The latest report on the status of fisheries by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) has revealed that no stocks solely managed by the Commonwealth Government have been over-fished.
The report provides an annual, independent assessment of the performance of fisheries.
Executive Director of ABARES, Steve Hatfield-Dodds, said Commonwealth fisheries continued to be well-managed, and subject to a range of management and monitoring measures to ensure their sustainability.
“Of the 96 fish stocks assessed, 66 were not over-fished and not subject to overfishing,” Mr Hatfield-Dodds said.
“The reports reflect a generally stable trend of stock status, with only eight stocks changing status from last year.”
He said the status of redleg banana prawns in the Northern Prawn Fishery and brown tiger prawns in the Torres Strait Prawn Fishery both improved this year, and both stocks were now considered not over-fished and not subject to over-fishing.
“In contrast, three jointly-managed stocks have gone the other way,” he said.
“This includes striped marlin in the Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery which is now classified as over-fished, and albacore and bigeye tuna in the Western Tuna and Billfish Fishery which are now classified as subject to over-fishing.”
He said Australia was working with the other fishing nations of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission and the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission to try to improve the status of these stocks.
The ABARES reports also look at the economic performance of the fisheries managed by the Commonwealth revealing $437 million was generated in gross value of production (GVP) in 2018-19, representing 24 per cent of the $1.79 billion GVP of Australia’s total wild-capture fisheries.
The Bureau’s 532-page report can be accessed at this PS News link.
