008 and 2009, the Leeuwin Current was strong, yet a settlement failure occurred throughout the fishery, prompting management changes and a rethinking of environmental factors associated with their settlement. Thus, understanding factors that may have been responsible for the settlement failure is essential for fishery management. Oceanographic parameters likely to influence puerulus settlement were derived for 17 years to investigate correlations. Analysis indicated that puerulus settlement at adjacent monitoring sites has similar oceanographic forcing, with kinetic energy in the offshore and the strength of the Leeuwin Current being key factors. Settlement failure years were synonymous with "hiatus" conditions in the southeast Indian Ocean and periods of sustained cooler water present offshore. Post-2009, there has been an unusual but consistent increase in the Leeuwin Current during the early summer months, with a matching decrease in the Capes Current, which may explain an observed settlement timing mismatch compared to historical data. Our study has revealed that a culmination of these conditions likely led to the recruitment failure and subsequent changes in puerulus settlement patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding population structure is important for predicting the outcomes of anthropogenic development, harvest, and environmental change on the abundance of fisheries species. Logically, the use of several data sources is best for delineating population structure, but combining across data types adds extra challenges as results can be incongruent. Here, genetic and environmental markers were used to test hypotheses about population structure in a collection of 523 tropical inshore finfish (Lutjanus johnii) across northern Australia from 20 locations. Redundancy analyses (RDA) were used to statistically test for correlations among data sources providing a basis for reconciliation and insights into ecological and evolutionary processes. Genomic data (10349 SNP loci) revealed low, but significant genetic divergence (max FST 0.0402) between 16 locations. A total of 12 putative contiguous biological stocks were proposed whose distributions were correlated with IMCRA bioregions but not to existing regions used for management of the fishery. RDA showed a significant correlation between environmental markers (otolith chemistry and parasite abundances) and SNP genotype in two of three region-wide analyses supporting the proposed stock structure, and suggesting that L. johnii may be locally adapted to the heterogeneous environment. These findings are significant for the conservation of the commercially and recreationally important L. johnii and can be used to guide future fisheries management actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Encouraging sustainable behaviour among fishers is an increasingly popular, but poorly understood approach to fisheries management. While examples of self-management and co-management offer some insights, there is a need to develop a better account of how diverse factors interact to affect behaviour. This paper explores factors contributing to variation in levels of self-management in five Australian abalone fisheries, using data from interviews, management workshops and surveys. A conceptual model of fishery self-management is developed from these data. Of central importance were the groups’ capacity to cooperate and their perceptions of the state of the resource. These factors were, in turn, influenced by a range of other interrelated conditions. In particular, management forums needed to be perceived by industry members as fair and open, helping to build trust. Trust was built and eroded through feedback loops, meaning mechanisms for monitoring and enforcement were essential. As industry groups struggled with self-enforcement, this was a key area where government provided support. Leaders were also central to these interactions, creating relationships, bearing costs and guiding decisions. The study demonstrates the complexity of such systems and highlights the diverse opportunities for policy makers and managers to improve fishery outcomes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The absence of properly identified mechanisms to adequately protect the marine environment remains a major shortcoming in Australia’s commitment to biodiversity conservation. The current commitment to a National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas (NRSMPA) falls far short of providing adequate protection against the suite of existing and potential threats even though areas are designated as being ‘protected’. In this paper it is argued that the actions taken under the NRSMPA are disproportionately concentrated on regulating fishing, including the closing of areas in so-called sanctuary zones to all types of fishing. In the absence of clearly identified threats from most forms of fishing and without assessment of how best to manage those few fishing threats that have been identified, such actions are inefficient and mostly inappropriate. Moreover, they do not provide adequate protection against the full suite of threats to marine environments. Adequate measures for the proper conservation of these areas and/or the protection of marine biodiversity more generally are not being provided and in most cases threats are not even adequately described and evaluated. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Improving the economic performance of fisheries is becoming increasingly important in fisheries management, and in some cases, maximum economic yield (MEY) is set as a key management target. However, recent critics of MEY as a management target have argued that a decline in the level of fishing activity necessary to achieve the target will result in a subsequent loss of economic activity elsewhere in the economy and, potentially, a net loss to society. In this paper, an input–output framework is used to estimate the net economic effects of achieving MEY in several Australian fisheries for which there is information on their short- and long-term performances when moving towards MEY. While overall losses were found in the short term, achieving MEY was found to result in a net economic benefit to society in the longer term. Local coastal communities in particular were found to benefit, although some losses were incurred elsewhere in the economy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Fisheries management is increasingly involving a wide range of stakeholders in the decision making process. However, in most fisheries, the set of management objectives are poorly defined, and the implicit importance placed on these objectives may vary considerably both between and within different stakeholder groups. This may lead to conflicts within management advisory groups where members from different stakeholder groups view potential management outcomes substantially differently, and inconsistencies in decision making when changes in stakeholder representation take place. In this paper, the institutional structure of fisheries management in Australia and the roles the different organisations play in shaping fisheries management plans are detailed. An explicit hierarchy of management objectives is developed in collaboration with key managers and policy makers. A large survey of stakeholders involved in Australian Commonwealth fisheries management was undertaken to determine stakeholder preferences relating to these objectives. The results highlight the differences in perspectives regarding the relative importance of the multiple objectives of fisheries management. While on average stakeholder preferences generally correspond with their expected preference set, the results also indicate that there is generally low coherence within stakeholder groups. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Individual transferable quotas (ITQs) have been introduced in a number of different countries, including Australia. Using seven Australian commonwealth fisheries the paper undertakes an ex ante cost–benefit analysis whether to introduce ITQs into these fisheries. The analysis uses five cost–benefit criteria, and in particular the gross value of production (GVP), to evaluate whether ITQs should be introduced or not. For fisheries where the net benefits do not currently justify ITQs, a pathway is provided to improve management outcomes with the use of individual transferable efforts units (ITEs). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Some economists have questioned the need for retaining boat licences in fisheries managed through rights-based systems on the assumption that licences act as an impediment to autonomous adjustment. In this paper, the role of boat licences in fisheries managed through rights-based instruments is explored through examining their use in several fisheries in Australian and elsewhere. The study concludes that any impediment to autonomous adjustment that is produced by boat licences is likely to be small relative to other factors. Further, boat licences play an important role in offsetting imperfections in the rights-based management systems that exist in most countries. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Australia has developed a Harvest Strategy Policy (HSP) for Commonwealth fisheries. A harvest strategy specifies the management actions necessary to achieve defined resource objectives in a given fishery, resulting in a formal and proactive management approach that is transparent to all stakeholders. The objectives of the HSP are defined in terms of target and limit biomass reference points, although proxies can be used. It is a significant challenge, therefore, to develop harvest strategies for most small fisheries, which are typically data-poor, have only basic or no formal stock assessments, and have low Gross Value of Production (GVP). For the small Commonwealth fisheries, even indirect biomass estimates are unavailable and, due to their low GVP, it is unlikely that relevant research will be undertaken to determine reliable biomass estimates in the foreseeable future. This paper provides insight into developing harvest strategy frameworks that reconcile the reality and limitations of small fisheries with the intent of the HSP: to cease or avoid overfishing, to rebuild overfished stocks, and to maintain stocks at levels corresponding to the maximum economic yield. The process of harvest strategy development is evaluated and general principles for the pragmatic development and implementation of harvest strategies for small, low-value, data-poor fisheries are considered. These general principles include (i) the development of sets of triggers with conservative response levels, with progressively higher data and analysis requirements at higher response levels, (ii) identifying data gathering protocols and subsequent simple analyses to better assess the fishery, (iii) archiving biological data for possible future analysis, and (iv) the use of spatial management, either as the main aspect of the harvest strategy or an augmentation with other measures. The value of an iterative approach involving stakeholders and managers is emphasized. The above principles are illustrated by three case studies from Australia''s small Commonwealth fisheries: the Western Deepwater and North West Slope Trawl Fisheries, the Coral Sea Fishery, and the Bass Strait Central Zone Scallop Fishery. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: To date, the development of fisheries harvest policies has typically focused on the use of indices estimated from quantitative stock assessment models. Where does this leave the small-scale and spatially complex resources for which costs and logistics prevent adequate data collection for the construction of quantitative assessment models at scales appropriate for the component populations being fished? This paper presents a novel harvest policy framework developed in Australia by the Victorian Western Zone Abalone Diver’s Association (WADA) to assess and manage their resource at the scale of component abalone reefs (100s–1000sm). This novel harvest policy framework uses a rapid visual evaluation of population fecundity based on shell shape and appearance. Codified and applied using a decision tree, it is being used in Australia by an increasing number of zonal abalone industry associations. Abalone populations on reef complexes are being assessed and managed with voluntary catch caps and voluntary minimum lengths larger than legal minimum lengths. It will probably be decades before a satisfactory quantitative analysis on the efficacy of the approach will be possible, but positive anecdotal accounts and the relatively rapid spread of the approach suggest industry members believe they are seeing benefits. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper discusses the process and outcomes of a major buyback of commercial fishing concessions across all Australian Commonwealth-managed fisheries through 2006. It argues that the intent of the buyback program was ambiguous, the process was flawed, and the outcomes of doubtful benefit to fish or to fishermen. This case study directs attention to deeper issues that prevail in forms of managing people under the guise of a non-explicit ideology of “extol and control”. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The reef line fishery (RLF) in eastern Torres Strait (ETS) is unique in that it has both a commercial indigenous sector and a commercial non-indigenous sector. Recently, concerns have been expressed by all stakeholders about the long-term sustainability of the fishery. These concerns have been exacerbated by the lack of detailed catch and effort information from both sectors, which has precluded any formal assessment of the fishery. In this paper, we characterise the harvest patterns and effort dynamics of the indigenous and non-indigenous commercial sectors of the ETS RLF using a range of data sources including commercial logbooks, community freezer records, voluntary logbooks and observer surveys. We demonstrate that bycatch is a significant component of the catch for both sectors and identify substantial differences in harvest patterns and effort dynamics between the sectors. Differences between sectors were observed in species composition and spatial and temporal patterns in catch, effort and catch per unit effort. These results highlight the inherent variation in catch and effort dynamics between the two commercial sectors of the ETS RLF and provide valuable information for the development of future assessments and appropriate management strategies for the fishery. The more reliable estimates of harvest patterns and effort dynamics for both sectors obtained from observer surveys will also assist in resolving issues relating to allocation of reef fish resources in Torres Strait. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]