Provision of data to Regional Fisheries Management Organisations
Introduction
Australia has signed, in 1995, an agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea that relates to the conservation and management of straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks. The agreement is commonly referred to as the UN Fish Stocks Agreement (UNFSA). The objective of the agreement is
"...to ensure the long-term conservation and sustainable use of straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks through effective implementation of the relevant provisions of the Convention."
Regional fisheries management
UNFSA places importance on the role of Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs) in achieving the agreement’s objective. The UNFSA also recommends standards for the collection and sharing of data relating to straddling or highly migratory fish stocks (Annex I). Where an RFMO exists, the agreement specifies that States should
- agree on standards for collection, reporting, verification and exchange of data on fisheries for the stocks, and
- compile and disseminate accurate and complete statistical data, as described in Annex I, to ensure that the best scientific evidence is available, while maintaining confidentiality where appropriate.
Australia currently participates in a number of RFMOs, particularly the following:
- Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT)
- Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR)
- Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC)
Australia provides data on fish catch and fishing effort, and biological data from scientific monitoring programs to these RFMOs to meet the data requirements agreed upon in Commission meetings. In addition to the three RFMOs listed above, Australia also contributes scientific input, including fisheries data, to theStanding Committee on Tuna and Billfish (SCTB), convened under the auspices of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC).
| Regional Fisheries Management Organisation | Australian fisheries affected by RFMO | Species caught by Australian fishers | Fishing Methods used in Australia |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna |
| Southern Bluefin Tuna and other tuna species | Purse seining, longlining, trolling, pole and line. |
| 2. Indian Ocean Tuna Commission |
| Tuna, billfish and related species | Purse seining, longlining, trolling, pole and line. |
| 3. Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources |
| Patagonian toothfish, icefish | Demersal otter trawling |
| 4. Standing Committee on Tuna and Billfish * |
| Yellowfin tuna, bigeye tuna, broadbill swordfish, striped marlin | Longlining, purse seining, trolling |
* The management of highly migratory fish stocks in the Western Pacific will soon be coordinated by a new RFMO, under the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean. This organisation will probably take on the responsibilities for scientific data coordination previously undertaken by the SCTB.
Use of fisheries data by RFMOs
Commonwealth agencies, primarily AFFA, BRS, AFMA and Australian Antarctic Division, are responsible for provision of fisheries data to the RFMOs. The information is used in:
- regional stock assessments of the fish species managed by the RFMO
- development of management arrangements and regulations applying to the fishing activities of member nations within the RFMO area, and
- monitoring of fishing vessels operating in high seas areas within the RFMO area.
The types of fisheries data provided by Australia to RFMOs include:
- commercial fish catch and fishing effort data recorded by statistical regions
- data on discards of fish species and interactions with wildlife
- recreational catch of fish species
- scientific monitoring data on size distribution, movement and migration, biological characteristics, and
- vessel identification and licensing records.