1.1 13B Abstract
1.6. b 68B Vision for the future
The future will be strongly linked to the partnership approach. Long-term prawn and by- catch monitoring programs have been established and our understanding of ecosystem functionality is steadily improving. Ecosystem-based fisheries management is difficult for scientists, managers and industry to implement, but is more likely to be implemented suc- cessfully within the partnership approach. The reality is that the ultimate goals of fishers, managers and industry are not always very different. For example, achieving independent international certification of ecological sustainability requires that management be ecosys- tem based, backed by excellent science and proactive decision-making. Management by a partnership approach of all stakeholders is most likely to achieve a viable industry with a strong future.
47
Table 1.1: Scientific advice and management development (with intended target reduction if stated) in the Northern Prawn Fishery, 1980–2004.
Year Scientific advice and management development
Target reduc- tion, if any
Reference
1980 • Introduction of limited entry • Taylor and
Die 1999
1985 • CSIRO presents data showing a decline of the brown tiger stocks and recommends a 25% reduc- tion in effort.
• Statutory Fishery Rights are
granted in the form of A-units (a combination of hull dimensions and engine horse power).
• Voluntary buyback scheme in-
troduced (tends to reduce only latent effort).
• Taylor and
Die 1999
• Pownall
1994
1987 • Reduction from quad to twin gear, mid-year closure, ban on daylight trawling during the tiger prawn season. 30% reduction of effort • Pownall 1994 1988 • Restriction on headrope-length of nets • Pownall 1994
1990 • Voluntary industry-funded buy- back scheme with loans from the government (failed to reduce the fleet to the target; actual reduc- tion by target date was 72,000 units (a reduction of 172 trawl- ers).
50,000 A-units (i.e. fewer than 130 vessels) by 1 April 1993
• Pownall
1994
1993 • Compulsory, industry-funded, buy-back scheme (reduces the fleet to 137 (128 active) vessels).
• Removal of net-size restrictions
(but use of double gear only re- mains). Across-the- board reduction of 30% of the remaining A- units • Pownall 1994
1995 • Start of annual assessments with an age-based model developed by CSIRO for consideration by the NPFAGs.
• NPFAG declares effective effort
to be too high. • e.g. Wang and Die 1996, Die 1996, Die et al. 1997, Die and Wang 1998
1996 • Fishing power estimated to be increasing at 2–5% p.a. (the
• Robins et al. 1998
Year Scientific advice and management development
Target reduc- tion, if any
Reference
stock assessment used 5% p.a. as agreed by NORMAC).
• A Gear Units Workshop (at-
tended by industry, scientists and managers) considers the idea of gear units as a management tool.
• First attempt by NPFAG to in-
troduce biological reference points; deferred by NORMAC 39 to 1997 for further discussion.
• NORMAC
39 Agenda Item 5
1997 • NPFAG advises that both tiger prawn stocks are overexploited and recommends immediate re- ducing effort by at least 10%.
• Independent tiger prawn stock
assessment confirms NPFAG ad- vice.
• NORMAC recommends closing
that the fishery be closed 3 weeks earlier at the end of the year and during the mid-season closure for 1998; also recom- mends issuing 15% fewer gear units when they are introduced in 1999.
• AFMA Board accepts advice (al-
though gear units are introduced in 2000). Season change intended to de- crease effort by 10% (i.e. a nett of 5% after the 5% increase in fishing power) and similarly for 1998 • Die et al. 1997 • Haddon 1997 • NORMAC 41 and Die and Bishop in NOR- MAC 42
1998 • Mandatory introduction of satel- lite-based Vessel Monitoring System across the fleet.
• NPFAG advises that spawning
stocks are well below target lev- els and that rebuilding of stocks “requires significant and urgent efforts”.
• NORMAC
43
• Die and
49 Year Scientific advice and management
development
Target reduc- tion, if any
Reference 1999 • NPFAG advises that effort in
1998 was 35% greater than EMSY,
that both tiger prawn species re- main overexploited, and that effort needs to reduced by 35%.
• NORMAC recommends replac-
ing the spatial closure implemented in 1998 by larger mid-year and end-of-year clo- sures.
• Allocation Advisory Panel inves-
tigates the translation formula used in the gear unit system.
• Bycatch Action Plan is released.
15% reduction • Die and
Bishop 1999
• NORMAC
45
2000 • Australian Senate Inquiry en- dorses gear-based management.
• Gear-based management starts in
July and gear is reduced by 15%.
• NPFAG reports that seasonal
closures have reduced effort, but that stocks are still over- exploited and declining.
• AFMA Board and Minister write
to NORMAC insisting on reduc- tions in effort
• TEDs become compulsory in the
tiger prawn fishery.
10% reduction in effort
2001 • CSIRO develops a new model for tiger prawns stocks.
• Technical review of stock as-
sessment models.
• NPFAG considers tiger prawn
stocks are over-exploited (brown tiger prawns are below 50% of their target level).
• Minister calls meeting of fishers
and local politicians to demand action.
• NORMAC sets a target to re-
build tiger prawns stocks by 2006.
• NORMAC agrees to reduce gear
units by 25% and institute sea- sonal changes in July 2002.
• TEDs made compulsory in ba-
40% effort re- duction on brown tiger prawns and 25% on grooved tiger prawns • Dichmont et al. 2001, Dichmont et al. 2003a • Deriso 2001 • NORMAC 51
Year Scientific advice and management development
Target reduc- tion, if any
Reference
nana prawn fishery.
2003 • Stocks of both grooved and brown tiger prawn show signs of recovery.
• Effort-neutral trade-offs between
gear, season and spatial closures are investigated but do not result in management changes. • Deng and Dichmont 2003 • Venables et al. 2003 • Dichmont et al. 2003d in NORMAC 54
2004 • NPFAG declares that both
grooved and brown tiger are re- covered, although with caution, as survey results do not clearly support this.
• Deng et al. 2004
• NPFAG
2004
2004, 5 • NORMAC changes the target to Maximum Economic Yield; a lower effort level than the recov- ery target set in 2001 and further reduces gear units by 25%.
• NORMAC
56
• Rose and
Kompas 2004
51
Table 1.2: Recently completed or current projects focused on bycatch and other non-target species that have been supported by the NPF’s Management Advisory Committee, and the involvement of the NPF industry.
Project title Industry involvement Reference
1. Monitoring the catch of turtles in
the Northern Prawn Fishery, 1998– 2002.
Data collected by voluntary industry observers
Robins et al. 2003
2. Effects of trawl design on bycatch
and benthos in prawn and finfish fisheries; 1993–96.
Blaber et al. 1997
3. An assessment of the TED per-
formance in the NPF banana prawn fishery – Final report.
Data collected by scientific observers and industry crews on industry vessels
Eayrs and Bose 2001
4. Quantifying the effects of trawling
on the seabed biota of the NPF; 2002-2005.
Haywood et al. in pro-
gress
5. Surrogates I – Predictors, impacts,
management and conservation of the benthic biodiversity of the Northern Prawn Fishery; 2000- 2002.
GPS data from industry vol- unteers to define untrawlable ground
Hill et al. 2002
6. Commercialisation of bycatch reduc-
tion strategies and devices within northern Australian prawn trawl fisheries; 1996-1999.
Gear technologist providing assistance on TED and BRD operation on NPF vessels
Robins et al. 2000
7. Ecological Sustainability of By-
catch and Biodiversity in Prawn Trawl Fisheries; 1996-1999.
Data collected by scientific observers on industry ves- sels
Stobutzki et al. 2000
8. Assessment and improvement of
BRDs and TEDs in the NPF; a co- operative approach by fishers, sci- entists, fisheries technologists, economists and conservationists; 2000-2002.
Data collected by scientific observers on industry ves- sels
Brewer et al. 2004
9. Design, trial and implementation of
an integrated, long-term bycatch monitoring program, road tested in the NPF. 2002-2005
Data collected by voluntary industry observers
Brewer et al., in pro-