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This issue report describes the state of wild fisheries within Tasmanian jurisdiction. For most species this extends to three nautical miles offshore, although for the rock lobster, abalone, and some minor fisheries jurisdiction extends to 200 nautical miles. Some commercial fisheries may be based in Tasmania or occur within three nautical miles (shark, blue eye trevalla, the south-east fishery) but are under Commonwealth jurisdiction and are therefore not included in this summary. Tasmania's wild fisheries have been used since the earliest period of human habitation. Aboriginal people were heavily dependent on shellfish in their diet, and most lived along the coast. Many Tasmanian coastal towns such as St. Helens, Triabunna, Dover, Currie and Strahan continue to rely substantially on fishing, while for many other Tasmanians it is their main source of recreation. In 2000, the landed value of Tasmanian fisheries was in excess of $170 million, nearly all of this value being comprised by abalone and rock lobster. Traditionally, wild fisheries existed with few management controls but recent legislation such as the Living Marine Resources Management Act 1995 and management plans for all major fisheries has attempted to achieve greater sustainability. In the last five years, significant management changes have included the introduction of quota in the rock lobster fishery, zoning in the abalone fishery and increased controls on gear usage in the scalefish fishery. Recreational fishers have seen increased licensing of certain gear, gear restrictions, size limits, and bag limits. Recognition of the importance of fisheries assessments has seen an emphasis on improving the quality of data collected for wild fisheries. This has been most apparent for the scalefish fishery, where a daily logbook has been introduced. There has seen an increase in the assessment of the impact of recreational fishing in the harvest of some species. Data on populations of non-commercial species are severely limited. Ideally, assessments of wild fisheries would include assessment of non-targeted species that may be subject to unintended fishing pressure through by-catch. Species which may not yet have commercial applications may be important for the general health of marine ecosystems. Maintaining sustainable commercial and recreational fisheries provides important economic and social benefits to Tasmania. Proper management of catch and fishing methods aims to minimise the impact of harvesting on biodiversity and the marine environment. Wild fisheries occur in nearly all Tasmanian coastal waters and, as such, are a key part of the economy for coastal communities. Abalone and rock lobster are the most valuable fisheries and fishing for these species occurs right around the State and the Bass Strait islands. Assessing and measuring the current situation Tasmania has prepared reports for Environment Australia, as required for assessment under guidelines for Schedule 4 listing under the Wildlife Protection (Regulation of Exports and Imports) Act 1982, for both the abalone and rock lobster fisheries. |
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Total Seafood Catch and Estimated Wild Fish Stocks - at a glance
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Total seafood catch and wild fisheries stock assessments suggest relative stability in Tasmanian fisheries. The blacklip abalone fishery has declined in eastern waters but is healthy in western waters and, as such, current management aims to move effort from east coast to west coast stocks. The rock lobster fishery is recovering from early exploitation with current catch levels being sustainable. The low value of most scalefish fisheries limits assessment but the quality of data collected has improved significantly in recent years. Effort has declined in scalefish fisheries regulated through limited entry but has increased dramatically in some less regulated fisheries such as squid and calamari. The number of recreational licences for most fisheries has increased substantially and recreational catches for some species exceeds that of the commercial fishery Fisheries managers will be including a larger range of objectives in fisheries management plans to cover social and economic, as well as ecological, aspects of fisheries management. Managers will also be exploring the concept of 'ecosystem-based' management in marine capture fisheries, with the aim of incorporating broader ecological considerations in both fisheries research and management. Tasmania Together and the RMPS Relevant Tasmania Together goals and standards for 'Coastal, Estuarine and Marine' are listed in the linked file. The Tasmania Together Progress Board reported on progress toward targets for benchmarks set (Tasmania Together Progress Board 2003). Indicators, targets and baseline data are available in the latest Progress Report June 2003. Further information, including progress report updates, is available from Tasmania Together. Involvement of the community, and the fair and orderly use of resources are also fundamental principles of the RMPS. The RMPS objectives have been developed to advance the principles of sustainable development.
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