Commercial operators did not operate in the following Commonwealth fisheries during
2019-20.

Norfolk Island Fishery

The Norfolk Island Inshore Fishery and the Norfolk Island Offshore Demersal Finfish Fishery do not have formal management plans and there are no current commercial fishing concessions. Through a Memorandum of Understanding with AFMA, the Norfolk Island Inshore Fishery is managed by the Norfolk Island Regional Council in accordance with the Norfolk Island Inshore Fishery Policy 2009.

In 2018, AFMA and the Norfolk Island Fishing Association, in collaboration with the Norfolk Island Regional Council, commenced a review of the Policy that is still ongoing.

No stock assessments or biomass estimates for species taken within the Norfolk Island fisheries have been made. No stock status classifications have been given to this fishery as there are no defined stocks for management purposes.

Skipjack Tuna Fishery

Stock status of target species

The fishery is managed in accordance with the Skipjack Tuna Harvest Strategy, the statement of fishery management arrangements and fishing concession conditions.

There has been little or no annual effort in the fishery since 2008 for economic reasons. There were no new management arrangements implemented in the fishery in 2018-19. There are 19 Eastern Skipjack Tuna Fishery permits and 14 Western Skipjack Tuna Fishery permits, however no Australian vessels are currently targeting skipjack tuna.

Southern Tasman Rise Fishery

Stock status of target species

The South Tasman Rise Fishery forms part of Australia's fishing footprint under the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation but has been closed to fishing since 2007. The area is also subject to a memorandum of understanding for cooperative management between Australia and New Zealand established in 1998. New Zealand has not fished the South Tasman Rise since the end of the 2000-01 fishing season.

The South Tasman Rise orange roughy stock is the only high-seas stock that has been assigned a status classification by Australian Bureau of Agricultural Resource Economics and Sciences. Insufficient information is available to enable the fishery wide determination of stock status for any of the high-seas demersal fish stocks in the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation and the Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement areas of competence.

A number of stock assessments were undertaken for orange roughy stocks in the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation and the Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement area of competence. These assessments have been accepted by both regional fisheries management organisations. Catch limits were introduced for orange roughy in South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation in early 2019 and limits for Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement will be introduced in late 2019.

FEATURE STORY: Observer Program Work Health and Safety Activities

AFMA’s Observer Program consists of sixteen active observers and four support staff. The program provides fundamental scientific monitoring services to Commonwealth fisheries. Data collected by the observers, particularly the biological data such as otoliths, sex and length data, is used in stock assessments which underpin the assessment of sustainable fisheries. Our observers also support Australia’s ability to meet international monitoring obligations, for example in the Southern Ocean.

As a part of AFMA’s continual improvement, an external review of the observer program was undertaken in 2018. Key recommendations from that review related to the work, health and safety aspects of the observer program. Specifically the review recommended updating the risk register and associated training plan and the development of a Health and Safety Plan. To ensure the safety of AFMA’s observers, we sought the expertise of a work health and safety specialist to undertake the work during 2019-20.

A partnership approach was established with the observers engaged with the risk specialist throughout the review process resulting in a thorough description of the work environment. This assisted in underpinning the understanding of the risks and therefore the mitigation strategies. The collaboration also enabled the identification of additional risks such as observers undertaking at-sea transfers between vessels or responding and providing training for emergencies.

As a consequence, use of the new risk register and associated training plan and the new Health and Safety Plan resulted in additional training and support for observers including:

• Completion of SeSAFE Training to raise awareness and improve safety performance in the fishing and aquaculture industry with training about the hazards associated with working on fishing vessels.
• Provision of additional safety equipment including Personal Flotation Devices and direction equipment and personal Radio Locator beacons (EPIRBs) to be worn at all times while when on deck.
• Consideration of materials that will assist with and training that simulates escaping a capsized fishing vessel.