Annual Report Chair: Ian Cartwright

Transcription

1 Annual Report 2015 Chair: Ian Cartwright

2 Background The FRAG is a committee established by the TAC to: consider outcomes of the abalone assessment, including the interim data report; review performance of the fishery; discuss and identify key drivers influencing catch and effort distribution, and catch rates; consider TAC setting motions from industry and provide comments prior to the AGM; provide recommendations to AbFAC on the annual TAC, distribution of catch and related issues; and provide other advice as required, including advice relating to size limits, zone boundaries and research.

3 Operation FRAG Membership: independent Chair, full membership of the TAC, CEO of the Council, 3 TAFI reps and 1 DPIPWE fisheries manager. Observers welcome and have provided valuable input. Four meetings per year. Timing linked to FAC dates, to ensure timely advice FAC appointments made by the Minister. The Abalone Council considers advice from the FRAG and makes its own submissions to the FAC/Minister The FRAG adopted a new meeting format for 2015 The FRAG will review of its operation and TORs in 2016

4 Size Limits Were discussed at all FRAG meetings Size limit regulation changes have effectively been suspended since 2014 pending: a) further public consultation b) a study into two-year rule by Drs. Haddon and Mundy and c) the Knuckey report commissioned by the minister The issue of size limits has been a source of ongoing frustration for industry, with widely differing views on their role in the management of the fishery It is likely further public consultation will occur during 2016, with decisions to take effect in 2017

5 Meeting 1: 20 April 2015 i) Considered the status of the resource based on IMAS updates and diver observations and ii) discussed, and as appropriate, made recommendations on: The SAFS process and the impacts of negative designations on marketing efforts. Developing target and limit reference points to inform the MCDA-based harvest strategy An increase in the East Coast size limit to 145mm in two steps, excluding the Acteons Changes to the Abalone Fishery Assessment document. TAC Board concerns regarding direct lobbying to the Minister s office

6 Meeting 2: June i) Considered the status of the resource based on IMAS updates and diver observations and ii) discussed, and as appropriate, made recommendations on: Ways to increase the value of the greenlip fishery by regulating catch early in the year Creation of a new Upper West zone which would extend between 6B and 49B including Albatross(LML 132mm) Concern that the TAC reduction for the WZ taken in 2014/15 does not appear to have arrested the decline An appropriate balance between minimum size, catch and catch rate for block 49

7 Meeting 3: August i) Considered the status of the resource based on IMAS updates and diver observations and ii) discussed, and as appropriate, made recommendations on: The need to develop rebuilding strategies for the Eastern and Western Zone, with agreed targets The need to better distribute catch and effort in the Bass Strait fishery A recommendation a for four-month greenlip closure at the start of the year, leaving King Island and the northern area of the top sound of the Furneaux group open. Catches to be landed on the islands. Central north also to remain open. (NB Peter Kossman alternative) Boundary changes in the Western Zone and an incremental increase is size limits for Blocks 5A to 5C (129 in 2016 and 132 in 2017) A reduction of around 14ot for the Western Zone

8 Meeting 4: 9 October 2015 i) Considered the status of the resource based on IMAS updates and diver observations and ii) discussed, and as appropriate, made recommendations on: The SAFS assessment process Presentations by Paul McShane, FRAG members and observers A revised greenlip harvesting proposal The urgent need to review and improve the process for setting and actioning catch caps 2016 TAC recommendations

9 Key issues Awaiting the results of two key reviews: i) The harvest strategy (MCDA) approach and ii) a report into TAC and size limit setting processes MCDA continues to be developed and was used as an additional tool this year Generally acknowledged that while there is some way to go with the E. Coast rebuild, signs are such that the status quo was acceptable. Need for caps discussed. For the West and Central West Zones: reductions so far were hoped to have been sufficient to halt the decline but continued declines led to recommendation for a further reduction Some areas in the N. Zone require reductions

10 TAC Changes Reduction of 169t fr0m 1,855t in 2015 to 1,686 in 2016 Eastern Zone, Bass Strait and G/Lip Zone no change Northern Zone, reduction of 36t (KI, Block 31B, Hunter inc. Albatross, Block 5, Block 1) Central Western Zone Reduction of 123t Western Zone, reduction of 10t

11 2016 TAC Summary

12 Conclusions (1) Observers attended all meetings; comments and input from the wider industry welcomed FRAG operation and the TAC setting process will be reviewed in light of recommendations from the Buxton and Knuckey report recommendations New system of spreading effort to ensure rebuilding but not unduly direct fishing or impact operations proposed Further development of a harvest strategy, agreed targets and timelines to rebuild required.

13 Conclusions (2) No changes to zones for 2016 Inclusion of logger data in the Harvest Strategy for 2016 Logger data promising as a source of additional indicators to assist/improve objective decisionmaking still to realise potential