Fishery Status Reports 2008
Formats
This information is available in the following format:
- Fishery status reports 2008
PDF [5mb]
The Fishery status reports 2008 is the first joint independent evaluation of the biological and economic status of fish stocks and fisheries managed or jointly managed by the Australian Government. The Fishery status reports 2008 integrate the assessments of the Bureau of Rural Sciences (BRS) and the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE) into a single publication, providing trends in stock status and highlighting emerging issues that may affect the fishing industry, fisheries management and the broader community.
From a biological perspective, the 2008 reports show a substantial decrease in the number of stocks classified as uncertain. This has subsequently resulted in an increase in other categories i.e. the number of stocks classified as either not overfished and/or not subject to overfishing, as well as overfished and/or subject to overfishing. The number of stocks that are overfished or subject to overfishing remains a cause for concern.
Alongside the biological assessment, this year’s reports include available indicators of the economic performance of each of the assessed fisheries. The indicators provide an assessment of the extent to which economic efficiency is being achieved in Commonwealth-managed fisheries. Monitoring economic efficiency in a fishery context is important to regional communities that rely on fisheries being sustainable and profitable for their livelihood, and to the wider community that expect Commonwealth resources to be managed effectively over time.
Despite the decrease in the number of stocks classified as uncertain in 2008, the number remains high and reducing uncertainty in stock status remains a priority of the Australian Government. New research to reduce this uncertainty, and in turn provide security to the fishing industry, as well as confidence to the broader Australian community that fish stocks are being sustainably managed is being led by the BRS over the next two years.
The Commonwealth Fisheries Harvest Strategy Policy, released in September 2007, clearly illustrates the importance of sound scientific and economic advice to underpin the development of public policy and decision making in the fisheries sector. Fishery status reports 2008 provides a useful reference for fishery managers and other stakeholders in Commonwealth managed fisheries.
For a free printed copy of the Fishery status reports 2008 please email or call 1800 020 157.