Draft Management Plan for Recreational Fishing in South

Transcription

Draft Management Plan for Recreational
Fishing in South Australia
PUBLIC CONSULTATION DOCUMENT
JANUARY 2016
PIRSA Fisheries and Aquaculture
(A Division of Primary Industries and Regions South Australia)
GPO Box 1625
ADELAIDE SA 5001
www.pir.sa.gov.au/fisheries
Tel: (08) 8226 0900
Fax: (08) 8226 0434
© Primary Industries and Regions South Australia 2016
Disclaimer:
This Management Plan has been prepared pursuant to the Fisheries Management Act
2007 (South Australia) for the purpose of the administration of that Act. The
Department of Primary Industries and Regions SA (and the Government of South
Australia) make no representation, express or implied, as to the accuracy or
completeness of the information contained in this Management Plan or as to the
suitability of that information for any particular purpose. Use of or reliance upon
information contained in this Management Plan is at the sole risk of the user in all
things and the Department of Primary Industries and Regions SA (and the Government
of South Australia) disclaim any responsibility for that use or reliance and any liability to
the user.
Copyright Notice:
This work is copyright. Copyright in this work is owned by the Government of South
Australia. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act 1968
(Commonwealth), no part of this work may be reproduced by any process without
written permission of the Government of South Australia. Requests and enquiries
concerning reproduction of this work should be addressed to the Chief Executive,
Department of Primary Industries and Regions SA, 25 Grenfell Street, Adelaide, SA,
5000 (marked attention Executive Director, Fisheries and Aquaculture Division).
The South Australian Fisheries Management Series
Paper number XX: Management Plan for Recreational Fishing in South Australia
ISBN XX
ISSN XX
Objective ID: A1289914
Page 2 of 77
CONTENTS
1
2
3
4
Fishery to Which This Plan Applies ................................................................... 6
Consistency with other Management Plans ...................................................... 6
Term of the Plan and Review of the Plan........................................................... 6
Description of Fishery ........................................................................................ 7
4.1
Biological and environmental characteristics .................................................. 9
4.2
Biology of key species .................................................................................. 10
4.3
Social and economic characteristics............................................................. 12
5
6
Co- Management Arrangements .......................................................................15
Ecosystem Impacts ............................................................................................17
6.1
Strategies to address ESD risks ................................................................... 18
7
Goals and Objectives .........................................................................................24
7.1
Goal 1 – Ensure that recreational fishing resources are harvested within
ecologically sustainable limits ................................................................................. 25
7.2
Goal 2 – Optimal utilisation and equitable distribution of recreational fishing
resources ............................................................................................................... 25
7.3
Goal 3 – Recreational fishing impacts on the ecosystem are minimised ....... 26
7.4
Goal 4 – Effective, efficient and participative management of recreational
fishing ..................................................................................................................... 26
8
Harvest Strategy.................................................................................................33
8.1
Overview ...................................................................................................... 33
8.2
Objectives of the harvest strategy ................................................................ 34
8.3
Biological objectives, performance indicators and trigger/limit reference points
..................................................................................................................... 34
8.4
Decision rules .............................................................................................. 35
8.5
Potential management options for revised recreational fishery management
arrangements ......................................................................................................... 36
9
8.6
Species not covered by a commercial fishery management plan ................. 36
8.7
Review of harvest strategy ........................................................................... 37
Allocation of Access Between Sectors.............................................................37
9.1
Current allocated shares of the resource ...................................................... 37
9.2
Species allocated ......................................................................................... 39
9.3
Allocation triggers......................................................................................... 41
9.4
Review of allocations ................................................................................... 44
9.5
Allocation review process ............................................................................. 44
10 Recreational Fishing Research and Stock Assessment..................................46
10.1
Data collection, reporting and analysis...................................................... 46
10.2
Recreational fishing surveys ..................................................................... 46
10.3
Status reporting of species ....................................................................... 47
10.4
Research services .................................................................................... 47
11 Compliance and Monitoring ..............................................................................48
11.1
Objectives ................................................................................................. 48
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11.2
Recreational fishing initiatives assisting with voluntary compliance........... 48
11.3
Compliance costs ..................................................................................... 49
11.4
Planning ................................................................................................... 49
11.5
Compliance risk assessment .................................................................... 49
11.6
Responses and benchmarks .................................................................... 49
12 Regulatory Arrangements .................................................................................50
12.1
Management arrangements ...................................................................... 51
13 Resources Required to Implement the Plan .....................................................54
13.1
Costs of managing recreational fishing ..................................................... 54
14 Appendices .........................................................................................................55
14.1
Appendix 1: Estimated recreational 2013/14 catch ................................... 55
14.2
Appendix 2: Information used to allocate shares....................................... 60
14.3
Appendix 3: Sectors related to fishing allocations ..................................... 60
14.4
Appendix 4: Spatial scale of allocations .................................................... 62
14.5
Appendix 5: Temporal scale allocation- Lake Eyre Golden Perch ............. 64
14.6
Appendix 6: Recognising past allocation agreements ............................... 64
14.7
Appendix 7: Species names ..................................................................... 65
14.8
Appendix 8: Calculation of allocation triggers............................................ 66
14.9
Appendix 9: Recreational permitted fishing gear ....................................... 67
15 Acronyms ...........................................................................................................68
16 Glossary of Common Fisheries Management Terms ......................................69
17 References ..........................................................................................................75
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Map of South Australia showing the locations of 35 regions used for reporting
recreational fishing activities – marine and freshwater........................................... 8
Figure 2: Process for the recreational sector where triggers are triggered .................. 35
Figure 3: Commercial and recreational access to Pipi ................................................ 64
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Objectives and strategies in the management plan to address the most
serious risks (moderate, high and extreme) identified through the 2011 and 2012
ESD risk assessment workshops. ....................................................................... 18
Table 2: Management goals, objectives, strategies and reference points for
management of recreational fishing..................................................................... 27
Table 3: Shares of recreational species allocated to the commercial, recreational and
Aboriginal Traditional fishing sectors. .................................................................. 38
Table 4: 2007/08 catches (Kg) of Western Australian Salmon by sector and area. ..... 40
Table 5: Allocation triggers (percentages- portion of harvest). Key species highlighted
green................................................................................................................... 42
Table 6: Estimated annual catch (total, harvested and released numbers) and release
rates (%) of marine finfish species, by SA residents aged 5 years or older in
2013/14 (Giri et al, 2015). .................................................................................... 55
rates (%) of marine shellfish, crustacean and cephalopod species, by SA residents
aged 5 years or older in 2013/14 (Giri et al, 2015)............................................... 57
rates (%) of freshwater species, by SA residents aged 5 years or older in 2013/14
(Giri et al, 2015). ................................................................................................. 58
Table 9: Species allocated, common names and scientific names. ............................ 65
Table 10: Allocation trigger calculation table for triggers key important
recreational/commercial species (King George Whiting, Australian Herring,
Snapper, Southern Garfish, Southern Calamari, Blue Swimmer Crabs, Pipi,
Golden Perch [SAMDB], Mulloway, Mullet spp., Southern Rock Lobster, Abalone).
............................................................................................................................ 66
Table 11: Allocation trigger calculation table for other recreational/commercial species
(Australian Sardine, Australian Anchovy, Black Bream, Bronze & Dusky Whaler
Shark, Flathead, Golden Perch [Flood and Non Flood], Greenback Flounder, Sand
Crab, Snook, Trevally, Vongole (Mud Cockle) Spp., Yellowfin Whiting, Yellowtail
Kingfish). ............................................................................................................. 67
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1 FISHERY TO WHICH THIS PLAN APPLIES
This plan applies to recreational fishing occurring in South Australia. As defined in the
Fisheries Management Act 2007, recreational fishing means fishing other than
commercial fishing or Aboriginal traditional fishing.
Recreational fishing across South Australia is controlled by the Fisheries Management
Act 2007 and Fisheries Management (General) Regulations 2007. The recreational
fishery is not licensed but is subject to a range of regulatory restrictions such as size,
bag, boat and possession limits, restrictions on the types of gear that may be used,
temporal and spatial closures and the complete protection of some species.
Registration requirements exist for the use of recreational Rock Lobster pots and
recreational mesh nets for Lake George and the Lower Lakes and Coorong.
This plan does not apply to recreational fishing undertaken by persons facilitated by the
South Australian Charter Boat Fishery, which is guided by its own management plan
(PIRSA 2011a); it is consistent with that plan and other commercial fishery
management plans.
2 CONSISTENCY WITH OTHER MANAGEMENT PLANS
The aquatic resources accessed by recreational fishers are also subject to a number of
existing commercial fishery management plans, including the multi-species Marine
Scalefish Fishery and other commercial single species fishery management plans (i.e.
Blue Crab Fishery). In particular, the provisions relating to the allocation of recreational
access shares to many of these aquatic resources have recently been addressed for
the first time during the development of other fishery management plans. The access
shares prescribed in this plan reflect the shares have been allocated between fishing
sectors in other existing fishery management plans.
This management plan has also been developed so that it can be integrated with any
Aboriginal traditional fishing management plans that are made in the future and apply
to the waters of this management plan.
3 TERM OF THE PLAN AND REVIEW OF THE PLAN
This applies from [date] for a period of 10 years.
Section 49 of the Fisheries Management Act 2007 prescribes the requirements for
replacing of extending this management plan upon expiry.
Under the Fisheries Management Act 2007 (the ‘Act’) management plans are subject
to periodic review by PIRSA and key stakeholders. Section 49 of the Act outlines the
process of reviewing a management plan. A review of the plan may be conducted at
any time if needed earlier than the minimum requirements of the Act.
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4 DESCRIPTION OF FISHERY
Recreational fishing is a non-commercial and non-Aboriginal traditional activity wherein
fish are captured for personal consumption, sport or pleasure and either retained (e.g.
consumed, shared) or released. A recent definition of recreational fishing is “fishing
activities undertaken either for personal consumption or for fun, sport, thrill of the catch
or social bonding” (Arlinghaus et al, 2010). This definition highlights the social shift
whereby increasing numbers of recreational fishers seek to enjoy the total fishing
experience in addition to harvesting fish. However, research has shown that a relatively
small proportion of fishers exert a significant proportion of the total recreational fishing
effort in Australia (Henry and Lyle, 2003) and in South Australia (Giri et al, 2015). The
South Australian Recreational Fishing Survey 2013/14 indicated that 20% of South
Australian recreational fishers accounted for 56% of the total effort in 2013/14. This
highlights the potential for a relatively small proportion of the recreational fisher
population to have a substantial impact and suggests that minor changes within this
part of the fishery could have significant implications for total recreational effort (and
catch) (Giri et al, 2015).
Recreational fishing is an important aspect of social, cultural, and economic life in
South Australia. Not only is the fishing experience a cornerstone of recreational
activity, it contributes significantly to jobs and economic activity in metropolitan and
regional South Australia. Recreational fishing is one of the most popular leisure
activities in South Australia, with over 277,027 SA residents aged five years or older
participating (approximately 18% of the state’s total population) (Giri et al, 2015).
Fishing activities generate valuable social and economic returns, particularly in regional
communities. For several coastal regions, more than 1 in every 3 residents went
recreational fishing in the period 2007/08 and 2013/14 (Jones 2009 and Giri et al,
2015).
The Fisheries Management Act 2007 acknowledges the importance of recreational
fishing to the State. The Act:
• Requires that shares of aquatic resources (fish and aquatic plants) are
allocated to the recreational fishing sector
• Requires that management decisions are made that ‘foster’ recreational fishing
for the benefit of the community
• Provides for a management plan to be developed for recreational fishing
Recreational fishing is undertaken in all coastal and the majority of freshwater habitats
in South Australia, using a variety of permitted gear types (see Appendix 9) and
platforms (boats, jetties, breakwaters and shore). The main species harvested by
recreational fishers include Blue Swimmer Crabs, King George Whiting, Australian
Herring, Pipi (Goolwa Cockle), Southern Garfish, Southern Calamari, Striped
Trumpeter, Snapper, European Carp, Western Australian Salmon, Arrow Squid and
Scallops. Recreational fishers access a broad range of South Australian coastal waters
including gulfs, bays and estuaries (including the Coorong estuary) from the Western
Australian border (129°E longitude) to the Victorian border (141°E longitude) and many
inland areas including lower reaches of the Murray-Darling Basin and Lake Eyre Basin
(Figure 1).
Most recreational fishing effort occurs in marine waters, including estuaries, and
inshore and offshore waters; freshwater environments only accounted for small amount
of fishing effort (Jones, 2009; Giri et al, 2015). The gulfs are where most of the
recreational fishing activity takes place in South Australia. In 2013/14, the Spencer Gulf
region had the highest level of fishing effort followed by Gulf St Vincent and Kangaroo
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Island (KI), the West Coast and the Limestone Coast. Most freshwater fishing occurred
in the River Murray (Jones, 2009; Giri et al, 2015).
Figure 1: Map of South Australia showing the locations of 35 regions used for reporting
recreational fishing activities – marine and freshwater.
The most recent data available for the South Australian Recreational Fishery was
collected through the South Australian Recreational Fishing Survey 2013/14 (Giri et al,
2015). This survey conducted a state-wide assessment of recreational fishing in South
Australia. It provides a statistically robust estimate of participation levels and
demographics of South Australian residents and their fishing effort and catches. This
report allows for comparison to be made between the recreational and commercial
fishing sectors, especially when making decisions relating to access and allocation of
resources.
During the period of the 2013/14 survey, an estimated 12,726,975 finfish, crustaceans,
molluscs and other animals were caught by SA residents fishing in SA. Of these, a total
of 8,293,082 (65.2%) were harvested and 4,433,897 (34.8%) were released. The most
commonly caught species were Blue Swimmer Crabs, King George Whiting, Australian
Herring and Pipi, with more than one million individuals caught of each of those
species (approximately 2.4, 2.0. 1.2 and 1.0 million, respectively) (Giri et al, 2015). In
descending order, Southern Garfish, Snapper, Southern Calamari, Striped Trumpeter,
European Carp, Western Australian Salmon, Arrow Squid, and Scallops were the next
most numerous species caught (see Appendix 1 for further details).
In terms of harvested numbers, a total of almost 4.9 million finfish were retained, with
King George Whiting, Australian Herring, Southern Garfish and Snapper comprising a
significant proportion (almost 68%) of the finfish harvest. For marine shellfish, an
estimated total catch of about 3.0 million animals were taken by recreational fishers,
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with Blue Swimmer Crab (47%), Southern Calamari (16%) and Pipi (13%) being the
three most numerous species taken. Finally, for the freshwater species, an estimated
total of 376,663 finfish and other species were caught, with European Carp (55%),
Golden Perch (10%) and freshwater Yabbies (16%) being the three most numerous
species taken (see Appendix 1 for further details).
Recreational fishing techniques include hand gathering, spearfishing, netting, angling
(hook and line) and trapping; refer to section 12.1.4 for further details.
4.1
Biological and environmental characteristics
4.1.1 Marine ecosystem and habitat
South Australia’s coastal regions support a diverse range of ecosystems, marine
habitats and aquatic resources. An inventory of coastal fisheries habitats by Bryars
(2003) identified 12 important habitats in South Australia: reef, surf beach, seagrass
meadow, un-vegetated soft bottom, sheltered beach, tidal flat, tidal creek, estuarine
river, coastal lagoon, mangrove forest, saltmarsh, and freshwater spring. Many of
these habitats are found within two gulfs; Gulf St Vincent and Spencer Gulf, which is
where the majority of recreational fishing is undertaken.
Both gulfs contain significant areas of seagrass meadows, saltmarshes and mangroves
which are all recognised nursery areas for key recreational fish species such as King
George Whiting, Southern Garfish and Blue Swimmer Crab. The range of habitats
throughout South Australia’s coastal regions provide important habitat for all life history
stages of each of South Australia’s key recreationally targeted species.
The more southern waters of the gulfs are of oceanic character whilst to the north
salinity increases, reaching 48 parts per thousand in the most northern reaches. This
rising salinity is brought about by the decreasing water depth and higher summer water
temperatures causing high evaporation rates (PIRSA, 2007). These environmental
conditions are optimal for some species of more tropical distribution (e.g. Blue
Swimmer Crab).
Primary production in the more sheltered parts of the gulfs, and in embayments off the
west coast of Eyre Peninsula and the north coast of Kangaroo Island, is dominated by
a number of seagrass species that occur at depths to about 20 m in clearer waters but
about 10 m in the gulfs. The natural and artificial reefs in the gulfs provide high quality
habitats for a number of species including juvenile and adult Snapper, which form
spawning aggregations during the summer spawning season.
Understanding ecosystem function and the potential impacts of the fishery on these
functions is a key aspect of fisheries management. Managing recreational fishing as
part of the broader ecosystem is a goal of this plan. A risk-based approach to
managing ecosystem impacts has been undertaken and is considered in more detail in
Section 6 ‘Ecosystem Impacts’.
4.1.2 Freshwater ecosystem and habitat
South Australia’s inland area is expansive and has considerable variation in its climate.
A large part of the state has little or no surface water due to low rainfall and a lack of
significant mountains. However, freshwater fish can be found from tiny mound springs
in flat, hot desert landscapes, to small local streams and wetlands, to local rivers in
Adelaide through to the iconic River Murray, the largest river in South Australia. As
unique as South Australia freshwater habitats are, there are also places such as the
Lake Eyre Basin where fish are able to colonise temporary or seasonal habitats.
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Around 60 freshwater fish species have been recorded in South Australia. They range
in size from the iconic, large-bodied Murray Cod to the tiny Dwarf Galaxia, which has a
maximum size of two to three centimetres. The River Murray is the largest inland
system for recreational fishing; the river itself extends from the border of New South
Wales and Victoria all the way to the its mouth, where it enters the Southern Ocean.
Appendix 1: Estimated recreational 2013/14 catch lists the key freshwater finfish
species that were recorded as taken in the 2013/14 survey.
Many freshwater fish species are dependent on movement and river flows; volume,
duration and timing. There has been investment in infrastructure changes and water
delivery in recent times which will assist in providing for fish’s environmental needs e.g.
fish passages in the River Murray and River Torrens, and the Adelaide and Mount
Lofty Ranges Natural Resource Management Board’ environmental flows project in the
Torrens, South Para and Onkaparinga rivers.
In 2014, the Government of South Australia committed to investigate the opening of
five offline SA Water reservoirs to recreational fishers to increase opportunities for
recreational fishing. The five reservoirs that are being investigated (at the time of
writing this plan) are the Warren, Bundaleer, Baroota, Tod and Hindmarsh Valley
reservoirs.
4.2
Biology of key species
The key recreational species harvested and targeted by recreational fishers include
Blue Swimmer Crabs, King George Whiting, Australian Herring, Pipi (Goolwa Cockle),
Southern Garfish, Southern Calamari, Snapper and Western Australian Salmon.
Detailed information on the biology and stock status of key recreational fish species is
provided in stock assessment and stock status reports prepared by the South
Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), Aquatic Sciences. All
completed reports are available on the PIRSA website at www.pir.sa.gov.au by
searching for ‘research report series’ and the 'name of the fish’ you are looking for e.g.
‘research report series Snapper’. In addition, further information regarding the
regulated recreational species is available in the support document to this publication:
the Review of size, bag and boat limits in South Australia’s recreational fishing sector,
marine and freshwater.
Summary descriptions of the biology of key species can be found in the corresponding
fishery management plans as listed below:
• King George Whiting, Snapper, Southern Garfish and Southern Calamari Management Plan for the South Australian Commercial Marine Scalefish
Fishery 2013
• Blue Swimmer Crab - Management Plan for the South Australian Commercial
Blue Swimmer Crab Fishery 2012
• Pipi - Draft Management Plan for the South Australian Commercial Lakes and
Coorong Fishery 2014. The biology of Mulloway, Golden Perch, Murray Cod
and Mullet spp. can also be found in this plan.
• In addition to the above listed species, the biology of recreational species with
bag limits (Australian Herring, Western Australian Salmon) is outlined in the
Review of Size, Bag, and Boat Limits in South Australia’s Recreational Fishing
Sector, Marine and Freshwater.
Page 10 of 77
Copies
of
the
fishery
management
www.pir.sa.gov.au/fisheries/publications.
plans
can
be
found
at
Descriptions are provided below of the biology of two key recreational species that are
not described in the other fishery management plans.
4.2.1 Australian Herring
Australian Herring, also known as ‘Tommy Ruff’, is an inshore schooling fish endemic
to southern Australian waters and is generally fished off jetties. In 2007/08, Australian
Herring was the third most commonly caught marine finfish in SA (Jones 2009). The
only known spawning aggregations occur off the south west Western Australian coast
and are dependent on local WA recruits and sub-adults passing through gauntlet
fisheries from SA, Victoria and Tasmania.
Size of first maturity (L50) of females is 20 cm in Western Australia. In some years, a
strong current carries most eggs and larvae south and as far east as Victoria. In other
years, more eggs and larvae stay on the west coast of WA. Herring stay where they
settle until reaching maturity, when they migrate back to WA’s lower west coast to
spawn. After this they stay on the west coast of WA and there is no return migration.
Australian Herring aggregate on the WA west coast around May to June to spawn. This
life cycle has important implications for South Australia, as the fish caught in South
Australia are immature/pre-spawning fish, which must migrate back to the WA west
coast if they are to spawn.
The recreational harvest of Australian Herring in 2007/08 was 93.30 t and in 2013/14
was 157.23 t. This fish is considered by many to be a good training species for children
learning to fish.
4.2.2 Western Australian Salmon
Australian Salmon is an inshore schooling fish endemic to southern Australian waters
and is a species of high sport fishing value, especially when fished from shore (Lindsay
et al, 1998).
There are two species of Australian Salmon: Eastern Australian Salmon (Arripis trutta)
and Western Australian Salmon (A. truttaceus). The Western Australian Salmon
biological stock is distributed from Kalbarri in Western Australia southwards to South
Australia, Victoria and the west coast of Tasmania. Both species have spawning areas
that allow eggs and larvae to be dispersed by the prevailing currents, southwards and
then eastwards by the Leeuwin Current. The fish then grow and mature before moving
back towards their spawning areas.
Western Australian Salmon live to 12 years of age with a maximum size of 85 cm.
They reach maturity (L50) at 3–5 years; 60–65 cm (fork length). The smaller size
ranges of this species (known as “salmon trout”) are regarded as a ‘bread and butter’
species for recreational fishing.
The estimated recreational harvest in 2007/08 was 91.30 t (89.7% of the total harvest),
in 2013/14 it was estimated at 56.23 t (48% of the total harvest). Low catches in the
commercial sector (Marine Scalefish Fishery) are due to historically low levels of
targeted fishing effort (Fowler, 2010b).
Page 11 of 77
4.3
Social and economic characteristics
In Australia, limited information has been collected on the economic and social impacts
of recreational fishing. In South Australia, there has been some application of wellestablished methods for measuring the social and economic value, both direct and
indirect. It is clear that recreational fishing brings economic benefits to the state,
through attributable and associated expenditure. For example, expenditure generally
attributed to recreational fishing includes fishing gear, bait and boating costs. Other
associated expenditure includes travel costs, accommodation and food. Much of this
expenditure associated with fishing is spent in regional areas of South Australia.
Some of the recreational economical valuation projects have been undertaken include:
• In Victoria: Economic study of recreational fishing in Victoria, prepared for
VRFish (Ernst & Young, 2009)
• In the Murray-Darling Basin (across jurisdictions): Economic Study of
Recreational Fishing in Victoria Murray Cod Assessment, prepared for VRFish
(Ernst & Young, 2010 & 2011); and Economic contribution of recreational
fishing in the Murray-Darling Basin, prepared for Department of Primary
Industries (Victoria) (Ernst & Young, 2011). The report indicated that
recreational fishing contributed to a direct expenditure of $114 million in the
South Australian section of the MDB.
• Nationally: The 2000/01 National Recreational Fishing Survey Economic Report
(Campbell and Murphy, 2005).
The most recent expenditure estimate for South Australia was in 2000/01 where the
annual estimated recurrent expenditure by the state’s recreational fishers was $148
million. It is noted this information is likely to be very outdated. This expenditure
included money spent during the 2000/01 national recreational fishing survey period,
and included expenditure for directly related fishing items, such as bait and boat hire,
as well as indirect expense items such as travel and accommodation (Campbell and
Murphy, 2005).
Some industries depend either wholly on the recreational fishing sector (the fishing
tackle and bait industry, and the fishing tour and charter industry) or rely on it for a
large proportion of income (the recreational boating industry and the tourism industry in
coastal regions) (Stephan et al, 2014).
There are various methods that can be used to assess the economic value of
recreational fishing. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages and
each method’s appropriateness depends on what purpose the valuation will be used
for (FRDC, 2013). Regardless of the ‘approach’ chosen to assess the economic
valuation, the task of establishing a standard and robust procedure for recreational
fishing will present challenges (FRDC, 2013). There is no common agreement on the
use of an appropriate and comparable economic value to both the recreational and
commercial fishing activities, which is often sought for considering allocation or
reallocation of a resource. Care should be used where recreational expenditure
information is used to compare to the commercial value. Generally, Gross Value of
Product (GVP) is used to value the commercial sector, which is the price received for
fish taken to market. This cannot be done for the recreational sector because the fish
are not sold, and in some cases not landed (catch and release). Furthermore, the
commercial GVP value does not include the value of expenditure of the commercial
sector in boats, accommodation, travel, equipment etc., the value of locally caught
seafood bought by consumers or the attraction this may provide for local tourism.
Page 12 of 77
Measurement of the social aspects of fisheries management is a developing area of
interest and there are a number of national initiatives currently underway which aim to
assist management agencies to collect and monitor relevant social data. PIRSA has
led a Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) project that
investigated the social aspects of recreational fishing in South Australia. A survey of
recreational fishers was undertaken and a subsequent report was completed in 2014,
which outlines the social aspects of recreational fishing in South Australia.
To date, attitudinal surveys of recreational fishers have identified key factors as being
to relax and unwind, to get outdoors, to spend time with family and friends, and the
enjoyment or sport of catching fish (Triantafillos et al, 2014). Recent studies have
emphasised that recreational fishing may have important benefits for fisher health and
wellbeing (McManus et al, 2011).
A social survey was undertaken in 2011/12 to understand the social dimension of
recreational fishing in South Australia. The survey was targeted towards avid fishers
and formed part of a broader research project into identifying social objectives and
indicators. A copy of the report can be found at: http://frdc.com.au/research/finalreports/Full_report-2010-040/Appendix13/Pages/default.aspx.
Some key findings from the Triantafillos et al (2014) survey are provided below:
• Most fishers fished in the same region they lived: for example 62.6% of fishers
from Adelaide and surrounds reported fishing in the inner Adelaide fishing
region, and 94.3% of fishers living in Port Lincoln reported fishing in the Port
Lincoln region.
• A large majority (61.2%) of fishers had fished in SA for more than 30 years, with
most fishers learning to fish during their childhood (>80%). It was uncommon
for people to have begun fishing as a hobby after childhood.
• The most common platform reported was non-charter boat fishing (78.9% of
respondents), followed by land-based fishing (70.6%), with 18.4% reporting
they did charter fishing. Of respondents, 66.7% reported participating in inshore
fishing (defined as within five kilometres of shore), 45.2% in offshore fishing
(greater than 5 kilometres from shore), and 31.9% in freshwater fishing.
• The most common use of fishers’ legal catch across all respondents was for the
catch to be eaten, however this varied by fisher age. Younger fishers reported
eating a much smaller proportion of their catch compared to older age groups,
and were much more likely to report that they engaged in catch and release
fishing, and used some of their catch as bait compared to older fishers.
• The most common methods of learning fishing skills were through self-teaching,
from family members, and from other fishers
• The majority of respondents indicated fishing was moderately or highly
important to their life overall. Respondents were significantly more likely to rate
fishing as highly important to their life if they also:
o fished a large number of days, with more avid fishers more likely to
consider fishing as very important to their life;
o were more satisfied with their fishing activities overall;
o spent larger amounts on recreational fishing;
o had lower household income, although the relationship was not as strong
as for other factors;
o had lower levels of formal education; or
o were an active member of a recreational fishing organisation.
Page 13 of 77
•
•
•
The aspects of fishing that were considered to be important varied depending
on the demographic characteristics of the fisher and varied somewhat by the
region they lived in.
The importance of fishing for solitude was greater for people in age groups
between 18 and 44, and lower for older age groups. Meanwhile, eating catch
was more commonly of importance to older respondents than younger fishers,
while the importance of fishing to spend time with family was greatest for those
aged between 30 and 50 years, and fishing with friends was of similar
importance across most age groups except those aged 65 and above.
The survey also provided information on the satisfaction with fishing, fishing
infrastructure, recreational fishing rules, regulations and stewardship, accessing
information about recreational fishing, fisheries management, involvement in
fisheries management and fishing expenditure.
(Schirmer et al, 2014)
The 2013/14 South Australian recreational fishing survey estimated that in the 12
months prior to November 2013:
• A total of 277,027 SA residents recreationally fished at least once in SA,
representing 18.3% of the SA resident population.
• Males continued to have a higher participation rate than females.
• By age, the highest participation rates occurred within the youngest age group
surveyed (5–14 years), with both male and female participation rates in this
strata showing an increase from 2007/08. Female participation in this age group
almost doubled.
• The greatest number of male recreational fishers occurred in the age group of
45–59 years.
• The lowest participation rates again belonged to the oldest age group (60 years
or more), and similarly both male and female participation rates in this age
group have increased since 2007/08.
• For males, the greatest number of recreational fishers occurred in the age
group of 45–59 years, whereas for females, the greatest number of recreational
fishers came from the youngest age group of 5–14 years.
(Giri et al, 2015)
The social information described above and collected through the 2013/14 survey have
been considered in the strategies in Section 7 ‘Goals and Objectives’, and will be
considered when assessing management options for future management changes as
needed and in future ecologically sustainable development (ESD) risk assessments for
the recreational fishery.
The 2011 ESD risk assessment workshop for the recreational fishery considered a
number of community components that related to social and economic issues
associated with recreational fishing. All the community components were considered
to be at least moderately important by workshop participants, with two ranked as highly
important (see Table 1).
Page 14 of 77
5 CO- MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENTS
Co-management is an arrangement whereby responsibilities and obligations for
sustainable fisheries management are negotiated, shared and delegated at appropriate
levels between government, recreational fishers, Aboriginal traditional fishers, the
commercial fishing industry and other key stakeholders such as conservation groups
(Neville, 2008). Co-management is recognised as a collection of positions starting from
centralised government regulation with no stakeholder input at one end, to more
autonomous management by industry groups and key stakeholders at the other, where
government plays more of an audit role. Co-management is designed to achieve
efficient regulatory practice (among many other things) and is by no means a way of
industry or other key stakeholders avoiding regulatory scrutiny and influence.
RecFish SA is recognised as the peak representative body for recreational fishing. A
service agreement has been ratified by both PIRSA and RecFish SA and an annual
schedule of reporting and responsibilities is set out pursuant to the agreement. The
Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries has oversight of the management of the
fishery under this management plan, but day to day management is conducted by
PIRSA in association with RecFish SA.
In 2015, RecFish SA released its strategic plan for the recreational fishery, which
pursues opportunities to improve and support co-management arrangements. The key
goals of the strategic plan include:
• Securing a sustainable, long-term resource base to pursue the shared vision of
South Australia’s recreational fishing community.
• Increasing unity through increased engagement-both within the fishing
community and with allied interests.
• Increase external stakeholder support/respect for recreational fishing in South
Australia.
• Maintaining and increasing recreational fisher access to healthy, sustainable
and high-quality fishing experiences.
• Build capacity within the recreational fishing community through education and
learning.
RecFish SA and PIRSA will continue to pursue opportunities to improve the comanagement arrangements for the recreational fishery. This is undertaken in
accordance with the principles provided in the Policy for the Co-Management of
Fisheries in South Australia (PIRSA, 2013b), in an effort to deliver sound, effective and
efficient management outcomes and the strategies outlined in this plan. The following
projects provide examples of participation by recreational fishers including RecFish SA
in fishery management processes:
• PIRSA and RecFish SA are participating in the Reservoir Fishing Taskforce to
create new fishing opportunities through opening offline SA Water reservoirs
suitable for recreational fishing
• PIRSA and RecFish SA have recently discussed the possibility of a small
project in the Onkaparinga to improve management of recreational fishing for
Bream. This project would assist to develop a solution for catch and release of
Bream (through a co-management approach) by increasing the information on
Bream abundance, survival rates and catch and effort levels in the area.
• Joint communications such as the fact sheet on ‘Helping Snapper Survive - A
best practice guide to catch and release’. This was developed as a recreational
education tool to improve recreational fishing practices, thereby increasing
Page 15 of 77
•
•
•
•
•
survival rates of released fish to support the sustainability of the Snapper
fishery.
Introduction of temporary commercial crab closure for metropolitan waters to
provide recreational fishers greater opportunities to catch Blue Swimmer Crabs
during the peak recreational Blue Swimmer Crab fishing period.
Development and refinement of metropolitan shark fishing restrictions to
address community concerns though targeted consultation with key recreational
fishing stakeholders to assist in striking a balance between community
concerns and recreational fishing activities.
A Catfish working group has been established to understand the current stock
status and provide advice on the future management of Catfish. The working
group includes community and recreational fishing representatives (including
RecFish SA). To inform the stock status of Catfish, a recreational FRDC
project 1 undertook community fishing surveys to collect Freshwater Catfish
specimens, biological data and catch information. This information will be used
in conjunction with other fishery-independent data collected in the past decade
from a range of fish monitoring and research projects to develop a preliminary
understanding of the population status of this species in the lower River Murray.
The report for the project is currently being finalised.
Murray Cod Stock Enhancement Program - PIRSA is working with River Murray
communities to investigate building up stocks of the species in the South
Australian section of the River Murray. The current abundance of Murray Cod is
significantly low, in comparison to historical levels, and there is a need to
identify and develop methods that can ensure the sustainability of the
population long term. RecFish SA is represented on the Murray Cod Stock
Enhancement Working Group.
Artificial reef project – PIRSA is working in partnership with RecFish SA to
implement the SA Habitat Enhancement Project; a $600,000 commitment to
implement an artificial reef to improve recreational fishing opportunities. This
project will inform the development of further habitat enhancement projects and
ongoing works for the restoration of habitats to support recreational fishing.
RecFish SA is represented on the Habitat Enhancement Working Group.
In 2010/11 an engagement project was undertaken by PIRSA to better understand
what recreational fishing means to people and what future they want for their sector.
Discussions generated consistent themes and issues of concern to recreational fishers,
including sustainable fishing, ongoing access, funding and leadership, governance,
education and promotion of the sector.
Opportunities for incorporating 'grass roots' input from the recreational sector into
fisheries management processes in South Australia include:
• Public consultation opportunities on advertised occasions.
• RecFish SA interactions - formal consultation at regular scheduled meetings
between RecFish SA and PIRSA Fisheries and Aquaculture.
• Participation on working groups regarding recreational enhancement.
• Recreational fishing committees. These regional based committees are
established by the recreational sector to represent the interests of recreational
‘Engaging recreational fishers and the community to integrate fishery-dependent and fisheryindependent data to inform management of a protected species, Freshwater Catfish (Tandanus
tandanus) in the lower River Murray’
1
Page 16 of 77
fishers. They are generally area based (e.g. West Coast). These committees
are supported through extension services and liaison with RecFish SA.
When management changes to recreational fishing rules are proposed, the following
process occurs:
• Targeted consultation with peak stakeholder groups i.e. RecFish SA,
Recreational Fishing Committees, local councils, commercial industry
associations and the conservation sector (as needed).
• Public consultation, which includes public meetings and information sessions
where required.
• Feedback to RecFish SA (and other stakeholder groups as needed) on the
outcomes/comments from public consultation and PIRSA’s consideration of the
feedback.
• Finalisation of management changes and community education (e.g. media
releases, articles in PIRSA’s Fish Facts newsletter, website announcements,
SA Recreational Fishing Guide app updates).
6 ECOSYSTEM IMPACTS
The Fisheries Management Act 2007 requires that ecological impacts be identified and
assessed as the first step in developing a management plan. The goals and objectives
for the Recreational Fishery are found in Section 7. One of these goals directly relates
to ecosystems – Goal 3: Recreational fishing impacts on the ecosystem are minimised
- and includes a number of strategies. It is acknowledged this goal relates to the
management of the fishery using an ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM)
approach. The Act specifically requires that the following impacts are identified:
• current known impacts of the fishery on the ecosystem
• potential impacts of the fishery on the ecosystem
• ecological factors that could have an impact on the performance of the fishery
The ecological impacts associated with the fishery were identified in consultation with
stakeholders and assessed through the process of conducting two ecologically
sustainable development (ESD) risk assessments for recreational fishing (one marine
and one freshwater). The National ESD Reporting Framework for Australian Fisheries
(Fletcher et al, 2002) was used as a guide throughout this process.
Risks and important issues in the fishery were identified in consultation with
stakeholders and were prioritised by stakeholders at ESD risk assessment workshops
using risk ratings from negligible to extreme. Risks identified as moderate, high or
extreme have been summarised and management strategies to minimise these risks
have been developed and are provided in Table 1. A full list of stakeholders that
participated at the workshops is provided in the ESD risk assessment report.
The report Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) Risk Assessment for the
South Australian Recreational Fishing in South Australia provides detailed information
about recreational fishing and the outcomes of the ESD risk assessments. A copy of
the full ESD report can be found at the PIRSA Fisheries and Aquaculture website
www.pir.sa.gov.au/fishing.
Page 17 of 77
6.1
Strategies to address ESD risks
Table 1: Summary of moderate to extreme risks identified through the 2011 and 2012
Recreational Fishery ESD risk assessment workshops2.
Component
ALL
RETAINED
SPECIES
Risk/Issue
Snapper
King George
Whiting
Southern
Calamari
Southern
Garfish
Mulloway
Australian
Herring
Description
Risk of fishery impacts
on breeding population
Management
Plan
Objective
Management
Plan
Strategies
1a
1b
1a(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(
v) (vi)
1b
(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(i
v)
Moderate
(High)#
1a
1b
1a(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(
v) (vi)
1b
v)
Moderate
1a
1b
1a(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(
v) (vi)
1b
v)
Moderate
1a
1b
1a(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(
v) (vi)
1b
v)
1a
1b
1a(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(
v) (vi)
1b
v)
1a
1b
1a(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(
v) (vi)
1b
v)
1a
1b
1a(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(
v)(vi)
1b
v)
Risk Rating
Moderate
High
(Moderate)#
Low
(Moderate)#
Moderate
Western Blue
Groper
Please see the full report ‘Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) Risk Assessment for
the South Australian Recreational Fishing in South Australia’ for further details/description of the
risks and risk ratings.
2
Page 18 of 77
Component
Risk/Issue
Yellowtail
Kingfish
Blue Swimmer
Crab
Pipi (Goolwa
Cockle)
Razorfish
Black Bream
Harlequin Fish
Description
Management
Plan
Objective
Management
Plan
Strategies
Moderate
1a
1b
1a(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(
v)(vi)
1b
v)
Moderate
1a
1b
1a(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(
v) (vi)
1b
v)
Moderate
1a
1b
1a(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(
v)(vi)
1b
v)
Moderate
1a
1b
1a(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(
v)(vi)
1b
v)
Moderate
1a
1b
1a(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(
v)(vi)
1b
v)
Moderate
1a
1b
1a(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(
v)(vi)
1b
v)
Moderate
1a
1b
1a(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(
v)(vi)
1b
v)
1a
1a(vi)
1a
1b
1a(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(
v)(vi)
1b
v)
Risk Rating
Golden Perch
Congoli
High
Moderate
Yabby
Page 19 of 77
Component
NonRetained
Species
General
Ecosystem
Impacts of
Fishing
Risk/Issue
Description
Management
Plan
Objective
Management
Plan
Strategies
Moderate
1a, 1b
1a(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(
v)(vi)
1b
v)
Risk Rating
Trout (exotic)
Small bodied
fish
Moderate
3a
3a(i),
3a(ii),
3a(iv), 3a(v)
Freshwater
Turtle
Moderate
3a
3a(i),
3a(ii),
3a(iv), 3a(v)
Water rats
Moderate
3a
3a(i),
3a(ii),
3a(iv), 3a(v)
Moderate
1a
1b
1a(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(
v)(vi)
1b
v)
Fishing –
Marine
on the ecosystem
Ghost fishing
freshwater
on the ecosystem
Moderate
3a
3a(i)(iv)(v)
Addition /
movement of
biological
material
caused by the
introduction of
non-endemic
species
(freshwater)
on the ecosystem
Extreme#
3a
3a(vi)
Addition /
movement of
biological
material
caused by the
introduction of
endemic
species
(freshwater)
on the ecosystem
High#
3a
3a(vi)
Introduced
freshwater
pests
on the ecosystem
3a
3a(vi)
Extreme
Introduced
native
freshwater fish
on the ecosystem
3a
3a(vi)
High
Page 20 of 77
Component
Risk/Issue
Community
Description
Risk Rating
Management
Plan
Objective
Management
Plan
Strategies
Moderate
Safety
Importance of good
safety practices to the
recreational fishery
2d
2e
3b
2d(i)(ii)
2e(ii)
3b(ii)
Relationship
with
community
Importance of positive
relationship with the
community to
recreational fishers
Moderate
2c
4a
4b
2c(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)
4a(ii)(vi)
4b(i)(ii)
Lifestyle
Importance of lifestyle
to the fishing industry
High
2e
2f
2e(i)
2f(i)(ii)
Contribution by the
High
fishery to the economic
value of employment in
regional centres
2c
2c(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)
Regional
Centres
Contribution by the
fishery to economic
value in city centres
2c
2c(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)
City Centres
4a
Resourcing
Importance of
appropriate
recreational fisheries
resourcing
4a(i)(ii)((iv) (v)
(vii)
Importance of the
High
Fisheries Council in
delivering outcomes for
recreational fishing
4a
Fisheries
Council
4a(i
)(ii)(
(iv)(
vii)
High
PIRSA
Importance of
appropriate policy and
management by
PIRSA
4a
4b
4a(i)(ii)(iii)((iv)(
v)(vi)(vii)
4b(i)(ii)
Importance of
appropriate policy and
management by
PIRSA
High
Policy &
Management
4a
4b
v)(vi)(vii)
4b(i)(ii)
High
Research –
Freshwater
Importance of
appropriate research
undertaken to manage
the recreational fishing
sector and freshwater
fish
1a
1b
SA Govt:
DEWNR
Importance of
responsible
governance by SA
DEWNR to the
sector
Governance
Moderate
Extreme
2d
Extreme
Page 21 of 77
2d(i)
Component
Risk/Issue
Other
Government
Agencies (Aust
Govt: DotE,
AFMA/DAFF,
DTEI, SA
Water, EPA,
FRDC, LGAs
and SATC
External
factors
affecting
performance
of the fishery
Description
Importance of
responsible
governance by other
agencies to the
sector
Management
Plan
Objective
Management
Plan
Strategies
Moderate
2d
2d(i)(ii)
High
2e
3b
2e(ii)
3b(ii)
High
2c
4a
4b
2c(ii)
v)(vi)(vii)
4b(i)(ii)
High
4a
4b
v)(vii)
4b(i)(ii)
4a
4b
v)(vii)
4b(i)(ii)
4a
4b
v)(vii)
4b(i)(ii)
Risk Rating
Codes of
Conduct/Educ
ation
(recreational
fishing
community)
Importance of
appropriate Codes of
Conduct/Education to
the recreational fishing
sector
Communicatio
n/participation
(recreational
fishing
community)
Importance of
Communication/partici
pation to the
sector
Peak Body
(RecFish SA)
(recreational
fishing
community)
Importance of the Peak
Body to the
sector
RecFish
Australia
Importance of national
governance – RecFish
Australia to the South
Australian recreational
fishing sector
SA RF
Committees
Importance of
governance of SA
Recreational Fishing
Communities to the
sector
Moderate
Other NGO’s
Importance of NGO
interests to the
sector
4a
4b
4a(ii)(v)
4b(i)(ii)
Moderate
3c
3c(i)
Physical
Impact of
environmental and
physical factors on
Water quality Marine
Impact of water quality
in the Marine
environment on
Moderate
3c
3c(i)
Moderate
High
Page 22 of 77
Component
Risk/Issue
Description
Risk Rating
Management
Plan
Objective
Management
Plan
Strategies
3c
3c(i)
Water quality Freshwater
Impact of water quality
in the freshwater
environment on
Habitat
modification Marine
Impact of habitat
Moderate
modification in the
marine environment on
3c
3c(i)
Habitat
modification Freshwater
Impact of habitat
modification in the
freshwater on
3c
3c(i)
Moderate
3c
3c(i)
Moderate
2d
2d(i)
2d
2d(i)(ii)
3c
3c(i)
2b
2b(i)(ii)(iv)
3c
3c(i)
3c
3c(i)
Impact of exotic
Exotic species
species in Freshwater
- Freshwater
on recreational fishing
Climate
change
Impact of climate
change on recreational
fishing
Impact of socioSocio/Economi
economic drivers on
c
Access
Impact of reduced
access on recreational
fishing
Impact of reduced
Marine parks
access by marine
(No-take
parks on recreational
zones)
fishing
Moderate#
Extreme
Extreme
High
Extreme
Commercial
fishers
Impact of reduced
access by commercial
fishers on recreational
fishing
Moderate
Aquaculture
Impact of reduced
access by Aquaculture
High
Eco-tourism
Impact of reduced
access by Eco-tourism
Moderate
Page 23 of 77
Component
Risk/Issue
Description
Risk Rating
Management
Plan
Objective
Management
Plan
Strategies
Impact of reduced
access by nonextractive users on
Moderate
3c
3c(i)
Non-extractive
users
Impact of reduced
access by Aquatic
reserves on
Moderate
3c
3c(i)
Aquatic
reserves
Impact of reduced
access by Commercial
jetties/piers on
Moderate
Commercial
jetties/piers
3c
2d
3c(i)
2d(i)(ii)
Moderate
2d
2d(i)(ii)
Defence areas
Impact of reduced
access by Defence
areas on recreational
fishing
Moderate
2d
2d(i)(ii)
Shipping lanes
Impact of reduced
access by Shipping
lanes on recreational
fishing
Moderate
2d
2d(i)(ii)
Impact of reduced
access by
Industrial/powe
Industrial/power
r stations etc
stations etc on
7 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
As set out in Section 7 of the Fisheries Management Act 2007 (the Act), one of the
‘Objects of the Act’ is to protect, manage, use and develop the aquatic resources of the
State in a manner consistent with ecologically sustainable development. The Act also
requires that management plans be consistent with these objects.
A number of biological, social and economic factors are identified in the ‘Objects of the
Act’ that must be balanced in pursuing ecologically sustainable development. However,
it is specified that the primary consideration is to avoid the over-exploitation or
endangerment of resources.
The four key goals for the Recreational Fishery are set out below are linked to the
operational objectives for the fishery set out in Table 2. The goals of this plan are
consistent with ‘Objects of the Act’ and are consistent with other South Australian
fishery management plans. The performance indicators and reference points for each
objective are provided to allow for the assessment of this management plan in meeting
the identified goals.
Page 24 of 77
7.1
Goal 1 – Ensure that recreational fishing resources are harvested
within ecologically sustainable limits
This goal relates to ensuring that species targeted by recreational fishers are managed
to ensure they are harvested sustainably and that adequate information exists and is
collected to ensure this occurs.
The objectives (see Table 2) in this management plan in relation to sustainability are:
• Manage total catch and effort across the sector to ensure species are
harvested at sustainable levels.
• Sufficient information is collected to manage fishing activities to sustainable
levels.
These objectives aim to ensure that the recreational resources are harvested within
sustainability limits.
7.2
Goal 2 – Optimal utilisation and equitable distribution of recreational
fishing resources
This goal relates to the economic and social benefits derived from recreational fishing,
in that that the allocation and fishing activities are managed to provide a benefit to the
community.
The objectives (see Table 2) of this management plan in relation to these benefits
within the constraints of ecological sustainability are:
• Allocate access to fishery resources and manage shares to deliver optimum
utilisation and equitable distribution.
• Collection of economic and social metrics for recreational fishing and implement
the use of these measures to inform management of the sector.
• Ensure adequate access to infrastructure needed for successful operation of
fishing activities.
• Maximise cultural, recreational and lifestyle benefits (including health benefits)
of fishing for those who participate in fishing activities.
• Maximise fishing experience within allocated shares.
The objectives and strategies under this goal aim for the fishery to operate at a level
that is ecologically sustainable while meeting economic and social outcomes that
contribute to vibrant regions and the health and wellbeing of South Australians.
Optimising the use of the fishery is addressed in the objectives and strategies in terms
of maintaining equitable access to the resource for the recreational sector and other
sectors and fostering recreational fishing.
The recreational sector takes a significant proportion of many shared species, and with
an estimated 277,027 recreational fishers in South Australia (Giri et al, 2015)
interactions between commercial and recreational fishers is inevitable. At times these
interactions lead to conflict, as access to a finite resource is highly valued. The
allocation framework described in this plan (see Section 9) will go some way to
alleviating this conflict; however, managing the fishery to provide fair and reasonable
access for all is still a major challenge for the management of this fishery.
Page 25 of 77
7.3
Goal 3 – Recreational fishing impacts on the ecosystem are
minimised
This goal relates to the management of the fishery using an ecosystem-based fisheries
management (EBFM) approach.
The objectives of this management plan (see Table 2) in relation to EBFM are:
• Minimise fishery impacts on bycatch species and the ecosystem.
• Minimise fishery impacts on fisheries habitat.
• Minimise external impacts on ecosystem.
• Avoid the incidental mortality and interactions with threatened, endangered and
protected species.
The need to minimise the impacts of recreational fishing on the ecosystem, habitat and
bycatch species (including threatened, protected and endangered species) is
acknowledged in this plan and the Fisheries Management Act 2007 objectives.
7.4
Goal 4 – Effective, efficient and participative management of
This goal relates to co-management of the fishery, planning of management activities,
and transparency to the recreational sector and community of the decision making and
management of recreational fishing.
The objectives of this management plan (see Table 2) in relation to co-management,
planning and communication are:
• Improve the ability of fishers to participate effectively in fisheries management
advisory processes.
• Ensure appropriate mechanisms exist for fisher involvement in development of
fisheries management advice.
• Ensure transparent decision-making process by fisheries agencies.
• Maximise stewardship of fisheries resources.
The key intention of this goal is to ensure that recreational fishers have opportunities to
be involved in developing and adopting management arrangements and ensuring that
these arrangements are complied with. Changes to the recreational fishery
management arrangements also need to take into consideration the broader
community’s economic, cultural and social issues.
Page 26 of 77
Table 2: Management goals, objectives, strategies and reference points for management of recreational fishing.
Objective
Strategies
ESD risk addressed
Performance Indicator
Description
Reference Point
General performance indicators
for selected species as detailed
in the harvest strategy
General indicators are derived Refer to Section 8 – Harvest
from recreational catch and
Strategy
effort information and include
total catch and species
specific catches
Goal 1: Ensure the recreational fishing resources are harvested within ecologically sustainable limits
1a Manage total catch and effort
across the sector to ensure
species are harvested at
sustainable levels.
1b Information
is
collected
sufficient to manage fishing
activities
to
sustainable
levels.
1a(i)
Regulate size at which fish may be captured Fishery impacts on ‘all retained
using minimum and/or maximum size limits
species’
Governance Research – Freshwater
1a(ii)
Regulate catch limits through effective bag,
boat and possession limits
1a(iii)
Apply spatial and temporal restrictions to
protect fish species during critical stage of life
cycle
1a(iv)
Regulate permitted fishing methods
1a(v)
Understand and minimise discard mortality to
minimise impacts on fishery stocks and bycatch
species
1a(vi)
Where a species is considered at risk,
introduce appropriate measures (i.e. strategies
listed above and/or protect the species until
recovery is shown)
1b(i)
Obtain adequate and regular biological Fishery impacts on ‘all retained
information for key and selected other species
species’
1b(ii)
1b(iii)
Fishery impacts on ‘non-retained
Undertake and further refine stock assessment species
methods for recreational species as identified Governance Research – Freshwater
through the strategic research plan and reviews
of the commercial fishery’s harvest strategies
Review and update the strategic research and
monitoring plan regularly
1b(iv)
Explore opportunities for additional costeffective recreational catch monitoring as
required
1b(v)
Undertake regular recreational fishing surveys
to ensure collection of recreational fishing
catch/effort data to be incorporated into stock
assessments
Stock assessment and stock
Good quality fishery data is
status reports produced to a high essential to on-going
standard and on schedule
monitoring of fishery status
Sector participation in research
projects as required
Proposed research schedules
and deliverables achieved
Regular reviews of research
programs not undertaken
Recreational survey
undertaken as a minimum
every 5 years
Status of key species is
reported in stock assessment
reports, National and state
status reports
Recreational participation in
research projects where
suitable
Page 27 of 77
Objective
Strategies
1b(vi)
ESD risk addressed
Description
Reference Point
Catches managed within
allocations and changes in
shares detected and acted on
appropriately
Adjusting allocations or
restricting effort to maintain
shares is unlikely to occur
within the initial years
Catch shares are considered
against the allocated shares
when the data for all sectors is
available
Status of key species is assessed and reported
Goal 2: Optimal utilisation and equitable distribution of recreational fishing resources
2b Allocate access to fishery
resources
and
manage
shares to deliver optimum
utilisation
and
equitable
distribution
2c Increase
the
flow
of
economic and social benefit
from the fishery to the
broader community
2b(i)
Resource allocation between sectors provided External factors affecting
in this management plan
performance of the fishery- Access
and Commercial fishers
2b(ii)
Manage catches of recreational sector within
allocated shares
2b(iii)
Integrate information relating to Aboriginal
traditional fishing as it becomes available,
including adjustment of shares accordingly
2b(iv)
Where shares require adjustment, processes
are implemented as per the Management Plan
2c(i)
Improve measures of economic value of Community- Regional centres and Provision
of
publically
City centres
accessible recreational fishing
information through website,
correspondence, media releases,
FishFact newsletters, Fishcare
Communicate positive sustainability and
volunteer program, RecFishSA
economic outcomes of the sector to the
publications and compliance
broader community
officers
2c(ii)
2c(iii)
Develop and maintain positive relationships
with regional communities
2c(iv)
Identifying and adopting measures for
determining economic value when available
2c(v)
Consider potential impacts the fishery may
have on Aboriginal cultural practices (in
particular Aboriginal cultural fishing) and
traditional knowledge systems (specifically
traditional fishing knowledge) as information
becomes available
At the time of writing this
management
plan,
recreational and Indigenous
fisheries have no reliable and
acceptable methodology or
mechanisms to measure their
economic value (direct and
indirect) to Australians (FRDC
2013). A national FRDC
Adoption of measures
for project – ‘Measuring the
determining the recreational economic
value
of
economic value
recreational fishing at a
national level’ is currently
being undertaken, it likely the
outcomes from this research
will assist in meeting strategy
2c(iii) in conjunction with
recreational fishing surveys
At the review of the plan,
consider potential impacts the
fishery
may
have
on
Aboriginal cultural practises
(in
particular
Aboriginal
cultural fishing) and traditional
knowledge
systems
(specifically traditional fishing
knowledge) and incorporated
into
the
plan,
where
appropriate. This may include:
•
•
Page 28 of 77
Identifying ‘sea country’
relevant for this fishery
Support
for
cultural
Publically available information
on positive outcomes of the
recreational sector
Economic
measures
developed, implemented and
monitored once established
Objective
Strategies
ESD risk addressed
Description
practices included
management
considerations
2d Ensure adequate access to
infrastructure needed for
successful
operation
of
fishing activities, within the
constraints of ecological
sustainability
2d(i)
2d(ii)
Gaps in availability of infrastructure needed by
recreational fishers are identified by PIRSA and
RecFish SA and are jointly communicated to
relevant authorities/bodies
2e Maximise
cultural,
recreational and lifestyle
benefits (including health
benefits) of fishing for those
who participate in fishing
activities,
within
the
constraints of ecological
sustainability
2e(i)
Consideration of cultural, recreational and Community- Lifestyle
lifestyle benefits are made when management
arrangements are being considered or Community- Safety
reviewed
2e(ii)
Recreational
fishers/
RecFish
SA
to
undertake/promote safe fishing practices,
including the national code of conduct in
relation to ‘Caring for our own safety and the
safety of others when fishing’
2f
2f(i)
Identify relevant fishing experiences to species, Community- Lifestyle
gear, location etc
2f(ii)
Consider
fishing
experience
when
new/modification of management arrangements
are being considered
Maximise fishing experience
within ecological sustainable
limits and allocated shares
Where
appropriate,
influence
other External factors affecting
management processes that impact on the performance of the fishery- Access,
adequate access to infrastructure
Commercial jetties/piers
Level of satisfaction fishers have
with access to different types of
fishing infrastructure
Community- Safety
Page 29 of 77
Level of satisfaction recreational
fishers have with their fishing
activity
Perceived importance of fishing
activities to fisher's life
Level of satisfaction recreational
fishers have with their fishing
activity
Reference Point
in
It is acknowledged that
infrastructure access is
outside the scope of this
management plan yet PIRSA
and RecFish SA should
endeavor to participate in
external processes as
appropriate to influence
outcomes for the benefit of
recreational fishers
Fisher survey - 50% of fishers
are dissatisfied with any of the
types of infrastructure
Fisher survey - <50% of fishers
indicate they are neutral or
highly satisfied with their fishing
overall, but this proportion is
increasing
Fisher survey - A declining
proportion of fishers are
indicating they are satisfied
with their ability to achieve the
benefits most important to them
Goal 3: Recreational fishing impacts on the ecosystem are minimised
3a Minimise fishery impacts on
bycatch species and the
ecosystem.
3b Minimise fishery impacts on
fisheries habitat.
3a(i)
Regulate gear types, construction material and Fishery impacts on ‘non-retained
mode of operation to minimise bycatch as species
appropriate
General Ecosystem Impacts of
Fishing- Ghost fishing freshwater
3a(ii)
Develop methods to quantify impact of
recreational fishing activities on discarded
bycatch through targeted research and ongoing monitoring
Fishing - Addition / movement of
biological material caused by the
introduction of non endemic species
(freshwater)
Quantification
of
bycatch Minimising
unwanted
or
associated with key gear types discarded bycatch to lowest
and activities
possible levels and minimise
release mortality
Estimates of discard rates and
discard mortality
Aim is to minimise impacts of
recreational fishing on the
Number of reported compliance ecosystem
breaches of relevant regulations.
Some initiatives that could be
Number of untagged gear further
identified in compliance reports
developed/communicated
include the use of litter/hook
line and sinker bins for
recreational
rubbish,
encouraging use of non lead
sinkers/bird impacts, illegal
dumping to create artificial
reefs
3a(iii)
Conserve key habitats utilised by fishery
resources
3a(iv)
Promote educational material on how to
minimise impact to by-catch
3a(v)
Identify and develop educational material to
minimise recreational fishing activities that can
have an impact on ecosystems
3a(vi)
Implement the ‘Policy for the release of aquatic
resources’, such that stocking/translocation of
species is undertaken so that a risk-based
assessment process to evaluate and regulate
such translocations is undertaken
3b(i)
Maintain appropriate regulations regarding the Fishery impacts on ‘all retained Risk
ratings
from
regular
use of recreational fishing gear
species’
ecological risk assessment
3b(ii)
Fishery impacts on ‘non-retained Opportunistic
independent research
Promote the adoption of recreational fishing species
codes of conduct and good fishing practices
Fishing
Targeted research and ongoing monitoring undertaken on
quantify impact of recreational
fishing activities on discarded
bycatch
Communication strategy for
recreational sector considers
identified ecosystem impacts
The number of untagged gear
in compliance reports remains
low
Note: this objective also links
closely to objective 3d (TEPS)
fishery
Increases in number of risks to
ecosystem rated as moderate
or higher during the risk
assessment
Community- Safety
3c Minimise external impacts on
ecosystem.
3c(i)
Where
appropriate,
influence
other External
factors
affecting None measured
management processes that impact on the performance
of
the
fisheryecosystem
Physical, Water quality – Marine,
Water quality – Freshwater, Habitat
modification – Marine & Freshwater,
Exotic species – Freshwater,
Climate change, Socio/Economic,
Access, Marine parks (No-take
zones), Aquaculture, eco- tourism,
No-extractive users, Defence areas,
Shipping lanes, Industry power
stations
Page 30 of 77
It is acknowledged that NA
management of the risks
identified is outside the scope
of this management plan yet
PIRSA and RecFish SA
should
endeavour
to
participate
in
external
processes as appropriate
3d Avoid
interaction
and
incidental
mortality
with
threatened, endangered and
protected species.
3d(i)
3d(ii)
Continue to educate recreational fishers about Fishery impacts on ‘non-retained Where
interactions
with
interactions with threatened, endangered and species
protected species (TEPS)
protected species are identified
management
action
is
considered
Where interactions are identified, develop
management measures to avoid interactions
with threatened, endangered and protected
species as required
Interactions of recreational
fishers
and
TEPS
are
identified
through
public
reporting, and ESD risk
assessments
Where
interactions
with
protected species are identified
management
action
is
considered
Support RecFish SA to participate and function External
factors
affecting Engagement with RecFish SA to Annual
communications
within the co-management framework of the performance of the fishery- Aquatic effectively participate in fisheries protocol between RecFish SA
fishery
reserves
management processes
body and PIRSA outlines a
variety
of
roles
and
Governance
Communication
protocol responsibilities
between PIRSA and RecFish SA
Promote stakeholder input to the management Community
-Relationship
with annually developed and delivery
of the fishery, through co-management community
of
fisheries
management
processes and communication strategies
activities against communication
protocol objectives
Communication protocol is
reviewed,
agreed
and
implemented annually
Goal 4: Effective, efficient and participative management of recreational fishing
4a Improve the ability of fishers
to participate effectively in
fisheries
management
advisory processes
4a(i)
4a(ii)
4a(iii)
4a(iv)
Develop
and
implement
protocol, with annual review
communication
Representative participation from
RecFish SA in co management
of the recreational fishery
Level of currency, independence
and accessibility of information
about the fishery
Ensure appropriate mechanisms exist for fisher
involvement in development of fisheries
management advice
4a(v)
In consultation with RecFish SA identify
opportunities to build capacity and access
resources critical to ensuring they can
successfully
contribute
to
fisheries
management
4a(vi)
Ensure fisheries information is available in a
timely and publicly accessible manner
Management decision outcomes
for the recreational fishery are
communicated
with
the
recreational fishery
Active RecFish SA participation
in any proposed recreational
management changes
on recreational fishing and
management is decreasing
from previous year
Feedback
to
recreational
fishers
on
management
decisions is not given or
infrequently given
>45% of fishers indicate they
are dissatisfied with the level of
consultation,
but
this
percentage is declining over
time, suggesting that there is
positive change but continuing
action is needed
4a(vii) Consult with RecFish SA with sufficient time for
them to gain wider stakeholder input where
possible
4b Ensure transparent decisionmaking process by fisheries
agencies
4b(i)
Communicate decision making processes on Community
reviews of recreational fishing management community
arrangements and commercial activities that
impact on recreational fishing
-Relationship
with (FishFacts newsletter,
Releases, website)
Media
Documentation
of
fisheries
management decision making
Page 31 of 77
on recreational fishing and
management is decreasing
from previous year
4c Maximise stewardship
fisheries resources
of
4b(ii)
Information on fisheries management is
available in timely and publicly accessible
manner
4c(i)
Undertake annual compliance risk assessment
4c(ii)
Develop
and
implement
management
arrangements that are clear and uncomplicated
so as to promote voluntary compliance and
assist with successful enforcement
4c(iii)
4c(iv)
Encourage the community to report fisheries
offences to the Fishwatch number
Communication strategy developed to promote
recreational fishing rules and address
compliance risk assessment high risk areas
processes
Fishery impacts on ‘all retained
species’
80% or < of management
decisions are published in
publically available forums
Compliance risk assessment Achieving
sustainable
undertaken annually
management of fisheries
requires fishers to comply
Fishery impacts on ‘non-retained
Number of high-rated risks
with regulations regarding
species
Proportion of fishers who believe fishing activities, and to be
General Ecosystem Impacts of that, overall, most fishers comply responsible for their fishing
Fishing
with fishing rules and regulations activities. A key objective of
fisheries
management
is
Number of calls to Fishwatch
therefore to ensure fishers
are aware of their social
Trends in the number of
responsibilities
and
are
infringements
motivated to comply with
these. This type of awareness
and sense of obligation is
often referred to as ensuring
fishers
feel
they
are
'stewards' of the fishery's
resources (Triantafillos et al,
2014)
Recreational
fishery
compliance risk assessment is
undertaken annually
PIRSA website information and
recreational fishing app is
updated less the annually
Number of prosecutions over 3
years does not increase
significantly
Infringements
rapidly over time
increasing
Decline (compared to previous
survey) in the proportion of
recreational fishers who agree
with the statement “overall,
most
recreational
fishers
comply with fishing rules and
The
compliance
risk regulations”
assessment provides the
opportunity
to
assess
compliance status in fishery
and prioritise work functions
on high risk areas to fishery
Page 32 of 77
8 HARVEST STRATEGY
8.1
Overview
“A harvest strategy is a framework that specifies the pre-determined management
actions in a fishery for defined species (at the stock or management unit level)
necessary to achieve the agreed ecological, economic and/or social management
objectives”. (Sloan et al, 2014)
This harvest strategy provides a structured framework for decision-making that
specifies predetermined management actions necessary for the South Australian
recreational fishery to achieve the ecologically sustainable development (ESD)
objectives of the Fisheries Management Act 2007.
Consistent with national guidelines (Sloan et al, 2014), this harvest strategy brings
together all of the key scientific monitoring, assessment and management elements to
form an integrated package to make decisions about the level of fishing intensity that
should be applied to recreational fishing resources.
Monitoring of the fishery is achieved through various methods which are dependent on
the suitability for assessment of each species. The indicators, operational objectives
and trigger reference points and/or limit reference points are set out in the various
commercial management plans.
Recreational fishing surveys are undertaken at a minimum every five years in South
Australia. The surveys provide information to evaluate the size and impact of
recreational fishing. In the years where recreational information is available, this
information is included in the reported status reports, fishery assessment reports and
used to monitor catches against allocated shares. The recreational fishing survey
provides statistically robust estimates of:
a) the state-wide and regional participation levels and demographics of SA
private-dwelling residents who recreationally fished in SA;
b) recreational fishing effort and catches (harvested and released), by species.
They are undertaken in a manner that allows the results from previous survey years to
be compared with the results from the most recent survey. They generally consist of:
a) a telephone interview screening survey of randomly chosen households, to
ascertain participation and demographics of recreational fishers in the 12
months prior to the survey. Then some fishing households are randomly
selected to participate in the 12-month diary survey where household catches
(numbers of harvested and released fish) and fishing effort are monitored.
b) supplementary on-site surveys which are undertaken to provide information on
harvested lengths of key species, for later expansion to total harvest weights.
c) two short surveys at the completion of the 12-month survey. The first measures
the additional fishing effort from originally non-intending fishers, and the second
determines the attitudes and motivation of the previously surveyed fishing
households.
Catch information for commercial sectors is available annually and provides the
opportunity to review the status of species more frequently.
Page 33 of 77
Consistent with the Fisheries Management Act 2007, the principle of ecological
sustainability has priority over the other principles of ESD; hence the sustainability aim
is the primary assessment focus for the harvest strategy. Assessment outcomes lead
to an annual stock status being determined for the fishery, which is reported in the
annual stock assessment report, national and state status reports.
Recreational triggers for decision making are changes in:
• Allocation
• Sustainability
These two factors are often intertwined in the recreational fishery.
Consistent with the national agreed reporting framework for stock classification the
classifications used in this section are:
• Transitional depleting stock: Biomass is not yet recruitment overfished, but
fishing pressure is too high and moving the stock in the direction of becoming
recruitment overfished.
• Transitional recovering stock: Biomass is recruitment overfished, but
management measures are in place to promote stock recovery, and recovery is
occurring.
• Sustainable stock: Biomass (or biomass proxy) is at a level sufficient to
ensure that, on average, future levels of recruitment are adequate (i.e. not
recruitment overfished) and that fishing pressure is adequately controlled to
avoid the stock becoming recruitment overfished.
• Overfished stock: The stock is recruitment overfished and current
management is not adequate to recover the stock, or adequate management
measures have been put in place but have not yet resulted in measurable
improvements.
Where transitional depleting and recovering have been grouped they are collectively
referred to as transitional.
8.2
Objectives of the harvest strategy
An objective of this harvest strategy is to
1. Ensure long-term sustainable harvest of recreational species, in particular
where sustainability issues are identified through commercial (or other) stock
assessment processes, changes to the recreational sector are undertaken
correspondingly to the commercial sector in line with sectors allocated shares
2. Maintain recreational catches within the allocated shares. The process for
reviewing and/or adjusting shares will be undertaken in accordance with the
limits specified in Section 9. The catches by relevant sectors will be presented
within the stock status/ or fishery assessment report in years when available
3. Maximise fishing experience within ecological sustainable limits and allocated
shares
8.3
Biological objectives, performance indicators and trigger/limit
reference points
The biological objectives, performance indicators and limit reference points for
assessing stock status for the key recreational species and commercially important
species are outlined in the various commercial management plans. These plans outline
Page 34 of 77
the performance indicators and trigger/limit reference points which are used in
assessing stock status (i.e. sustainable, transitional, overfished). In addition they are
used to determine/trigger the need to review/change management arrangements for
the species. Trigger reference points define the values of a performance indicator for a
fish stock or fisheries management unit at which a change in management is
considered or adopted. Limit reference points define the values of a performance
indicator for a fish stock or fisheries management unit that is no longer considered
acceptable.
8.4
Decision rules
This plan outlines the management response for the recreational sector when a
limit/trigger reference points is breached. The commercial management plans set out
decision rules for reviewing the commercial sectors management arrangements when
the limit/trigger reference points are breached.
Harvest strategies should deal with all situations, including instances when the stock
becomes depleted through overfishing or unfavourable environmental conditions (or
combination of both), and needs to be recovered.
In the case where a species’ trigger/limit reference points are breached and the status
of the species is determined to be transitional or overfished, a process for the
recreational sector (outlined below) will be considered to ensure sustainability of the
fishery. The need for a change to the recreational sector will need to be assessed (i.e.
has fishing effort been substantially shifted by only one sector, such as commercial
longline effort for Snapper in 2009 or are there some environmental drivers or other
drivers changing the status of the species or a combination of both?). As the
recreational fishing survey information is only available every five years, in most
circumstances where this data is not available a precautionary and risk based
approach will be required to assess the need for a recreational management change.
When the need for a recreational management change is identified, the recreational
management changes will be appropriate for maintaining the allocations between the
sectors and ensure sustainability.
Sustainable
Transitional
Overfished
No management change
required
Consider stock impacts and
recreational impact (where
survey data is datedlikelihood consideration)
• Management change
required- recreational
impact/allocation
consideration
• No management change
required- unlikely
recreational
impact/allocation
consideration
Consider closing the fishing
for that species for
predetermined time or
develop a suitable alternative
to provide for recovery.
Determine monitoring
strategy and develop and
agree to rules for reopening.
Figure 2: Process for the recreational sector where triggers are triggered
Page 35 of 77
8.4.1
Process for considering and developing revised recreational fishery
management arrangements
Consideration of the fishery status report and/or the stock assessment reports will be
undertaken within the existing co-management framework. Where the species is
transitional or overfished the following process will be used for considering and
developing revised recreational fishery management arrangements:
• The need for a change to the recreational sector to be assessed
• Identify management targets/what is to be achieved by the changes
• Targeted consultation with peak stakeholder groups i.e. RecFish SA, RFCs,
local councils, commercial industry associations and the conservation sector
(as needed)
• Public consultation, which also includes public meetings and information
sessions
• Feedback to RecFish SA (and other stakeholder groups as needed) on the
outcomes/comments from public consultation and PIRSA’s consideration of the
feedback
• Finalisation of management changes and community education (Media
release/s, article in Fish Facts newsletter, website announcement, Recreational
fishing app updated etc)
• Development of a monitoring/review framework for the revised changes in
consultation with RecFish SA.
8.5
Potential management options for revised recreational fishery
management arrangements
In achieving the longer term objectives of this and future harvest strategies it is difficult
to identify the appropriate management response to breaches of trigger reference
points given the complexities of this fishery. There is a range of management tools
available to achieve the operational objectives of this harvest strategy, which include:
• bag limits
• size limits
• spatial and temporal closures
• gear modifications.
The process outlined in Section 8.4.1 will be used to determine the most appropriate
mix of controls in the circumstances to achieve the specified management target.
In developing revised recreational fishery management arrangements, the following will
also be considered/identified:
• the allocated share of the species and the commercial management changes
• relevant fishing experiences to species, gear, location etc. associated with the
relevant species being considered.
8.6
Species not covered by a commercial fishery management plan
For the species taken by the recreational sector and which are not covered by the
commercial fishery management plans, there is currently a low level of recreational
take. These species will be examined during the ESD risk sssessment process
undertaken every 5 years as part of the management plan review, and those species
Page 36 of 77
assessed as moderate, high or extreme risks will be considered using the process
outlined in Section 8.4.1.
8.7
Review of harvest strategy
A review of this management plan may be conducted at any time in line with the Act.
Further information on reviewing the management plan is in Section 3. A review of the
harvest strategy would be conducted under Section 49 of the Act as it is part of this
management plan.
9 ALLOCATION OF ACCESS BETWEEN SECTORS
9.1
Current allocated shares of the resource
The Fisheries Management Act 2007 provides that a management plan must specify
the share of the fishery to be allocated to each fishing sector under the plan (43(2)(h)).
The Act also provides that, in determining the share of aquatic resources to be
allocated to a particular fishing sector under the first management plan for an existing
fishery, the share of aquatic resources to which that fishing sector had access at the
time the Minister requested the preparation of the plan (based on the most recent
information available to the Minister) must be taken into account (43(3)).
The Minister formally requested preparation of this management plan on 17 June 2010.
Therefore, this plan must take into account the share of aquatic resources that the
recreational sector, commercial sectors, and the Aboriginal traditional sector had
access to at that time (see Appendix 3 for further details of these sectors). The best
available information regarding sector shares at that time was the catches from
2007/08 recreational fishing survey (see Appendix 2 which further details the
information used to allocation shares). The key recreational species have already been
allocated between the three fishing sectors in existing commercial fishery management
plans.
When determining the share of aquatic resources to be allocated, it is important to
clarify the temporal and spatial extent of the fishery to which the allocation applies.
Shares for a species may be allocated in a number of ways including:
• using variations in management arrangements
• biological or stock boundaries
• a single allocation across the region
• environmental factors e.g. flood events in Lake Eyre and recognising past
allocation agreements.
See Appendix 4, Appendix 5 and Appendix 6 for further details.
Recreational fishing is fishing other than commercial fishing or Aboriginal traditional
fishing is fishing, where the catch is released or used for personal consumption or
taken for sport. Many Aboriginal people participate in recreational fishing, as well as
Aboriginal traditional fishing, and have a strong cultural connection to sea country.
Aboriginal recreational fishers are considered part of the broader recreational fishery.
There is diversity in the recreational fishing community, including strong connections
from all cultural backgrounds. See Appendix 3 for further details on the sectors related
to recreational fishing allocations.
Page 37 of 77
Recreational species are taken by both South Australian resident and non-resident
(interstate and overseas visitors) recreational fishers. Information on the catch by nonresidents is not routinely collected and there is currently no cost-effective method to
capture this information. This information has only been collected once through the
2000/01 national recreational survey. For this reason the allocation is based on
recreational catch estimates from South Australian residents only. Future recreational
fishing surveys will be undertaken in a manner to ensure that the data can be
compared to ensure allocations are managed consistently.
Table 3: Shares of recreational species allocated to the commercial, recreational and Aboriginal
Traditional fishing sectors.
Species
Aboriginal
Recreational traditional
Commercial
Abalone (1)
99.74%
0.15%
0.11%
Australian Herring (2)
56.50%
42.50%
1%
Australian Sardines (3)
100.0%
0%
0%
Australian Anchovy (3)
100.0%
0%
0%
Balmain Bug (4) Spencer Gulf
100.0%
0%
0%
50.6%
48.4%
1%
70%
29%
1%
Bronze & Dusky Whaler Shark (2)
73.7%
25.3%
1%
Flathead
12.3%
86.7%
1%
99.00%
0.09%
0.01%
Golden Perch (Lake Eyre)
Non-Flood (6)
0%
90%
10%
Golden Perch (SAMDB) (7)
71.6%
27.4%
1%
Greenback Flounder (7)
88.7%
10.3%
1%
King George Whiting (2)
50.50%
48.50%
1%
King Prawns (3) Spencer Gulf
100.0%
0%
0%
Marine (2)
54.2%
44.8%
1%
L&C (inland) (7)
98.9%
0.55%
0.55%
Marine (2)
19.9%
79.1%
1%
L&C (inland) (7)
71.4%
27.6%
1%
Pipi (7) (area based only in Coorong
region)
73%
26%
1%
Sand Crab (2)
85%
14%
1%
Snapper (2)
81%
18%
1%
49.5%
49.5%
1%
Black Bream
Blue Swimmer Crab (5)
Golden Perch (Lake Eyre) Flood (6)
Mullet spp.
Mulloway
Snook (2)
Page 38 of 77
Southern Calamari (2)
61.6%
37.4%
1%
Southern Garfish (2)
79.5%
19.5%
1%
Southern Rock Lobster (8)
95.5%
3.5%
1%
Trevally
47.34%
51.65%
1%
Vongole (Mud Cockle) spp. (2)
99.70%
0.15%
0.15%
78%
21%
1%
0.12%
98.88%
1%
Yellowfin Whiting (2)
Yellowtail Kingfish
Sources of existing allocations
(1) Management
Plan for the South Australian Commercial Abalone Fishery 2012
Management Plan for the South Australian Commercial Marine Scalefish Fishery 2013
(3) Management plan for the South Australian Commercial Marine Scalefish Fishery, Part B–
management arrangements for the taking of Sardines
(4) Management Plan for the South Australian Commercial Spencer Gulf Prawn Fishery
(5) Management Plan for the South Australian Commercial Blue Swimmer Crab Fishery 2012
(6) Management Plan for Lake Eyre Basin Fisheries 2013
(7) Draft Management Plan for the South Australian Commercial Lakes and Coorong Fishery
2014
(8) Management Plan for the South Australian Commercial Northern Zone Rock Lobster Fishery
2014 and Management Plan for the South Australian Commercial Southern Zone Rock
Lobster Fishery 2013
(2)
9.2
Species allocated
Not all recreational species are allocated within this management plan. Only species
for which an allocation already exists and highly valued recreational species have been
allocated.
Not all species allocated in Table 3 above are individual species; some include a
number of similar species grouped together. This is because some species are difficult
to identify and there may be misreporting, or non-differentiation by species by both
commercial and recreational fishers. Where multiple species are included within a
single species, the species name is followed by the abbreviation, ‘spp.’. (e.g. Mullet
spp.). Details of the species names and groups are provided in Appendix 7.
9.2.1 Review of species
Future consideration will be given to determining allocations for those species yet to be
allocated when the plan is reviewed and will be consistent with the Allocation Policy.
For a species to be allocated, the need to be allocated will be identified through
consultative processes with all the sectors.
Two species, Western Australian Salmon and Murray Cod, have been identified for
further work in determining the shares for these species, due to access (management
arrangements in place at the time) and catch requiring further consideration. More
detail on these species are provided below. These species will be considered based on
the share at the time the management plan was requested: the share to which the
sectors had access at 17 June 2010. However, it is important to note that for most
species the allocated shares is based on the 2007/08 catches, which is the time period
where all sectors catch were available.
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9.2.1.1 Western Australian Salmon
Below is an excerpt from the Management Plan for the South Australian Commercial
Marine Scalefish Fishery. A review of the management arrangements and allocation of
resource shares between fishing sectors will be completed for Western Australian
Salmon before the first major review of the Management Plan for the South Australian
Commercial Marine Scalefish Fishery in 2018:
Two types of commercial Western Australian Salmon quota were originally issued in
1984; 800 tonnes of transferable special quota and a non-transferable maximum catch
limit of 20 tonnes per year on net licences with access to the MSF, which was issued
as an aggregate catch limit of 300 tonnes. A portion of the special quota is held on a
Miscellaneous Fishery licence.
A number of historical netting closures were introduced from the late 1950s to 2000 for
a range of fisheries management reasons and additional netting closures were
introduced as part of the restructure of the MSF in 2005. Over time, netting closures
have reduced the availability of areas for the commercial harvest of Western Australian
Salmon, as it is largely a net capture fishery. The catch data available for 2007/08 do
not reflect the existing access arrangements between the commercial and recreational
sectors of the fishery, or within the components of the commercial sector. The 2007/08
catches (kg) are provided in Table 4 below.
Table 4: 2007/08 catches (Kg) of Western Australian Salmon by sector and area.
Fishery
Catches of Western Australian
Salmon (Kg)
Marine Scalefish Fishery
105,317
Southern Zone Rock Lobster
3
Northern Zone Rock Lobster
10
Miscellaneous
0
Lakes and Coorong (Marine waters)
31
Lakes and Coorong (inland waters of Lakes and Coorong)
6,269
Recreational (marine waters)
83,395
Recreational (inland waters of Lakes and Coorong)
7,907
The management arrangements in place for Western Australian Salmon were
established some 30 years ago and, as such, need to be reviewed to consider whether
they are comprehensive enough to provide for the future sustainable management of
the Western Australian Salmon fishery. Western Australian Salmon has therefore not
been allocated in this management plan.
9.2.1.2 Murray Cod
The South Australian Recreational Fishing Survey 2007/08 reported that throughout
the state that an estimated 1,853 Murray Cod were caught by South Australian
residents with 507 harvested. The report (Jones, 2009) indicated that the estimates of
total harvested numbers for Murray Cod lacked precision (95% Confidence Level (CL)
are > 80%), principally due to the low sample size of fishers in the diary survey. Given
this lack of precision, these data may not accurately reflect the shares of the resource
that each fishing sector had access to at that time and therefore an allocation for
Murray Cod has not been made. In addition to this in 2007/08, commercial licence
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holders in the Lakes and Coorong Fishery were permitted to target Murray Cod;
however, given the low flows and stock concerns they voluntarily stopped
targeting/harvesting Murray Cod.
9.2.1.3 Tuna
Tuna is managed by the Australian Government under the Offshore Constitutional
Settlement in all waters. The commercial take of tuna species is managed by the
Australian Fisheries Management Authority under the Commonwealth legislation the
Fisheries Management Act 1991. There are no South Australian managed commercial
fishery licences that can take tuna under the SA legislation Fisheries Management Act
2007. As such these tuna commercial fisheries are outside the jurisdiction of the South
Australian Government and therefore an allocation has not been provided for tuna.
9.3
Allocation triggers
An important component of the allocation of shares is monitoring to identify a change in
the relative value of those shares over time. The value of shares can be measured in a
variety of ways including catch and effort, economic value and social values. It is
difficult to measure the economic values associated with a recreational fishing species
(or many of the commercial fisheries) as they are only one species of a multi-species
fishery. Measuring the social values of a fishery is an evolving area of natural resource
management, and there are no clearly identifiable indicators of social value that can be
readily incorporated into an assessment of share value at this point in time.
For these reasons, catch will be used as the indicator to measure changes in the value
of shares. Good estimates of recreational catches will be available every five years. In
order to detect a change in share value, thresholds have been determined for each
sector’s percentage allocation. Exceeding this allocation will trigger a review of the
allocation described in Section 9.5. Therefore comprehensive reviews of all sector
allocations will only be undertaken in years for which recreational catch information is
available. In order to detect a change in catch shares, thresholds have been
determined. Exceeding this catch share (% of catch by the sector from the overall
catch) will trigger a review of the allocations; the triggers are described in Table 5 and
Appendix 8. All sectors’ catch against their allocated share and triggers will be
reviewed every five (5) years, to coincide with state-wide recreational fishing surveys
when information is available for all sectors. Commercial triggers have been described
within the relevant commercial management plans.
Trigger limits for the key species have been designed to reflect the high importance of
these species to recreational fishing and the different components of the commercial
fisheries and allow limited ability for sectors to exceed allocations without triggering a
review (see Table 5 for the trigger limits and Table 7 for the trigger calculations).
Trigger limits for the other allocated species (see Table 5 and Table 8 for the trigger
calculations) have been designed to detect a real shift in access and provide to some
extent more fluctuation in catches before triggering a review.
Trigger limits have also been set at a level that is commensurate with the initial
allocation and allows for variability in catches. Where a sector has been allocated over
91%, no trigger limits have been set as any shares greater than this amount are
considered to be within normal fluctuation ranges. Please see Appendix 8 for more
details on the trigger limit calculations.
An allocation trigger is not provided for Pipi in Table 5 below. The Pipi allocation is
based on areas of access for fishing rather than catch (see Appendix 4 for more
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details). As such any shift in the allocation would be a deliberate allocation decision,
and require consideration of the allocation at that time.
Table 5: Allocation triggers (percentages- portion of harvest). Key species highlighted green.
Species
Recreational
Allocation
0.15%
Abalone
Trigger
1%
Allocation
42.50%
Trigger
46.75%
Australian Herring
Allocation
0%
Australian Sardine
Trigger
Allocation
0.75%
0%
Australian Anchovy
Trigger
Allocation
0.75%
0%
Balmain Bug (Spencer Gulf)
Trigger
0.75%
Allocation
48.4%
Trigger
60.5%
Black Bream
Allocation
29%
Trigger
44%
Blue Swimmer Crab
Allocation
25.3%
Bronze & Dusky Whaler Shark
Trigger
Allocation
50.60%
0.09%
Golden Perch (Lake Eyre) Flood
Trigger
Golden Perch (Lake Eyre) NonFlood
Allocation
Trigger
1%
90%
At the review of the plan
Allocation
27.40%
Trigger
41.10%
Allocation
10.30%
Trigger
20.60%
Allocation
48.50%
Trigger
53.35%
Golden Perch (SAMDB)
Greenback Flounder
King George Whiting
Allocation
0%
King Prawns Spencer Gulf
Trigger
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0.75%
Allocation
44.8%
Marine
Trigger
56.00%
Mullet spp.
Allocation
0.55%
L&C (inland)
Trigger
1%
Allocation
79.1%
Marine
Trigger
98.88%
Mulloway
Allocation
27.6%
Trigger
41.4%
L&C (inland)
Allocation
14.00%
Trigger
28.00%
Allocation
18.00%
Trigger
27.00%
Allocation
49.50%
Trigger
61.88%
Allocation
37.40%
Trigger
56.10%
Allocation
19.50%
Trigger
29.25%
Sand Crab
Snapper
Snook
Southern Calamari
Southern Garfish
Allocation
3.50%
Trigger
7.00%
Southern Rock Lobster
Allocation
51.65%
Trigger
64.56%
Trevally
Allocation
0.15%
Vongole (Mud Cockle) spp.
Trigger
1%
Allocation
21.00%
Trigger
42.00%
Allocation
98.87%
Yellowfin Whiting
Yellowtail Kingfish
Trigger
No trigger - greater than 100%
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9.4
Review of allocations
Allocations between sectors will be reviewed in accordance with the Allocation Policy
and under the following scenarios:
• A review of the management plan, which will reassess the appropriateness of
shares and may trigger an adjustment; or
• One or more sectors exceed their allocation in accordance with the allocation
triggers described in Section 9.3 or in accordance with the commercial
allocation triggers described in the commercial management plans; or
• A major change in the management of a species and or a sector that results in
a shift of allocations to a sector/s, including the making of an Aboriginal
traditional fishing management plan.
9.5
Allocation review process
The process to review allocations under the scenarios described above will be a twostaged approach. The first stage is an initial assessment to determine whether a full
assessment is necessary or appropriate.
9.5.1 Initial assessment
The initial assessment will be conducted by PIRSA in consultation with relevant sectors
of the fishery. Once the need for a review has been recognised an assessment
committee will be established. The committee will be required to assess the need for a
second-stage assessment based on the following:
• Has there been a shift in the access value of the fishery. Is there an emergence
of a new commercial or recreational species that would bring additional social
and economic benefits to the State if a reallocation was to occur?
• If a trigger limit has been breached, can the breach be readily explained and
justified?
• Is the potential change in shares significant and considered long-term? A minor
shift/anomaly may not require a full review.
A written report is to be prepared by the committee, with a recommendation to proceed
to a full assessment or not. PIRSA will determine whether to move to a full assessment
or may refer a recommendation to the Minister.
9.5.2 Full assessment
As with the initial assessment, a full assessment of allocation will be conducted by
PIRSA in consultation with relevant stakeholders. An evaluation panel is to be
established with membership including an independent chair (external appointment),
independent experts as required (e.g. economist, social scientist), representatives of
each fishing sector and a fisheries manager from outside South Australia (preferably
with allocation experience).
The panel needs to evaluate how the value of one or more sectors is changing and the
likely trends in the future. In the context of these changes, all options being considered
should be evaluated against the option of maintaining the status quo and the potential
follow on effects with regard to:
• Contribution to Gross State Product
• Contribution to employment
• Access for consumers to fresh seafood
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•
•
•
•
•
Maintenance and growth of regional communities
Health impacts
Sport and recreation opportunities
Consistency with tourism policies
Other criteria relevant to the fishery
9.5.3 Assessment outcomes
Following the full assessment, the Allocation Policy (PIRSA 2011b) provides that the
review panel may recommend to the Minister one of two actions, either:
• Manage each sector within the existing allocated shares
• Proceed to adjust shares
9.5.3.1 Process for managing within existing shares
If shares are to be maintained between sectors it may be necessary, depending on the
circumstances, to alter the catch of one or more sectors. To determine the appropriate
mechanism to re-establish initial allocations, the existing co-management
arrangements will be used to develop a preferred option.
Adjusting recreational shares, if required, are likely to be made through alterations to
existing bag and boat limits, seasonal closures and size limits. Managing adjustments
to the commercial sector, if necessary, are likely to be achieved through a variety of
controls consistent with current management arrangements and the harvest strategy
for the commercial fishery such as; seasonal and area closures, gear restrictions, catch
limits and size limits.
9.5.3.2 Process for adjusting allocations
The following points are provided to guide an allocation adjustment process:
• Adjustments to the shares will, in the first instance, be implemented through a
voluntary process and through direct negotiations between the relevant sectors.
• If agreement cannot be reached, a process of compulsory acquisition may
occur in accordance with the Allocation Policy. Adjustments are to be finalised
within two years of the allocation adjustment process commencing.
• Where the commercial fishing sector’s shares are reduced, so as to increase
the share of another sector, compensation is to be paid to the holders of
commercial licences or licensed entitlements (sections 43(2) and 58 of the
Fisheries Management Act 2007).
• The Act does not provide compensation requirements for changes to the
recreational sectors shares. However, management plans for each commercial
fishery includes objectives to manage the commercial take with the allocated
shares as part of the harvest strategies set out in those plans.
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10 RECREATIONAL FISHING RESEARCH AND STOCK
ASSESSMENT
10.1 Data collection, reporting and analysis
To achieve the research and monitoring needs for the fishery, a variety of data types
are collected and analysed:
• Fishery independent data
o Biomass surveys (e.g. Mud Cockles/Pipi)
o Puerulus sampling (Rock Lobster)
o Fishing surveys (Blue Swimmer Crabs, Mulloway, Golden Perch, Yellow
Eye Mullet)
o Abalone timed swim and lead line surveys
• Fishery dependent data
o Recreational fishing surveys (see below)
o Recreational fisher data collection (citizen science)
o Commercial catch and effort data (all species)
o Commercial market sampling for collection of age/length information
(Snapper, Whiting, Garfish, Mulloway, Golden Perch, Yelloweye Mullet)
o Voluntary commercial Rock Lobster pot sampling program
Catch and effort data for recreational fisheries are typically difficult to collect (due, for
example, to a high diversity in participants, species targeted, areas fished), are not
collected on a regular basis and tend to be less precise than data from commercial
fisheries (Sloan et al, 2014). However, there is a significant commercial component of
catch for most recreationally taken species where the monitoring and assessment of
commercial data provides an understanding of stock dynamics to determine stock
status. The monitoring and data collection programs for the commercial fisheries are
set out in the relevant commercial fishery management plans: e.g. Snapper Management plan for the South Australian Commercial Marine Scalefish Fishery. Most
of the above listed data are collected as part of the monitoring and data collection
programs for the commercial fisheries.
10.2 Recreational fishing surveys
Recreational fishers collectively harvest significant proportions of the total catch for a
number of key species caught in South Australia. The need for statistically robust
estimates of their catches is crucial in managing allocated shares of the resource
between sectors, as well as assessing the biological sustainability for each fishery and
managing the state’s aquatic resources under the Fisheries Management Act 2007.
Regular estimates of the recreational take are needed, and therefore, there is a need
to develop cost-effective methods to collect such information in a timely manner.
The methods developed for surveying recreational fishers differ significantly from those
used for commercial fishers who report on their fishing activities by way of compulsory
logbooks. This latter method would clearly be cost-prohibitive, given the number of
participants, to undertake. The primary source of data used for managing recreational
fishing is the state-wide recreational fishing surveys, currently undertaken every five (5)
years.
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The primary objectives of these surveys are:
• to determine the participation rate in recreational fishing throughout SA by SA
residents and to profile the demographic characteristics of these recreational
fishers;
• to quantify the catch and effort of the South Australian recreational fishing
sector; and
• to assess attitudes and awareness of recreational fishers in terms of various
fisheries-related issues.
The recreational catch estimated from the surveys is included into fishery models and
assessments of the stock status.
10.3 Status reporting of species
The status of the key recreational species is reported in the national Status of Key
Australian Fish Stocks and from time to time the Status of Key South Australian Fish
Stocks report. Furthermore, the stock status for many species is reported in the stock
assessments reports for the individual species and is available on PIRSA’s website.
These reports are considered when reviewing management arrangements for
recreational fishing.
The national Status of Key Australian Fish Stocks report brings together available
biological, catch and effort information to determine the status of key wild catch fish
stocks against a nationally agreed reporting framework and provides a resource to
inform the general public, policy makers and industry on the sustainability of stocks.
The agreed reporting framework is also used in reporting the status in the Status of
Key South Australian Fish Stocks report and stock assessments reports.
10.4 Research services
Research needs are identified by PIRSA in consultation with RecFish SA (and other
stakeholders) through co-management processes.
The South Australian Research Development Institute (SARDI) Aquatic Sciences is
currently the primary research provider for stock assessments and status reports which
are used for assessing the status of the species taken recreationally and commercially.
Other recreational research projects are also identified from time to time to improve
knowledge for improving/reviewing management of species (e.g. Snapper movement
project, Catfish and Murray Cod co-management projects). Other research providers,
such as Victoria DPI (2013/14 recreational fishing survey) and University of Canberra
(social indicators projects) etc. are also utilised as appropriate for their expertise in
undertaking research projects.
Costs of the research program for recreational fishing are currently appropriated
through core State funding. State funding is not the only stream of funding from which
research relevant to the management of the fishery is undertaken. Funds from
recreational fishing registration fees (recreational mesh nets and Rock Lobster pots)
also contribute to funds for research programs. External sources such as the Fisheries
Research and Development Corporation (FRDC), Natural Resource Management
(NRM) Boards and universities also provide opportunities. In addition, research and
monitoring projects which have commercial importance are funded through cost
recovery from commercial fishing licence fees (e.g. Blue Swimmer Crab stock
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assessment, Snapper movement project, etc). In some instances these projects have
some State funding attributed to the project where they are also important to the
recreational sector; this level of funding is commensurate with the allocated shares for
the species.
11 COMPLIANCE AND MONITORING
11.1 Objectives
PIRSA Fisheries and Aquaculture runs a compliance program that has dual objectives:
• To maximise voluntary compliance with fisheries rules3
• To create effective deterrence to breaching fisheries rules
These objectives are consistent with the Australian National Fisheries Compliance
Policy4.
Voluntary compliance is maximised through ensuring that recreational fishers are
aware of the rules that apply to their fishing activities, understand the rules and the
purpose of those rules, and operate in a culture of compliance.
Effective deterrence is created through the presence of Fisheries Officers and
awareness of compliance operations, as well as through detection and prosecution of
illegal activity.5
In addition to fisheries officers, PIRSA Fisheries and Aquaculture also employ two
Volunteer Coordinators and 90 volunteers to deliver the Fishcare Volunteer program
for recreational fishing across the State. Fishcare Volunteers commit in excess of
6,000 hours to provide information to over 24,000 fishers annually. Fishcare Volunteers
regularly patrol our beaches handing out information and often attend field days and
other events with displays.
11.2 Recreational fishing initiatives assisting with voluntary compliance
There is a National Code of Practice for Recreational and Sport Fishing, which was
developed by Recfish Australia. A copy of the code can be found here
<http://recfishaustralia.org.au/national-code-of-practice-2010/>. Recognition of the
need for more sustainable fishing practices and an agreed national standard for
recreational fishing led to the development of the first national code of practice (COP)
in 1995. The National Code of Practice for Recreational and Sport Fishing addresses
four main areas of fishing responsibility:
• Treating fish humanely
• Looking after our fisheries
3
Rules include regulations, licence conditions, closure notices or any other enforceable
instrument under the Fisheries Management Act 2007.
4 The Australian National Compliance Strategy 2010-2015 was developed by the National
Compliance committee, it outlines the objectives that Australian fisheries agencies will pursue to
achieve an optimum level of compliance and create effective deterrence to illegal fishing
activity.
5 Prosecution may include the issuing of a formal caution or an expiation notice, in addition to
prosecution through the courts.
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•
•
Protecting the environment
Respecting the rights of others
Under the above overriding objectives sits fourteen more specific principles. The ones
relevant to compliance are:
• Using only appropriate, legal tackle, attending all fishing gear and valuing our
catch
• Understanding and observing all fishing regulations and reporting illegal fishing
activities
RecFish SA also undertake education/information initiatives from time to time which
assist in educating fishers of the regulations.
11.3 Compliance costs
The costs of the recreational compliance program are funded by the South Australian
Government from consolidated revenue.
11.4 Planning
PIRSA compliance programs are reviewed on an annual basis to direct effort and
ensure compliance activities are intelligence-driven, efficient, cost effective and
outcome focused. The compliance plan is underpinned by three core strategies:
Education and Awareness, Effective Deterrence and Appropriate Enforcement, and is
focused towards increasing voluntary compliance and maximising effective deterrence.
An analysis of intelligence and information holdings is conducted to identify the major
risks for the fishery. A series of strategies, actions, and initiatives are detailed and
used to focus the primary compliance effort in order to manage the risks and achieve
targeted outcomes. Compliance plans are reviewed each year and are implemented for
the full financial year
11.5 Compliance risk assessment
A compliance risk assessment is undertaken on an annual basis for each fishery. This
assessment identifies and prioritises the compliance risks that exist in the fishery.
Risks are ranked according to the likelihood and consequence of the risk occurring.
The compliance risk assessment is used to inform annual compliance planning
processes, and is reviewed each year; it is an internal confidential document. However
PIRSA will through the co-management arrangements gather RecFish SA’s views on
the priority risks in planning this document.
11.6 Responses and benchmarks
Compliance activities are planned to respond to the risks identified in each fishery, with
an emphasis on the most serious risks. Responses must include measures aimed at
both maximising voluntary compliance and creating effective deterrence.
The principal outcome of this compliance program is to support sustainable
management of the recreational fishery by:
• Increased voluntary compliance
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Continued development of effective deterrence strategies
Accurate intelligence and risk predictions
Successful enforcement outcomes for repeat or serious offences
Development of efficient and cost effective compliance strategies
Continued development of stakeholder engagement programs
Reduced incidence of reported illegal activity
Reduced incidence of documentation errors and inconsistencies
Increased positive interactions and collaboration with stakeholder
12 REGULATORY ARRANGEMENTS
Regulatory arrangements for recreational fishing are contained within the Fisheries
Management Act 2007 and Fisheries Management (General) Regulations 2007. The
recreational fishing rules are available on the PIRSA Fisheries and Aquaculture
website http://www.pir.sa.gov.au/fishing and are accessible on PIRSA’s free SA
Recreational Fishing Guide app.
Future amendments to the regulations could change the regulatory arrangements listed
in this section. Appropriate consultation will be undertaken should that occur.
Recreational fishing regulations are in place for sustainability reasons (e.g. controlling
the recreational harvest), to ensure fish stocks are shared equitably between all
recreational fishers and between all extractive users (recreational, commercial and
Aboriginal traditional sectors), as well as for social/economic reasons. There is a need
to establish standards of recreational fishing which are acceptable to the community,
whilst ensuring that recreational fishers are provided with opportunities to take a
reasonable catch and to have quality recreational fishing experiences.
Other factors to take into account include the principle that recreational fishing is
considered a sport/leisure activity and is not managed to provide a return on
investment in boats or fishing gear. Additionally, the current harvest shares between
recreational and commercial fishers should be maintained unless there are explicit
reasons for changing shares.
The three tiers of regulations that are available in the Act to manage the specific issues
that exist in the recreational fishery are outlined below. The issues that need to be
managed, as outlined previously, include:
• Allowing recreational fishers to sustainably take a reasonable feed of fish for
immediate needs: The primary management tool is bag and boat limits.
• Addressing the taking and ‘stockpiling’ of recreational catches: The primary
management tool is possession limits.
• Addressing illegal activities such as poaching and illegal sales of high value
species: The primary management tool is commercial quantity limits and the
trafficking provisions.
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12.1 Management arrangements
Recreational fishing in South Australia is managed through a mixture of input and
output based management controls. It is illegal for recreational fishers to sell or trade
any of their catch.
12.1.1 Recreational Bag, Boat and Size Limit
The daily bag limit is the maximum number of fish of a species that a person can take
in any 24 hour period commencing at midnight. The daily boat limit is generally set at
three times the daily bag limit (for most species) where three or more persons are
fishing on board the boat. These limits have been set to take into account both
sustainability, equity and social requirements, often to allow recreational fishers to
catch a reasonable feed of fish that they can consume in any 24 hour period or to meet
immediate family needs.
Minimum size limits often let fish reach maturity, which allows fish to reproduce at least
once before entering the fishery and being harvested by any fishing sector. Minimum
size limits apply to most recreational species.
Maximum legal size limits protect the larger breeding fish from harvest and by doing so
create a higher broodstock (breeding fish) population. Maximum size limits in
conjunction with minimum size limits are commonly referred to as slot limits. The width
of the slot limit (between the minimum and maximum size limits) can be used to lower
total harvest i.e. the narrower slot width, the less fish are available to be removed from
the population. There are two species (Western Blue Groper and Murray Cod) that
have a legal maximum size limit, although the take of Murray Cod is currently catch
and release only in South Australia.
In developing this plan, a Recreational Bag, Boat and Size Limit Review was
undertaken. The review aims to update the existing limits by taking into account the
status of fishery stocks, harvest shares and recent biological research, and the
principle that recreational fishing is considered a sport/pleasure activity and is not
managed to provide a return on investment in boats or fishing gear.
12.1.2 Recreational Possession Limit
A possession limit is the maximum number of fish that a person is allowed to have in
their possession or control in certain circumstances. Possession limits can provide a
useful tool to constrain recreational fishers from taking and stockpiling large quantities
of fish. Possession limits can also assist in controlling high levels of localised
recreational fishing effort, thereby promoting stock sustainability and reducing the risk
of localised depletion. Possession limits also aim to ensure that recreational catches
and fishing opportunities are shared between all recreational fishers, rather than a
small percentage taking most of the catch.
12.1.3 Commercial Quantity
The Act and regulations provide for species specific quantities of fish a non-licensed
fisher can have in their possession, without the onus of having to satisfy that they
obtained the fish legally and/or are not for commercial gain. The rules for commercial
quantity involve evidentiary provisions that reverse the onus of proof. In the case where
a fisher is proved to have commercial quantities in his or her possession or control,
then it is assumed in the absence of proof that they were for the purpose of sale.
These provisions are in place to provide a mechanism to investigate, and if necessary
prosecute those who may engage in the illegal trafficking of fish not taken pursuant to a
commercial fishery or fish processor licence.
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12.1.4 Fishing gear/devices
There are restrictions on permitted devices (see Appendix 9 for a list of permitted
devices) and the number of devices that recreational fishers can use for fishing.
The regulation of fishing gear assists in managing effort, ecosystem impacts and
sharing fishing areas with others (e.g. fishing from jetties).
Some recreational fishing devices must be registered before use:
• Rock Lobster pots
• mesh nets in Lakes Albert and Alexandrina
• mesh nets in Lake George
• mesh nets in the Coorong
There are also requirements for marking certain gear; all permitted devices that are left
unattended must be marked with a tag/buoy and registered devices must be marked
with a tag. Marking of devices assists in identifying ownership of the gear, enforcement
of the number of permitted devices and drawing attention to any gear that may be a
navigation hazard to others.
Where an offence is being committed, the gear and/or items that afford evidence to the
offence may be seized by Fisheries Officer and subject to forfeiture. Such offences
may include use of illegal gear, unmarked gear, and/or using more than the permitted
number of devices etc.
12.1.5 Protected species
Some aquatic species are protected under the Fisheries Management Act 2007 and
Environment, Protection, Biodiversity and Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) and must
not be taken:
• at any time (e.g. sea horses)
• during certain stages of their life cycle, for example during their reproductive
period (e.g. female Rock Lobster and Blue Swimmer Crabs with eggs)
• during certain times of the year (e.g. Snapper state-wide closure – 1 November
to 15 December)
• from particular closed areas or reserves (e.g. Silver Perch in the River Murray).
Protected species that are accidentally caught must be returned to the water
immediately. Interactions with EPBC Act protected species which result in the
unintentional death, injury, trading, taking, keeping or moving in Commonwealth waters
(generally waters greater than 3 nm off the coastline and gulfs/bays)
must
be
reported
to
Department
of
the
Environment
by
phone:
(02)
6274 1111 or <[email protected]>.
See
http://www.environment.gov.au/marine/marine-species for further information.
12.1.6 Fishing closures
Fishing closures apply to recreational and commercial fishers for the management of
fish species. These closures include aquatic reserves, intertidal rocky reefs and some
species carrying eggs. Fishing closures can help manage fish stocks by:
• protecting spawning areas
• letting juvenile fish grow in safety
• reduce fishing pressure on stocks
• minimising disturbance to fish stocks from fishing activity
Page 52 of 77
Fishing can be banned in some areas all year and for some others temporally (e.g.
seasonal closures). Seasonal closures are declared to protect fished species during
their breeding season. Any species caught during in a closure or closure period must
be returned to the water immediately.
12.1.7 PIRSA’s Policy for the release of aquatic resource
Section 78 (2) of the Fisheries Management Act 2007 specifies that it is an offence to
release an exotic fish, any aquaculture fish or any fish that has been kept from its
natural habitat into (unconfined) natural waters. The Minister may issue a permit
authorising a person to release aquatic resources into specified waters.
A policy has been developed to guide applicants who wish to translocate and enhance
aquatic resources into South Australian waters under a permit. The policy establishes a
risk-based assessment process to evaluate and regulate such translocations. Details of
the policy and applications forms are available on the PIRSA website.
Three types of stocking (and then release) of aquatic resources are considered in
PIRSA’s policy for the release of aquatic resources. These are ‘conservation stocking’,
‘stock enhancement’ and ‘harvest stocking’.
1. Conservation stocking is where a fish stock is not performing against biological
or environmental fisheries management objectives and requires a recovery
program (e.g. protected, endangered or threatened species).
2. Stock enhancement is where a fish stock or fishery is not performing against
defined fisheries management objectives, whether they are biological, social,
economic or environmental, or where a fish stock or fishery is performing
satisfactorily, but production could be further improved (provided the
environment can cope with the increase in fish stock without detriment to the
ecosystem).
3. Harvest stocking is where a fish stock or fishery is to be established in waters
where the fish stock or fishery did not previously exist (e.g. a freshwater
impoundment or dam).
An increase in fish stocks, as a result of releasing aquatic resources, can provide many
benefits environmentally, socially and economically to the community and to the
various fishing sectors. This can include creating ‘put and take’ fisheries and
augmenting existing fish stocks providing improved fishing opportunities, conservation
outcomes, employment and subsequent economic benefits. Effective management of
stocking activities is required because a number of risks, which are not always well
understood, are possible (Gillanders et al, 2006).
12.1.8 Consequences of breaching the rules
There are a range of penalties for fisheries offences, they include monetary penalties
and/or for serious offences imprisonment. Our fish stocks are a precious and finite
resource and PIRSA's ongoing efforts to investigate and prosecute illegal fishing
activities helps secure the sustainability of our fish stocks for both recreational and
commercial fishers.
Members of the public are urged to report suspicious or illegal fishing activity to the 24
hour Fishwatch number 1800 065 522 or via the SA Recreational Fishing Guide
smartphone app available for free download from <www.pir.sa.gov.au/recfishingapp>.
Page 53 of 77
13 RESOURCES REQUIRED TO IMPLEMENT THE PLAN
13.1 Costs of managing recreational fishing
The Government contributes to PIRSA Fisheries and Aquaculture’s total budget to
undertake the public good component of many of the services provided by PIRSA
Fisheries and Aquaculture. These include compliance, which incorporates monitoring,
prosecutions, education and awareness for recreational fishers, and other services
required to manage the recreational components of the fishing sector (policy, systems and
information). The costs of these services for each commercial fishery are funded by the
commercial sector through cost recovery and other programs may be funded through
various service level agreements between PIRSA and external agencies.
Funding for research in fisheries including Blue Crab and Marine Scalefish contain a
contribution made by Government on behalf of the recreational sector. This contribution is
made because there are a high proportion of these aquatic resources taken by the
recreational fishing sector and in recognition that they are recreationally very important
species. In addition to funds appropriated from treasury, some funding is sourced from
recreational Rock Lobster pot licences and recreational net licences.
The key costs for implementing this plan and managing recreational fishing include
activities in the following areas:
• Research - stock assessments and monitoring, status reporting, other research
projects from time to time and undertaking the recreational fishing survey (which
will include a social and economic component to track objectives in this plan)
• Licensing - administration and management of recreational fishing device
registrations (Rock Lobster pots and recreational mesh nets)
• Fisheries policy and management - day-to-day fisheries management services,
advice and facilitation of fisheries policy and management issues, working and
building relationships with fishery stakeholders, education and extension activities
• Compliance - PIRSA Fisheries and Aquaculture teams undertake coordinated
compliance activities to educate fishers, deter fishery offences and enforce the
rules and regulations
PIRSA Fisheries and Aquaculture and RecFish SA will continue to explore resourcing
opportunities for the sector, including management, compliance, research, fishing and fish
habitat enhancement, education and extension.
Page 54 of 77
14 APPENDICES
14.1 Appendix 1: Estimated recreational 2013/14 catch
Table 6: Estimated annual catch (total, harvested and released numbers) and release rates (%) of
marine finfish species, by SA residents aged 5 years or older in 2013/14 (Giri et al, 2015).
Common name
Number
caught
SE (±)
Number
harvested
SE (±)
Number
released
SE (±)
Release
rate (%)
Australian Salmon
220,332
41,133
148,361
30,520
71,969
23,611
32.7
King George
Whiting
2,001,937
373,861
1,467,601
253,416
534,335
153,718
26.7
Mulloway
47,238
13,363
9,883
4,537
37,354
11,793
79.1
Snapper
437,329
166,107
207,809
79,894
229,520
89,122
52.5
Southern Garfish
980,566
256,737
870,147
239,053
110,419
29,969
11.3
Australian Herring
1,167,774
257,359
1,014,374
226,701
153,404
49,951
13.1
Barracouta
1,679
1,092
858
852
821
687
48.9
Bight Redfish
41,285
23,642
31,124
17,519
10,161
6,326
24.6
Blue Devil
2,804
2,792
0
0
2,804
2,792
100
Bream, Black
197,848
94,210
16,979
6,985
180,869
92,257
91.4
Cod, Marine
1,667
1,578
814
789
853
790
51.1
Cod, Red Rock
33,671
14,319
4,171
2,008
29,500
13,207
87.6
Drummer
1,795
1,626
1,795
1,626
0
0
0
Eel, Conger
551
556
0
0
552
556
100
Flathead
55,066
17,730
17,794
4,645
37,272
16,542
67.7
Flounder
1,409
1,132
1,318
1,136
91
100
6.5
Gemfish
12,291
12,078
12,291
12,078
0
0
0.0
Groper, Western
Blue
344
328
0
0
344
328
100
Gurnard
8,089
4,376
3,510
3,052
4,579
3,140
56.6
King fish, Yellowtail
9,557
7,974
7,764
7,094
1,793
1,088
18.8
Leatherjacket
121,962
39,397
75,787
30,382
46,175
14,634
37.9
Page 55 of 77
Common name
Number
caught
SE (±)
Number
harvested
SE (±)
Number
released
SE (±)
Release
rate (%)
Ling
467
465
0
0
467
465
100
Luderick (Zebra fish)
1,784
919
799
498
985
618
55.2
Mackerel, Blue Slimy
103,764
62,320
103,764
62,320
0
0
0
Mackerel, Scad
442
435
442
435
0
0
0
Morwong, Blue
2,705
2,260
2,705
2,260
0
0
0
Morwong, Dusky
4,928
3,418
4,928
3,418
0
0
0
Mullet, Red
44,321
12,749
20,730
7,459
23,591
9,725
53.2
Mullet, Unknown
15,041
8,567
14,818
8,564
223
219
1.5
Mullet, Yellow eye
100,876
27,860
71,278
22,370
29,598
10,427
29.3
Old Wife
856
604
268
267
587
471
68.6
Perch, Other
104
104
104
104
0
0
0.0
Striped Trumpeter
278,646
192,551
220,898
191,497
57,748
19,961
20.7
Rays/Skates
9,489
4,361
0
0
9,489
4,361
100.
Samsonfish
1,629
1,624
1,629
1,624
0
0
0.0
Shark, Gummy
11,597
4,549
8,822
3,690
2,775
1,624
23.9
Shark, Port Jackson
4,313
2,129
38
39
4,275
2,128
99.1
Shark, School
7,749
5,596
7,208
5,496
541
469
7.0
Shark,
Spurdog/Dogfish
2,772
1,703
0
0
2,772
1,703
100
Shark, Unknown
584
461
0
0
584
461
100
Shark, Whaler
723
530
0
0
723
530
100
Shark, Wobbegong
467
465
0
0
467
465
100
Snook
187,165
85,511
174,224
83,340
12,941
5,498
6.9
Sweep
68,394
29,620
29,555
10,705
38,839
21,814
56.8
Toad fish/Puffers/
Blowfish
157,543
80,746
8,159
5,717
149,384
80,233
94.8
Page 56 of 77
Common name
Number
caught
SE (±)
Number
harvested
SE (±)
Number
released
SE (±)
Release
rate (%)
Trevally, Blue Eye
6,269
3,608
5,844
3,484
425
304
6.8
Trevally, Silver
73,924
31,081
57,140
26,265
16,784
6,851
22.7
Trumpeter
69,523
21,259
33,900
15,470
35,624
14,345
51.2
Tuna, Southern
Bluefin
16,261
7,719
10,427
4,833
5,834
4,147
35.9
Tuna, Yellowfin
2,860
2,285
2,609
2,250
251
231
8.8
Whiting, School
35,725
30,360
31,691
30,202
4,034
2,633
11.3
Whiting, Unknown
13,457
5,875
3,897
1,573
9,563
5,549
71.1
Whiting, Weedy
24,067
12,155
8,587
7,572
15,480
7,925
64.3
Whiting, Yellowfin
286,133
137,509
174,264
73,317
111,869
82,594
39.1
Wrasse, Blue
Throated
22,073
13,736
6,908
6,819
15,165
11,497
68.7
Wrasse, Unspecified
29,443
14,824
5,863
4,848
23,580
13,116
80.1
Other (Unspecified)
12,112
4,027
5,704
2,347
6,408
3,279
52.9
Total marine finfish
6,943,404
n.a.
4,909,587
n.a
2,033,821
n.a
29.3
marine shellfish, crustacean and cephalopod species, by SA residents aged 5 years or older in
2013/14 (Giri et al, 2015).
Common name
Number
caught
SE (±)
Number
harvested
SE (±)
Number
released
SE (±)
Release
rate (%)
Blue Swimmer
Crab
2,457,336
742,086
1,423,794
415,730
1,033,533
342,421
42.1
Southern Rock
Lobster
102,931
58,763
62,346
39,085
40,585
25,202
39.4
Southern
Calamari
480,016
111,883
473,803
111,231
6,214
3,271
1.3
Pipi
1,076,368
808,357
378,158
237,172
698,233
656,657
64.9
Abalone,
Blacklip
282
280
282
280
0
0
0
Abalone,
4,651
1,893
4,395
1,876
256
251
5.5
Page 57 of 77
Common name
Number
caught
SE (±)
Number
harvested
SE (±)
Number
released
SE (±)
Release
rate (%)
Abalone,
Unknown
472
434
472
434
0
0
0
Cockles, Mud
12,805
12,574
12,805
12,574
0
0
0
Cockles,
Unknown
71,872
57,843
41,165
29,283
30,707
30,202
42.7
Crab, Sand
52,557
31,633
27,277
21,655
25,280
20,201
48.1
Crab, Giant
205
193
205
193
0
0
0
Crab, Unknown
70,614
42,539
1,054
746
69,560
42,523
98.5
Cuttlefish
2,648
1,431
1,431
973
1,217
1,046
45.9
Octopus
1,173
639
465
327
708
417
60.4
Razorfish
72,676
34,963
72,676
34,963
0
0
0.
Scallops
249,669
153,880
233,100
140,061
16,569
14,718
6.6
Squid, Arrow
256,266
57,065
251,206
56,578
5,060
2,703
2.0
Squid,
Unspecified
3,016
2,285
2,882
2,162
134
133
4.5
Tubeworms,
Beach
27,591
27,816
19,314
19,471
8,277
8,345
30.0
Yabbies/Nippers
1,818
1,677
0
0
1,818
1,677
100
Total marine
shellfish
4,944,969
n.a.
3,006,832
n.a.
1,938,151
n.a.
39.2
Greenlip
freshwater species, by SA residents aged 5 years or older in 2013/14 (Giri et al, 2015).
Common
name
Number
caught
SE (±)
Number
harvested
SE (±)
Number
released
SE (±)
Release
rate (%)
Carp
223,750
50,848
205,882
48,495
17,854
7,626
8.0
Catfish,
freshwater
20,538
7,131
794
562
19,744
6,714
96.1
Crayfish,
freshwater
44,045
39,989
17,588
16,285
26,457
23,708
60.1
Page 58 of 77
Common
name
Number
caught
SE (±)
Number
harvested
SE (±)
Number
released
SE (±)
Release
rate (%)
Grunter
212
221
0
0
212
221
100
Golden Perch
(Callop)
116,153
31,256
37,367
10,019
78,786
22,382
67.8
Perch, Redfin
7,464
5,150
5,866
4,884
1,598
1,632
21.4
Perch, Silver
11,038
4,522
610
606
10,428
4,229
94.5
Shrimp,
freshwater
141,994
77,462
47,409
28,363
94,586
71,934
66.6
Trout, Brown
482
452
482
452
0
0
0
Trout, Rainbow
302
297
302
297
0
0
0
Trout, Unknown
1,386
1,071
1,386
1,071
0
0
0
Yabbies,
freshwater
271,237
179,738
58,977
26,028
212,261
176,439
78.3
Total
freshwater
species
838,602
n.a.
376,663
n.a.
461,924
n.a.
58.7
Page 59 of 77
14.2 Appendix 2: Information used to allocate shares
In determining the share to be allocated to a particular fishing sector under the first
management plan for an existing fishery, the share to which that sector had access at the
time the Minister requested to prepare the plan (based on the most recent information
available to the Minister) must be taken into account. The Allocation Policy requires that
information about current use by sectors must be real, recent and reliable.
The information used to allocate shares of aquatic resources in this management plan is
derived from the following sources:
• 2007/08 South Australian Recreational Fishing Survey (Jones, 2009)
• The South Australian Recreational Charter Boat Fishery Report 2009 (Knight,
2010)
• South Australian Wild Fisheries Information and Statistics Report (Knight and
Tsolos, 2009)
• South Australian Wild Fisheries Information and Statistics Report 2008/09 (Knight
and Tsolos, 2010)
• SARDI Aquatic Sciences catch and effort database of licensed commercial fishers’
logbook returns
• Commercial fishery management plans that have considered the above
information and allocated access shares.
14.3 Appendix 3: Sectors related to fishing allocations
14.3.1 Recreational sector
The recreational sector accounts for a significant proportion of the total catch of a number
of species, such as King George Whiting, Blue Swimmer Crabs, Mulloway and Southern
Calamari. For the purpose of this management plan, Charter Boat Fishery catch is
considered to be recreational catch and is allocated as part of the broader recreational
fishing sector, with the exception of Snapper and King George Whiting where a specific
allocation has been made to the charter sector, as these species were identified by this
sector as a key species for their fishery.
14.3.2 Commercial sector
Licence holders in the Marine Scalefish Fishery (MSF), Southern Zone Rock Lobster
Fishery (SZRL), Northern Zone Rock Lobster Fishery (NZRL), Miscellaneous Fishery
(MISC), Lakes and Coorong Fishery (LCF), Blue Crab Fishery (BCF) and Central Zone
(CZAF), Western Zone (WZAF) and Southern Zone (SZAF) Abalone Fisheries all have
some form of access to recreationally caught species. All commercial sectors with access
have been considered in the initial allocation process.
Some recreationally taken species are also taken by Commonwealth managed fisheries
such as the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery and the Southern Bluefin
Tuna Fishery. These species are managed by the Australian Fisheries Management
Authority (AFMA), and the management of these commercial fisheries are outside the
jurisdiction of the South Australian Government. As such, an allocation is not provided for
these fisheries.
14.3.3 Aboriginal traditional sector
The Act acknowledges Aboriginal or Indigenous fishing in the form or Aboriginal traditional
fishing. This is defined in part as being “non-commercial” in nature. It should be noted
that, under the Act, the Minister may create separate management plans for Aboriginal
traditional fishing where an ILUA exists with any Native Title group.
Page 60 of 77
In respect of any future traditional fishing management arrangements, for the taking
recreational species they will be subject to any ILUA’s and traditional fishing management
plans and any claims of Native Title as they relate to the taking of aquatic resources in SA
waters. These will be assessed on their merits and on a case by case basis taking into
consideration the circumstances raised at that time. Any necessary variation of this
management plan resulting from this can be ascertained at that time.
For the purposes of this management plan the nature and extent of Aboriginal traditional
fishing for recreational species (state-wide marine and freshwater) region could not be
ascertained at the time of preparing this management plan but it is likely some species
were taken traditionally. In this management plan, a share of access has been allocated
and set aside for the purpose of resolving any Native Title claims. Should the nature and
extent of Aboriginal traditional fishing of species within this plan become evident the
provisions of this plan can be reviewed. It should be noted that at the time of preparing
this management plan, one claim for access or allocation for Aboriginal traditional fishing
has been determined under a Native Title claim registered in South Australia. There are a
number of applications before the Native Title Tribunal. See below and
http://www.nativetitlesa.org/claims for more information.
Native Title Applications (registered and unregistered, as at January 2014)
• Adnyamathanha # 4 Native Title Claim
• Adnyamathanha No. 1
• Adnyamathanha People Native Title Claim No. 3
• Barngarla Native Title Claim
• Dieri No. 2 Native Title Claim
• Kaurna Peoples Native Title Claim
• Kokatha Uwankara Native Title Claim
• Naley Native Title Claim
• Ngadjuri Nation
• Ngadjuri Nation # 2
• Ngarrindjeri and Others Native Title Claim
• Nukunu Native Title Claim
• Ramindjeri
• The Wangkangurru/Yarluyandi Native Title Claim
• Tjayiwara Unmuru Native Title Claim
• Wilyakali
• Wirangu No. 2 Native Title Claim
• Yandruwandha/Yawarrawarrka Native Title Claim
Native Title Determinations (as at January 2014)
• Adnyamathanha People No. 1 (Angepena Pastoral Lease)
• Adnyamathanha People No. 1 (stage 1)
• Adnyamathanha People No. 2
• Antakirinja Matu-Yakunytjatjara
• Arabana People
• De Rose Hill
• De Rose Hill Compensation
Page 61 of 77
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Dieri Native Title Claim
Eringa
Eringa No. 2 and Wangkangurru/Yarluyandi
Eringa Part A proceeding
Far West Coast
First peoples of the River Murray & Mallee Region
Gawler Ranges Native Title Claim
Irrwanyere Mt Dare Native Title Determination
Tjayiwara Unmuru
Yankunytjatjara Antakirinja
It should be noted that, subject to meeting the requirements of section 211 of the Native
Title Act 1993, Aboriginal fishers are entitled to take aquatic resources in SA outside
requirements of the Fisheries Management Act 2007 provided that it is established that
they are:
a) an Aboriginal person and native title holder in respect of the land/sea in which the
activity is occurring
a. the fishing activity in question forms part of the exercise of their customary native
rights and interests, and
b. the fishing activity was for the purpose of satisfying their personal, domestic, noncommercial community needs.
In this management plan, and other management plans, a share of access has been
allocated and set aside for the purpose of resolving these native title claims. There is little
available information on the take of recreational species by the Aboriginal traditional
fishing sector; however the small number of claims with fishery-related interests and
negotiations to date has informed the share that has been put aside for this purpose.
It should also be noted that the Aboriginal traditional sector’s share provided in this
management plan, and other management plans, has been deducted from the
recreational share. This is because Aboriginal traditional fishing is non-commercial fishing
and this approach is consistent with the Allocation Policy. For most species a nominal
share has been allocated to Aboriginal traditional sector of 1%, however, where the
recreation allocation is less than 2% half the recreational allocation has been allocated.
However, due to the unique arrangements for Lake Eyre Golden perch, the allocation to
the Aboriginal traditional sector is 10% and during flood events 0.01% (which is 10% of
the recreational allocation for both during non-flood and flood times).
14.4 Appendix 4: Spatial scale of allocations
When determining the shares of aquatic resources to be allocated, it is important to clarify
the spatial extent of the fishery to which the allocation applies. Shares for a species may
be allocated in a number of ways including fishery boundaries, management regions,
biological or stock boundaries or a single allocation across the State.
For the purposes of the allocations provided in this management plan species have been
allocated at a statewide perspective e.g Snapper. However, for some species allocations
have been determined at the fishery level to better reflect management arrangements and
stock boundaries within the commercial fishery management plans. That is, for some
species two separate allocations have been made; e.g. Mullet spp. and Mulloway for the
spatial area of the commercial Marine Scalefish Fishery (MSF) and the inland waters of
Page 62 of 77
the Lakes and Coorong Fishery (LCF). These spatial areas for managing allocations also
apply to the recreational share and are set out in Table 3.
It is also noted that a statewide allocation may also increase the complexity surrounding
the recreational allocation, and as regards management of those shares into the future
where management changes are needed in one area. Where this is the case, the
allocations specified in the commercial management plan, or the 2007/08 catch share for
those areas, will also be considered in conjunction with the statewide allocation in this
plan. For example the recent (July 2014) reduction in the recreational bag limit for Blue
Swimmer Crabs was a spatial change which only applied in the Gulf St Vincent.
The annual 2012/13 stock assessment report of the Blue Crab Fishery, published by
SARDI Aquatic Sciences, showed that while the Blue Swimmer Crab Spencer Gulf fishery
remained in a strong position the Blue Swimmer Crab Gulf St Vincent fishery was at a low
level. As a result, a reduction in the recreational bag and boat limit for Blue Swimmer Crab
as well as the Blue Swimmer Crab Total Allowable Commercial Catch (TACC) for the
commercial sector for the 2014/15 season was implemented in Gulf St Vincent with no
change in Spencer Gulf. The management change in this example was in response to
concerns about the sustainability of the fishery, and also to maintain the proportional
shares of the Blue Swimmer Crab resource allocated to each fishing sector. Shares are
allocated between commercial and recreational fishers based on a percentage of the total
weight (tonnes) of Blue Swimmer Crabs taken by all sectors. In terms of the weight of
crabs taken by the recreational sector, the temporary halving of recreational bag and boat
limits in Gulf St Vincent equates to less than the 20% TACC reduction being implemented
in the commercial fishery.
Pipi has been allocated by area based on the area of access enjoyed by each sector
rather than a catch share. For Pipi each sector has some areas of exclusive access to
fishing areas (beaches). As shown in Figure 3, the recreational sector has access to the
Goolwa Beach on the Sir Richard Peninsula, from Port Elliot to the Murray Mouth 19 km
and Kingston Jetty to 28 Mile crossing 45 km, which equates to 64 km. The commercial
fishing sector has access to the Coorong Beach on the Younghusband Peninsula, from
the Murray Mouth to Kingston SE, which equates to 173 kilometres. The allocation has
therefore been calculated on a total access area of 237 km, given that both recreational
and commercial fishing activity overlaps at Kingston Jetty to 28 Mile crossing. The total
beach area equates to 192 km.
Page 63 of 77
Figure 3: Commercial and recreational access to Pipi
14.5 Appendix 5: Temporal scale allocation- Lake Eyre Golden Perch
The timing of fishing and the limited spatial scale of commercial fishing in the Lake Eyre
Basin has been considered in the allocation of Lake Eyre Golden Perch. The allocation
applies to a temporal scale, to better reflect catch shares. Consideration has been given
to the distinct time scales when recreational and Aboriginal traditional fishing are the only
sectors fishing (in times of non-flood) and when all sectors can fish, with commercial
fishing only being permitted to operate in times of flood (PIRSA 2013).
14.6 Appendix 6: Recognising past allocation agreements
For Southern Rock Lobster the allocation has taken into account an historical agreement
from the commercial and recreational sector that was in place at the time the Rock
Lobster management plans were requested by the Minister (PIRSA 2014 and PIRSA
2013c). The Management Plan for the South Australian Commercial Northern Zone Rock
Lobster Fishery 2014 and the Management Plan for the South Australian Commercial
Southern Zone Rock Lobster Fishery 2013 provide further detail to the history of these
agreements.
Page 64 of 77
14.7 Appendix 7: Species names
Table 9: Species allocated, common names and scientific names.
Species common name
Species scientific names
Abalone spp.
Greenlip Haliotis laevigata
Blacklip Haliotis rubra
Australian Herring
Arripis georgianus
Australian Sardines
Sardinops sagax
Australian Anchovy
Engraulis australis
Balmain Bug Spencer Gulf
Ibacus spp.
Black Bream
Acanthopagrus butcheri
Blue Swimmer Crab
Portunus armatus
Bronze & Dusky Whaler Shark
Dusky Whaler- Carcharhinus obscurus
Bronze Whaler- Carcharhinus
brachyurus
Flathead (all species)
Family Platycephalidae
Golden Perch (Lake Eyre) Flood
Maquaria sp. Lake Eyre sub species
Golden Perch (Lake Eyre) Non-Flood
Maquaria sp. Lake Eyre sub species
Golden Perch (SAMDB)
Maquaria ambigua
Greenback Flounder
Rhombosolea tapirina
King George Whiting
Sillaginodes punctatus
King Prawns Spencer Gulf
Melicertus latisulcatus
Mullet spp.
Marine
Family Mugilidae
L&C (inland)
Family Mugilidae
Marine
Argyrosomus hololepidotus
L&C (inland)
Argyrosomus hololepidotus
Mulloway
Pipi (area based only in Coorong region)
Donax deltoides
Sand Crab
Ovalipes australiensis
Snapper
Chrysophrys auratus
Snook
Sphyraena novaehollandiae
Southern Calamari
Sepioteuthis australis
Southern Garfish
Hyporhamphus melanochir
Southern Rock Lobster
Jasus edwardsii
Trevally (Silver)
Pseudocaranx dentex
Vongole (Mud Cockle) spp.
Suborder Teledonta
Page 65 of 77
Yellowfin Whiting
Sillago schomburgkii
Yellowtail Kingfish
Seriola lalandi
14.8 Appendix 8: Calculation of allocation triggers
Trigger limits have been set based on a small percentage increase in allocation to allow
for small fluctuations, but also detect large or ongoing change to the catch shares
between the sectors. The percentage increases have been determined for allocation
ranges, with a total of seven ranges. As a consequence of the use of ranges, without
adjustment the upper allowable increase of one range may be higher than the allowable
increases of the next range. To counter this, lower and upper limits have been determined
for some ranges.
In specifying the allowable percentage increases for a range, the lower the original
allocation, the higher the allowable percentage increase and vice versa. This recognises
that catches associated with low percentage allocations are generally highly variable and
this variety needs to be accounted for.
Percentage increases have not been determined for 0 and 0.01 – 0.49 allocations; rather
an absolute increase has been specified for each of these.
Different percentage allowances have been determined for the key important
recreational/commercial species: see Table 7 and other recreational/commercial species
see Table 8. The different allowances account for the variability in catches, the importance
of the species to the sectors and the management need to minimise variability in sector
catch shares. The tables below outline the allowable increases, absolute increases and
the upper and lower limits for the different triggers.
Table 10: Allocation trigger calculation table for triggers key important recreational/commercial
species (King George Whiting, Australian Herring, Snapper, Southern Garfish, Southern Calamari,
Blue Swimmer Crabs, Pipi, Golden Perch [SAMDB], Mulloway, Mullet spp., Southern Rock Lobster,
Abalone).
Allocation range
Allowable % Increase
Absolute increase
Lower limit
Upper limit
0
-
0.75
-
-
0.01 - 0.49
-
1
-
-
0.5 - 0.99
150
-
-
2.5
1.0 - 4.99
100
-
2.5
-
5.0 - 39.99
50
-
-
7.5
40 - 79.99
10
-
60
84
80 - 99.99
5
-
-
-
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Table 11: Allocation trigger calculation table for other recreational/commercial species (Australian
Sardine, Australian Anchovy, Black Bream, Bronze & Dusky Whaler Shark, Flathead, Golden
Perch [Flood and Non Flood], Greenback Flounder, Sand Crab, Snook, Trevally, Vongole (Mud
Cockle) Spp., Yellowfin Whiting, Yellowtail Kingfish).
Allocation range
Allowable % Increase
Absolute increase
Lower limit
Upper limit
0
-
0.75
-
-
0.01 - 0.49
-
1
-
0.5 - 0.99
200
-
-
3
1.0 - 4.99
150
-
-
9
5.0 - 39.99
100
-
-
50
40 - 79.99
25
-
-
88
80 - 99.99
10
-
-
-
14.9 Appendix 9: Recreational permitted fishing gear
Subject to rules for their use, recreational fishers may use the following fishing gear to
undertake recreational fishing activities:
• Rod and handline
• Bait fork
• Bait pump
• Bait spade
• Bow and arrow (other than a crossbow)
• Cockle rake
• Crab net
• Crab rake
• Dip tin
• Drop net
• Hand fish spear
• Hand net, including a dab net, dip net or shrimp net
• Hoop net
• Mesh net
• Mussel dredge
• Razorfish tongs
• Rock lobster pot
• Rock lobster snare
• Shrimp trap
• Spear gun
• Squid jig
• Yabby pot
Page 67 of 77
15 ACRONYMS
AFMA
Australian Fisheries Management Authority
COC
Code of Conduct
CL
Confidence Limit
CPUE
Catch Per Unit Effort
ESD
Ecologically Sustainable Development
EBFM
Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management
EPBC Act
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
FMA
Fisheries Management Act 2007
FRDC
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
ILUA
Indigenous Land Use Agreement
MPA
Marine Protected Area
MAG
Management Advisory Group (generally a commercial group)
NRIFS
National Recreational and Indigenous Fishing Survey
PIRSA
Department of Primary Industries and Resources South Australia
SARDI
South Australian Research and Development Institute
SCBOOA
Surveyed Charter Boat Owners and Operators Association
TACC
Total Allowable Commercial Catch
TEPS
Threatened, Endangered and Protected Species
Page 68 of 77
16 GLOSSARY OF COMMON FISHERIES MANAGEMENT TERMS
These terms are intended to be used for the purposes of this management plan only and are not
intended to be inconsistent with fisheries legislation.
Aboriginal traditional fishing Fishing engaged in by an Aboriginal person for the purposes of
satisfying personal, domestic or non-commercial, communal needs, including ceremonial,
spiritual and educational needs, and using fish and other natural marine and freshwater products
according to relevant Aboriginal custom.
Adaptive management Management involving active responses to new information or the
deliberate manipulation of fishing intensity or other aspects in order to learn something of their
effects. Within a stock, several sub-stocks can be regarded as experimental units in which
alternative strategies are applied.
Age structure Numbers of fish in each age class from a sample of fish captured during a
fishing season. Sometimes sampled separately for retained and discarded catch. An important
data input for age-structured fisheries stock assessments
Aggregation Group of fish that come together, often to feed or spawn.
Allocation Distribution of the opportunity to access fisheries resources, within and between
fishing sectors.
Aquatic plant An aquatic plant of any species, including the reproductive products and parts of
an aquatic plant.
Aquatic reserve An area of water, or land and water, established as an aquatic reserve by
proclamation under the Fisheries Management Act 2007.
Aquatic resource Fish or aquatic plants.
Bag limit The maximum number of fish of a species that a recreational fisher can legally take in
any 24 hour period commencing at midnight.
Benthic Describes animals that live on, in or near the substrate.
Biodiversity The variability among living organisms from all sources (including terrestrial,
marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part)
and includes: (a) diversity within species and between species; and (b) diversity of ecosystems.
Biological stock Functionally discrete population that is largely distinct from other populations
of the same species and can be regarded as a separate entity for management or assessment
purposes.
Biomass The total weight or volume of individuals in a fish stock.
Boat limit The maximum number of a species that can be legally taken by recreational fishers
on a boat per day or per fishing trip, as specified.
By-catch At a broad level, fisheries by-catch includes all material, living and non-living, other
than targeted species which is caught while fishing. It includes discards (that part of the catch
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that is returned to the water) and also that part of the catch that is not landed but is killed as a
result of interaction with fishing gear.
Catch The total amount (weight or number) of a species captured from within a specified area
over a given period of time. The catch includes any animals that are released or returned to the
water.
Catch per unit effort (CPUE) The number or weight of fish caught by a unit of fishing effort (for
example: kg (catch) per boat days fished, kg per person days, kg per fisher day etc.). It is often
used as a measure of fish abundance.
Closures Prohibition of fishing during particular times or seasons (temporal closures) or in
particular areas (spatial closures), or a combination of both.
Cohort A group of fish spawned during a specified period, usually within a year. A cohort is also
referred to as an age class.
Co-management Arrangements between governments and stakeholder groups to allow joint
responsibility for managing fisheries resources on a cooperative basis. Co-management
arrangements can range from a consultative model where stakeholders have an advisory role to
government, to an informative model where co-managers have decision-making powers.
Commercial fishing Fishing undertaken for the purpose of trade or business.
Commercial quantity limit A commercial quantity limit under the Fisheries Management Act
2007 is a prescribed number of fish for a species that represents what is considered a
commercial quantity of that species. If a person has the prescribed amount of fish in their
possession, then the onus of proof is reversed in any prosecution relating to having to satisfy
that they obtained the fish legally and/or are not for commercial gain. It is assumed in the
absence of proof that they were for the purpose of sale.
Common property resource A resource that is determined to be owned by the community, or
by the State on behalf of the community, and to which no individuals or user groups have
exclusive access rights.
Critical habitats Habitats that are crucial in at least part of the life cycle of a species, which
typically includes nurseries such as estuaries, mangroves, seagrass beds, reefs and defined
spawning areas.
Decision rules
Agreed responses that management must make under predefined
circumstances regarding stock status. Also called 'control rules' or 'harvest control rules'.
Ecological Risk Assessment A tool used to evaluate the likelihood that adverse ecological
effects could result from the exposure to a risk in the environment.
Ecologically sustainable development Using, conserving and enhancing the community’s
resources so that ecological processes, on which life depends, are maintained, and the total
quality of life, now and in the future, can be increased.
Ecosystem A dynamic complex of plant, animal, fungal, and micro-organism communities and
the associated non-living environment interacting as an ecological unit.
Effort Amount of fishing taking place, usually described in terms of gear type and frequency or
period during which the gear is in use; for example, 'hook-sets', 'trawl-hours', 'searching hours'.
Page 70 of 77
Environmentally limited Spawning stock biomass has been reduced to the point where
average recruitment levels are significantly reduced, primarily as a result of substantial
environmental changes/impacts, or disease outbreaks (i.e. the stock is not recruitment
overfished). Fisheries management has responded appropriately to the environmental change in
productivity. Appropriate management is in place.
Fecundity Number of eggs an animal produces each reproductive cycle; the potential
reproductive capacity of an organism or population.
Fish An aquatic animal other than an aquatic bird, an aquatic mammal, a reptile or an
amphibian.
Fishery A term used to describe the collective enterprise of taking fish. A fishery is usually
defined by a combination of the species caught (one or several), the gear and/or fishing methods
used, and the area of operation.
Fishery dependent data Information collected about a fishery or fish stock by the participants
of a fishery, eg. catch and effort information from fishery log sheets.
Fishery independent data Information collected about a fishery or fish stock by researchers,
independent of the fishery, eg. scientific surveys, observer reports.
Fishing mortality The rate of deaths of fish due to fishing.
Gear restriction A type of input control used as a management tool to restrict the amount
and/or type of fishing gear that can be used by fishers in a particular fishery.
Gross value of production (GVP) Value of the total annual catch for individual fisheries,
fishing sectors or the fishing industry as a whole, which is measured in dollar terms. GVP,
generally reported on an annual basis, is the quantity of catch for the year multiplied by the
average monthly landed beach prices.
Habitat The place or type of site in which an organism naturally occurs.
Harvest The total number or weight of fish caught and kept from an area over a period of time.
Input controls A management tool that restrains fishing effort, includes restraints on who fishes
(licence limitations), where they fish (closed areas), when they fish (closed seasons) and/or how
they fish (gear restrictions).
Length Frequency An arrangement of recorded lengths of a species of fish, which indicates
the number of times each length or length interval occurs in a population or sample.
Limited entry Fishing effort is controlled by restricting the number of operators. It usually
requires controlling the number of licences in a fishery. It can also include restrictions on the
number and size of vessels, the transfer of fishing rights, and the replacement of vessels
Limit reference points The values of a performance indicators for a fish stock or fisheries
management unit that are no longer considered acceptable.
Logbook An official record of catch and effort data made by fishers. In South Australian
commercial fisheries licence conditions make the return of logbooks mandatory.
Marine park In South Australia, marine parks are a type of marine protected area proclaimed
under the Marine Parks Act 2007 with the primary aim of protecting and conserving marine
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biodiversity. South Australia’s marine parks are zoned and managed for multiple use to protect
and conserve marine biodiversity while providing for the ecologically sustainable use of suitable
areas.
Minimum mesh size The smallest size of mesh permitted in nets and traps, imposed on the
basis that smaller individuals will escape unharmed.
Mortality Rate of deaths (usually in terms of proportion of the stock dying annually) from
various causes. Comprises (i) Natural mortality — deaths in a fish stock from causes except
fishing i.e. predation, pollution, senility, etc., and (ii) Fishing mortality — deaths in a fish stock
caused by fishing.
Non-target species Any part of the catch, except the target species, and including by-catch
and by-product.
Non-retained species Species that are taken as part of the catch but are subsequently
discarded, usually because they have low market value or because regulations preclude them
being retained.
Offshore Constitutional Settlement (OCS) An agreement between the state(s) and the
Commonwealth whereby the state or the Commonwealth (or in some cases a Joint Authority) is
given jurisdiction for a particular fishery occurring in both coastal waters (low tide mark to 3
nautical miles [nm]) and the Australian Fishing Zone (3 nm to 200 nm). When no OCS
agreement has been reached, the fishery remains under the jurisdiction of the state out to 3 nm,
and the Commonwealth from 3 to 200 nm.
Output controls Limitations on the weight of the catch (quota), or the allowable size, sex or
reproductive condition of individuals in the catch.
Overfished Spawning stock biomass has been reduced through catch, so that average
recruitment levels are significantly reduced (i.e. recruitment overfished). Current management is
not adequate to recover the stock, or adequate management measures have been put in place
but have not yet resulted in measurable improvements. Management is needed to recover this
stock; if adequate management measures are already in place, more time may be required for
them to take effect.
Population A group of individuals of the same species, forming a breeding unit and sharing a
habitat.
Possession Limit Possession limits restrict the quantity or total weight of fish that recreational
fishers can catch and keep. Possession limits are a useful regulatory tool that prevents
recreational fishers taking and stockpiling large quantities of fish.
Precautionary principle This concept asserts that where there are threats of serious or
irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing
measures to prevent environmental degradation. In the application of the precautionary
principle, public and private decision-making should be guided by: (i) careful evaluation to avoid,
wherever practicable, serious or irreversible damage to the environment; and (ii) an assessment
of the risk-weighted consequences of various options.
Primary indicator (Key performance measure) The main parameter used to assess the
performance of a fishery against predetermined sustainability objectives.
Quota Amount of catch (weight or numbers of fish) allocated to a fishery as a whole (total
allowable catch), or to an individual fisher or company (individual transferable quota).
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Recreational fishing Non-commercial and non-Aboriginal traditional activities of fishers who
fish for sport or pleasure whether retaining (e.g. consuming, sharing) or releasing their catches.
Recruitment The addition of new individuals to a stock.
Recruitment overfished The point at which a stock is considered to be recruitment overfished
is the point at which the spawning stock biomass has been reduced through catch, so that
average recruitment levels are significantly reduced.
Reference point Indicator of the level of fishing (or stock size); used as a benchmark for
assessment.
Relative abundance An index of fish population abundance used to compare fish populations
from year to year. This does not measure the actual numbers of fish, but shows changes in the
population over time.
Retained species The species within the catch that are not discarded.
Sample A proportion or a segment of a fish stock which is removed for study, and is assumed
to be representative of the whole. The greater the effort, in terms of both numbers and
magnitude of the samples, the greater the confidence that the information obtained is a true
reflection of the status of a stock (level of abundance in terms of numbers or weight, age
composition, etc.).
Seasonal closure Closure of a fishing ground for a defined period; used as a management
tool, often to protect a particular component of the stock e.g. used to protect a stock during a
spawning season.
Selectivity The ability of a type of gear to target and catch a certain size or species of fish.
Socio-economic Relating to both social and economic considerations.
Spatial Of or relating to space.
Spatial closure A method of fisheries management that prevents fishing in a defined area.
Species A group of organisms capable of interbreeding freely with each other but not with
members of other species.
Size limits A minimum or maximum legal size limit which determines the legal size at which a
given species can be retained.
Size of maturity Length or weight of the fish when it attains reproductive maturity.
Slot size limit Refers to a situation where both a minimum and maximum size limit has been
determined for a given species.
Stakeholder An individual or a group with an interest in the conservation, management and use
of a resource.
Stock A group of individuals of a species occupying a well-defined spatial range independent of
other groups of the same species, which can be regarded as an entity for management or
assessment purposes.
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Stock assessment A detailed analysis of stock status (abundance, distribution, age structure,
etc.) to support the management of the species or fishery.
Sustainable Stock for which biomass (or biomass proxy) is at a level sufficient to ensure that,
on average, future levels of recruitment are adequate (i.e. not recruitment overfished) and for
which fishing pressure is adequately controlled to avoid the stock becoming recruitment
overfished. Appropriate management is in place
Target species A species that is, or has been, specifically targeted and is, or has been, a
significant component of a fishery.
Target effort Effort that is directed at a particular species.
Temporal Of or relating to time.
Temporal closure Closure that is implemented to protect fish stocks during specific stages
(time) of their life cycle (for example, while spawning).
Total allowable catch (TAC) For a fishery, a catch limit set as an output control on fishing.
The total amount of a species that may be taken during a specified time period.
Total allowable commercial catch (TACC) For a fishery, a catch limit set as an output control
specifically on commercial fishing. The total amount of species that may be taken by commercial
fishing during a specified time period.
Threatened A species or community that is vulnerable, endangered or presumed extinct.
Traditional fishing Fishing for the purposes of satisfying personal, domestic or non-commercial
communal needs, including ceremonial, spiritual and educational needs and utilising fish and
other natural marine and freshwater products according to relevant Aboriginal custom.
Transitional–depleting Deteriorating stock—biomass is not yet recruitment overfished, but
fishing pressure is too high and moving the stock in the direction of becoming recruitment
overfished. Deteriorating stock—biomass is not yet recruitment overfished, but fishing pressure
is too high and moving the stock in the direction of becoming recruitment overfished.
Transitional–recovering Deteriorating stock—biomass is not yet recruitment overfished, but
fishing pressure is too high and moving the stock in the direction of becoming recruitment
overfished. Appropriate management is in place, and the stock biomass is recovering.
Trigger reference points The values of performance indicators for a fish stock or fisheries
management unit at which a change in management is considered or adopted.
Undefined Not enough information exists to determine stock status. Data required to assess
stock status are needed.
Vulnerable species Under endangered species protection legislation, a species that will
become endangered within 25 years unless mitigating action is taken.
Page 74 of 77
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Assessment for the Effects of Fishing: Gillnet, Hook and Trap Fishery (v7). In Hobday, A.,
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2004. Report to the Australian Fisheries Management Authority, Canberra, Australia
Page 77 of 77

Draft Management Plan for Recreational Fishing in South

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