It’s not too late to have your say on an application to pair trawl (where two boats are used to fish using a trawl net) in the Commonwealth Small Pelagic Fishery (SPF).
Submissions can be made at afma.gov.au and will close on 31 January 2017.
View the pair trawling application
Make a submission
On 8 December 2016 AFMA received an application to pair trawl using a midwater trawl net in the SPF for an initial period of 12 months. The SPF Scientific Panel considered the application at its meeting of 15-16 December and will be consulting with stakeholders on its draft advice at the SPF Stakeholder Forum on 24 January 2017.
Unlike midwater trawling and purse seining, which are both approved under the SPF Management Plan, other fishing methods, such as pair trawling, jigging and handlining require AFMA to make a specific decision whether or not to allow them.
Commonwealth fisheries management decisions are made using the best available science and other evidence. This decision will be the same.
Below is the timetable for consultation before a final decision will be made by the independent AFMA Commission on whether or not to allow pair trawling in the Commonwealth SPF.
| Date | What | How |
| 22 December 2016 | Papers available for Stakeholder Forum
Public comment opens on pair trawling application |
afma.gov.au |
| 10 January 2017 | Register of interest to attend Stakeholder Forum closes | afma.gov.au |
| 24 January 2017 | Stakeholder Forum in Sydney | |
| 31 January 2017 | Public comment period on pair trawling application closes | afma.gov.au |
More information regarding the consultation process can be directed to SPFConsultation@afma.gov.au