On Tuesday, 24 March 2015 a forum for recreational fishing and conservation stakeholders was held in Hobart.   Presentations were given by: •Dr Nick Rayns, AFMA•Dr Tony Smith, CSIRO•Associate Professor Tim Ward, SARDI•Mr Mike Gerner, AFMA•Mr Jon Bryan, Tasmanian Conservation Trust These presentations can be found at http://www.afma.gov.au/second-small-pelagic-fishery-stakeholder-forum/

Public Concerns About Large Factory/Freezer Vessels and AFMA’s Management of Australia’s Small Pelagic Fishery(Check against transcript)

Public Outrage

The proposal to bring the Margiris into Australian waters to fish the small pelagic fishery (SPF) managed by the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) led to strong opposition and public demonstrations by recreational fishers and conservation groups in 2012.

The Labor Government introduced a two year super trawler ban in response.

The reasons for widespread public concerns about the Margiris Proposal in 2012 and 2013 remain valid today with the impending introduction of the Dirk Dirk.

- There have been no meaningful changes to the fisheries science or management relating to the SPF since 2012.

- Large factory/freezer vessels still pose an unacceptable risk to the marine environment and recreational fisheries

- This is of concern to many in the wider Australian community as well as recreational fishers and conservationists

Problems: Then And Now

-There have been no meaningful changes to the fisheries science or management relating to the SPF since 2012.

- Large factory/freezer vessels still pose an unacceptable risk to the marine environment and recreational fisheries

Old DEPM-Based Stock Assessments

- Stock assessments are mostly based on old daily egg production method (DEPM) survey data

- Fish stocks can change markedly over time

- Climate change makes predicting future stock status more difficult

No Ongoing DEPM-Based Stock Assessments

- AFMA has not committed to ongoing DEPM- based assessments at high (Tier 2) levels of exploitation

- A single DEPM-based stock assessment does not give adequate information about how target populations vary over time

- Climate change has been raised as an explanation for collapse of jack mackerel surface schools and redbait off Tasmania. If that is accepted then that increases uncertainly about stocks and is another justification regular DEPM-based stock assessments

Dolphins, Seals and Seabirds: Impacts on Populations and Welfare

- Animal welfare concerns about dolphins, seals and seabirds caught and drowned in the trawl net have not been addressed

- Concerns about impacts on threatened species populations have not been addressed

- Excluder Device used by Dirk Dirk may not have been tested – the Seal Excluder Device (SED) that was to be used by Margiris had not been tested

- Inadequate monitoring: no ongoing underwater video monitoring and no commitment to an ongoing observer program

Secrecy Surrounds the Small Pelagic Fishery

- Fishing operations will be hidden from public scrutiny

- There is no commitment by AFMA to a long term observer program

- We will not know what fish are being caught, when they are being caught or where they are being caught (Five Boat Rule should not apply)

- Failure to ensure welfare of seals, dolphins or seabirds is adequately protected

- Nothing to prevent this fishery damaging recreational fisheries

Secrecy Surrounds the Small Pelagic Fishery

- Fisheries Administration Paper 12 (FAP 12) has prevented me from discussing fishery outside SPFRAG and seeking advice from stakeholders and independent scientists outside the AFMA system

Localised Depletion Remains a Problem

- AFMA has completely failed to address this issue in any meaningful way

- There is no acceptable strategy to prevent localised depletion from occurring

- There is no mechanism to identify if localised depletion has occurred or is likely to occur

- The latest AFMA definition for localised depletion provides nothing that can be practically measured or identified

- No significant new scientific information on fish movements has become available since 2012

Localised Depletion Remains a Problem

- There is no information on extent or rates of movement of fish within stocks

- There is currently no way to predict how long it takes for fish to repopulate depleted areas

- There is a lack of information about stock structure and we do not know if there are discrete stocks (e.g. East Coast of Tasmania) that are particularly vulnerable to localised depletion

- AFMA solutions such as “Move on Rules” are not justified by scientific evidence

- AFMA offers no solution to the problem of localised depletion that can be shown to be effective

Highest and Best Use of Small Pelagic Fish

- Recreational fishers and others claim that there would be a greater economic return if small pelagic fish were preserved for their value to recreational fisheries or used for high end human consumption rather than as a low value bulk commodity

Tasmanian Recreational Fisheries 2012/2013:- Goods and Services: $93 Million*

- Value of Boats: $359 Million*

(*Recreational Fishing Survey 2012-2013)

No Cost Benefit Analysis of Value to Recreational Fisheries

- The economic value of this fishery to Australia has not been fully investigated

- The Dirk Dirk proposal is from companies that appear to be primarily owned by foreign entities, limiting economic benefits to Australia

- Recreational use or fishing for high end human consumption may have greater benefits than using these fish as a low value/high volume commodity

AFMA Fails to Listen to Stakeholders

- Stakeholders have raised concerns about the SPF and large factory/freezer vessels for many years, yet these concerns have still not been satisfactorily addressed

AFMA Fails to Address Problems

- Problems associated with the SPF and large Factory/Freezer vessels should have been apparent to AFMA for many years

- The fact that these problems have not yet been addressed in any meaningful way demonstrates an unwillingness by AFMA to manage Australia's small pelagic fishery for all stakeholders and ensure that our marine environment and recreational fisheries are adequately protected

History of the Tasmania’s Small Pelagic Fishery

1. Purse seine fishery for surface schools of jack mackerel.Surface schools disappeared about 20 years ago and have not returned. Fishery could no longer continue.FAIL

2. Midwater trawl fishery for redbait around Tasmania.Commercially viable schools of redbait disappeared. Mid water trawl fishing stopped and trawler sold.FAIL

3. Large factory/freezer trawler Dirk Dirk to use midwater trawl to target jack mackerel, redbait and blue mackerel.????

Fishery Failures: Fishing or Climate Change or Environmental Variables

Even if you assume fishing has had no impact at all on small pelagic fish populations, something else is going on that:

- is having major impacts on small pelagic fish

- needs to be better understood

- has not been taken into account in the current management of the small pelagic fishery

- should make us more cautious

Recreational Fishing

Inadequate protection for important recreational fisheries

Central Place Foragers at risk due to localised depletion

Central Place Foragers at risk due to localised depletion - recreational fishers also at risk

Animal Welfare

Drowning Seabirds, Seals and Dolphins

Population Impacts

- Threat to Seabird, Seal and Dolphin Populations

What will seals eat if their main source of food becomes unavailable due to overfishing?

Small Pelagic Fishery Management Issues

- Old DEPM-Based Stock Assessments

- No Ongoing DEPM-Based Stock Assessments

- Seals, seabirds and dolphins: Impacts on Populations and Welfare

- Secrecy Surrounds the Small Pelagic Fishery

- Localised Depletion Remains a Problem

- Highest and Best Use of Small Pelagic Fish

- No Cost Benefit Analysis of Value to Recreational Fisheries

- AFMA Fails to Listen to Stakeholders

- AFMA Fails to Address Problems

Sustainable Stock – Local Problems

Even if large scale commercial fishing was sustainable, there may still be unacceptable problems:

- Localised Depletion

- Dolphins, Seals and Seabirds: Impacts on Populations and Welfare

- Recreational Fisheries

- Secrecy Surrounding the Small Pelagic Fishery

- Lack of Public Confidence in SPF Management by AFMA / Federal Government

Recent Reports

Expert Panel Report

- Useful review of localised depletion

- Highlights issues surrounding central place foragers

- Outlines potential mitigation measures and areas of relevant research

Review and Update of Harvest Strategy Settings for the Commonwealth Small Pelagic Fishery

Single species and ecosystem considerations

- Scale means that it does not address concerns about localised depletion/local impacts

- Environmental changes/climate changes mean there is uncertainly about the future that is not modelled

RAG and MAC Advice to Reduce Catch

During the 2014 catch setting process the recreational fishing and environment/conservation members on both the Small Pelagic Fishery Resource Assessment Group (SPFRAG) and the South East Management Advisory Committee (SEMAC) recommended that all target stocks should be fished at Tier 3.

Tier 3 is the lowest level of exploitation and provides for a catch of 500 t per stock.

Regardless of this unanimous recommendation by recreational fishing and environment/conservation members, AFMA maintained catch rates at the much higher Tier 2 level.

Problems! Why?

The failure of AFMA to address these problems highlights the failure to genuinely consult with stakeholders outside the commercial fishing industry and the failure to adequately address the concerns of conservation and recreational fishing groups, and the wider community

Problems! Why?

The failure of AFMA to address these problems highlights the failure to genuinely consult with stakeholders outside the commercial fishing industry and the failure to adequately address the concerns of conservation and recreational fishing groups, and the wider community

WHY?

Most of these problems have been apparent for years.

Despite reassuring comments, so far there have been no written commitments or conditions that would address these problems.

Essential Fishery Safeguards

- Regular DEPM assessments of SPF fish stocks 

- Protection for dolphins, seals and other marine animals through mandatory use of validated (by video) Exclusion Devices, 100% offal retention, 100% Observer Coverage, 100% Underwater Video Monitoring, and good fishing practices 

- Transparency - Information on fishing operations should be available for public scrutiny (what, where and when fish are being caught)

- Prevention of localised depletion impacts

- Undertake genuine consultation with all stakeholders, not just industry

If the Dirk Dirk starts fishing there is a realistic expectation that the catch will be somewhere between 10 and 15 times larger.

There will be no opportunity for adaptive management in the first season

Better to prevent problems than have to fix them after they occur