The Australian Fisheries Management Authority has announced that it is adjusting the quotas of multiple species in the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery (SESSF) in response to new scientific assessments.
The SESSF covers almost half of the Australian Fishing Zone, and includes species like blue grenadier, tiger flathead, eastern school whiting, pink ling and more. The fishery operates off the coasts of Victoria, Tasmania, and southern New South Wales.
Multiple stocks have been found to be healthy enough that quotas can be increased, according to a release from the management authority.
The CEO of the management authority, Wez Norris, said that its “encouraging to see healthy stocks.”
“The stock assessment for blue grenadier, considered by the South East Resource Assessment Group at the end of 2018, has shown an increase in biomass which has led to a 39 percent increase in the total allowable catch for the 2019 season,” Norris said.
Not all quotas are increasing, however The eastern redfish catch has been reduced from 100 metric tons to 50 metric tons, to “better reflect recent incidental catches,” according to Norris. In addition, a “move-on” provision has been introduced for blue warehou, to “reduce the risk of large catches.”
“AFMA is putting these measures in place to ensure juvenile fish can grow for future seasons and contribute to rebuilding of the stocks,” Norris said. “Each year, robust scientific data is collected and used to inform fisheries management decisions, to ensure that Commonwealth fish stocks are sustainable now and into the future.”
