On behalf of the West Coast & Gascoyne Management Planning Panel, I am pleased to forward the Panel's reports: Proposed Management Arrangements for the West Coast Commercial "Wetline" Fishery and Proposed Management Arrangements for the Gascoyne Commercial "Wetline" Fishery.
FOREWORD
Use levels among the different user groups in the West Coast region will be examined under the new Integrated Fisheries Initiative following the implementation of new shellfish management schemes adopted by the commercial sector.
SUMMARY OF PROPOSALS
Boats operating under this arrangement should be prohibited from landing demersal species targeted in the West Coast demersal scallop fishery. This figure should be identified separately from the commercial target catch set for the West Coast demersal scallop fishery.
REVIEW PROCESS
M AKING A SUBMISSION
M ANAGEMENT P LANNING P ANEL - T ERMS OF REFERENCE
M ANAGEMENT P LANNING P ANEL MEMBERSHIP
BACKGROUND
- W HAT IS ‘W ETLINING ’?
- T YPES OF ‘ WETLINING ’
- P ROFILE OF DEMERSAL LINE FISHING ACTIVITY IN THE W EST C OAST BIOREGION
- K EY I SSUES FOR M ANAGEMENT
- Status of West Coast Demersal Scalefish Stocks
- Highly variable levels of wetlining activity
- High latent effort
- Potential mobility of commercial fleet
- Accuracy of catch returns
- Cost of management
Stocks of the main demersal fish species, according to the State of the Fisheries 2002/03, are already fully exploited in the west coast bioregion. Number of boats reporting less than one tonne wet line catch in the West Coast bioregion from 1990/91 to 2002/03 by category.
WEST COAST DEMERSAL SCALEFISH FISHERY
O BJECTIVES FOR MANAGEMENT
M ANAGEMENT O PTIONS
- Limited entry
- Individual Transferable Quota (ITQ) system
- Individual Transferable Effort system
The Panel considers that ITE systems offer greater flexibility for managing multi-species fisheries, such as The Panel considers an ITE system of 'boat fishing days' units to be the most appropriate model for managing the West Coast Demersal Scalefish Fishery.
F ISHERY BOUNDARIES
The Panel did not believe it would be appropriate to limit potential access to any future deep-sea fisheries to those with wet line access. Some council members felt that this process could be quite time-consuming and expensive to the point of deterring applicants. As the Council believes that potential access to the deep sea area should be available to all FBL holders, it is important that the DNF process does not impede this opportunity.
Therefore, the Panel suggests that the DNF process be reviewed with a view to simplifying it so that it does not unduly hinder potential applicants. Given the potential cost to the enterprise of exploratory fishing in the high seas, the Panel does not believe that imposing a VMS requirement would represent a significant imposition (see 5.9 for VMS cost estimates).
M ANAGEMENT SUB ZONES
The Expert Committee found that there are large differences in the West Coast region both in the species composition of the catch and in the average catch rates (Appendix 8.4). Because of these differences, the Committee does not consider it appropriate to adopt a standard catch rate across the region. The Committee therefore believes that more management areas should be created within the West Coast demersal fishery.
On this basis, the Panel considered that at this stage it was preferable not to separate the Abrolhos as an individual sub-region. While the Abrolhos should remain part of the Midwest region, the panel felt it is important that the Department of Fisheries address this reporting issue so that catch levels and the need for zoning in the Abrolhos can be reviewed in the future.
S ETTING THE TARGET COMMERCIAL CATCH
- Determining an appropriate CPUE
- Initial calculation of effort days
- Ongoing review of effort units
However, in considering these catches, the Panel recognizes that very little is known about the biology of these species and, as such, no additional adjustments should be made for recent increases in catches when implementing the plan. In particular, further information on the status of the scalefish stocks will become available after the completion of the ongoing research project to develop a stock assessment model for the demersal scalefish stocks on the west coast. If the total catch was considered to be at a non-sustainable level, the panel noted that the relative impacts of the recreational sector and any other commercial fishers accessing these stocks (eg bottom nets and longlines) also had to be reviewed.
An important component of an effort system must be the integrity of the designated fishing units, in this case boat fishing days. However, it should be noted that in both of these circumstances, the question of the adequacy (and sustainability) of the TCC is also taken into consideration, especially if the underlying reason for the failure to achieve the TCC is a decline in the stock level.
N OMINATION TO FISH
M INIMUM UNIT HOLDINGS
R ESEARCH R EQUIREMENTS FOR W EST C OAST D EMERSAL S CALEFISH S TOCKS
The government has allocated additional resources to shellfish management and a new 12-month catch survey of recreational boating activities along the west coast will be launched in March 2005. discussions about sharing resources.
V ESSEL M ONITORING S YSTEM
VMS is currently used in the Northern Demersal Prawn Fishery, Pilbara Trap Fishery, Pilbara Trawl Fishery, Shark Bay Fishery, Shark Bay Scallop Fishery, Exmouth Gulf Prawn Fishery, Kimberley Prawn Fishery and Abrolhos Islands and Mid-West Trawl Fishery. It is also considered an important business management tool by those fishermen who are required to use it.
P ERMITTED FISHING METHODS
The Board of Inquiry felt that the gear allowed in bottom fishing should be limited to handle and line lines. It was also suggested that a minimum of three hand ropes/three abseil ropes would be required for economic feasibility, but an allowance for additional spare equipment to cover breakage/loss should also be considered. In practice, however, the council recognized that large numbers of hooks are generally only used in deep water, where the target species may be at different heights in the water column.
A maximum number of 30 hooks (or sets of hooks) are allowed on any hand line or point. Hand line means a fishing line which is weighted at one end, attached to the boat and has not more than the prescribed number of hooks attached.
P ROCESSING AT SEA
Slip line means a fishing line with not more than the prescribed number of hooks attached and when used for fishing is anchored by a weight at one end, coiled on the surface and placed vertically through the water. At least one bouse with a minimum diameter of 200 mm must be attached to the line.
T AKE OF S HARK
WEST COAST INSHORE NET FISHERY
P ROFILE OF W EST C OAST I NSHORE N ET F ISHERY
Although the level of interaction currently appears to be minimal in the area north of the Moore River, as WA's population increases and access to coastal sites increases, so will the level of interaction. Increasing coastal commercial fishing effort may also lead to greater levels of interaction and potential conflict. If this fishery were to remain unmanaged, the introduction of demersal management would likely result in some operators shifting effort to coastal stocks.
It is therefore important that inshore fisheries are also brought under a formal management framework.
M ANAGEMENT O PTIONS
The Panel considered a number of different management options for the West Coast coastal gillnet fishery. The Panel considers the simplest and most cost-effective management arrangements for the inshore fishery to be a limited access system with gear controls. Given that the number of licensees participating in this fishery has been fairly low and constant over a number of years, the Panel considers that entry criteria for entry into the fishery should recognize all significant past use.
By limiting the number of operators and defining permitted fishing gear, the panel believes that it is not currently necessary to impose further restrictions on fishing time, amount of catch or species caught.
P ROPOSED MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK
He ruled out more sophisticated systems such as ITE and ITQ because he did not consider them necessary for this fishery, which is of low value, has relatively low production and is not considered overexploited. Consideration should be given to formalizing these levels as 'tipping points' for future management actions.
SCALEFISH TAKE BY COMMERCIAL FISHERS WHO DO NOT
- S ETTING AN INDIVIDUAL LIMIT FOR THE NON - COMMERCIAL CATCH
- Considerations
- S ETTING A TARGET CATCH FOR NON - COMMERCIAL USE
- C ATCH R EPORTING
- F IN CLIPPING OF RECREATIONALLY CAUGHT FISH
- E XISTING PROHIBITION ON COMMERCIAL FISHERS HOLDING RECREATIONAL LICENCES
The Panel adopted the term 'non-commercial' catches to describe any fishing for personal use by commercial fishermen operating outside the managed West Coast demersal scallop fishery. The Panel recognized that such 'non-commercial' catch is currently caught by the commercial sector (whether for personal use or for small-scale sales). After considerable discussion, the Panel proposed that the non-commercial limit should initially be set at a level equivalent to the current recreational limits.
For example, it is not clear how much of this 'non-commercial' catch is reported on catch reports. It is therefore proposed to remove both pectoral fins from all fish caught as non-commercial catches.
APPENDICES
G LOSSARY
C ONSULTATION PROCESS
In mid-September 2003, information about the review was posted on the Department of Fisheries website, including an invitation to make an initial written submission. September 2003, information about the invitation to make an initial submission was placed in the Citizenscape and Consultation Catalog section of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet website, with a direct link to the Department of Fisheries website. A letter dated 26 September 2003 to all peak industry bodies, including professional fishermen's associations, explaining the review and inviting initial written submissions on issues they believe the Panel should consider as part of of review.
Beginning in October 2003, posters about the notification, with the same text as in the newspaper ads, were displayed in all the department's regional and district offices, as well as in major wet fish processing plants. The same posters will also be displayed at the meetings of the annual Rock Lobster Coastal Tour during the week beginning October 13.
I NITIAL SUBMISSIONS
- Initial submissions received
- Issues raised in initial submissions
12 Report of the Rock Lobster Industry Advisory Committee to the Honorable Minister of Fisheries 24 September 1987. 59 Proceedings of the charter vessel management workshop (held as part of the First National Conference of Fisheries Managers). 82 The impact of the new management package on smaller operators in the western reef lobster fishery R.
103 Future Management of the Aquatic Charter Industry in Western Australia by the Tour Operators Fishing Working Group (September 1997). A discussion paper prepared by Kevin Donohue on behalf of the Rock Lobster Industry Advisory Committee. A five-year strategy for managing the recreational component of the catch, prepared by the Pilbara/Kimberley Recreational Fishing Working Group (July 2004).
A five-year management strategy with the recreational catch component prepared by Južni.
