New Zealand - Australia Fisheries Cooperation
Bilaterals
As neighbours across the Tasman Sea, Australia and New Zealand have had a strong co-operative relationship in managing the fisheries resources in the high seas areas adjacent to the respective fishing zones of both countries. To facilitate the process of cooperation, bilateral discussions are held on a needs basis, but usually annually. Consultations were held in August 2004, August 2005 and it is anticipated that Australia and New Zealand will meet again in mid 2006. Recent consultations have been wide ranging and related to bilateral and multilateral issues such as shared management arrangements, participation in regional fisheries management organisations and strategies for controlling Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) fishing.
South Tasman Rise Arrangement
The STR is an undersea ridge extending south from Tasmania into the Southern Ocean straddling both the Australian Fishing Zone and the high seas. The fishery developed in 1997, and was mainly fished by Australian and NZ vessels. In early 1998, Australia and NZ signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on management (including quotas) of Orange Roughy on the STR. In February 1999 the MoU expired and the fishery after some initial fishing was closed to both Australian and NZ fishing interests. However, in July 1999 four foreign flagged vessels were sighted fishing on the STR and after significant government-to-government lobbying the vessels moved on.
In February 2000, Australia and NZ signed and exchanged copies of the Arrangement between the Government of Australia and the Government of NZ for the Conservation and Management of Orange Roughy on the STR. The Arrangement took effect from 1 March 2000 and is of indefinite duration. The initial TAC under the arrangement for the 2001-02 season was set at 2400 tonnes (with the allocation split 75% to Australia and 25% to NZ). This was reduced to 1800 tonnes with the same allocation split for the 2002-03 season.
Australian and NZ Fisheries Ministers have agreed in 2002 to management arrangements covering the 2003-04 to 2006-07 seasons. The proposal provides for the TAC to be lowered from 1800 tonnes to 800 tonnes for the 2003-04 season and then further reduced in each subsequent season unless fish in sufficient numbers are caught to trigger additional TAC.