Coral Sea Fishery - Status report for Re-assessment for Export
Approval Under the EPBC Act
Status Report for Re-assessment for Export Approval Under the
EPBC Act
Coral Sea Fishery
August 2013
This report has been prepared by the Australian Fisheries
Management Authority for consideration by the Department of
Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities
(SEWPAC) in accordance with the fishery’s declaration as a Wildlife
Trade Operation under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity
Conservation Act 1999.
2
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CONTENTS
1.Introduction2
1.1.Coral Sea Commonwealth Marine Reserve2
2.Description of the fishery2
3.Management4
3.1.Management arrangements4
3.2.Consultation process4
3.3.Harvest Strategies4
3.4.Harvest Strategy Review4
3.5.Changes to management arrangements5
3.6.Performance of the fishery5
4.Status of export approval/accreditation under the Environment
Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
(EPBC Act)6
5.Research and monitoring6
5.1.Research Projects6
5.1.Monitoring programs6
5.2.Logbooks6
5.3.Observer coverage7
6.Catch and Effort7
6.1.Total catch of target species7
6.2.Bycatch12
6.3.Ecological Risk Assessment12
6.4.ERA Review Process13
6.5.Catches of shark species to be CITES listed in 2014.13
7.Status of target stock14
7.1.Resource concerns14
8.Interactions with protected species15
9.Impacts of the fishery on the ecosystem in which it
operates15
10.Conclusion15
11.Progress in implementing conditions and recommendations16
Introduction
In August 2010 the Australian Fisheries Management Authority
(AFMA) submitted the Coral Sea Fishery Strategic Assessment Report
(2010 submission) for assessment under the Environment Protection
and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).
Following assessment, the Coral Sea Fishery (CSF) was declared
an approved Wildlife Trade Operation under the EPBC Act for three
years, until 19 November 2013.
This accreditation was subject to a number of conditions and
recommendations, the outcomes of which are discussed in Table 4.
Condition 3 provides that AFMA will produce and present reports to
the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population
and Communities (SEWPAC) annually as per Appendix B to the
Guidelines for the Ecologically Sustainable Management of Fisheries
– 2nd Edition (Guidelines).
This report details changes in the CSF since the 2010 submission
and management responses to the conditions and recommendations of
its accreditation. Where a heading in the Guidelines is not listed,
there have been no significant changes in that area since the 2010
submission.
Coral Sea Commonwealth Marine Reserve
The Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population
and Communities is the lead agency for marine bioregional planning
issues. On 16 November 2012 the Hon. Tony Burke, the then Minister
for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities
announced Commonwealth marine parks, including the Coral Sea Marine
Reserve, will be implemented from July 2014 (see
http://www.environment.gov.au/marinereserves/faap.html). The
government will be allocating approximately $100m in assistance to
commercial fishers and fisheries to adjust to changes that will
result from the displacement of commercial fishing from new
Commonwealth marine reserves. This announcement and the scheduled
implementation of the Coral Sea Marine Reserve will have
implications on fishing methods and sectors (i.e. reduced catch and
effort). It is also anticipated that at the completion of the
fishery adjustment package a smaller number of permit holders and
sectors will be present in the CSF. For that reason some of the
actions under the CSF accreditation have been placed on hold.
Description of the fishery
The CSF lies east of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (GBRMP)
and extends to the edge of the Australian Fishing Zone (Figure 1).
The fishery extends north from Sandy Cape (Fraser Island), to Cape
York. It excludes the areas of the Coringa-Herald and Lihou Reef
National Nature Reserves. Together the Nature Reserves cover
approximately 17,000 square kilometres of coral reef habitat. The
CSF often experiences adverse weather conditions which can make
fishing difficult at certain times of the year.
The CSF is a diverse fishery employing a range of fishing
methods to target a wide variety of species. Participation in the
CSF is limited to 16 fishing permits; this means that to enter the
fishery new entrants must purchase an existing permit and transfer
this into their name. AFMA maintains a register of all Commonwealth
fishing permits on its website.
Figure 1. Area of the Coral Sea Fishery.
A wide range of finfish species are taken in the CSF, as well as
sharks, lobsters, trochus, sea cucumbers and live rock (limestone
encrusted with coralline algae and other encrusting species). Catch
composition varies over time depending on the methods and areas
fished. The sectors and fishing permits of the CSF are based on
fishing techniques. They are:
· Line and Trap Sector – demersal longline, trotlines,
droplines, setlines and handlines, and demersal finfish traps
· Trawl and Trap Sector – otter board trawl gear for fish and
crustaceans and demersal finfish traps
· Sea Cucumber Sector – hand collection
· Aquarium Sector – hand collection, barbless hook and line,
scoop, cast and seine nets
· Lobster and Trochus Sector – hand collection.
Management
Management arrangements
The CSF is managed through a combination of input and output
controls as prescribed in the:
· Fisheries Management Act 1991 (the Act) and associated
amendments and temporary orders
· Fisheries Management Regulations 1992 and associated
amendments and temporary orders
· CSF Harvest Strategies developed in accordance with the
Commonwealth Fisheries Harvest Strategy Policy 2007 and implemented
in 2008, and
· Conditions on fishing permits.
Consultation process
The following consultative bodies have been established to
address management issues in the CSF:
· the CSF Stakeholder Group includes all concession holders and
researchers directly involved in the fishery
· the CSF Expert Committee was formed to consider the review and
development of the Harvest Strategies.
Harvest Strategies
The Harvest Strategies for the CSF are based on a comprehensive
suite of catch and effort triggers recognizing the developmental
nature of the fishery. The triggers aim to detect changes in the
fishery, provide for low cost implementation and allow for
controlled expansion as more information and management resources
become available. There are currently four individual harvest
strategies for the CSF:
1. Hand Collection Sector: Aquarium
2. Hand Collection Sector: Lobster and Trochus
3. Hand Collection Sector: Sea Cucumber, and
4. Line, Trawl and Trap Sector.
Harvest Strategy Review
Harvest strategies for the Coral Sea Fishery (CSF) were
developed during 2007 and adopted in July 2008. Following a period
of implementation AFMA considers a number of amendments are
necessary to better align the harvest strategies with AFMA’s
capacity to monitor and manage risk in the fishery. The four CSF
Harvest Strategies were reviewed by the CSF Expert Panel in 2009
and 2010. The reviews considered:
· the recommendations from the independent CSIRO management
strategy evaluation of the CSF Harvest Strategies conducted in
November 2009
· the Harvest Strategies triggers and responses to ensure they
are both efficient and effective.
Further work is underway to validate and justify the triggers
and to demonstrate that management is appropriate, sustainable and
defensible. Ongoing reviews are scheduled to be undertaken by the
CSF Expert Panel with the view to redraft the numerous individual
sector harvest strategies into a single document. The format of
this revised CSF harvest strategy will better align with the
harvest strategy documents for other AFMA managed fisheries and is
expected to be more user-friendly.
Changes to management arrangements
A limited number of fishing permits are granted for the fishery
each year under the Fisheries Management Act 1991 (the Act).
Permits are subject to conditions set out in section 32(5) of the
Act as well as conditions specified on the permits. Conditions vary
depending on the sector but may include gear restrictions, species
size limits, trigger limits and total allowable catch limits (TACs)
as well as spatial controls.
Trip limits for certain deepwater shark species in the CSF were
implemented through 2010-11 permit conditions. Although relatively
few deepwater sharks are caught in the CSF, these precautionary
management arrangements will help protect these species from
overfishing in the future. This move is part of a broader strategy
to mitigate the risks of overfishing to deepwater sharks in all
Commonwealth managed fisheries. To further restrict the impacts of
fishing on deepwater sharks, permit conditions for 2013-2014 were
changed to prohibit the take of deepwater dogfishes of the
following species – Harrisson’s Dogfish (C. harrissoni), Endeavour
Dogfish (C. moluccensis), Southern Dogfish (C. zeehaani) and
Greeneye Spurdog (Squalus chloroculus) by all sectors. The
condition also outlines that in the event deepwater dogfishes of
the species specified are taken alive, these species must be
returned to the water carefully and quickly.
Permit conditions for 2011-2012 were changed to prohibit the
take of Humphead Maori Wrasse by all sectors except the Aquarium
Sector (which has a 50 specimen limit for the season). This
condition is unchanged for the 2013-2014 fishing season.
For the 2013/14 season the rotational zone plan for the Sea
Cucumber Sector was varied to increase the permitted number of days
on Osprey reef to 30. The plan was varied to allow some flexibility
to operators during the season. This decision was made in
consultation with CSF Stakeholders and was based on a number of
factors including:
· This will be less than the historical amount of days that
could be fished in previous seasons on Osprey reef
· Osprey reef is relatively large approximately 15nm in
length
· Recently effort in the Sea Cucumber Sector has been low (8
days fished in 2011/12 and no fishing in 2012/13)
· The existing measures in the Sea Cucumber Sector Harvest
Strategy (TAC’s and move-on provision) will still be in place as
fishing permit conditions.
The CSF Management Arrangement Booklet describes all management
arrangements for the 2013-2014 fishing season. The booklet is
available on AFMA’s website at
http://www.afma.gov.au/managing-our-fisheries/fisheries-a-to-z-index/coral-sea-fishery/publications-and-forms/.
Performance of the fishery
A statement of the performance of the CSF against its
objectives, performance indicators and performance measures is made
in AFMA’s Annual Report available on AFMA’s website at:
http://www.afma.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/AFMA-Annual-Report2011.12.pdf.
Status of export approval/accreditation under the Environment
Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
(EPBC Act)
The CSF was last assessed under the protected species and export
provisions of the EPBC Act in 2010. The CSF was declared an
approved Wildlife Trade Operation under Part 13A of the
EPBC Act on 19 November 2010, thus allowing export of
product from the fishery until 19 November 2013. Details
of the fishery’s progress against conditions and recommendations of
the export approval are detailed in section 10 of this
report.
Research and monitoring
Research Projects
Research needs in the fishery are reviewed by the CSF
Stakeholder Group. Operators have worked with research
organisations to undertake scientific monitoring programs.
Observers have also undertaken biological sampling of target and
bycatch species. This information is used to assess the impacts of
the fishery on the marine environment and the effectiveness of
management measures and commitments under the bycatch action plan.
Table 1 provides a list of research projects undertaken or
scheduled to be undertaken in the CSF.
Table 1. Summary of research undertaken or scheduled to be
undertaken in the CSF.
Project
Purpose / Outcomes
Research Provider
Status
Coral Sea Commonwealth Marine Reserve: social and economic
assessment of the impacts of commercial and charter fishing
This project assessed the impacts of the proposed marine reserve
in the coral sea on commercial and charter fishing
ABARES commission by SEWPaC
Completed June 2012
Coral Sea Fishery ERA – Phase II TEP and chondrichthyan
species.
A report provided in December 2011 outlined the outcomes of a
species specific ERA of all TEP and Chondrichthyan species likely
to occur in the Coral Sea region.
CSIRO
Completed March 2012
Reducing Uncertainty in Stock Status: Coral Sea Fishery Aquarium
Sector
The Reducing Uncertainty in Stock Status (RUSS) project formed
part of an expanded Fisheries Research Program aimed at
facilitating the classification of Australian Government-managed
fish stocks that were classified as uncertain.
ABARES
Restricted release of the Aquarium sector draft report in
December 2011. Final reports for all sectors have not been
released.
0. Monitoring programs
The monitoring program for the CSF includes information
collected through logbooks and catch disposal records, observer
coverage and independent research. An overview of the monitoring
programs is provided below.
Logbooks
All concession holders in the CSF are required to complete the
designated logbook by method and catch disposal records. Logbooks
provide for the recording of information on the vessel, operator,
gear, location, time and catch for each fishing operation.
Information on bycatch species, interactions with TEP species and
other trip observations including bottom type, scallop size and
discard rates are also collected. Accurate data from logbooks will
allow continued monitoring of bycatch and discards in the fishery
and assist in identifying any emerging issues.
Observer coverage
A total of 90 fishing days were observed in the CSF for the
fishing seasons (2009-10 to 2012-13). This involved six different
boats and a range of fishing methods including line, trap and hand
collection (Sea Cucumber). The details of the observer coverage
over this period are outlined in Table 1.
Observer trips undertaken in the line, trawl and trap sector in
the 2011-12 fishing year were undertaken as per the typical
integrated scientific monitoring program applied on board an auto
line voyage. These trips require biological data collection
including completing catch compositions and collecting length
frequencies, wildlife abundance and interaction data as well as
other general data including daily log information, vessel and gear
details and shot specific information. Further information was
collected on the capture and interaction of the vessel with Gulper
Sharks. The trips observed 100% of the shots by the vessel during
the voyages and no interactions with threatened, endangered or
protected species were reported.
Table 1. Observer coverage for fishing seasons 2009-10 to
2012-13.
Fishing Season
Days observed
Methods observed
Number of trips
Number of boats
Coverage of total effort
2009-10
16
Dropline
1
1
100%
2010-11
7
Dropline
1
1
100%
17
Trap
1
1
11%
10
Hand Collection & Line Fishing
1
1
100%
2011-12
20
Auto long-line
2
1
100%
2012-13*
8
Hand Collection (Aquarium sector)
1
1
72%
12
Auto long-line
1
1
60%
*July 2012 to May 2013
Catch and Effort
Total catch of target species
Catch and effort in the Coral Sea Fishery for the fishing
seasons 2009-10 to 2012-13 are provided in table 1. The differences
in the catch data for particular fishing years within the tables
below are due to the different methods used to record the vessels
landed catch (catch weighed and recorded in catch disposal records)
and the at-sea catch (catch estimates recorded in logbooks).
Table 1: Total landed catch in the CSF between 2008-09 and
2011-12 (excluding Aquarium Sector).
Fishing year
Catch
(whole wt tonnes)
No. of boats
Methods
2009-10
4
2
Diving (hand collection), dropline
2010-11
54.3
4
Trapping, diving, line fishing
2011-12
39.3
3
Diving (hand collection), dropline, longline
2012-13*
16.5
1
Longline
*July 2012 to May 2013
Line, Trawl and Trap Sector
Over the past 3 fishing seasons catch and effort from the line,
trawl and trap sector has declined (table 1). The majority of catch
was taken from the line sector with catches also from the hand
collection sector (table 2).
Auto-long line catches for the past three seasons have been
below the harvest strategy species triggers. In terms of the
trigger pertaining to changes in catch composition (if the relative
catch proportion of any species changes by >30% from its
historical average AND the catch of this species is greater than
1t, invoke a Level 1 response on the relevant species), one species
(flame snapper) exceeded this trigger for the past two seasons
while spikes in catches were also observed for bar rockcod,
blue-eye trevalla, and ruby snapper. Industry members have advised
that in recent years targeting practices have changed due to new
marketing opportunities for particular species. This has resulted
in the spike in catches for these species which is largely
attributable to a change in depths fished. Ongoing monitoring and
observer coverage is scheduled to continue during 2013 on auto-line
fishing vessels to monitor catch rates and effort. Given the
announcement and scheduled implementation of the Coral Sea Marine
Reserve (see section 9.1) and exclusion of auto-long lining from
the fishery in mid-2014, the potential risks of overfishing these
species in the CSF are considered low. Thereforeno further
management restrictions will be considered during 2013.
Table 2: Logbook catch, effort and CPUE for line, trawl and trap
methods for fishing years 2008-09 to 2011-12.
Fishing year
Trap lifts
Catch (Kg whole weight)
CPUE (total catch/total effort)
2009-10
0
0
0
2010-11
11,081
77,973
7.04
2011-12
0
0
0
2012-13
0
0
0
Fishing year
Trawl hours
Catch (Kg whole weight)
CPUE (total catch/total effort)
2009-10
0
0
0
2010-11
0
0
0
2011-12
0
0
0
2012-13
0
0
0
Fishing year
Dropline hooks[footnoteRef:1][1] [1: [1] Hook numbers for
dropline are calculated by multiplying the number of line lifts by
the average number of hooks per line.]
Catch (Kg whole weight)
CPUE (total catch/total effort)
2009-10
216
1,239
5.7
2010-11
555
528
0.95
2011-12
864
295
0.34
2012-13
0
0
0
Fishing year
Longline hooks
Catch (Kg whole weight)
CPUE (total catch/total effort)
2009-10
0
0
0
2010-11
687
1,733.6
0.4
2011-12
244,100
39,264
0.16
2012-13
111,500
16,455
6.77
Note fishing year 2012-13 is for the period July 2012 to May
2013
Hand Collection (Sea Cucumber) Sector
Sea cucumber catch landed in the CSF for years 2009-10 to
2012-13 is provided in table 3. Assessing the sea cucumber catch
against the harvest strategy trigger limits for the past 3 seasons
shows that all catches by species were below the catch limits (see
table 4).
Table 3: Logbook catch, effort and CPUE for hand collection (sea
cucumber) for fishing years 2008-09 to 2011-12.
Fishing year
Dive hours
Catch (Kg whole weight)
CPUE (total catch/total effort)
2009-10
31.5
1,887
59.9
2010-11
100
4,375
43.7
2011-12
92
2,772
30.1
2012-13*
0
0
0
*Reported up to May 2013
Table 4: Assessment of hand collection Sector: Sea Cucumber CDR
catches against the Harvest Strategy catch limits for years 2010-11
to 2011-12.
Common name
Species
Size limit
Annual quota per permit
Total Allowable Catch
2010-11 Catches
2011-12 Catches
Black teatfish
Holothuria whitmaei
25 cm
500 kg
1 tonne
8 kg
407 kg
White teatfish
Holothuria fuscogilva
32 cm
2 tonnes
4 tonnes
1,201 kg
1,950 kg
Sand fish
Holothuria scabra
16 cm
500 kg
1 tonne
Prickly redfish
Thelenota ananas
30 cm
10 tonnes
20 tonnes
380 kg
732 kg
Surf red fish
Actinopyga mauritiana
15 cm
5 tonnes
10 tonnes
Any combination of greenfish and lollyfish
Greenfish – Stichopus chloronotus
Lollyfish – Holothuria atra
15cm
5 tonnes
10 tonnes
Any other single species
15 cm
5 tonnes
10 tonnes
59 kg
All species of the Order Aspidochirotida
15 cm
75 tonnes (including the take of the above species)
150 tonnes (including the take of the above species)
Aquarium Sector
For the past three fishing season the days fished for all
species groups by the aquarium sector has been below the harvest
strategy trigger of 200 days’ fishing. Total specimen catches from
the aquarium sector have also been below the 40,000 specimen season
trigger outlined in the harvest strategy (see table 5). Catches of
Humphead Maori Wrasse from the Aquarium Sector over the past 3
years have included 11 specimens in 2011-2012 and 11 specimens in
2012-2013. This take is below the 25 specimen limit for an aquarium
sector fishing permit. There has been limited take of living rock
in this sector for the past three fishing seasons.
The aquarium harvest strategy also requires a supplementary
analysis designed to detect a significant change (30%) in the
relative proportion of catch. An assessment of the 2011-12 catches
showed that 2 species groups were above their 30% range, this
included Damselfish and Gobies. Catches for the 2012-13 season show
that these 2 species groups again above their range (Table 5).
The CSF aquarium expert group members were contacted regarding
2011-12 catches in February 2013 and comments were sought regarding
the breaches in the triggers associated with detecting a
significant change in catch composition. Advice was also requested
on the need and level of management responses. The following
comments were noted from panel members:
· The potential risk of overfishing these species is considered
low given the low fishing footprint or coverage relative to the
level of unexploited suitable habitat in a fishing year
· It is also unlikely that all ‘goby’ or ‘damselfish’ species
will be at the same risk from fishing and noted that this is only
the second year ‘gobies’ have been reported and there is no obvious
trend for ‘damselfish’ for the past 4 years
· The reporting of species groups both ‘gobies’ and ‘damselfish’
in logbooks are too generic to determine if the trigger harvest
levels are a concern for the species within these groups.
In summary, given the potential risk of overfishing posed by the
nature of the aquarium sector is considered low and the available
catch information does not indicate a worrying trend, no further
management restrictions are recommended at this time. In response
to exceeding the catch composition trigger, it is recommended to
explore options to develop and implement monitoring practices to
include the reporting of catches at the species level (specifically
for ‘goby’ and ‘damselfish’ species). This will help provide more
information to better assess and manage the impacts of fishing
overtime.
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Table 5 - Assessment of catches from the Aquarium Sector of the
Coral Sea Fishery against triggers for years 2010-2011 to
2012-13*.
*Catch reported for the 2012-13 season up to 31 March 2013.
Bycatch
The CSF catches in excess of 850 species. The species caught
vary depending on the methods used as well as the areas and times
fished. Due to the variability in species caught and in fishing
effort across the different fishery sectors, the distinction
between target and bycatch species is difficult to make, if not a
redundant distinction, since for the line, trawl and trap sectors
in particular, there are no clearly defined “target species” per
se.
From the perspective of bycatch, it is noted that
· Bycatch is negligible for the Hand Collection Sector
(Aquarium, Lobster and Trochus, Sea Cucumber), as fishers can take
target species discriminately.
· Wilson et al. (2010) report that the Line, Trawl and Trap
Sectors take a wide variety of species, with operations varying
both temporally and spatially. These fishing methods are relatively
non-selective. Anecdotal reports suggest the trap-caught fish can
be released alive if unwanted; however, post-release survival is
not well documented for this fishery. Possible ghost fishing from
lost traps has been mitigated through the use of sacrificial anodes
on trap doors. The use of sacrificial anodes is a requirement under
the fishing permit.
Bycatch and Discarding WorkPlan
The most recent CSF Bycatch and Discarding Workplan was
implemented for the period 1 July 2010 to 30 June 2012. As the
fishery is undergoing a transitional phase due to the announcement
of the Coral Sea Marine reserve and the adjustment assistance
package by Mr Tony Burke, the Minister for SEWPaC in 2012, work to
review and develop a new bycatch workplan for the fishery is
currently on hold until the completion of the adjustment package
and the remaining concession holders (sectors) in the fishery are
known.
Ecological Risk Assessment
The Coral Sea Fishery has undertaken a preliminary Level 1
Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA) and a semi qualitative Level 2 ERA
for Chondrichthyan and Protected (TEP) species. Hand collection
methods presented a low risk to all species considered. Finfish
trapping also presented a low risk to most species, with bathyl and
reef sharks the only exception with medium risk. No CITES listed
(or soon to be listed in 2014) shark species were considered high
risk from the effects of fishing during the ERA process.
Marine turtles, bathyl sharks (>200m) and reef sharks were
all afforded a high risk rating for trawl and line methods, while
pelagic and shelf sharks were given a high risk rating for line
methods only. There have been no reported interactions with turtles
in the CSF. This is supported by observer coverage which covers a
minimum of 25% of trips.
The Lobster and Trochus, Aquarium, and Sea Cucumber sub-sectors
employ methods which are highly selective and able to avoid bycatch
species. No species were identified as being at high risk from hand
collection methods under the ERAs conducted for the CSF to date.
Hand collection methods in the CSF are highly selective and do not
result in bycatch; consequently there is unlikely to be any
discarding.
Line Sector
Trip limits for deepwater sharks were introduced in 2010 and
discourage fishing where there is a high bycatch of these species
and more recently in 2013 the take of dogfish species was
prohibited. Additional trip limits for other potential high risk
species will continue to be implemented through the CSF Harvest
Strategy.
Future bycatch mitigation measures may include the design and
implementation of best practice protocols for handling of sharks
and other species of concern. In the future it may also be
necessary to further investigate the risk factors for turtles if
interactions are detected and if necessary, develop best practice
handling protocols.
Trawl Sector
Bycatch reduction measures such as the use of Turtle Excluder
Devices (TEDs) and trip limits demonstrate sustainability. As with
the line sector, trip limits for deepwater sharks were introduced
in 2010 and the prohibited take of dogfish species in 2013
discourage fishing where there is a high bycatch of these species.
Development of operating procedures outlining areas (including
depths) fished, timing of fishing (if appropriate) and other
measures may further assist in this regard.
Trap sector
No species were identified as being at high risk from demersal
fin fish trapping under the ERAs conducted for the CSF to date.
Detailed reporting and the use of observers will continue to be
used to identify any emerging risks posed by the use of demersal
finfish traps. Trap design, including the nature of sacrificial
anodes on trap doors, is regulated through permit conditions. Best
practice guidelines for handling and release of unwanted species
and operation of traps more generally may reduce any existing risks
posed by this sector.
ERA Review Process
On 27 June 2011, AFMA convened a panel of representatives from
CSIRO, ABARES, AFMA, Queensland Fisheries and CSF concession
holders (CSF Expert Panel). The CSF Expert Panel considered the
risks to target, bycatch and discard species in the CSF. Further
risk assessment work was completed by CSIRO on all TEP and
chondrichthyan species (see Fry 2012). The final report was
completed in March 2012.
The results from ABARES’ Reducing Uncertainty in Stock Status
(RUSS) project will assist AFMA to assess the risks to target,
bycatch and discard species in the Aquarium Sector, Line and Trap
Sector, Trawl and Trap Sector and the Hand Collection Sector. This
wation of the Coral Sea Marine Reserve will further reduce the
environmental impacts in the fishery. Work to progress the ERA
review process is scheduled to re-commence post the fisheries
adjustment assistance package.
Catches of shark species to be CITES listed in 2014.
Five pelagic shark species are to be listed under CITES in
2014;
· Scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini)
· Smooth hammerhead (Sphyrna zygaena)
· Great hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran)
· Oceanic white tip (Carcharhinus longimanus)
· Porbeagle shark (Lamna nasus)
AFMA logbooks indicate that catches of Scalloped Hammerhead,
Smooth Hammerhead and Oceanic Whitetip sharks have occurred in the
Dropline and Auto long-line sectors. No catches have been reported
since 2009 and no catches of Great Hammerheads or Porbeagles have
been recorded (Table 6).
Table 6 - Logbook catches of shark species to be CITES listed in
2014 by method (1997 to 2013).
Scalloped Hammerhead
Smooth Hammerhead
Oceanic Whitetip Shark
Fishing Season
Auto long-line
Dropline
Handline
Auto long-line
Dropline
1997-98
7
1998-99
156
1999-00
200
2000-01
367
100
2004-05
1235
2005-06
12018
400
2006-07
1089
2007-08
1591
2008-09
68
Status of target stock
Resource concerns
The majority of stocks in the CSF continue to be assessed as
‘uncertain’ under the Fishery Status Reports 2011 (see Woodhams et
al, 2011). However, compared to the 2010 assessment some changes
were reported in the 2011 fishery status assessment, these
included:
· the Aquarium Sector is now assessed as ‘not subject to
overfishing’ and ‘not overfished’ due to the maximum potential
effort under the management constraints is likely to have minimal
impact on the stocks.
· Surf Redfish and black teatfish are now assessed as ‘not
subject to overfishing’ due to the low catch, while the biomass
remains ‘uncertain’ because there is no current assessment for
determining biomass status.
· The Line and Trap Sector is now assessed as ‘not subject to
overfishing’ due to the fishing mortality levels are unlikely to
constitute overfishing. The biomass assessment for the numerous
finfish and shark species remains ‘uncertain’ as there are
currently no assessments for determining the biomass status of
these species.
Two CSF stocks are no longer formally assessed in the Fishery
Status Reports 2011:
· Trochus (Trochus niloticus or Tectus pyramis) - trochus catch
has not been reported in the Coral Sea Fishery since 2001. Although
a catch trigger still applies to trochus, the stock is not
currently considered a key commercial species.
· Sandfish (Holothuria spp.) - Sandfish catch has not been
reported in the Coral Sea Fishery since 2000. Although a TAC is in
place for sandfish, the stock is not currently considered a key
commercial stock.
Interactions with protected species
Since the 2010 submission there have been no interactions with
TEP species recorded in logbooks or observer reports. Given the low
levels of fishing effort and the observer coverage levels in the
fishery the risk of interacting with protected species are
considered low.
Impacts of the fishery on the ecosystem in which it operates
There has been no change since the last assessment of the
fishery (in early 2010) under the EPBC Act to the nature of the
impacts of the CSF on the ecosystem or the way AFMA manages the CSF
to minimise ecosystem impacts.
Conclusion
AFMA Management considers that the CSF is being managed
consistently with the 2010 assessment and in accordance with the
accreditation of the CSF as a WTO under the EBPC Act. Further, no
CSF species have been classified in the Fishery Status Reports 2011
as ‘overfished/subject to overfishing’ and there have been no
reported interactions with TEP species since the 2010
submission.
AFMA has progressed implementation of conditions and
recommendations resulting from the 2010 assessment as described in
Section 10 below.
Progress in implementing conditions and recommendations
Table 4 – Conditions and recommendations on the approved
Wildlife Trade Operation declaration for the Coral Sea Fishery
Performance Criteria
Level of Achievement
Condition 1: Operation of the fishery will be carried out in
accordance with the management regime in force under the Fisheries
Management Act 1991 and the Fisheries Management Regulations
1992.
Achieved.
Condition 2: AFMA to inform SEWPAC of any intended amendments to
the CSF management arrangements that may affect the assessment of
the fishery against the criteria on which EPBC Act decisions are
based.
Achieved. Since the CSF was declared an approved WTO SEWPAC have
been advised of amendments to the management arrangements that may
affect the criteria on which EPBC Act decisions are based (see
above at Section 3.5).
Condition 3: AFMA to produce and present reports to SEWPAC
annually as per Appendix B to the Guidelines for the Ecologically
Sustainable Management of Fisheries - 2nd Edition.
Achieved.
Condition 4: AFMA to:
a. by July 2011, convene a panel of experts to determine
the risks to target, bycatch and discard species in the CSF
b. by July 2011 address concerns raised by the Independent
Comment on the Methodology used for the Coral Sea Fishery
qualitative risk analysis—Part 1 with particular considerations to
the recommendations arising from this review
c. develop and commence the implementation of appropriate
risk mitigation strategies for high risks identified through the
risk assessment processes for the CSF.
The CSF Expert Panel met in June 2011 to consider the risks to
target, bycatch and discard species in the CSF. AFMA is to finalise
the risk assessment process once the results of ABARES’ Reducing
Uncertainty in Stock Status are available.
The Aquarium Sector risks and Harvest Strategy review was
considered by the CSF Expert Panel in 2012. This draft report will
be considered at the next annual stakeholder meeting.
Condition 5: AFMA to:
a. implement species specific identification and reporting of
chondrichthyan species taken in the CSF
b. should species grouping be required, AFMA to provide
scientific justification
c. implement management measures that limit the take of
chondrichthyans in the CSF to levels that are sufficiently
precautionary to assist AFMA in ensuring ecologically sustainable
management of the take of chondrichthyans in the CSF.
Ongoing. CSIRO completed a further assessment of chondrichthyans
and TEPS at the species level for each sector, in 2012. This report
will be further considered by the CSF Expert Panel in conjunction
with the final RUSS reports.
Progress to complete this condition is on hold until the
completion of the fishery adjustment package and the remaining
sectors in the CSF are known.
Condition 6: AFMA to manage the take of school shark
(Galeorhinus galeus) and eastern gemfish (Rexea solandri) in the
CSF in a manner that is complementary to the management strategies
outlined in the School Shark Stock Rebuilding Strategy 2008 and
Eastern Gemfish Stock Rebuilding Strategy 2008.
Achieved through ongoing monitoring. There have been low catches
of both school shark and eastern gemfish. The CSF Harvest
Strategies require monitoring of catch and effort trends which is
consistent with the rebuilding strategies for these two
species.
Condition 7: AFMA, in consultation with Australia’s CITES
Scientific Authority, to develop and implement a long term
monitoring program for Humphead Maori Wrasse (Cheilinus undulates)
stocks related to the fishery. The monitoring program should be
capable of identifying, at a minimum, species specific catch
levels, size of specimens collected and any areas at risk of
localised and/or serial depletion in the area of the fishery.
.
Ongoing. Monitoring program for Humphead Maori Wrasse has been
developed and implemented in consultation with Queensland Fisheries
which has been contracted by AFMA to provide the logbook service
for the CSF Aquarium Sector. Aquarium Sector concession holders are
now required to report the number of Humphead Maori Wrasse taken
per trip, record the size of the specimens collected and specify
the area where these were taken. This data is assessed
annually.
Condition 8: By 30 September 2011, AFMA to review the data
validation program for the CSF and consider an appropriate data
validation system for the Aquarium sector.
Commenced. AFMA has commenced a review of the data validation
program for the fishery and consideration of an appropriate data
validation system for the Aquarium Sector.
Condition 9: Consistent with the recommendations made in the
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation Coral
Sea Fishery – Review of harvest strategies 2009 AFMA to:
a. validate and justify the triggers contained in the Harvest
Strategies for all sectors of the CSF; and
b. report annually on the analysis of catches against these
triggers and any management responses implemented as a result.
A further review of the Harvest Strategy trigger limits will be
undertaken as part of AFMA’s individual sector risk assessment
process with the CSF Expert Panel. AFMA expects to have the
validated/justified revised triggers approved by the CSF
Stakeholder Group at its next annual meeting.
AFMA has completed analysis of catches against the current
harvest strategy triggers and reports have been provided to the CSF
Expert Panel and stakeholders for consideration. Following
consideration by the CSF Expert Panel, AFMA provided a report of
the analysis, including any management responses, to SEWPAC in
March 2013.
Recommendation 1: AFMA to:
a. ensure catch reporting and monitoring in the CSF, including
species specific and spatial information, is sufficient to monitor
the performance of the fishery, especially the Aquarium sector;
and
b. actively respond to the finer scale information gathered in
a) to inform the management of the fishery.
AFMA has engaged Queensland Fisheries to provide logbook
services for the Aquarium Sector. Catch reporting and monitoring,
including spatial information, and harvest strategy triggers for
the aquarium sector were considered by the CSF Expert Panel in
2012.
Recommendation 2: AFMA to continue to cooperate with other
relevant jurisdictions to pursue complementary management and
research for species harvested in the CSF.
AFMA has engaged Queensland Fisheries to provide logbook
services for the Aquarium Sector recognising that these operators
fish in State and Commonwealth waters. Representatives from
Queensland Fisheries attend CSF Expert Panel meetings.
References
Fry, G. 2012. Coral Sea Fishery ERA – Phase II TEP and
chondrichthyan species. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial
Research Organisation (CSIRO).
Wilson, D.T., Curtotti, R. and Begg, G. (eds) 2010. Fishery
status reports 2009. Status of fish stocks managed by the
Australian Government, Australian Bureau of Agricultural and
Resource Economics – Bureau of Rural Sciences, Canberra.
Woodhams, J, Vieira, S & Stobutzki, I (eds) 2012, Fishery
status reports 2011. Australian Bureau of Agriculture and Resource
Economics and Sciences, Canberra.
Percent Range
0.57-1.07
10.12-18.80
0.27-0.51
4.79-8.89
16.33-30.33
0.44-0.82
18.73-34.78
2.07-3.85
5.87-10.89
19.83-36.83
0.34-0.62
14.24-26.44
2.63-4.88
6.28-11.66
19.05-35.37
5572-1034827.21
Wrasse68907925.397960
3.75
Surgeonfish6829918.3622461572-2920Above 8.97
20.34
Gobies5212503.5555389-722Above
134-2500.48
Damselfish59678518.9762604382-8138
Angelfish491610.45192
All713576110033361100
2012-2013
5572-1034828.33
Wrasse81945223.747960
2.96
Surgeonfish7327977.0222461572-29208.38
Above 26.75
Gobies529892.48555389-722Above
134-2500.63
Damselfish65892522.4162604382-8138
Angelfish492110.53192
All833981910033361100
2011-2012
5690-1056623.33
Wrasse79729226.248128
0.39
Surgeonfish7421397.719821387-25776.84
14.46
Gobies191210.44753527-979Below -30%
360-668Below -30%0.82
Damselfish59452116.2757234006-7440
Angelfish402570.92514
All792779310031259100
2010-2011
5 Yr Avg Number Number 5 Yr SeasonSpecies Days Number
Percent
