Statement of the performance of the fishery against objectives, performance indicators and performance measures. The NWSTF and WDTF do not have formal objectives and performance indicators; however AFMA works to manage all of its fisheries under five objectives. The objectives are (as set out in the Fisheries Administration Act 1991) in essence: Objective Performance measure Level of activity against performance measures and objectives Efficient and fisheries management Implement efficient and cost—effective fisheries management arrangements. Ensure such arrangements and related activities implement Australia's obligations under relevant international agreements. Due to the low level of effort in the fishery, AFMA continue to minimise administrative burden on permit holders in these fisheries, while working with the adjacent jurisdiction of WA to ensure sustainable fisheries management. Ecologically sustainable development Ensure fishing and related activity is consistent with the principles of ecologically sustainable development, including exercise of the precautionary principle, with regard to the long term sustainability of the marine environment. A harvest strategy is in place for the fishery, which is pending review (following OCS decision) to ensure best practice fisheries management is still occurring. Maximise net economic returns Maximise net economic returns to the Australian community from the management of Australian fisheries. Accountability Ensure accountability to the fishing industry and to the Australian community in our management of fisheries resources. The harvest strategy for the fishery sets a range of trigger and reference points to ensure sustainable and efficient fisheries management. Cost recovery Achieve government targets in relation to recovery of costs. These fisheries are cost recovered through permit fees. There are currently minimal costs in management due to the low effort in the fishery. effective
reference point (LRP) was not triggered; orange = LRP triggered in one year; red = LRP triggered in two consecutive years. MHC = Maximum Historic Catch trigger levels. Species Limit RP (kg/vessel_day) MHC (mt) MHC x2 (mt) Year Annual CPUE (kg/vessel_day) Catch (mt) Australian Scampi 31.9 30 60 2011 256.0 21.504 2012 219.9 7.915 2013 227.2 19.311 2014 196.1 12.159 2015 210.2 22.911 Boschmas Scampi 25.4 10 20 2011 94.5 0.756 2012 na na 2013 126.0 3.402 2014 201.7 3.8 2015 na na Velvet Scampi 21.2 15 30 2011 180.0 3.600 2012 167.5 3.015 2013 89.1 3.474 2014 93.9 2.628 2015 94.8 4.7 Scampi mixed 30.5 30 60 2011 na na 2012 19.8 0.416 2013 14.9 0.164 2014 na na 2015 17.1 0.341 Total Scampi 39 85 170 2011 284.2 25.860 2012 257.9 11.346 2013 271.7 26.351
Scampi mixed 27.7 25 50 2011 na na 2012 11.1 0.111 2013 8.3 0.025 2014 na na 2015 na na Total Scampi 33.1 70 140 2011 142.3 3.699 2012 388.5 5.439 2013 232.4 7.900 2014 250.4 9.263 2015 211.1 5.912 Redspot Emperor 101.2 35 70 2011 228.6 1.600 2012 na na 2013 na na 2014 na na 2015 na na Saddletail Snapper 67.6 15 30 2011 406.7 8.540 2012 na na 2013 na na 2014 na na 2015 na na Western Deepwater Trawl Fishery The majority of effort in the WDTF occurs in the western region, however there was no effort in the WDTF during 2015, and only one boat operated in the western region during 2014 (Figure 1). Negligible effort has occurred in the Gascoyne region since 2010 (Figure 1).
WDWTF Piked dogfish Squalus megalops Piked Spurdog Piked Spurdog 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 WDWTF Endeavour dogfish Centrophorus moluccensis Endeavour Dogfish Endeavour Dogfish 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 WDWTF Longspine chimaera Chimaera sp NA NA 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 WDWTF Whitefin chimaera Chimaera sp NA NA 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 WDWTF Australian Tusk Dannevigia tusca Tusk Tusk 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 WDWTF Chinaman/Leatherjacket Nelusetta ayraudi NA NA 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 WDWTF Gemfish Rexea solandri Gemfish Gemfish 0 0 0.189 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 WDWTF Jackass Morwong Nemadactylus macropterus Jackass Morwong NA 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 WDWTF Mirror Dory Zenopsis nebulosus Mirror Dory Mirror Dory 0 0 2.625 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 WDWTF Tang Snapper Lipocheilus carnolabrum Tang Snapper Tang Snapper 0 0 0 0 0 WDWTF Yellow-spotted boarfish Paristiopterus gallipavo NA Yellowspotted Boarfish 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 NWSTF Scarlet Prawn Aristaeopsis edwardsiana NA NA 0 0 0.024 0.17 0.018 0 0 0.00059 0 0
Reporting against the conditions and recommendations from the 2012 assessment Issue Condition Progress against conditions and recommendations Annual reporting It is important that reports be produced and presented to the department annually in order for the performance of the fishery and progress in implementing the conditions and recommendations in this report and other managerial commitments to be monitored and assessed throughout the life of the declaration. Annual reports should include: a description of the fishery, management arrangements in place, research and monitoring outcomes, recent catch data for all sectors of the fishery, status of target stock, interactions with protected species, impacts of the fishery on the ecosystem in which it operates and information outlining progress in implementing conditions and recommendations resulting from the previous assessment of the fishery (for a complete description of annual reporting requirements, see Appendix B of the ‘Guidelines for the Ecologically Sustainable Management of Fisheries – 2nd Edition’ available from the department’s website at Condition 3: The Australian Fisheries Management Authority to produce and present reports to the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities annually as per Appendix B of the ‘Guidelines for the Ecologically Sustainable Management of Fisheries – 2nd Edition’. This report meets with this condition. Issue Condition Progress against conditions and recommendations Impacts of demersal trawling on bottom habitats in waters shallower than 200 metres Condition 4: Effort has not exceeded 2011 levels in any season.
Demersal trawl fishing has the potential to cause significant impacts on the seafloor by reducing the structural complexity of the benthic environment. The department recognises that, as required under fishing permit conditions, for operations of the North West Slope Trawl Fishery in waters shallower than 200 metres there must be 100 per cent observer coverage. Additionally, the Australian Fisheries Management Authority has implemented, also via permit conditions, a ‘move on’ five nautical miles provision to areas where a trigger limit of 50 kilograms of coral or sponges in one shot has been reported. The Australian Fisheries Management Authority has advised the department that any coral or sponges caught in nets must be returned to the water immediately. The department understands that the same demersal trawl gear used to target scampi in deeper waters of the North West Slope Trawl Fishery is being used to target demersal finfish species in shallower waters. While fishing effort in the northeast portion of the North West Slope Trawl Fishery was Should fishing effort in waters shallower than 200 metres in the north east portion of the North West Slope Trawl Fishery exceed 2011 levels in a given season, the Australian Fisheries Management Authority to review the ecological risk assessment for this fishery to include analysis of the impact of demersal trawling on bottom habitats in this area of the fishery.