Policy, Risk & Money – EBFM in Australian Commonwealth Fisheries

Nick Rayns

Executive Manager - Fisheries

AFMA’s Jurisdiction

• The AFZ outside 3 nm

• Australian vessels on the high seas

• Foreign fishing vessels fishing in the AFZ

• Port permits for foreign fishing vessels

• Deeming vessels Australian

• Border protection from illegal foreign fishing The fisheries managed by AFMA

Some history ……

• What is AFMA?

• The Fisheries Acts

• Co-management

• Allocation of fishing rights

• Industry profits and productivity

• Allocation of risk

• The need for change

Institutional Drivers of Change

• Introduction of the EPBC Act 1999

- assessment, exports, TEPs & TAPs

• Ecological Risk Assessment

- a cost-effective methodology

- several $M over 5 years

• Ecological Risk Management

- harvest Strategies

- management strategy evaluation

• Government changes to the Act objectives & definitions – a focus on ecology and economics with a social process

Industry Drivers of Change• Vessel efficiency

- effort creep & buybacks

• Risk & Debt

- the race to fish & investment decisions

• The ITQ market

- imperfect with poor incentives

• Social issues

- small communities & other opportunities

• Living with the consequences

- complex regulation

A Common Interest in a Solution

• AFMA and industry work together

• Government & the Minister get involved

• ENGOs and other government agencies lend support

• The timing is right for an agreement to be struck

Securing our Fishing Future

• The Ministerial Direction

• Harvest Strategy Policy

• Spatial management (including MPAs)

• Adjustment funds

• Industry & ENGOs accept the outcome

Minister’s Direction to AFMA

In summary, AFMA must:

• take immediate action in all Commonwealth fisheries to cease overfishing and recover overfished stocks to sustainable levels, avoid overfishing of further species in the short and long term, and manage the broader environmental impacts of fishing [significant progress]

• Use maximum economic yield (MEY) as the target reference point

• implement harvest strategies consistent with the reviewed policy by 1 January 2008 for all Commonwealth fisheries [complete]

• implement the government’s policy of managing Commonwealth fisheries using output controls (ie. ITQs) by 2010 unless a case is put to the Minister that this would not be cost effective for a particular fishery [nearing completion]

Minister’s Direction (continued)

• minimise incentives for discarding, manage the broader environmental impacts of fishing and enhance the monitoring of fishing activity [significant progress]

• Develop spatial management consistent with the government’s marine protected area program [significant progress]

• Implement fishery independent surveys for all major fisheries to over come the risks associated with the use of CPUE data [near completion]

• strengthen the advice provided to the Board (now Commission) by engaging high level expertise in economics and science to provide the Board with parallel advice in relation to key decisions [complete]

Harvest Strategy Policy

• Harvest strategy policy provides a means of managing key commercial species in the face of scientific uncertainty using a risk-based framework

• It specifies the acceptable level of risk the government is willing to take in the utilisation of a community resource – limit & target reference points

• The policy provides for a transparent, rigorous and consistent decision making for AFMA, industry, community, and government.

Adjustment Funds

• $220 Million package for the fishing industry announced by government in November 2005

• Administered by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

• $149 Million to buyback fishing concessions with a focus on the Northern Prawn Fishery, Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery, Southern and Easter Scalefish and Shark Fishery (except Great Australian Bight) and the Bass Strait Scallop Fishery

• $50 Million for onshore business and regional adjustment

• $15 Million for AFMA levy offset over three years (2006-7 to 2008-9)

• $6 Million for Science, Compliance and Data to assist implementing changed fishery management arrangements ($2 Million pa 2006-7 to 2008-9)

Putting the EBFM jigsaw together • The progress of the ERA

methodology and its application

- levels of assessment – productivity/susceptability, residual risk & SAFE- breadth of assessment – species (target, byproduct & bycatch) - 2000+ species to around 45 at high risk – elasmobranchs!- acceptance has/is taking some time- being made public now- links with EPBC Actrequirements - links to MSC accreditation –

an industry initiative- assessing AFMA’s performance – biology and economics

Some parts of the jigsaw are missing!

• ERA for benthos & communities under development

• ERA for cumulative impact assessment some way off

• ERM in preparation for byproduct, bycatch and spatial management

• Where does EBFM leave industry?

- a smaller eco footprint - a more consolidated industry- focussed on fishing grounds most

likely to yield profits- co-management (to delegated decision making) a real possibility

• Government budget position to assist further is poor – but the risk based approach is sound

• Full implementation of ecological risk management – some years to go

• Minimising interactions with protected species (seabirds, seals, turtles) – industry leadership

• Consistent management – Australian states, recreational and international fisheries

• Reducing the EPBC burden on fisheries – duplication and inappropriate instruments

• Defining essential information needs and cost-effective collection methods

• Meeting changing community and industry expectations – sustainability & co-management

Future Challenges for EBFM

Any Questions?

www.afma.gov.au