2016 SoE Marine Chapter - Effectiveness of Management - Recreational fishing

The Marine chapter of the 2016 State of the Environment (SoE) report incorporates multiple expert templates developed from streams of marine data. This metadata record describes the Expert Assessment "Effectiveness of marine management of recreational fishing". The full Expert Assessment, including figures and tables (where provided), is attached to this record. Where available, the Data Stream(s) used to generate this Expert Assessment are accessible through the "On-line Resources" section of this record.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESSURE BEING MANAGED, AND ITS IMPACT
Recreational fishing continues to have considerable value as a popular Australian lifestyle activity contributing both economic benefits to the economy and playing an important social role in the Australian way of life. The most recent Australia wide survey of recreational and indigenous fishing was conducted in 2000-01. The results of this survey indicated that 3.4 million people participated in recreational fishing during this 12 month period generating an estimated $1.8 billion in expenditure on services and items related to recreational fishing. 
For example, in Western Australia a recent survey of recreational fishing found that approximately 711,000 people (29.6% of the population) fished recreationally in the 2014/15  period compared to 691,000 in 2011/12 (32% of the population). Over 160,000 recreational fishing licences were issued during 2014/15 for specific recreational fishing activities. All revenue raised from licence fees goes back into recreational fisheries management. During the 2014/15 period, the Department of Fisheries Western Australia spent a total of $19 million on managing recreational fishing around the State, which includes the development of harvest strategies that include sectoral allocation and target catch ranges for both the recreational and commercial fish resources.  Through this process, 19 fish resources have been identified as having a significant recreational fishing component and of these, 85% currently have catch ranges within acceptable limits.
DATA STREAM(S) USED IN EXPERT ASSESSMENT
The assessment is based on expert knowledge of recreational fisheries management, peer-reviewed publications, state/territory and national assessments of fish stocks and recreational fishing activities and expert input from the Australian Fisheries Management Forum. Details of the specific data sets used to generate this assessment have not been provided.
2016 SOE ASSESSMENT SUMMARY [see attached Expert Assessment for full details]
• Understanding of pressure: National and state/territory surveys have been conducted although understanding of overall impacts on stock status is not always known. In some jurisdictions ecosystem based approaches also include understanding of risks to species habitats and ecosystem structure.
• Planning associated with management of pressure: Most jurisdictions have formal recreational fisheries management capacity and most incorporate ecosystems based approach to assessing risk, with increasing focus on habitat and fishery enhancement.
• Input for informing management of pressure: Survey data include catch and effort data, and some social/behavioural and economic information.
• Processes associated with developing, monitoring, and updating management: All jurisdictions use a range of controls including access restrictions, closed areas, closed seasons, restrictions on gear types, daily bag limits, minimum and or maximum size limits, possession limits, and licencing.
• Outputs from management framework in place: National and jurisdictional survey data and reports can be used to provide information across species and stock ranges.
• Outcomes of management framework in place: Recovery of some previously overfished species is occurring.
CHANGES SINCE 2011 SOE ASSESSMENT
Commercial and recreational fisheries and traditional use of resources were all included in the one assessment in the 2011 report.

Tags: expert assessment, fisheries management, recreational fishing
Organization: Australian Ocean Data Network