Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2018L01562:body:0:p16
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2018L01562
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 48001–51142

hooks

Macquarie Island Toothfish Fishery                                                                                     0.01 birds per 1000 hooks

Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery: scalefish hook, shark hook and scalefish automatic longline sectors  0.01 birds per 1000 hooks in each of the demersal longline sectors

Western Tuna and Billfish Fishery                                                                                      0.05 birds per 1000 hooks in each fishing area

All other longline fisheries (including new and developing fisheries)                                                  0.01 birds per 1000 hooks

Seabird bycatch occurs where a seabird is observed caught during longline fishing (see also the definition of interaction). This is the number of seabirds reported caught: (a) by an AFMA scientific observer or other independent observer approved by AFMA on board the fishing vessel, and/or (b) by the fishing operator in the logbook records in compliance with arrangements for the fishery where longline fishing is subject to independent monitoring using an electronic monitoring system approved by AFMA.
AFMA will monitor performance against these criteria at a fishery level and/or for individual vessels. AFMA may, as appropriate, hold individual vessels responsible for meeting the criteria and apply a management response to vessels that breach the criteria.
These criteria have been set on the basis of annual fishing levels at the time this threat abatement plan was approved. Trends in fishing effort will be reviewed annually and, if fishing levels increase or decrease significantly (by more than 20 per cent), AFMA and the Department of the Environment and Energy may review the maximum permissible bycatch rates identified above, taking into account spatial and temporal trends, and the vulnerability of seabird species encountered. AFMA, the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources and the Department of the Environment and Energy, may arrange more sophisticated analyses in any instances where bycatch rates are close to the maximum permissible levels and are uncertain.

Duration and cost of threat abatement process
Threat abatement plans may identify the duration and cost of the threat abatement process (EPBC Act s 271(4)(a)). This threat abatement plan will be reviewed within five years of its coming into force. The cost of this plan will be covered under the core business expenditure of the affected agencies. There are costs to industry in meeting the requirements set out in this plan. The overall costs should be similar to those incurred in implementing the previous plan, and are not expected to significantly increase, and may decrease in some instances as a result of this plan. These costs are an unavoidable consequence of the need to abate the incidental catch (or bycatch) of seabirds during oceanic longline fishing operations in a feasible, effective and efficient manner.

Organisations and persons involved in evaluating the performance of threat abatement plan
Threat abatement plans may identify the organisations and persons involved in