Management Advisory Committees are statutory committees established by AFMA under section 56 of the Fisheries Administration Act 1991.

The committees provide advice to AFMA and the AFMA Commission on the preparation of management arrangements, the operation of the relevant fishery and reporting to AFMA on scientific, economic and other information on the status of fish stocks, substocks, species (target and non-target species) and the impact of fishing on the marine environment. This advice is required to be evidence-based and address biological, economic and wider ecological factors affecting the performance of the fishery. Committee advice assists AFMA and the AFMA Commission in its role to regulate commercial fishing in Commonwealth fisheries, particularly the setting of catch limits and conditions.

The membership of Management Advisory Committees is available on AFMA's web page: http://www.afma.gov.au/fisheries/committees/

Tropical Tuna Management Advisory Committee

The committee met twice in Sydney, New South Wales during 2018-19. The committee made recommendations to the AFMA Commission on total allowable commercial catch limits for the Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery species and a change to the Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery season to run on a calendar year.

The committee also discussed:

• the tuna fishery budgets, protected species issues
• the finalisation of an Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery management strategy and progress towards a revised Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery ecological risk assessment
• electronic monitoring and outcomes of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission and Indian Ocean Tuna Commission meetings.

Great Australian Bight Trawl Management Advisory Committee

The committee met once in Adelaide, South Australia during 2018-19. It made recommendations to the AFMA Commission in relation to total allowable catches for quota species. The committee also discussed:

• co-management arrangements between AFMA and the Great Australian Bight Industry Association
• changes to observer requirements under the Great Australian Bight Orange Roughy Research Program
• changes to catch triggers for GABT species in the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery Harvest Strategy.

Northern Prawn Management Advisory Committee

The committee met once in Brisbane, Queensland during 2018-19 and welcomed a new Chair, Mr John Glaister. At the meeting the committee:

• considered the outcomes of the strategic planning workshop held in February 2019 and recommended key priorities for inclusion in the Five Year Strategic Research Plan commencing in 2019
• discussed sawfish interactions and made recommendations supporting the development of an updated bycatch strategy in 2019
• reviewed draft revisions to the NPF Management Plan and recommended that the changes progress to final legal review before being considered for final endorsement
• supported the development of a Fisheries Management Strategy for the NPF and recommended that the draft Ecological risk Assessment and proposed species categorisation be submitted to the Management Advisory Committees for consideration to assist with guiding updates to the NPF harvest strategy and bycatch strategies.

Southern Bluefin Tuna Management Advisory Committee

The committee met once in 2018-19 in Port Lincoln, South Australia.

The committee discussed:

• the research outcomes from the 2018 Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna Scientific Committee meeting and issues relating to the fishery budget and its expenditure
• overcatch provisions for the fishery and provided a recommendation to the AFMA Commission on this issue.

Bass Strait Central Zone Scallop Fishery Management Advisory Committee

The committee met once during 2018-19 in Melbourne, Victoria.

The committee made recommendations to the AFMA Commission for the 2019 season on total allowable catch and closures in accordance with the harvest strategy for the Bass Strait Central Zone Scallop Fishery. The committee also:

• provided advice regarding research priorities for the fishery, proposed changes to the Bass Strait Central Zone Scallop Fishery Management Plan 2002
• discussed ongoing refinements to catch landing requirements aimed at strengthening and simplifying reporting arrangements.

South East Management Advisory Committee

The committee met four times in 2018-19 in Canberra and Melbourne, Victoria.

The committee:

• made recommendations to the AFMA Commission on total allowable catches and effort controls for the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery, the Small Pelagic Fishery and the Southern Squid Jig Fishery
• provided advice on the dolphin mitigation strategies for gillnets and the Small Pelagic Fishery.

Sub-Antarctic Management Advisory Committee

The committee held two meetings in 2018-19, one meeting via teleconference and one meeting in Hobart, Tasmania.

The committee made recommendations to the AFMA Commission on total allowable catches for Patagonian toothfish and mackerel icefish and catch limits for bycatch species in the Heard Island and McDonald Islands Fishery. The committee also made recommendations on total allowable catch for Patagonian toothfish as well as catch limits for bycatch species in the Macquarie Island Toothfish Fishery.

The committee discussed:

• the outcomes of the 2018 meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources
• lost longline gear in the Heard Island and McDonald Islands Fishery
• the extension of the Macquarie Island Toothfish Fishery longline season.