Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2018L01562:body:0:p10
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2018L01562
Segment Type: other
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Character Range: 26958–31398

requires that government agencies identified below implement the following actions. The EPBC Act also requires that all government agencies act in a manner that is consistent with and does not undermine the provisions of this plan.

Mitigation actions
  1. AFMA will require all pelagic longline tuna fishers operating within either the Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery or the Western Tuna and Billfish Fishery, or both fisheries, southwards of the parallel of 25 degrees South to:
    a. employ a line-weighting strategy approved by AFMA that enables the bait to be rapidly taken below the reach of most seabirds;
    b. employ either of the following:
       i. at least one bird-scaring line constructed to a specified standard approved by AFMA, or use another proven mitigation measure approved by AFMA for use without such a line; or
       ii. only set longlines at night;
    c. not discharge offal during line setting; and
    d. employ, as part of an adaptive management approach to seabird bycatch mitigation, such other mitigation measures as AFMA may stipulate following consultation with the Department of the Environment and Energy
    (including, but not limited to, use of bird scaring lines, bird exclusion devices and/or managing offal discharge during line hauling, night setting, and area closures).
  2. AFMA will continue to require domestic and foreign vessels in all longline fisheries operating within Australian jurisdiction to adopt proven mitigation measures that ensure the performance criteria for each fishery are achieved in all areas and seasons. The relevant requirements for each fishery are summarised in Table 1 below.

       Table 1 Summary of seabird bycatch mitigation measures in longline fisheries (the following provides information about seabird bycatch mitigation measures for longline fisheries affected by this threat abatement plan, as at 1 February 2018).
Mitigation                     Antarctic Fishery      Coral Sea Fishery  Eastern Tuna and Billfish  Heard Island and McDonald Islands Fishery

Autolongline                   Other line

Bird scaring line (tori line)  √                      √                                             √ (or night setting)                       √ (2 tori lines)

Line weighting                 √                                                                    √ (or hook-shields)                        √

Night setting                  √ (if limit exceeded)                                                √ (or tori line)                           Undertaken

Offal management               √                      √                  √                          √ (setting only)                           √

Bird exclusion devices         Encouraged                                                                                                      √

Hook-shields                                                                                        √ (or line weighting)

Deck lighting                  √                                                                                                               √

Observers                      √                      √ (upon request)   √ (upon request)           √ (upon request)                           √

Electronic monitoring                                                                               √

Season closures*               √                                                                                                               √

Area closures*                 √                                                                    √                                          √

Performance criteria           √                      √                  √                          √                                          √

Absolute number limits         √                                                                                                               √

  * Where closure of an area or season is for seabird conservation purposes, as opposed to fishery management purposes.

Mitigation                     Macquarie Island Toothfish Fishery  Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery  Western Tuna and Billfish Fishery

Autolongline                   Set demersal longline**

Bird scaring line (tori line)  √ (2 tori lines)                    √                                                                                    √ (or