Orange roughy rebuilds after strict management
It’s good news for Commonwealth fishers as the latest stock assessment for eastern zone orange roughy indicates the species has rebuilt to 26 percent of their unfished biomass.
Last year the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) permitted targeted fishing in the eastern zone and Pedra Branca area of the southern zone for the first time in over a decade and this will continue for the 2016-17 season.
Management changes for the 2016-17 season
In 2015-16 AFMA re-opened the fishery by establishing special monitoring and management arrangements for fishing in key orange roughy areas in the eastern and southern zones.
Three Orange Roughy Management Areas (ORMAs) were established: St Helen’s Hill and St Patrick’s Head in the eastern zone, and one adjacent to Pedra Branca Island in the southern zone.
AFMA has simplified management arrangements for 2016-17 to include:
- revoking the St Helen’s Hill trawl closure
- consolidating the St Helen’s Hill ORMA and St Patrick’s Head ORMA to form one eastern ORMA (Figure 1)
- amendments to the Deepwater Trawl Closure (Schedule 15) to excise the eastern ORMA from the closure (Figure 1)
- extending the Pedra Branca ORMA 3 nm south (Figure 2).
Coordinates of the ORMAs are listed in the Trawl Boat SFR Conditions and the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery and Small Pelagic Fishery Closure Direction 2016
Figure 1. Revised Deepwater trawl closure and eastern ORMA
Figure 2. Pedra Branca ORMA
July closure
A survey of orange roughy will be undertaken during 2016 to assess the rate of rebuilding and monitor the impact of fishing on the recovery of stock. The eastern ORMA will be closed to all commercial fishing during July to allow the orange roughy survey to be undertaken.
Management arrangements requirements
The ORMAs are also subject to management arrangements that include:
- real time monitoring of fishing on aggregations using 100 per cent observer coverage. NB. it is a Condition of the Trawl Boat SFR that an observer must on board to fish in the ORMAs from 1 June to 31 August each year.
- a requirement (Condition of Trawl Boat SFR) for fishers to hold the following amount of quota before entering and remaining in the areas:
- 30 tonnes to enter and 2.5 tonnes to remain in the Eastern ORMA
- 10 tonnes to enter and 500 kg to remain in the Pedra Branca ORMA
- a stop fishing trigger that is less than the TAC to reduce the risk of catches going over quota holdings.
Monitoring of closures
Monitoring of closures and fishing in the ORMAs will be undertaken by AFMA
Contact
Ross Bromley
Senior Management Officer, Commonwealth Trawl and Great Australian Bight Trawl
ross.bromley@afma.gov.au or 02 6225 5518.
OR
Brigid Kerrigan
Manager, Commonwealth Trawl and Great Australian Bight Trawl
brigid.kerrigan@afma.gov.au or 02 6225 5322.