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Integrated FIsherIes ManageMent

allocation report – roe’s abalone resource, Perth Metropolitan region

Prepared by the Integrated Fisheries Allocation Advisory Committee for the Minister for Fisheries,

current as at August 2007

Published byDepartment of Fisheries168 St. Georges Terrace

Perth WA 6000

April 2009

ISSN 0819-4327

FISHERIES MANAGEMENT PAPER NO. 226

ii Fisheries Management Paper No.226

INTEGRATED FISHERIES MANAGEMENT

Allocation Report - Roe’s Abalone Resource, Perth Metropolitan Region

Prepared by the Integrated FisheriesAllocation Advisory Committee

for the Minister for Fisheries,current as at August 2007

Fisheries Management Paper No. 226

April 2009

ISSN 0819-4327

Fisheries Management Paper No.226 iii

Contents

seCtIon 1 sUMMarY oF reCoMMendatIons and notes ........................ 1

seCtIon 2 IntrodUCtIon ....................................................................................... 4

2.1 Process/Consultation ............................................................................................. 4

seCtIon 3 BaCKgroUnd.......................................................................................... 6

3.1 Theintegratedfisheriesallocationadvisorycommittee ........................................ 63.1.1 Membership ............................................................................................. 63.1.2 ConflictofInterest ................................................................................... 73.1.3 Guiding principles .................................................................................... 73.1.4 The IFAAC’s Terms of Reference............................................................ 8

3.2 Ministerialadvice .................................................................................................. 83.2.1 Customary allocation ............................................................................... 83.2.2 Formalisingcatchsharesovertheperiod1997–2001 ............................. 93.2.3 Allocationtothenon-fishingsector ......................................................... 103.2.4 Regionsoverwhichallocationsshouldbemade ..................................... 103.2.5 AllocationsbysubregionswithinthePerthmetropolitanregion ............. 10

3.3 Additional guiding principles adopted by the IFAAC ........................................... 113.3.1 Data uncertainty ....................................................................................... 123.3.2 Optimisingthebenefittothecommunity ................................................. 12

3.4 Descriptionofthefishery ..................................................................................... 14

3.5 Regulation of the sectors ....................................................................................... 173.5.1 Customary Fishing ................................................................................... 173.5.2 Recreational Fishing ................................................................................ 173.5.3 CommercialActivities ............................................................................. 18

seCtIon 4 CatCh InForMatIon .......................................................................... 20

4.1 Customary .............................................................................................................. 20

4.2 Recreational ........................................................................................................... 21

4.3 Commercial ........................................................................................................... 22

4.4 Recreational and commercial catch shares ............................................................ 23

seCtIon 5 aLLoCatIon IssUes ............................................................................. 24

5.1 Alignment of boundaries ....................................................................................... 24

5.2 HillarysBoatHarbourtoMooreRiverreeftopfishing ......................................... 25

5.3 Incidental mortality ................................................................................................ 265.3.1 Aharvestlevelincorporatingtotalmortality ........................................... 265.3.2 Allocations that account for total mortality ............................................ 265.3.3 Access arrangements ............................................................................... 27

5.4 Proportional allocations for the Perth metropolitan region ................................... 285.4.1 Managementflexibility ............................................................................ 285.4.2 Impact of catch on the stock ................................................................... 29

iv Fisheries Management Paper No.226

5.4.3 Customaryfishing .................................................................................... 295.4.4 Summary of Issues and Discussion .......................................................... 30

5.5 Comparing‘reeftop’and‘offreeftop’componentsofthefishery ...................... 31

seCtIon 6 FUtUre IntrodUCtIon oF ProPortIonaL aLLoCatIons Under a sUstaInaBLe harVest LeVeL ...................................... 33

6.2 Proportional allocations for the recreational and commercial sectors .................. 336.2.1 Option 1 - Recreational proportion equal to the SHL less the TACC ...... 336.2.2 Option2-Averageovertheperiod2000-2003....................................... 346.2.3 Option3-Averageovertheperiod1997-2001........................................ 346.2.4 Option 4 - 55 percent recreational and 45 percent commercial ............... 356.2.5 Option 5 - 50:50 based on numbers of animals ....................................... 356.2.6 Option6-Twicethecurrent‘real’shareor20yearsgrowth ................. 366.2.7 Comparativeanalysisofoptions .............................................................. 366.2.8 Determining Proportional Allocations ..................................................... 37

6.3 Aquaculture ........................................................................................................... 38

seCtIon 7 other IssUes .......................................................................................... 39

7.1 Reallocation mechanisms ..................................................................................... 39

7.2 Management of the recreational sector’s allocation .............................................. 40

7.3 Monitoring allocations ........................................................................................... 40

7.4 Allocations outside the Perth metropolitan region ................................................ 40

7.5 Management committees ....................................................................................... 41

7.6 Broaderlegislativearrangements .......................................................................... 43

reFerenCes ..................................................................................................................... 44

aPPendICes ...................................................................................................................... 45

AppendixA IntegratedFisheriesManagement–GovernmentPolicy, 1 October 2004 ..........................................................................................46

AppendixB IntegratedFisheriesManagementAllocationProcess ...............................49

AppendixC SourceofstakeholdersubmissionstoIFAAC ...........................................51

AppendixD Approachtakentoconsultation .................................................................52

AppendixE Listofpeopleororganisationsthatmadeasubmission ............................53

AppendixF MinisterialletteronCustomaryfishing .....................................................54

AppendixG Ministerialletteronallocationstotheconservationsector .......................56

AppendixH DepartmentalletteronallocationswithinthePerthmetropolitanregion ..59

AppendixI Departmentalletteronallocationsbysubregions ......................................60

AppendixJ Departmentalletteronamountofabaloneindigenouspeopleate .............62

AppendixK Departmentalletteronthetakeandincidentalmortalityofeachsector ...64

gLossarY oF aCronYMs ........................................................................................... 67

Fisheries Management Paper No.226 v

tables

table 1. KeyamenityvaluesofthemetropolitanRoe’sabaloneResourcetousers. ..... 13

table 2. Catch estimates for the commercial and recreational sectors, in tonnes wholeweight,forRoe’sabaloneinthePerthmetropolitanregionfrom 1997 to 2004. .................................................................................................... 22

table 3. Catch proportions for Roe’s abalone in the Perth metropolitan region overtheperiod1997-2004. ............................................................................... 23

table 4. Future proportional allocation options. ............................................................. 33

table 5. Minimumsize,meanweightandnumberstakenbytherecreationalandcommercial sectors ............................................................................................ 35

table 6. Allocationoptionsexpressedasproportionsbyweight. .................................. 37

Figures

Figure 1. Maps of area of the resource and current commercial and recreational management zones. ........................................................................................... 15

Figure 2. Mapsshowingnortherncentralandsouthernsubregions. ................................ 16

vi Fisheries Management Paper No.226

Fisheries Management Paper No.226 1

1.1 recommendations

recommendation 1 AllocationsforabaloneshouldonlybeconsideredforRoe’sabalonewithinthe Perthmetropolitanregion,thatistheregionbetweenMooreRivermouthand CapeBouvard(currentlyArea7ofthecommercialfishery). ............................................ 11

recommendation 2 Themetropolitanzonefortherecreationalfisheryshouldbeamendedbyextending theboundariesfromMooreRivertoCapeBouvardsothatthecommercialandrecreationalsectorshavecommonmetropolitanregionboundaries. ..................................................... 24

recommendation 3 ThebanoncommercialfishersfishingonthereeftopbetweenCapeBouvardandHillarysBoatHarbourshouldbeextendedfurthernorthtoBurnsBeach.IFAACrecommendsthatthebanshouldproceedinconjunctionwithadvancingtheotherissuescoveredinthisreport. ................................................................................................................................. 25

recommendation 4 That management on the basis of keeping sectors to proportional allocations for Roe’s abalone in the Perth metropolitan area should be deferred until:

(a)Thereisadequateinformationontheoff-reeftoprecreationalfisherysothatitscatchcan be managed; and

(b)Thereisadequateunderstandingoftherelationshipsbetweenthereeftopandoff-reeftopfisheriesthatitispossibletomanageallofthecomponentsofthefisheryequitablythrough proportional allocations; and

(c)Fisherymanagershavegainedenoughexperiencewithmanagingtherecreationalsectortoatotalallowablerecreationalcatchundernewmoreflexiblemanagementarrangements as proposed in Recommendation 12. ..................................................... 31

recommendation 5 Subject to sustainability constraints and until proportional allocations are introduced, sectorsshouldbemanagedtoensurethattherecreationalcatchisconsistentwithitsaverageovertheperiod1999-2003(40tonnes)andthecommercialsectorhastheopportunity to maintain its 36 tonne quota. ........................................................................ 31

recommendation 6 That should proportional allocations be made to the recreational and commercial sectors thatfirstlyapriorityallocationof500kgforRoe’sabalonebemadetotheCustomarysector in the Perth metropolitan region. .............................................................................. 31

recommendation 7 Aregularestimateshouldbemadeoftheamountofrecreationalfishinginthe‘offreef top’componentofthefishery.Ifthischangessignificantly,areviewofthecurrent arrangementswillbenecessarytoseparatelymanageeachofthetwocomponents oftherecreationalfishery. ................................................................................................... 32

seCtIon 1 sUMMarY oF reCoMMendatIons and notes

2 Fisheries Management Paper No.226

recommendation 8 When at a future time it becomes appropriate to manage the recreational and commercial sectors on a fully integrated basis the starting point for any future proportional allocations in the Perth metropolitan region should be an allocation of 53 percent for the recreational sector and 47 percent for the commercial sector. ...................................... 38

recommendation 9 Access to Roe’s abalone in the Perth metropolitan region for aquaculture purposes should onlybebyMinisterialexemption.Shouldtherebearegularandongoingneedtoaccesstheresource,thentheaquaculturesectorshouldmakeappropriatearrangementswiththeparticipantsintheexistingcommercialfishingsectorfor access to broodstock. ........................................................................................................... 38

recommendation 10 When at a future time it becomes appropriate to manage the recreational and commercial sectors on a fully integrated basis, a reallocation mechanism should be introduced. ...................................................................................................................... 39

recommendation 11 TheDepartmentofFisheriesworkwiththerecreationalsectortodevelopamanagementregimewhichwillreduceincidentalmortalityandcatchvariabilitybetweenyears,providetheopportunityforthesectortotakeitsallocationandimprovethesocialandeconomicbenefitsfromrecreationalfishing. ....................................................................................... 40

recommendation 12 TheDepartmentofFisheriesshouldinitiateandfacilitatenegotiationsbetweenthecommercialandrecreationalsectorsaimedatresolvingtheirconflictsoutsidethemetropolitan region. ............................................................................................................ 41

recommendation 13 Majorabaloneresourcesharingconflicts,outsidethePerthmetropolitanregion,thatremainunresolvedthreeyearsafterthedateofdecisionontherecommendationsinthisreport should be referred to the IFAAC to make recommendations for resolution. ............ 41

recommendation 14 TheDepartmentofFisheriesprogressivelydevelop,inconsultationwithstakeholders,thenecessaryregulatoryandconsultativestructuresthataccountfor:

(a)theneedtoincludepeopleofallbackgroundswhoaccesstheresource;

(b)thereconstitutionoftheabalonemanagementadvisorycommitteetodealequitablywithCustomary,recreationalandcommercialissues,andenablenegotiationswithinandbetweenthesectors;and

(c)theneedtogiveeffecttotheGovernment’sIFMpoliciescontainedinGuidingprinciplesviiandx(seesection3.1.2). ........................................................................ 43


1.2 notes

note 1 TheMinisterforFisheries’hasadvisedIFAACthatthereshouldbeanallocationforCustomaryfishing,andthatCustomaryfishingaccessrightsshouldbegivenpriority overallotherfishingaccess. ................................................................................................. 9

note 2 TheMinisterisnotseekingadvicefromIFAACregardinganallocationfornon- extractiveusersoftheresourceasthisistakenaccountofinthesettingoftheSHLprovidedtotheIFAAC. ....................................................................................................... 10

note 3 TheIFAACdoesnotexpectthatitwillbeprovidingadviceonfinalallocationsfor abalone outside the Perth metropolitan region until at least 2010. ..................................... 11

note 4 IFAAChasincludedrecreationalfishingbyindigenouspeople,asdistinctfrom Customaryfishing,aspartofthebroadrecreationalallocationconsistentwiththeMinisterialadvicereferredtoinSection3.2.3. ................................................................... 17

note 5 TheIFAAChasnoquantitativeinformationsuggestingthatthequantityof CustomarytakeofabaloneinthePerthmetropolitanareaissignificant.IftherewasdemonstratedtobeasignificantCustomarytake,thedemandsofIFM(IFM GovernmentPolicy,paragraph18,AppendixA)wouldnecessarilyrequiremore research and monitoring of the Customary take by indigenous people. ............................ 21


seCtIon 2 IntrodUCtIon

This report, prepared by the Integrated FisheriesAllocationAdvisoryCommittee (IFAAC),containstheCommittee’sadviceandrecommendationstotheMinisterforFisheriesonfutureallocations for the Metropolitan Roe’s abalone resource.

The IFAAC, consistent with its terms of reference (see section 3.1.4), commenced itsinvestigationsofallocationsinmid2005.

2.1 Process/Consultation

TheprocesstheIFAAChasusedtopreparethisfinalreportissummarizeddiagrammaticallybelow.

Release of IFM Abalone resource report by the Department of Fisheries in September 2005

InvestigationofallocationissuesbyIFAAC

Release of draft allocation report by IFAAC in August 2006

PubliccommentperiodAugust2006toJanuary2007

ReviewofSubmissionsfromFebruary2007includingStakeholderWorkshopinMarch2007

ReportdeliveredtotheMinisterforFisheries

UndertheIntegratedFisheriesManagement(IFM)GovernmentPolicy(Paragraph11,AppendixA), theMinisterdeterminestheprocessandtimeframesforresolvingallocationsofeachfishresourcebasedon the advice of the IFAAC.TheMinister has approved a four-stage IFMallocationprocessdevelopedbytheIFAAC(AppendixB).

Thefourstagesinvolve:

A. determiningtheneedforaformalallocationprocessinafishery;

B. the development of an IntegratedFisheriesManagementReport on the resource by theDepartment of Fisheries;

C. theintegratedfisheriesallocationprocess,whichincludes:

Step1. Investigationoftheallocationissue;

Step 2. IFAAC settling a draft allocation report and releasing it for public comment;

Step 3. IFAAC recommending allocations to the Minister for Fisheries;

Step 4. The Minister determining allocations; and

D. determiningmechanismsforfutureallocationsbetweensectors.

InthecaseofMetropolitanRoe’sabalone,thefirststage(pointAabove)oftheprocesswasunnecessary,astheMinisterforFisherieshadalreadyrequestedthattheIFAACprovidehimwithadviceandrecommendationsonallocations.

ThesecondstageoftheprocesswascompletedinSeptember2005,whentheDepartmentofFisheries released Fisheries Management Paper No.204, Integrated Fisheries Management


Report Metropolitan Roe’s Abalone Resource (FMP No.204),(DepartmentofFisheries,2005).KeyinformationpresentedinthispaperiscontainedinSections3and4ofthisreport.

Duringitsinitialinvestigationofallocationissues(StageC,Step1oftheprocess–seeabove)theIFAACprovidedkeystakeholderswithFMPNo.204andsoughtwrittensubmissionsonissuesrelatedtoallocationandprovidedanopportunityforthemtomakeaverbalpresentationtothecommittee.StakeholdersubmissionsinthisstepcanbeobtainedfromthesourcesprovidedinAppendixC.Thesearetermedthe‘October2005’submissionstoenablethemtobeidentifiedseparatelyfromlatersubmissionsmadetotheDraftAllocationReport(FMPNo.214).

TheIFAACacknowledged in theDraftReport (FMPNo.204) thatnotallstakeholdershadan opportunity tomake submissions at this point.The IFAAC ismindful of advice by thestakeholders consulted thatmany recreational participants in this fisherymay not be activeinexistingconsultativearrangementsand thatgreatcautionneeds tobe taken in relation toeffectiveconsultation.

The IFAAC’sDraftAllocationReportwas released inAugust2006 to facilitatediscussionsandtoencouragepubliccommentonhowtheresourceshouldbesharedbetweencompetingusers.TheIFAACalsoarrangedforpublicmeetingstobrieffishersandinterestedmembersofthe community on the Committee’s recommendations during the public comment period. The approachtakentoconsultationisprovidedindetailinAppendixD.

The IFAAC received 12 submissions on itsDraftAllocationReport for theMetropolitanabaloneresource.AlistofthosepeopleororganisationsthatmadeasubmissionisprovidedinAppendixE.

Followingthereceiptofsubmissions,theIFAACconvenedastakeholderworkshopinMarch2007 to provide further information on new and emerging issues arising from the publicsubmissions process. The IFAAC has published on the Department of Fisheries website (www.fish.wa.gov.au)thesubmissionsmadetothisprocess.

Thepublic submissions, togetherwith theoutcomesof thestakeholderworkshopsprovidedinvaluableinputsintotheIFAAC’sreviewofitsdraftrecommendationsanddeterminationoffinalrecommendationstotheMinisterforFisheries.

Referenceisonlymadetosubmissions in thetextof thisreportwherenecessarytoprovidefurther background to the IFAAC’s deliberations orwhere it led to the IFAAC changing arecommendation contained in its Draft Allocation Report.


seCtIon 3 BaCKgroUnd

The introductionof IntegratedFisheriesManagement (IFM) is a recent development in themanagementoffisheriesinWesternAustralia.IFMisaninitiativeaimedataddressingtheissueofhowfishresourcesinWesternAustraliacanbebestsharedbetweencompetinguserswithinthebroadcontextof“EcologicallySustainableDevelopment”,orESD.

Insummary,IFMinvolves:

• settingasustainableharvestlevel(SHL)ofeachresourcethatallowsforanecologicallysustainableleveloffishing;

• allocating explicit catch shares for use by indigenous, recreational and commercialfishers;

• continualmonitoringofeachsector’sharvestedcatch;

• managingeachsectorwithinitsallocatedcatchshare;and

• developingmechanismstoenablethereallocationofcatchsharesbetweensectors.

TheGovernmentinits2005electioncommitmentslistedabaloneasoneofthefirstfourfishresourcestobebroughtundertheIFMframework.

3.1 Theintegratedfisheriesallocationadvisorycommittee

TheGovernmentreleaseditsIFMPolicyinOctober2004.Thepolicyreferstotheestablishmentof an IntegratedFisheriesAllocationAdvisoryCommittee (IFAAC) toprovide theMinisterforFisherieswithadviceonallocationsforfishresources(paragraph8 to13).TheMinisterforFisheriesestablishedtheIntegratedFisheriesManagementAllocationAdvisoryCommittee(IFAAC),underSection42of theFish Resources Management Act 1994 (FRMA), in2004toinvestigateIFMresourceallocationissuesandmakerecommendationstohimonoptimalresource use.

3.1.1 Membership

Themembers of the IFAAC at the time this paperwas preparedwereMr JimMcKiernan(Chair),MrNormanHalseandProfessorGeorgeKailis.

MrMcKiernanrepresentedWesternAustraliaintheAustralianParliamentfornearly18years.DuringthistimeheserveduponandwaschairofanumberofSenateandotherParliamentarycommittees.MrMcKiernanhasconsiderableexperienceininteractingwithcommunitygroupsandstakeholders.HeisasessionalmemberoftheStateAdministrativeTribunal,aJusticeofthePeaceandamemberoftheBoardoftheDisabilityServicesCommission.MrMcKiernanreplacedtheinauguralChairMrMurrayJorgensenon1March2006.

GeorgeKailis is Professor ofManagement atTheUniversity ofNotreDame and is also aDirectoroftheMGKailisGroup.HehashadextensiveexperienceonGovernment,scienceandindustrybodiesatastate,nationalandinternationallevel.Prof.KailisistheChairoftheAustralianSeafoodIndustry’sNativeTitleWorkingGroup,amemberofthePearlingIndustryAdvisoryCommitteeandisontheFederalGovernment’sNationalOceansAdvisoryGroup.HehaspreviouslybeenaDirectorofboththeAustralianFisheriesManagementAuthorityandtheFisheriesResearchandDevelopmentCorporation.

MrNormanHalseisakeenrecreationalfisher,conservationistandresearcher.MrHalseworkedfor Western Australia’s Department of Agriculture for 40 years, his career culminating as that


department’sDirectorGeneral.HisconservationinterestsincludedservingaspastPresidentoftheConservationCouncilofWA,asChairmanoftheNationalParksandConservationAuthorityandasamemberoftheEnvironmentalProtectionAuthority.MrHalsehasastronginterestinrecreationalfishing,asdemonstratedbyhisserviceasapastChair,andcurrentboardmember,ofpeakbodyRecfishwest.

3.1.2 ConflictofInterest

IfamemberhadaconflictofinterestinanymattertobeconsideredbytheIFAAC,thememberdisclosed the interest, thedisclosurewas recorded in theminutesof the committee and thememberdidnotvoteonthematter.

No members of the IFAAC hold a recreational or commercial fishing licence that entitles them to fish for abalone, nor do they hold interests in any such licences.

3.1.3 guiding principles

TheMinisterprovidedtheIFAACwiththefollowingGuiding Principles and Terms of Reference. Governmenthasadoptedtheprinciples,outlinedbelow,as thebasisforIFM(AppendixA).TheIFAACshouldensurethatanyadvicetotheMinisterforFisheriesisconsistentwiththeseprinciples:

i. FishresourcesareacommonpropertyresourcemanagedbytheGovernmentforthebenefitof present and future generations;

ii. Sustainability is paramount and ecological requirements must be considered in the determinationofappropriateharvestlevels;

iii. Decisions must be made on best available information and where this information isuncertain, unreliable, inadequate or not available, a precautionary approach adopted tomanagerisktofishstocks,marinecommunitiesandtheenvironment.Theabsenceof,orany uncertainty in, information should not be used as a reason for delaying or failing to make a decision;

iv. Aharvest level, that incorporates totalmortality, shouldbeset foreachfishery1 and the allocationdesignatedforusebyeachgroupshouldbemadeexplicit;

v. Allocationstousergroupsshouldaccountforthetotalmortalityonfishresourcesresultingfromtheactivitiesofeachgroup,includingbycatchandmortalityofreleasedfish;

vi. Thetotalharvestacrossallusergroupsshouldnotexceedtheprescribedharvestlevel.Ifthisoccurs,stepsconsistentwiththeimpactsofeachusergroupshouldbetakentoreducethetaketoalevelthatdoesnotcompromisefuturesustainability;

vii.Appropriatemanagementstructuresandprocessesshouldbe introducedtomanageeachuser groupwithin their prescribed allocation. These should incorporate pre-determinedactionsthatareinvokedifthatgroup’scatchincreasesaboveitsallocation;

1 FisheryisdefinedundertheFRMAasoneormorestocksorpartsofstocksoffishthatcanbetreatedasaunitforthepurposesofconservationormanagement;andaclassoffishingactivitiesinrespectofthosestocksorpartsofstocksoffish.


viii.AllocationdecisionsshouldaimtoachievetheoptimalbenefittotheWesternAustraliancommunityfromtheuseoffishstocksandtakeaccountofeconomic,social,culturalandenvironmentalfactors.Realistically,thiswilltaketimetoachieveandtheimplementationoftheseobjectivesislikelytobeincrementalovertime;

ix. Allocationstousergroupsshouldgenerallybemadeonaproportionalbasistoaccountfornaturalvariationsinfishpopulations.Thisgeneralprincipleshouldnot,however,precludealternativearrangements inafisherywherepriorityaccessforaparticularusergroup(s)maybedetermined.Itshouldremainopentogovernmentpolicytodeterminethepriorityuseoffishresourceswherethereisaclearcasetodoso;and

x. Managementarrangementsmustprovideuserswiththeopportunitytoaccesstheirallocation.There should be a limited capacity for transferring allocations unutilised by a sector for that sector’suseinfutureyears,providedtheoutcomedoesnotaffectresourcesustainability.

3.1.4 TheIFAAC’sTermsofReference

Takingintoaccounttheprinciplesdetailedabove,theIFAACistoinvestigatefisheriesresourceallocationsissues,andprovideadviceandrecommendationstotheMinisteronmattersrelatedtooptimalresourceuse,andinparticularprovideadviceon:

i. allocationsbetweengroups(sectors)withintheharvestlimitsdeterminedforeachfishery;

ii. strategies to overcome allocation and access issues arising from temporal and spatialcompetitionforfishatalocal/regionallevel;

iii. allocationissueswithinafisheriessectorasreferredbytheMinisterforFisheries;

iv. morespecificprinciples(thandetailedabove)toprovidefurtherguidancearoundallocationdecisionsforindividualfisheries;and

v. othermattersconcerningtheintegratedmanagementoffisheriesasreferredbytheMinisterfor Fisheries.

Inthefirstinstance,theMinisterforFisherieshasrequestedtheIFAACtoprovideadviceandrecommendations on allocations pertaining to the West Coast Rock Lobster Managed Fishery, AbaloneManagedFishery(withemphasisonthePerthmetropolitanfishery),andWestCoastDemersalFinfishFishery(withemphasisondhufish,baldchingroperandsnapper).

TheIFMGovernmentPolicyreleasedinOctober2004(AppendixA)hasbeentheprincipalsourceofguidancefortheIFAACindevelopingitsrecommendationsonsectoralallocations.TheMinister for Fisheries has also provided the IFAACwith additional advice on variousIFMissues,andIFAAChastakenthisadviceintoaccountinitsdeliberations.Theseissuesarediscussed in section 3.2.

3.2 Ministerialadvice

In the IFAACs deliberations it uses the IFMGovernment Policy (AppendixA) alongwithadditional guidance that has been provided by theMinister for Fisheries on anCustomaryfishingallocation;thereferenceperiod1997-2001;allocationstonon-extractiveuses;andtheareaoverwhichallocationsshouldbemadeforabalone.ThisadviceandtheIFAAC’sresponsearesummarisedbelow.

3.2.1 Customaryallocation

The thenMinister for Fisheries,KimChanceMLC, provided guidancewith respect to the


CustomaryfishingsectorinalettertotheIFAAC(seeAppendixF).ThekeypointtheMinistermadeinhisletterwasthatheexpectedthattheIFAACwouldrecommendsomeallocationforCustomaryfishingofinshorefishspecies.

The Minister also noted that he supported recommendation 13 of the draft Aboriginal Fishing Strategy,whichstates:

Within any given fisheries allocation framework developed in Western Australia, Customary fishing access rights should be given priority over all other fishing access, including commercial and recreational fishing.

CustomaryfishingwasdescribedbytheMinisterasthefishingactivityofindigenouspeoplewhohavearight(inaccordancewithAboriginallawandcustoms)tofishinaCustomarymanner.HecommentedfurtherthatnotallindigenouspeoplearepermittedtoundertakeCustomaryfishinginallareasofthestateunderAboriginallawandcustom.

Note 1: The Minister for Fisheries’ has advised IFAAC that there should be anallocationforCustomaryfishing,andthatCustomaryfishingaccessrightsshouldbegivenpriorityoverallotherfishingaccess.

3.2.2 Formalisingcatchsharesovertheperiod1997–2001

Paragraph19oftheGovernment’sIFMpolicyreferstoformalisingexistingcatchsharesasabasisforfutureallocationdiscussionsusingthebestavailablecatchinformationoverthefive-yearperiod1997-2001.Thereareanumberofissuesthatareassociatedwithusingthe1997-2001 to formalise catch shares including:

a. thepoorqualityandavailabilityofcatchdataforsomefishresourcesovertheperiod1997-2001(particularlyfortherecreationalsector);

b. theperiod1997-2001willbeincreasinglyfurtherawayfromthedateofdeterminationofallocations; and

c. it is arguable that paragraph 19 could be interpreted to simply mean that it is just a matter of estimatingthecatchsharesovertheperiod1997-2001usingtheavailabledateandmakingdeterminations based on that calculation.

The IFAAC considered these issues and resolved to advise theMinister that the followingapproachshouldbeadoptedregardingparagraph19oftheIFMGovernmentpolicy:

1. The IFAACwillmake an assessment of 1997–2001 catch shares, as a basis for futureallocationdiscussions(Paragraph19,IFMGovernmentPolicy,AppendixA).

2. Inmakingitsrecommendationforallocation,theIFAACwillapplythebroaderprinciplesintheIFMGovernmentPolicy,inparticularParagraph5(Paragraph5containstheGuidingPrincipleswhicharereproducedatsection3.1.3).

TheMinisterapproved2

…the IFAAC proceeding to consider allocations on the basis of its resolution.

2 ExtractfromletterfromtheMinistertotheIFAACof1April2005.


3.2.3 Allocationtothenon-fishingsector

ThecurrentMinisterforFisheries,HonJonFordJPMLC,hasadvisedtheIFAACthathedoesnotexpecttobeprovidedwitharecommendationonallocationstonon-extractiveusersoftheresource(AppendixG).

Specifically,theMinisterhasadvisedtheIFAACthat:

1. TheIFMinitiativewasdesignedtodetermineallocationsbetweenCustomary,recreational(includingcharter)andcommercialsectorsthatareextractiveusers.

2. HewasnotseekingarecommendationfromtheIFAAC.

Note2:TheMinisterisnotseekingadvicefromIFAACregardinganallocationfornon-extractiveusersoftheresourceasthisistakenaccountofinthesettingoftheSHLprovidedtotheIFAAC.

3.2.4 Regionsoverwhichallocationsshouldbemade

The IFAAC carefully considered the information contained in FMP No. 204 and formed the viewthattherewasinsufficientreliabledataavailableforittomakearecommendationonfinalallocations of abalone outside the broader Perth Metropolitan region in this report.

In making this conclusion the IFAAC was mindful of the Guiding Principle iii) in theGovernment’sIFMpolicywhichstatesthat‘Theabsenceof,oranyuncertaintyin,informationshould not be used as a reason for delaying or failing to make a decision’. It considered this principleinlightof theadvicefromtheDepartmentthatcompetitionbetweensectorsisnotdrivingunsustainableoutcomesinthenon-metropolitanareasofthefisheryandconcludedthatdespitetheprinciple,therewasnoimperativefordecisionmakingregardingthisregionatthepresent time.

Accordingly, the IFAAC sought theMinister’s approval to restrict its advice on allocationstoRoe’sabaloneinthePerthmetropolitanregion(fromMooreRivertoCapeBouvard-seeFigure1).

TheMinisterapprovedfortheIFAACtolimititsadviceonproportionalallocationstoRoe’sabaloneinthePerthmetropolitanregion,butalsoinformedthecommitteethathewaspreparedto receiveadviceonarrangementsbroadlysupportedbystakeholders for resolvingresourcesharing issues outside the Perth metropolitan region (Appendix H). The IFAAC advisedstakeholdersoftheMinister’sapproval.

TheIFAACsubsequentlysoughtadvicefromtheDepartmentofFisheriesastowhenadequateinformationwouldbeavailable tocompare recreationalandcommercialcatchesoutside thePerth metropolitan region. The Department advised that it would not have this additionalinformationforanotherthreeyears.TheIFAACdoesnotexpecttobeinapositiontoprovideadviceonfinalallocationsoutsidethePerthmetropolitanregionuntilatleast2010.

3.2.5 AllocationsbysubregionswithinthePerthmetropolitanregion

TheIFAACfurthersubdividedthePerthmetropolitanregionintothreesubregionstoprovideacontextfordiscussingthemanagementofthefisheryatafinerspatialscale.Thesesubregionsareknownasnorth,centralandsouth(seeFigure2).

The proportions of the total catch have varied historically between these subregions. For


example,therecreationalsectorhastakenonaverage70.5percentofthecatchinthecentralsubregion, but only12.5per cent in the south,whereas thenorthern subregion the catch issharedaboutequallybetweenthetwosectors.

Althoughthesubregionsdonotexistinlegislation,theypotentiallyprovideaframeworkfordeterminingallocationsonafinerspatialscale.TheIFAACthereforeundertooktoexploretheissue further.

TheDepartmentofFisheries,initsOctober2005submissiontotheIFAAC,identifiedallocationsbysubregionsashavinganumberofdisadvantages.TheDepartmentbelievedthatallocationsbysubregionwoulddisadvantagethecommercialsectorasitwouldlimitmanagementflexibilityand increase thecomplexity involved in settingandmanagingTotalAllowableCommercialCatches (TACCs). For the recreational sector, the Department believed management bysubregionwouldcomplicatereal-timemanagementandmonitoringoftherecreationalcatch.

The IFAAC, after initial consideration of the Department of Fisheries’ submission, sought additionaladvicefromtheDepartmentonallocationsbysubregionssoitcouldinvestigatetheissuemorethoroughly.TheDepartment’sresponsetoIFAAC’srequestisprovidedatAppendixI.Essentially,theDepartment’sadviceisthatitwouldnotbesensibletomakeanallocationforCustomaryfishingbysubregion,andanallocationbysubregionwouldvirtuallysplitinhalftheareawhereabout90percentoftherecreationalcatchistaken.

Afterexaminingalltheavailableinformation,theIFAACfeltthatthedisadvantagesofallocatingcatchsharesbysubregionsoutweighedtheadvantages.TheIFAACresolvedtorecommendthatallocations should not be made by subregion.

Recommendation 1: Allocations for abalone should only be considered for Roe’sabalonewithinthePerthmetropolitanregion,thatistheregionbetweenMooreRivermouthandCapeBouvard(currentlyArea7ofthecommercialfishery).

Note3:TheIFAACdoesnotexpectthatitwillbeprovidingadviceonfinalallocationsforabaloneoutsidethePerthmetropolitanregionuntilatleast2010.

3.3 AdditionalguidingprinciplesadoptedbytheIFaaC

IFAACalsoconsideredotherallocationprinciplesinadditiontothosereferredtopreviously(sections3.1.2and3.1.3)whichhaveabearingonitsdeliberations.Theseareoutlinedbelow:

i. The approach should be pragmatic and incremental;

ii. Therewasaneedtomakeanexplicitallocation(asdistinctfrommakingageneralstatementofprincipleabouthowallocationsshouldbemade);

iii. Allocationsshouldnothavetheeffectofmerelydeferringadecisionindefinitely;

iv. Recommendationsthatamounttoachangetocatchsharesasassessedinthe1997–2001periodneedtobeexplainedonthebasisofthe‘GuidingPrinciples’,(particularlyGuidingPrincipleviii,seesection3.1.2);and

v. Thatuntil therearere-allocationmechanisms, theIFAACshouldbecautious inmakingrecommendationsthatwouldhavetheeffectofimmediatelyandsignificantlyimpactingona sector.


3.3.1 Datauncertainty

Althoughthecatchinformationforthecommercialsectorisconsideredtobeaccurate(becauseit ismanaged under a quotamanagement system that is tightly controlled andmonitored),significantuncertaintysurroundscatchdatafortheremainingextractiveactivities.

In relation to the recreational sector, several factors contribute to theuncertaintyaround itsannualcatch.Firstly,estimatesaretakenfromsurveysandinherenterrorsareunavoidableintheseprocesses.Secondly,therecentintroductionofanew‘phonediary’surveymethodin2004suggeststhatthepreviousincorporationof‘phonerecall’surveyresults,wascontributingtoanover-estimationoftherecreationalabalonetake(seeSection4.2forfurtherdetail).Thus,thevarioussurveymethodsthemselvesyielddifferentresultsandcontributefurthertouncertainty.Finally, while it is agreed that the dominant percentage of recreational fishers are waders,fishingon the reef top forabalone, therearemixedviewson theproportionof recreationalfisherswhichfishinthe‘off-reeftop’zone.Thishassignificantimplicationswhenconsideringtheestablishmentofanallocationsystemwhichismindfulofsustainabilityissuesthatwillstemfromtheincreaseinactivityineitheroneofthesezones.

InrelationtoCustomaryfishing,significantuncertaintystemsfromalackofquantitativedata.

Thereisalsothelackofquantitativeinformationonthescaleofillegalcatchwhichfurtheraddstothegeneraluncertainty.Illegalcatcheswouldmeanthatthetotalcatchesareunderestimated.Theamountbywhichtheymaybeunderestimatedisunknown(seepage58ofFMPNo.204foradiscussionoftheillegaltakeofabalone).

3.3.2 Optimisingthebenefittothecommunity

Guidingpolicyviii(seesection3.1.2)oftheIFMGovernmentPolicystates:

Allocation decisions should aim to achieve the optimal benefit to the Western Australian community for the use of fish stocks and take account of economic, social, cultural and environmental factors. Realistically, this will take time to achieve and the implementation of these objectives is likely to be incremental over time.

ThePerthmetropolitan abalonefisherywasoneof threefisheries used as case studies in aresearchprojecttitled“ASocio-economicValuationofResourceAllocationOptionsbetweenCommercialandRecreationalUse”(McLeodandNicholls,2004).

Althoughtheresultsofthestudypointedtopossiblenetbenefitsarisingfromasmallreallocationof catch to the recreational sector, the authors cautioned against using the results to justify a reallocationbecausesomeoftheunderlyingassumptionsintheirmodellingwerenotmet(seeFMPNo.204,page47).

A keymessage from theMcLeod/Nicholls studywas that opportunities existed to increasethebenefits to the recreationalsectorwithinexistingconstraints.Thiscouldbeachievedbyredistributingtheallowablecatchamongstindividualrecreationalfishers,soastomorecloselymatchtheirindividualpreferences.Theauthorsalsosuggestedthatgreaterflexibilityinthewaythatrecreationalfisherswouldcatchitssharewouldincreasethebenefitstothissector.

Inter-sectoral allocation should be considered further after more flexible arrangementsfor recreationalfishershavebeenestablishedandoperated fora time longenough toallowrecreationalnetbenefitstobeoptimised.

DuringthepubliccommentphaseoftheDraftAllocationReport,theIFAACsoughtspecificcommentsonrelevanteconomic,social,culturalandenvironmentalissuesandhowthesemight


beincorporatedintoallocationdecisionstoachievetheoptimalbenefittotheWesternAustraliancommunity from the use of abalone stocks.

At the stakeholderworkshopconvenedby IFAAC inMarch, each sectorpresent confirmedwhatitconsideredasthekeyamenityvaluesoftheresourcefortherespectivesector.Thesearedocumented in table 1.InrelationtotheCustomarysectorwhichdidnotattendtheworkshop,theIFAACbasedtheamenityvaluesofthissectoronthecontentsoftheSouthwestAboriginalLandandSeaCouncil’sJanuary2007submissiontotheDraftAllocationReport.

Table 1. Key amenity values of the metropolitan Roe’s abalone Resource to users.

SECTOR VALUES

Commercial The commercial sector wish to protect and maintain its current 36 tonne annual quota while also protecting the ability for small increases in quota in optimal stock years. The commercial sector also value and wish to maintain the ability to access high levels of large (+70mm) abalone in the metropolitan region

Recreational The recreational sector seeks a greater diversity in management arrangements to access the resource, including the ability to fish in off-reef top habitats. Recreational fishers also seek management arrangements which will prevent the commercial sector fishing reefs just prior to recreational fishing season openings

Customary The IFAAC drew from the Southwest Aboriginal Land and Sea Council submission to the Draft Allocation Report that the indigenous sector seeks the continued allowance of Customary use of the metropolitan abalone resource, and recognition of traditional and current access rights.

Given thedifferentnatureofeachsector’svalues, it isdifficult tomakedirectcomparisonsbetweenthecommercial,recreationalandCustomarysectorswhichwouldleadtotheIFAACbeingabletoconfidentlyrecommendaspecificallocationoptimisingthesocial,economicandenvironmentalbenefitsofthecommunityfromtheuseoftheresource.


3.4 Descriptionofthefishery

inthewatersnearPerth,Roe’sabaloneoccupytheintertidalandsubtidal limestonereefsofboth the mainland and offshore islands. They also occur on some offshore reefs. Densities are highestat theseawardedgeofthereefplatformanddroptolowlevelsbyabout1.5metresdepthonthesubtidalcliffat theseawardedgeof thereef.Densitiesdeclinemoregraduallyshorewardfromtheouteredgeofthereefplatform.

Roe’s abalone grows to a maximum size of 120mm and the mean size tends to increasesubtidallyandshoreward fromtheseawardedgeof the reefplatform(HancockandCaputi,2006).Assuch,thedeeperareasgenerallycontainahigherproportionofbroodstock,whereastheshallowerareascontainalargerproportionofsmallerabalonewhichwillbefuturebreeders,havingnotyetmatured.

Larvaldispersal forRoe’sabaloneoccursovera relativelysmall range.Examinationof thestockstructurehasdemonstratedthatpopulationscanbegeneticallydifferentwhenthedistancebetweenreefsislessthan13km(Hancock2000).Inpracticalterms,thismeansthatlarvaefromaRoe’sabalonecolonyisunlikely torepopulateanotherreef(withasuitablehabitat) if theunpopulatedreefisgreaterthan13kmaway.

TheMetropolitanRoe’sAbalonefisheryiseffectivelysplitintotwocomponents,the‘reeftop’componentandthe‘off-reeftop’component.Thesetwofisherycomponentsoverlapeachotherandthereisnoprecisedividingline,nonethelessthedistinctionbetweenthetwocomponentsisimportanttounderstandingthelongstandingmanagementarrangementsforthefishery.ThedifferentcomponentsofthefisheryhavespecialsignificancetotherecommendationsofIFAACas to future management arrangements.

Commercialfishersarenotpermittedtostandonthereeftopleavingthe‘reeftop’componentlargelytorecreationalfisherswhostandorwadeintheshallowreeftopwaterswhilefishingforabalone.TheDepartmentofFisheriesestimatesthatapproximately90%ofrecreationalsectorfisheryfishistakenfromthe‘reeftop’.Thebalancecomesfromthe‘off-reeftop’stock.

The‘off-reeftop’componentisdominatedbythecommercialsectorasonlycommercialfishersare permitted to use air assisted diving apparatus in fishing deeper waters. In addition thecommercialsectorintentionallytargetsthelargersized(andmorevaluable)abalonethattendtobemoreprevalentindeeperwaters.Recreationalfisherscanaccessthe‘offreeftop’abalonecomponentbyfreedivingandnotthroughairassisteddiving.

ItshouldbenotedthatRecfishwestconsidersthattheDepartment’sestimatesof‘off-reeftop’recreationaltakemaybetoolow.Itsuggeststhattheproportionoftakebyrecreationalfishersinthiscomponentcouldbeinfactashighas20%ofthetotalrecreationaltakeandincreasing.

WithalackofspecificinformationonCustomarytake,theIFAAChasmadewhatitbelievesisareasonableassumptionthatanyCustomaryfishingtakingplaceislikelytobeonthereeftops. This being the case, it is important to note that although IFAAC considers recreational andCustomaryfisherstobeseparatesectors,forthepurposeofmanagementarrangementsandallocationtheDepartmentofFisheriesmanagesthetwosectorscollectively.TheDepartmentofFisheriesdevelopsmanagementarrangementsbasedontheannualstocksurveysofthereeftopareainwhichthesetwosectorsundertakethemajorityoftheiractivities.


Zuytdorp Cliffs

Fremantle

Cape Naturaliste

Area 8

Area 7

Area 6

Area 5 Area 2 Area 1

Moore River

Cape Bouvard

CapeLeeuwin

Point C

uIve

r

Shoal

Cape

Greenough River Mouth

Busselton Jetty

(a) Roe’s abalone (b) Management areas

Figure 1. Maps of area of the resource and current commercial and recreational management zones.


NORTHERN ZONEGreenough River Mouth to Northern Territory Border

WEST COAST ZONEGreenough River Mouth to Busselton Jetty

SOUTHERN ZONEBusselton Jetty to South Australian Border

See West Coast Map

Abalone fishing only. All other shellfish protected.

CAPE BOUVARD

Lancelin

Guilderton

Two Rocks

Yanchep

PERTH

Waterman's ReefObservation AreaNo fishing for abalone or shellfish.

Marmion Marine ParkAbalone fishing only. All other shellfish protected.

Jurien Marine ParkAbalone fishing is restrictedwithin some areas of the park.

Fremantle

Rockingham

Shoalwater Islands Marine ParkAbalone and mussel fishingonly. All other shellfish protected.

Mandurah

WEDGEISLAND

Bunbury

Busselton JettyBoundary

Busselton

Geraldton

Cervantes

Greenhead

Dongara

Leeman

Greenough RiverBoundary

CottesloeNo fishing for abalone.

Rottnest Island

A B

Figure 2. Maps showing northern central and southern subregions.


3.5 Regulationofthesectors

3.5.1 CustomaryFishing

TheMinisterforFisheriesusedtheterm“Customaryfishingsector”to:

… describe the activity of indigenous people who have a right (in accordance with Aboriginal law and customs) to fish in a Customary manner.

Headdedtotheabovedescriptionthat:

Customary Fishing applies within a sustainable fisheries management framework to persons of Aboriginal descent; fishing in accordance with the traditional law and custom of the area being fished; and fishing for the purposes of satisfying non-commercial personal, domestic, ceremonial, educational or communal needs.

TheNationalNativeTitleTribunal(NNTT)initssubmissiononwesternrocklobsterallocations(NNTT,2005)drewattention to thedistinction theDepartmentofFisheriesmakesbetweenCustomaryfishingbyAboriginalpeopleandrecreationalfishingbyAboriginalpeople.ItnotesthatundertheDepartment’sdefinitionofCustomaryfishing,Aboriginalpeopleare:

… taking marine resources for practices that reinforce cultural identity and tradition

andinAboriginalrecreationalfishing,theyare:

… exercising the same right as non-indigenous Australians to take fish, governed by the same laws and regulations.

TheNNTTsuggestedthatindigenousacceptanceofwhatcanbetakentobeanarrowdefinitionofwhatCustomaryfishingrepresentswascontingentonotherstrategiesbeinginplacetoassistindigenous people to take advantage of opportunities in themarine sector.TheNNTT alsoadvisedtheIFAACthattheappropriatenessoftheuseofsuchadefinitionwaspartofongoingdiscussionsandnegotiationsatanationalandstatelevel.

TheIFAACacceptstheviewthatadistinctioncanbedrawnbetweenCustomaryfishingandrecreationalfishingbyindigenouspeople,andthatnotallindigenousrecreationalfishersarefishingforCustomarypurposes.TheIFAACiscognisantthatspecificarrangementsarebeingconsideredfortheabalonefisheryundertheGovernment’sAboriginalFishingStrategywhichis still under consultation.

Note4:IFAAChasincludedrecreationalfishingbyindigenouspeople,asdistinctfromCustomaryfishing, as part of the broad recreational allocation consistentwith theMinisterialadvicereferredtoinSection3.2.3.

3.5.2 recreational Fishing

Thewestcoastrecreationalfisheryzone,whichincludesthePerthmetropolitanfishery,extendsfromGreenoughRivermouthtoBusseltonJetty(Figure1).

From 1996 to 1999 the Department of Fisheries closed the area around Penguin Island to recreationalfishersfrom1996to1999,whilesomecommercialfishingremained.

The recreational sector is managed by regulation under the Fish Resources Management Act 1994 and Fish Resources Regulations 1995.

Recreationalfishingforabalonerequireseitheranabalonerecreationallicenceoranumbrella


licence permitting access to all licensed recreational fishing activity.3 The Department of Fisheries first introduced licences in 1992.There is no limit to the number of recreationallicences that can be issued.

The Department of Fisheries issues licences for a 12-month period from the date of issue. Licencefeesarecurrently$36foraspecificabalonelicence,and$72foranumbrellalicence.During2004itissuedabout8,000abalonespecificlicences,and13,000umbrellalicences.

Anyone,otherthantheholderofacommercialfishinglicence,mayapplyforarecreationallicence.TheactualnumberoflicenseesthatfishforRoe’sabaloneinthePerthmetropolitanregion is less than the number of licences issued.

Since1995,therecreationalseasonhasstartedonthefirstSundayinNovemberandconsistedofsixSundaymorningsbetweenthehoursof7:00amto8:30am.In2006,thischangedtoaone-hourperiodbetween7:00amand8:00am.Adailybaglimitof20perlicenceholder,andminimum size limit of 60 mm apply.

Asstatedabove,themajorityofrecreationalfisherstakeabaloneinthe‘reeftop’componentofthefishery,withasmallproportionsnorkellinginthe‘off-reeftopfishery’adjacenttothereefplatform.Recreationalfishersuseascrewdriverorsimilarinstrumenttoleverabalonefromthereef.

TheDepartment of Fisheries does not permit recreational fishers to use compressed air totakeabalonefromsubtidalareas.Furtherdetailsoftherecreationalsectorareavailablefrom FMP No. 204.

3.5.3 CommercialActivities

3.5.3.1 Commercial Fishing

TheRoe’sabalonecommercialfishery,describedas“Area7”inthemanagementplan4 for the commercialfishery,extendsfromthemouthofMooreRivertoCapeBouvard(Figure1).

The commercial sector is prohibited from fishing in the area around Rottnest Island andthe Cottesloe area of the mainland coast. The Department of Fisheries closed Cottesloe to recreationalfishersin2003.

ThemanagementarrangementsdonotpermitcommercialdiverstostandorremainonthereeftopwhilefishingforabalonebetweenHillarysBoatHarbourandCapeBouvard.CommercialfishingforRoe’sabaloneisnotpermittedbetweenNorthMoleatFremantleandTriggIsland.

TheIFAACconsidersthatthecommercialabalonesectorcomprisesboththecommercialwildcapture sector and the aquaculture sector.

Commercial fishing for abalone is managed under theAbalone Fishery Management Plan 1992(inconjunctionwiththeFish Resources Management Act 1994 (FRMA) and associated regulations). The 13 commercial licensees permitted to take Roe’s abalone in the Perthmetropolitanregionholdatotalof7,200units(oneunitcurrentlyequals5kgwholeweight).

ThecommercialabalonesectorhasbeenmanagedunderaTotalAllowableCommercialCatch(TACC)inthePerthmetropolitanregion(Area7underthemanagementplan)since1997.TheTACC for the Perth metropolitan region has been 36 tonne each season since then, apart from

3 Aboriginalpersonsarenotrequiredtoholdarecreationalfishinglicenceunders.6oftheFRMA.4 ThemanagementplancanbeobtainedfromtheDepartmentofFisheries’websiteat:http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/

sec/about/legislation/.


1998whenitwasreducedto24tonnetoprovideforachangefromaseasonperiodofOctober-to-September to April-to-March.

Althoughalegalminimumsizeof60mmappliestothecommercialsector,commercialfisherscomplywithanindustry-initiatedmanagementarrangementtoonlytakeRoe’sabaloneofatleast 70mm in length (10mm above the legalminimum size).This arrangement suits thecommercial industry because larger-sized abalone attract a higher price.

FishingbyCommercialdiversisnotpermittedonweekendsandonpublicholidaysinthePerthmetropolitanregionallseason.Inaddition,commercialdiversmustceasefishingintheregionaltogethertwoweekspriortotheopeningoftherecreationalseason(i.e.bythefirstSundayinNovember)andnotfishatallduringtherecreationalseason.

The Department of Fisheries renews the commercial fishery licences annually, followingpayment of the annual access fee by licensees. The total amount collected from commercial licenseestoaccessRoe’sabaloneinthePerthmetropolitanregionforthe2005/06seasonwas$92,600.

TheDepartmentofFisheriesinitssubmissionestimatedtheaveragegrossvalueofproductionfromthePerthmetropolitanregionovertheperiod1999to2003as$1.39million.FMPNo.204providesfurtherdetailsofthecommercialfishingsector.

3.5.3.2 Aquaculture

The aquaculture sector has a requirement to access a limited amount of Roe’s abalone from the wildtocarryoutresearchandsupplybroodstockforfarmproduction.ThisaccessiscurrentlyprovidedbyaMinisterialexemptionundersection7oftheFRMA.

ThetakeofRoeabalonebytheaquaculturesectorisconsistentlylow.Currently,theaquaculturesectortakeslessthan200individualsinthePerthmetropolitanregion.


seCtIon 4 CatCh InForMatIon

In accordancewithGovernment Policy paragraph 5 (iii), IFAAC is obliged to use the bestavailablecatchinformationandisdirectedthatuncertaintyinrelationtothatinformationshouldnot be used as a reason for delaying or failing to make a decision.

The principal source of catch data that the IFAAC has used in considering its advice onallocations that contained in is FMP No. 204.

4.1 Customary

TheDepartmentofFisherieshasnospecificinformationonthenumbersofindigenouspeoplethatparticipateinCustomaryfishingforabalone(seesection3.2.1foradefinitionofCustomaryfishing)ortheamountthattheyeat.

Thereisevidenceinaresearchreport,providedtotheIFAAC,thatindigenouspeopleonthewestandsouthwestcoastshavehistoricallyeatenmolluscs(Wright,2005).TheauthorofthatreportreferredtoagreatdealofarcheologicalevidenceofcoastalexploitationbyAboriginalpeople.Inparticular,researchconductedbetweenKalbarriandCapeAridshowedthatsouthwesternAboriginalpeopleatemarinemolluscsincludingabalone(Dortch,KendrickandMorse1984).

Morerecently,evidencehasbeengiveninaNativeTitleTribunalhearingthatIndigenouspeoplecollectedabalonefromreeftopsandrocksonthesouthcoast(seeFMPNo.204,page56).

With respect to the amount of abalone indigenous people ate, the Department in a letter (AppendixJ)totheIFAACmakesthefollowingpointsthat:

• There are no known coastal shell midden5 sites between Moore River and CapeNaturaliste.

• Further researchwould be required before any informed decision about theCustomaryleveloftakecouldbemade.

• InthePerthmetropolitanregion,becausethestockislocatedonthelocalreefplatformsattachedtotheshoreline,historicallyitwouldhavebeeneasilyaccessibletoindigenouspeople.

IFAACmadeaspecificcallwithin theDraftAllocationReportformore informationonthenatureandextentofCustomaryfishingforabaloneintheMetropolitanarea.

TheSouthWestAboriginalLandandSeaCouncil(SWALSC)madeasubstantivesubmissiontotheDraftAllocationReportwhichdrewontheoutcomesofconsultationundertakenbySWALSCwithindigenousinformants.ThesubmissionindicatedsignificantinterestinCustomaryuseandsuggeststhatthisusemaynotbeobvioustonon-indigenousobservers.

TheIFAACappreciatestheadditionalinformationbySWALSCandtheexplanationprovidedbySWALSCforthelackofprofileinrelationtospecificinstancesofCustomaryfishingactivity.Giventhehighvisibility,communityinterest,researchandenforcementactivitiesrelatingtothisfishery,however,IFAACconcludesontheinformationbeforeitthatitislikelythatcurrentindigenoustakeisnotsignificantfromaresourcemanagementperspective.

5 Shellmiddensaredefinedas“amoundofshellsaccumulatedfromhumancollection,consumption,anddisposal”(McGrawHillHigherEducationOnline,2007),inthiscontext,presumedtohaveoriginatedfromindigenousactivity.


Note 5: The IFAAC has no quantitative information suggesting that the quantityofCustomarytakeofabaloneinthePerthmetropolitanareaissignificant.Iftherewas demonstrated to be a significant Customary take, the demands of IFM (IFMGovernment Policy, paragraph 18, Appendix A) would necessarily require moreresearchandmonitoringoftheCustomarytakebyindigenouspeople.

4.2 recreational

The recreational catch of abalone is described in FMP No. 204 and the Department’s October 2005submissiontotheIFAAC(www.fish.wa.gov.au).

Most of the recreational catch is taken in the north and central subregions of the Perth metropolitan region(Figure2).

TheDepartmentprovidesacomparisonofthethreesurveymethodsusedtocollectinformationon the recreational catch in the Perth metropolitan region in its submission, i.e.:

1. fieldsurvey(since1997);

2. phonerecallsurvey(since1999);and

3. phonediarysurvey(2004-05).

The field survey has been conducted the longest (since 1997) and is based on samplingcatchesofrecreationalfisherstodetermineaverageweights,catchratesanddirectcountsofrecreationalfishers.

TheDepartmentofFisheriescalculatestherecreationaldailycatchratefrominterviewswithfishers.Anestimateofthetotalcatchinnumbersiscalculatedbyusingestimatesofthetotalfishingeffort.Anestimateofmeanweightsisthenusedtoconvertthenumbersofabalonetakenbyrecreationalfishersto‘recreationalcatch’(inwholeweight)forcomparisonpurposeswiththe commercial sector.

The phone recall survey has been conducted since 1999 and is based on interviewing 400people,randomlyselectedbylicencetypeandlocation.TheinterviewsareconductedaroundFebruaryeachyear.Catchestimatesareprovidedatthebioregionalscaleforallspecies.

Thephonediarysurvey,whichhasjustrecentlybeenintroduced,isbasedonsendingadiaryto approximately 500 licence holders, selected by licence type (umbrella and abalone onlylicensees)andlocation(metropolitanandregional),andcontactingeachdiaryholderonceamonth by phone for the duration of the abalone season.

ThecatchestimatesfromeachsurveymethodareprovidedinTable2below.

InitsOctober2005submission,theDepartmentofFisheriesusedtherecreationalfieldsurveydatatocomparewiththecommercialcatch,whereasinFMPNo.204theaverageofthefieldand phone survey resultswere used to represent the recreational catch in comparisonwithcommercial catches.

TheDepartmentofFisherieshas justifiedthechangetousingthefieldsurvey(only)resultsonthefactthattheresultsfromthephonediarysurveyin2004(whichonlybecameavailablesometimelater)confirmthefieldsurveyismoreaccuratethanthephonerecallsurvey.Basedonthis,theDepartmentdeterminedthatthetelephonediarysurveyismoreaccuratethanthephone recall surveydue to the recallbiasassociatedwithphone recall surveysand that the


phonerecallsurveyshouldberemovedfromthecalculationofrecreationalcatchinaccuratelyincreasing the estimate of recreational catch.

Theimportantimplicationthereforeofusingthefieldsurveyresultsisthattheestimateoftherecreationalcatchislowerthantheestimateproducedfromtheaverageofbothsurveys,i.e.thephonesurveyresultshavealwaysbeenhigherthanthefieldsurvey.

Table 2. Catch estimates for the commercial and recreational sectors, in tonnes whole weight, for Roe’s abalone in the Perth metropolitan region from 1997 to 2004.

Season CommercialCatch (t)2

Recreational Estimated Catch (t)

Field Survey3 Phone Recall Survey3

Average Field and Phone

recall

Phone Diary Survey

1997 36.4 29.5 29.5

1998 24.1 33.8 33.8

1999 36.1 35.3 37.7 36.5

2000 36.5 30.2 33.7 32.0

2001 35.4 44.1 47.8 46.0

2002 36.0 36.0 39.3 37.7

2003 36.0 42.6 47.2 44.9

2004 35.9 31.7 44.4 38.1 28.01 Forthecommercialsectorthelicensingperiodstartsonthe1Aprilandfinishesonthe31March.FortherecreationalsectorthefishingseasonisoversixconsecutiveSundaysstartingonthefirstSundayinNovembereachyear.

2 Source: Table 7 FMP No. 204.3 Source: Table 9 FMP No. 204.4 Source: Information for 2004 has been sourced from the Department of Fisheries October 2005 submission.

InconsideringtheDepartment’sadviceontheappropriatedatasourcetobasetherecreationalcatchtheIFAACtooktheviewthatitshouldusetheaverageofthetwoestimatesfromthefieldand telephonesurveys.The reasonforadopting thisapproachwas that thechange fromtheaverageisbasedonthesurveyresultsfromonetelephonediarysurveyonly.TheDepartmenthasadvisedthatitiscurrentlyconductingitssecondtelephonediarysurveyforthe2006/2007periodwhichwillprovideadditionalinputintothecomparabilityandaccuracyofeachofthethreesurveymethods.TheDepartmentalsoadvisesthatthemethodologytobeusedinongoingmonitoringofrecreationalfishingcatchisyettobedeterminedandanychangefromthecurrentsystemwillbethesubjectofstakeholderengagement.

Usingtheaverageofthefieldandphonerecallsurveys(Table2therecreationalcatchhasvariedbetween29.5tonnesand46.0tonnessince1997,withanaverageof37.2tonnesperyear.

4.3 Commercial

ThecommercialcatchinformationisprovidedinTable2above.TheTotalAllowableCommercialCatch(TACC)hasbeen36tonneseachseasonapartfrom1998,whenitwasreducedto24tonnes to accommodate a change in season dates.

Thesourcesofdataforthecommercialabalonefisheryarestatutorymonthlyreturnsanddailycatchanddisposalrecords(CDRs).CommercialabalonediversrecordontheirCDRsestimatesofcatch(inkg),effort(inhoursandminutesspentdiving)andthelocationfishedwitha10×10 nautical mile grid system.


The Department of Fisheries regards the CDRs as the most accurate record of the catch, and the statutoryreturnsprovideausefulhistoricalrecordofthecatchandeffortsincetheyhavebeencollected since 1970s.

Most of the commercial catch is taken in the north and southern subregions of the Perth metropolitanregion(Figure2).

4.4 recreational and commercial catch shares

thecatchproportionseachyearsince1997aregivenintable 3below.Theproportionshavebeendevelopedusingthecommercialandrecreationaldatafromtable 2.

Table 3. Catch proportions for Roe’s abalone in the Perth metropolitan region over the period 1997-2004.

Year Proportion %

Commercial Recreational1

1997 55 45

1998 42 59

1999 50 50

2000 53 47

2001 44 57

2002 49 51

2003 45 55

2004 49 521 UsingtheaverageofthefieldandtelephonesurveysfromTable1.

Catchsharessince1997(excluding1998)havevariedbetween43percentand55percentfor the commercial sector and, conversely, between45per cent and57per cent for therecreational sector.

Essentially,asthecommercialcatchhasbeenfixedat36tonnesperseasonsince1997thecatchproportionshavevariedaccordingtotheamounttakenbytherecreationalsector.


seCtIon 5 aLLoCatIon IssUes

Asaprecursortoprovidingitsadviceonactualallocations,theIFAACconsideredthatitneededtodiscussthefollowingissues:

1. alignment of boundaries;

2. fishingonthereefplatformbetweenHillarysBoatHarbourandMooreRiver;

3. incidental mortality; and

4. proportionalallocationsunderasinglesustainableharvestlevel(SHL).

5. Eachoftheseissuesisdiscussedbelow.

5.1 Alignmentofboundaries

Currently,Perthmetropolitanmanagementboundariesarenotalignedbetweenthecommercialandrecreationalsectorsonthewestcoast(seeFigure1).

TherecreationalmetropolitanzoneisfromGreenoughRiverMouthtoBusseltonJettyandthecommercialmetropolitanzoneis(Area7)fromMooreRivertoCapeBouvard.

The Department of Fisheries has proposed that the boundaries be changed so that the management boundaries for the recreational and commercial Perthmetropolitan zones are equivalent byamendingtherecreationalboundariestomatchthatofthecurrentcommercialboundaries(Area7).TheRecreationalFishingAdvisoryCommitteehasalsosupportedthisposition.

In the long term, integration of fishery management will result in adjustments to fisherymanagement structures and practices to facilitate the integration of Customary, commercial and recreationalfisheries.AscreatingarecreationalzonebetweenMooreRiverandCapeBouvardisthetypeofmanagementchangethatwouldfacilitatetheintegrationofmanagementofthesectors, the proposal is supported by the IFAAC.

Recommendation 2: The metropolitan zone for the recreational fishery should beamendedbyextendingtheboundariesfromMooreRivertoCapeBouvardsothatthecommercialandrecreationalsectorshavecommonmetropolitanregionboundaries.

TheDepartmentofFisherieshasalsoproposedthatanewmidwestcoastzoneiscreatedfortherecreationalfishery,makingatotaloffourrecreationalzones.TheDepartmenthasarguedthecaseforcreatinganewmidwestcoastzonebecauseitbelievesthereisaneedtomanagethemoreintensiverecreationalfishinginthatarea.

TheIFAAChasnotmadeanyrecommendationsontheabalonefisheryoutsidetheMetropolitanareabecausetheDepartmentofFisheriessubmittedthatthecatchinformationwasnotsufficientlyreliable to provide a basis for allocation andbetter datawouldnot be availableuntil 2010.Whenadequateinformationisavailable,abalonefishingoutsidetheMetropolitanareawillbeexaminedbytheIFAACandtheneedfora‘midwestcoast’zonecanbeaddressedaspartofthewiderallocationexercise.Intheinterim,itisexpectedthattheDepartmentofFisherieswillmanagethesustainabilityofthefisheryonanoverallbasis.


5.2 HillarysBoatHarbourtoMooreRiverreeftopfishing

Thecurrentbanonreeftopfishing(ie.notpermittedtostandorremainonthereeftopwhilefishing)bycommercialfishersextendsfromCapeBouvardtoHillarysBoatHarbour.

TheRecreationalFishingAdvisoryCommittee(RFAC)hasproposedthatthebanbeextendedtoMooreRiver.TheDepartmentofFisheriesinitsresponsetoIFAAC’sinterimreportsupportedthis extension. Recfishwest believes that negotiations should continue with commercialoperatorsconcerningimportantreefsbetweenTriggIslandandHillarysMarina,andreeftopharvesting by commercial operators between Hillarys Boat Harbour and Greenough Rivermouth.RecfishwestalsobelievethatarecreationalfishingonlyzoneshouldbecreatedbetweenCottesloeReefandMindarie,orataminimumbetweenTriggIslandandHillarysBoatHarbour.TheDepartmentofFisheriessupportedtherecommendationtoextendthenorthernboundaryofthebanoncommercialreeftopfishing,andaddedthatitwouldsupportanextensiontothemouthofMooreRiver.

In a verbal submission to the IFAAC, the commercial sector objected to restrictions beingimposedinrelationtofishingactivitiesonreeftopswithoutappropriateoffsets.ThecommercialsectorhasprovidedcommenttotheIFAAC,howeverthatitisnotactivelyfishingonthereeftopfromHillarysBoatHarbourtoBurnsBeach.TheareabetweenHillarysBoatHarbourandBurnsBeachisapopularrecreationalfishingareaandextendingthereeftopbanoncommercialfishinghasthepotentialtoavoidfutureinteractionandconflictinthearea.

ExtendingtheprohibitiononcommercialfishingonthereefplatformtoBurnsBeachiseffectivelymaintainingwhatisunderstoodbymanytobethestatus quo andwillreducethepotentialforconflictinthefuture.Accordingly,theIFAACgenerallysupportsthisproposalinthecontextoftheextensionofIFMtothisfisheryanditsotherrecommendations.TheIFAACbelievesthatthisrecommendationisconsistentwithitsprincipleofanincrementalandpragmaticapproachas outlined in section 3.3.

In termsoffurtherextensionstoreef topbansorotherexclusiveareas,IFAACbelievesthesectors should be encouraged to take a lead in negotiating outcomes for these issues. For example,extendingtheprohibitiononcommercialaccesstothereeftopnorthofBurnsBeachcouldbenegotiatedbetweenthetwosectorswithintheIFMframework.

UnderIFM,asaccesstotheresourcebecomesmoreassuredandsectorsharesarespecified,theenvironmentforeffectiveinter-sectoralnegotiationisimproved.However,theIFAACcautionsthatIFMwillnotofitselfguaranteeanoutcomeanditmaytaketimeforthenecessaryculturalshiftsinthenegotiatingpracticesofthevarioussectorstooccur.

Recommendation3:ThebanoncommercialfishersfishingonthereeftopbetweenCapeBouvardandHillarysBoatHarbourshouldbeextendedfurthernorthtoBurnsBeach.IFAACrecommendsthatthebanshouldproceedinconjunctionwithadvancingtheotherissuescoveredinthisreport.


5.3 Incidentalmortality

therearethreerelevantIFMGovernmentpolicyprinciples,whichrelatetoincidentalmortality.Thesearelistedbelow:

5 iv) A harvest level, that incorporates total mortality, should be set for each fishery and the allocations designated to each group should be made explicit.

5 v) The allocations to user groups should account for total mortality on fish resources resulting from activities of each group, including bycatch and mortality of released fish.

5 x) Management arrangements must provide users with the opportunity to access their allocation …

The effective implementation of these principles raises substantial issues, requiring a highqualityofknowledgeofbothfishstocksandtheimpactoffishingactivity.

TheIFAACsoughtadvicefromtheDepartmentofFisheriesontherelationshipofthecatchof each sector to the SHL and how incidentalmortality is incorporated into the SHL.TheDepartment’sadviceisprovidedinAppendixK.

5.3.1 Aharvestlevelincorporatingtotalmortality

Intermsofthefirstpartofpolicyprinciple5(iv),settingaharvestlevelthatincorporatestotalmortalityistheroleoftheChiefExecutiveOfficer(CEO)oftheDepartmentofFisheries.ItisclearfromFMPNo.204thattheCEOhasnotcurrentlyprovidedasustainableharvestlevel(SHL)thatarithmeticallyincorporatestotalmortality,astheSHLisgivenasthetotalquantityofRoe’sabalonethatmaybetaken(landed)bythecommercialandrecreationalsectors.

Inotherwords,theSHLincludesonlythedirecttakefromthesectorsanddoesnotincludeotherindirectorunknownsourcesofmortalityincludingCustomaryfishing,discardsandillegaltake.TheDepartment of Fisheries explains in their submission (AppendixK) how it dealswithincidentalmortality-asummaryofwhichisprovidedbelow.

Although there is no estimate of total mortality, the impact of total mortality on the stock is reflectedinperformanceindicatorsusedtomonitorthestockstatusandassesstheSHL.

ThemonitoringofthestockandSHLisreliantonthetrendsinfishery-dependent(commercialand recreational catch, effort and catch rates) and fishery-independent (research surveys ofkeylocationsofcommercialandrecreationalinterest)performanceindicators.Iftherewereasubstantialincreaseinabaloneabundanceduetoadecreaseintotalmortality(causedby,forexample,feweranimalsdiscarded)thechangeinabundancewouldbeidentifiedasachangeinthe performance indicators.

TheDepartmentofFisheriesbelievesthatinthiswaytotalmortalityisadequatelytakenintoaccountinsettingtheSHL,withouthavingtoestimateeachofthecomponents.

5.3.2 Allocationsthataccountfortotalmortality

IFAACbelievethatinsufficientinformationisavailableforittorecommendallocationsthatinclude incidental mortality.As this was a key issue raised in consultations the followingdiscussionisprovidedsothatthevariousstakeholderviewsonthisissuearereported.

The submissions made to IFAAC indicate that stakeholders believe incidental mortality islikely to be higher for the recreational sector than the commercial sector for a range of reasons includingexpertise,environmentalconditions,fishingmethodandshortfishingtimesforthe


recreational sector. Stakeholders have argued in their submissions that incidental mortalityshouldbetakenintoaccountinaccordancewiththeprinciples,buttheyvaryastohowthisshould be done.

TheAbaloneIndustryAssociationofWesternAustralia(AIAWA)believesthatthereshouldnot be an allocation for incidental mortality to the recreational sector in addition to its legally taken share.

Recfishwest’spositionisthatthetotalcatchincludingincidentalmortalitymustformthebasisoftherecreationalallocation.Recfishwestholdstheviewthatincidentalmortalityformspartofthe ‘take’ as interpreted under the Fish Resources Management Act 1994, and therefore should be used in calculating the recreational allocation.

Recfishwest’sOctober2005submissionstated thatanominalfigureof33percentshouldbeaddedto therecreationalcatchfiguresforallocationpurposes toaccountfor incidentalmortality,therebyeffectivelyincreasingtheaveragerecreationalcatch.InitsJanuary2006submission,itaddedthatan“additional5%shouldbeaddedtotherecreationalallocation”basedonresearchbyHancock,BashamandFriedman(2004)onincidentalmortalityratesfromrecreationalfishing.

In contrast, the Department of Fisheries submission stated that allocations should be based only onretainedcatch.TheDepartmentexplainsthatincidentalmortalityoccursinbothfisheries,albeititismorecommonintherecreationalfishery;ishighlyvariablefromyear-to-year;andisdependentonweatherandswellconditions.

Notwithstanding the general desirability of including incidental mortality in the SHL inaccordancewith the policy principles, the IFAACcannot include incidentalmortality in anallocationtoasectorwhenthereisnovalidatedestimateofit.

The practical implication of this, as pointed out by the Department of Fisheries, is that any decrease in incidentalmortality,or for thatmatteranyotherchange infishingpractices thatleadstoanincreaseintheSHL,wouldbenefit6 all sectors.

5.3.3 access arrangements

Ithasbeennotedabovethattheincidentalmortalityofabaloneduringfishingcarriedoutbytherecreationalsectorcanbeaffectedbyrestrictionsonrecreationalfishingincludingtheshortfishingseason,andthebanonairassisteddiving.Giventhatthecurrentseasonisrestrictedtospecifieddaysdespite theprevailingconditions, incidentalmortalitycanalsobeaffectedbyswell,tideandotherweatherconditions.

Thissituationcausesahighernumberofdiscardsthanusualbecausethepoorweather(i.e.ahigherswellthanusual)makesitmoredifficultforfisherstogaugethesizeofabalonewhiletheyareattachedtothereef.Amanagementsystemthatprovidedmorechoiceregardingtheconditionsinwhichrecreationalfisherscouldfish,andtheabilitytomeasureabalonepriortocollection,wouldleadtolessdiscards.

Some submitters initially proposed that discards could be reduced if the minimum size limit wasremovedandfisherscouldtakethefirst20animalstheypickedup.However,followingfurther advice received from both Recfishwest and the Abalone Industry Association ofWesternAustraliaonthisproposal,itwasagreedthatthiswaslikelytoleadtohigherlevelsofdiscarding.Bothorganisationsagreedthateducationofrecreationalfishersonwaystoreduceincidentalmortalitywasthemostimportanttooltoaddressthisissue.TheIFAACbelievesthat6 Theextenttowhichsectorswouldbenefitfromadecreaseinincidentalmortalityisunknown.


there are opportunities to reduce incidental mortality by making changes to the management arrangements and increasing educational efforts and the Department of Fisheries should, as a matterofpriority,takeactioninconsultationwithstakeholdersaimedatminimisingincidentalmortality on the reef platform.

IFAACfurtherexploresandmakesrecommendationsinrelationtothisissueinsection 7.2.

5.4 ProportionalallocationsforthePerthmetropolitanregion

ThereareanumberofreasonswhydeterminingproportionalallocationsforRoe’sAbaloneinthemetropolitanregionisdifficult.Thefirstisthatalthoughfromaregulatoryperspectivetheresourceiscontainedwithinonefishery,therearetwocomponentsofthefisherythe‘reeftop’fisherycomponentandan ‘off-reef top’fisherycomponent.Given thegeneralmovementofabalonefromthe‘reeftop’tothedeeperwaters‘offreeftop’astheygrowlargerandmature,the population structure of each component is different and accordingly the recreational and commercial sectors take most of their catch from different age classes of the Roe’s population.

The ‘off reef top’componentof thefisheryconsistsof larger (andolder), abalone takenbycommercialdiverswhereasinthe‘reeftop’componentmainlyyoungerandsmallerabaloneare takenbyrecreationalfishers.Theresultof this is thatagivenamountofabaloneinonecomponent is not equivalent to the same amount in the other component.The relationshipbetweenthesetwocomponentsisnotwellunderstoodandthereisnoknown‘conversionfactor’relatingthecontributiontooverallsustainability,comparingtheimpactoftakeofabalonefromonecomponentoftheoverallfisherytotheother.

Thedifferencesbetweenthecomponentsofthefisherybringintoquestionwhethersustainabilityobjectivesarebestservedbymovingtoaproportionalallocationmodelatthistime.

5.4.1 Managementflexibility

Theabilitytoalterthemanagementofeachsector’sfishingactivitiesdifferentlyisanimportantadvantagewheremanagementcontendswithanumberofissuesincludingavariablepopulationdistribution, spatially separate components of the fishery and different fishing practices.Managementneedssufficientflexibilitytoalterthecatchinonelocationofonesector,separatelytowhat itdoestotheothersector.Twoexamplesareprovidedbelowtoillustrate thisneed,wherethismaybeadesirableoutcomeforRoe’sabaloneinthePerthmetropolitanregion.

Example 1:CommercialcatchratesindicatedthattheTACCcouldbeincreasedwhileindicatorsforabaloneabundanceonthereefplatformindicatethatrecreationalfishingeffortshouldnotbe increased.

Example 2:Productivityofapartofthereefplatformisreducedbysomeunusualenvironmentalimpactoroverfishing.Thissituationmaynotaffectthesectorthatdoesnotfishinthatarea,butrequiremanagementactiontoreducefishingeffortonthesectorthatfishesthereefplatforminthat particular location.

Inthesetwoexamples,asinglesustainableharvestlevel(SHL)withproportionalallocationsthatequallyaffectsbothsectorshasthepotentialtobeunfair.Also,timingmatterswouldneedto be taken into account in terms of appropriate management arrangements for the different age groups,andasagivencohortprogressesthroughthefishery.


5.4.2 Impactofcatchonthestock

The IFAAC has some concerns about allocating catch proportions to the sectors under a single SHLwhen there is uncertainty about the impacts of reallocating catch from one sector totheother,whichwouldeffectivelymovefishingpressurefromthe‘reeftop’to‘offreeftop’componentofthefisheryandvisversa.

Inordertoimproveitsunderstandingofhowthecatchofonesectorimpactsonthecatchoftheother sector and hence the SHL, the IFAAC sought additional information from the Department of Fisheries. The Department’s response to the request for additional information on this matter isprovidedinAppendixK.

Essentially,theDepartmentofFisherieswasnotabletoprovideabasisforcomparingthecatchesof the twosectorson theoverall stock.TheDepartmentadvised that itmeets sustainabilityobjectivesforthefisherythroughmonitoringtrendsinstockabundance.

5.4.3 Customaryfishing

The IFAAC has taken a pragmatic approach to determining the allocation for Customary fishing.Incomingtoitsrecommendation,itisrequiredtoreconcilethepolicyadvicefromtheMinisterforFisheries(AppendixF)thatapriorityallocationforCustomaryuseshouldbemadewith the fact that there is a lack of data available on the actual level of take ofCustomaryfishingforabalone.

WhilethereisinformationingeneralinrelationtotheCustomarytakeofabalone,nospecificinformation is available to the IFAAC to suggest that the Customary take of abalone is asignificantproportionofthetotaltakeofabaloneinthePerthmetropolitanregion.

In the absence of alternative evidence, amethodologywas proposed by theDepartment ofFisheries to make an assessment of Customary take, based on the percentage of the Perth metropolitanpopulationthatisindigenousandthenattributingtothemthelevelofexploitationthat would be attributed to the general population. This would lead to an allocation ofapproximately156kg.

However, theDepartmentofFisheriesfurtheradvisedtheIFAACthat theamountestimatedusing this method may be an underestimate and accordingly recommended instead an allocation ofbetween500and1,000kg.

TheIFAACsubsequentlysoughtfurtheradvicefromtheDepartmentofFisheriesonthismatterandthisadditionaladviceisprovidedinAppendixJ.TheDepartmentinsupportofitspositiondidnotprovidespecificadviceastothelevelofCustomarytakebutadvisedthat:

“Under-allocating the Customary take will require future re-allocations at the direct expense of the other sectors… It also needs to be recognised that any over-allocation can be adjusted as further information becomes available.”

TheIFAAChasacknowledgedandacceptedtheDepartmentofFisheriesadviceonthismatterandrecommendsaninitialallocationbasedonthefigureof500kg.TheIFAACacknowledgesthatinarrivingatthisestimatetheapproachtakenisnotfullyconsistentwiththedefinitionofCustomaryfishingoutlinedinsection3.2.1.

Thisinitialpriorityallocationcanbevalidatedovertimeandreadjustedifnecessary,andgiveseffecttothegovernmentpolicyonthisissue(seesection3.2.1).

TheIFAACwasinformedthattheleveloftakebyCustomaryfishingwascurrentlyunreported.DuetothecurrentmanagementarrangementsofwhichCustomaryandRecreationalaremanaged


together,anyallocationgiventoCustomaryfishingwouldbeadditionaltothecalculationsforthe recreational and commercial take. On this basis, no immediate impact on the take of the commercial and recreational sectors should arise from this allocation.

Therelativelysmallamountbelievedtobetaken,andthefishery-independentmeasuresthattheDepartmentofFisheriesusetoassistinthesettingofthebroaderSHLforthefishery,meanthatundercurrentmanagementarrangementsthisCustomaryfishingallocationshouldnotrepresentarisktosustainabilityofthefishery.

Insummary,theIFAACbelievesthatanallocationof500kgforCustomaryfishingisreasonableforthisfisherygiventhattheallocationforCustomaryfishingisinadditiontotheSHLfortherecreationalandcommercialsectorsandwouldhavepriorityoverthosesectors.

5.4.4 SummaryofIssuesandDiscussion

Although the IFAACbelieves it ispreferable to implementproportionalallocationsunderasingleSHL,theIFAACadvisesagainstimplementingtheminthecaseofRoe’sabaloneinthePerth metropolitan region at this time because:

• thereisalreadyahighdegreeofspatialseparationbetweenthesectors;

• there is insufficient understanding of the comparability of the catches between the twocomponentsoftheoverallfisherythereeftopandoffreeftopfisheriesand;

• thereisthepotentialtounfairlydisadvantageasectorunderaproportionalallocationsystem.

TheIFAAC,afterconsideringtheissuesoutlinedabove,formedtheviewthataproportionalallocation system should not be introduced until there is an increased understanding of the relationship between the reef top and off reef top fisheries; and experience is gainedwithmanagingtherecreationalsectorundermoreflexiblemanagementarrangementsincludingtheproposalbelow.

Whilst the IFAAC is not recommending that proportional allocations be implemented at this time,thecommitteebelievesthereshouldbegreatercertaintyinregardtoeachsector’saccesstotheresource,anditshouldaddresstheissueofthefluctuatingrecreationalcatch.Toaddressthese issues, theIFAACis recommending the introductionofa ‘totalallowablerecreationalcatch’(TARC).

TheIFAACbelievesthetotalallowablerecreationalcatchshouldbebasedontheSHLprovidedby the Department of Fisheries in FMP No. 204. As the SHL has been based on 1999-2003 data, theIFAACexpectsthatthestartingpointforthetotalallowablerecreationalcatchshouldbearound40tonnes,i.e.theSHLof77tonneslesstheTACCof36tonnes.Thisisconsistentwithaverageofrecreationalcatchforthesameperiodwhichis39.5tonne.

Theadvantagesofthisapproacharethatitretainspriorityaccessoftherecreationalsectortothe‘reeftop’fisherycomponent;willleadtoareductioninthevariabilityintherecreationalcatch7; andmaintainstheflexibilitytomanagethecatchofeachsectorseparately.

Underthisarrangement,eachsectorwouldbemanagedtoatotalallowablecatch,butthetotalallowablecatchesforeachsectorcouldbevaried,accordingtorelevantbiologicalindicatorsineachlocation.Importantly,thetotalallowablecatcheswouldnotbelinkedproportionally.

Theimportanceofthisisthatifmanagementadjustmentshavetobemadetodifferentpartsof the fishery they can bemademore fairly. For example, if the ‘off-reef top’ resource isdeterminedbyfishery-independentmethodstowarrantahigherharvestlevelby10%thenthe

7 Providedmanagementrulesarechangedaccordingly.SeeRecommendation11.


increasewillbeappliedproportionatelytobothsectors,i.e.3.6tonnestothecommercialsectorand0.4tonnes(10%ofthe4tonneconservativelyestimatedtobetakenbyrecreationalfishinginthe‘off-reeftop’componentofthefishery,refertoSection3.4)totherecreationaldivingsector. Furthermore, the introduction of a reallocation mechanism becomes much easier if these differentpartsoftherecreationalfisheryarerecognisedbecauseitcouldoperatebetweenthecommercialsectorandthe“dive”partoftherecreationalsectorbecauseboththesegroupsareoperating on the same resource.

TheextenttowhichitispracticalatthisstagetomanagethetwopartsoftherecreationalsectorseparatelyisamatterfortheDepartmentofFisheriesbuttheIFAACbelievesitisessentialtorecognise the need.

TheIFAACbelieves thisapproachis inaccordancewith itsprinciple that thereshouldbeapracticalandincrementalapproachtakentotheimplementationofIFM,andtheGovernmentpolicy5ix(seeabove).

Inordertoprovideguidanceandcertaintytothesectorsaboutallocationsunderaproportionalmodel,theIFAAChasprovidedadiscussioninSection6ofitsviewonthebasisforproportionalallocationswhentheyareconsideredinthefuture.

Recommendation4:ThatmanagementonthebasisofkeepingsectorstoproportionalallocationsforRoe’sabaloneinthePerthmetropolitanareashouldbedeferreduntil:

(a) Thereisadequateinformationontheoff-reeftoprecreationalfisherysothatitscatch can be managed; and

(b) Thereisadequateunderstandingoftherelationshipsbetweenthereeftopandoff-reeftopfisheriesthatitispossibletomanageallofthecomponentsofthefisheryequitablythroughproportionalallocations;and

(c) Fisherymanagershavegainedenoughexperiencewithmanagingtherecreationalsectortoatotalallowablerecreationalcatchundernewmoreflexiblemanagementarrangements as proposed in recommendation 12.

Recommendation 5: Subject to sustainability constraints and until proportionalallocations are introduced, sectors should be managed to ensure that the recreational catch is consistentwith its average over the period 1999-2003 (40 tonnes) and thecommercialsectorhastheopportunitytomaintainits36tonnequota.

recommendation 6: that should proportional allocations be made to the recreational andcommercialsectorsthatfirstlyapriorityallocationof500kgforRoe’sabalonebemadetotheCustomarysectorinthePerthmetropolitanregion.

5.5 Comparing‘reeftop’and‘offreeftop’componentsofthefishery

Asnotedabove,thereisamixtureoffishinginthetwocomponentsofthefisheryandnoeasywayofcombiningboth.Ashift in thecommercialsectoractivity isnotpredictedasmarketforcesarelikelytocontinuetoencouragefishingforlargerabalone.However,thereispotentialforachange in thebalanceof recreationalactivitybetween the ‘reef top’and ‘off reef top’


components.Giventhatsustainabilityissuesforthisfisheryarebasedonthecurrentbalanceofpressureexertedoverthestockcomponents,thiscouldaffectthesustainabilityoftheresource.TheIFAACbelievesthatgiventhismatterislikelytopresentsustainabilityissuesinthecomingyears,theDepartmentshouldcommenceprogramstoensurethatthetrendinrecreationalfishingis monitored and tracked. The IFAAC notes that response to changes in the amount of ‘off reef top’recreationalfishingistheresponsibilityoftheDepartmentofFisheriesandtheMinister.

Recommendation7:Aregularestimateshouldbemadeoftheamountofrecreationalfishing in the ‘offreef top’componentof thefishery. If thischangessignificantly,areviewofthecurrentarrangementswillbenecessarytoseparatelymanageeachofthetwocomponentsoftherecreationalfishery.

Theappropriateresponses tochanges instockabundancewascanvassedat theMarch2007StakeholderWorkshop.Fromdiscussionsundertaken,itwouldappeartoIFAACthatgiventheuncertaintiesinvolvedandthegeneralequalsharethateachsectorhasacrosstheentiretyofthefishery(basedonthedataavailable),changesinstockabundanceshouldbesharedequally.Implementationofchangesshouldtakeintoaccountthespecificanddifferentcharacteristicsofeachsectorandeachcomponentof thefishery.Given the lifehistoryof theabalone, thetimingofadjustmentsmayneedtooccurwithindifferenttimescalesforeachsectorandofeachcomponentofthefishery.


seCtIon 6 FUtUre IntrodUCtIon oF ProPortIonaL aLLoCatIons Under a sUstaInaBLe harVest LeVeL

TheIFMpolicyguidelinesprovidealong-termframeworkforenhancingthesustainabilityoffishstocksandresolvingresource-sharingconflicts.TheIFAAC’stermsofreferenceincludebothprovidingadviceonproportionalallocationsaswellasadvisingonstrategiestoreduceconflictarisingfromcompetitionforfishatalocalandregionallevel.TheapproachthattheIFAAChastakenwithrespecttothisfisheryistoplacegreateremphasisonprovidingadviceonstrategiesaimedatresolvingconflictratherthanestablishingproportionalallocationswithinanoverallunifiedsustainableharvest level (SHL).Asdiscussed in theprevioussection, theIFAAC is not recommending an immediate introduction of proportional management of Roe’s abalonewithinasustainableharvestlevel(SHL).

Intheabsenceofproportionalallocations,thereremainsanincentiveforeachsectortoseekto increase its catch to the detriment of other sectors and potentially create greater risks to the sustainabilityofthefishery.Asaresult,andinordertoprovideguidancetostakeholdersandadvicetotheMinisterforFisheries,theIFAACbelievesitisappropriatetoexpressaviewastotheproportionalallocationsthatitwouldhaverecommendedhaditsconcerns(referredtoaboveandinprevioussections)beenabletoberesolved.

The IFAAC still believes proportional allocation is preferable in the long term and that itsrecommendation regarding proportional allocations for the commercial and recreational sectors (seesection6.2.7below)shouldbeseenasastartingpointforanyfutureproportionalallocation.Inaddition,theIFAACbelievesthatifitisproposedthattheproportionstobeallocatedaresignificantlydifferentthanthoseindicated,thenafullreviewoftheimplementationofIFMforthis resource should be initiated.

6.2 Proportionalallocationsfortherecreationalandcommercialsectors

There are a number of options that can be used to determine the allocations for the commercial andrecreationalsectorsforRoe’sabaloneforthePerthmetropolitanregion.TheseoptionswereeitherdrawnfromstakeholdersubmissionsordevelopedbytheIFAACandIFAACconsideredwhethertheycouldbeapplied.

Table 4. Future proportional allocation options.

No Source Option

1 IFAAC Recreational proportion equal to the SHL less the TACC (status quo).

2 IFAAC At the average proportion over the period 2000-2003.

3 IFAAC At the average proportion over the period 1997-2001 (reference period).

4 RFAC 55 percent recreational: 45 percent commercial.

5 AIAWA 50:50 Based on numbers of animals.

6 Recfishwest At a proportion which will allow for long-term growth in population and estimated growth in recreational activity or twice the current ‘real’ share, which ever is the greatest.

6.2.1 option 1 - recreational proportion equal to the shL less the taCC

Away of evaluating the proportionswould be to use the total allowable commercial catch(TACC)forthecommercialsectorasitsshareoftheresource,andcalculatetherecreational


sector’ssharebysubtractionfromthesustainableharvestlevel(SHL)8. This approach could beregardedasreflectingthemanagementpracticesoverthelasteightyears,i.e.aTACCof36tonneswithavariablerecreationalcatch.

TheTACCsince1997hasbeen36tonnes(apartfrom1998),whiletheaverageoftherecreationalsector’scatchhasvariedaccordingtoanumberoffactorssuchasmanagementchanges,weatherconditions and abalone recruitment on the reef top. Under this option, if there had been a SHL of77tonnesandaTACCof36tonnestherecreationalsector’sallocationwouldhavebeenon-average41tonnes(SHL–TACC=TARC)since1997.

Theproportions,givenaSHLof77tonne,wouldbe53.2percenttotherecreationalsectorand46.8 per cent to the commercial sector.

6.2.2 Option2-Averageovertheperiod2000-2003

Afterexaminingthedatatodeterminethemostvalidfigurestouseincomparingthecatchesofeachofthesectorssince1997,theIFAACconcludedthattheperiodfrom2000to2003wasmostvalid.

The reasons for choosing this period are that the estimates of the recreational sector’s catch for 1997,1998,1999and2004arenotconsideredtobesufficientlyreliabletousefordeterminingproportionalallocations.For1997,1998and2004theonlyestimateavailablefortherecreationalcatchisfromtherecreationalfieldsurveysandtheseestimatescouldunderestimatethecatchofrecreationaldivers.

In1998thecommercialfisheryonlyfishedforhalftheseasonandthiswouldnotprovideavalid comparison. In 1999 the recreational catchfigures have been retrospectively adjusteddownwards on the basis of subsequent number/weight relationship and this creates someuncertainty about the recreational catch estimate.

The average catches over the period 2000-2003were 40 tonnes for the recreational sectorand 36 tonnes for the commercial sector. On a proportional basis this is 52.5 per cent for the recreational sector and 47.5 per cent for the commercial sector.

6.2.3 Option3-Averageovertheperiod1997-2001

The IFMGovernment Policy states that catch shares should be formalised over the period1997-2001,andanallocationbasedonthiscriteriacouldbeconsideredtobeconsistentwiththepolicy(paragraph19,AppendixA).

Theallocationsfor theperiod1997-2001wereestimatedusingthedataprovidedinTable1exceptfor19989.ThecommitteenotedthatRecfishwestarguedthat1998shouldbeincludedinestimatingtheproportionalallocations,buttheIFAACconsideredthatitwasreasonabletoexcludethatyearbecause,ifitwerenotfortheseasondatechange,theTACCwouldhavebeen36 tonnes.

UsingthedatafromTable1overtheperiod1997-2001(excluding1998),theproportionswereestimated as 50 per cent for the recreational sector and 50 per cent for the commercial sector.

8 TheSHLasgiveninFMP204isequivalenttothetotalallowablecatchfortherecreationalandcommercialsectors.

9 Thecatchesfor1998werenotusedbecausetheTACCforthatyearwasloweredtoaccommodateachangeinseason dates.


6.2.4 option 4 - 55 percent recreational and 45 percent commercial

The Recreational FishingAdvisory Committee (RFAC) believes that the allocation to therecreationalsectorshouldbe55percentovertheentirePerthmetropolitanregion.TheRFACemphasisedthesocialvalueofcollectingabaloneandthatspecialweightingshouldbegiventothesocialvalueofcollectingabaloneintheallocationprocess.

Socialvaluewasexplainedintermsoftheenjoymentofferedtopeopleingatheringabaloneandtheopportunitythatthistypeofrecreationalfishingprovidesformembersofthepublictoeat a seafood species that is considered by some to be a delicacy.

TheRFAChasproposedthatiftheallocationismadeatthesub-regionalleveltheallocationshouldreflectthehistoricalcatchrangesgiveninFMPNo.204.

6.2.5 Option5-50:50basedonnumbersofanimals

TheAIAWAhasproposed that thesplitofallocationsbetweencommercialand recreationalfishingshouldbe50:50,basedonnumbers.TheAIAWAhasputforwardthefirmviewthat:

“…an allocation based on total take in terms of weight alone would be wrong, and fails to recognise the impact on sustainability of the operations of the commercial and recreational sectors.”

TheAIAWAhas highlighted that there is a differential impact on sustainability by the twosectorsbecauseofthedifferenceinthemeansizeandnumbersofabalonetakenbythetwosectors(seeTable5below).TheAIAWAbelievestheIFAACshouldtakethisdifferentialimpactintoaccountinsettingallocationsparticularly,asIFMguidingprinciple(ii)statesthat:

“Sustainability is paramount and ecological requirements must be considered in the determination of appropriate harvest levels.”

Table 5. Minimum size, mean weight and numbers taken by the recreational and commercial sectors

Sector Min. Size (mm) Mean weight (g) EstimatedNumbers taken

Commercial 70 129 (138 – 120) 280,000

Recreational 60 92 330,300 – 481,300

TheAIAWAarguedthat takingfewerlargeranimalshasless impactonthesustainabilityofthe resource than the recreational sector taking more animals at a smaller size. The AIAWA believesthecommercialsectorsharvestingstrategyiscriticaltomaintainingsustainabilityandthefisheryatcurrentharvestlevels.

As theAIAWAhas not given specificdetails of how thenumberswouldbe calculated, theIFAAChasdevelopedamethodthatcouldbeusedtoestimatethenumberofanimalsfora77tonnesustainableharvestlevel(SHL).ThismethodisdescribedinBox1.

Applying thesemethods, it is evident that an allocationof around350,000animals to eachsectorwould theoretically result inaSHLofabout77 tonne.Theproportionsbasedon theestimatedaverageweightofanimalstakenbyeachsectorhavebeenestimatedas42percentforthe recreational sector and 58 percent for the commercial sector.


Box 1

Method of estimating an equal number of abalone

Usingaverageweightsof0.092kgfortherecreationalsectorand0.129kgforthecommercialsectorfromTable5above,theproportionoftheSHLfortherecreationalsectorinweightcan be calculated as:

0.092kg/(0.092kg+0.129kg)=42percent

Thispercentagecanthenbeconvertedtonumbers,dependingontheSHL.ForanSHLof77tonnes,thiswouldbeequivalenttoabout:

32,000kg/0.092kg=348,000abaloneeach

6.2.6 Option6-Twicethecurrent‘real’shareor20yearsgrowth

RecfishwestinitsOctober2005writtensubmissionproposedthattherecreationalsectorshouldbeallocatedtwiceitscurrent‘real’shareoritsprojectedcatchafter20years,whicheveristhegreatest.

TheIFAACfoundthattheproposalbyRecfishwestofusingprojectedcatchesafter20yearsisproblematic,giventhestrictcontrolswhichthisfisheryoperatesunder.

Togainanunderstandingofwhat theprojectedcatchof therecreationalsectorwouldbe in20yearsonthebasisofcurrentfigures,theIFAACreferredtoFigure6inFMPNo.204.Itisevident fromthatfigure that therewasnoobviousgrowth in therecreationalcatchestimatefrom 1997.

Onceagain,thisisunsurprisingasgrowthbybothcommercialandrecreationalfisheriesinthePerth metropolitan region has been restrained by strict management arrangements for some time.Giventhesefactors,theIFAAChasnotusedprojectedgrowthasabasisforconsideringallocationsnorhasitincludeditasoneoftheoptionslistedinTable1below.

Inseekingfurtherinformationonthealternativeviewof‘twicerealcatchshare’byRecfishwest,Recfishwest informed the IFAAC that it views that the ‘real’ catch share is the catch sharethat includes both the quantity of abalone kept and those discarded by recreational fishers(Recfishwestpers.com.).

Inpracticalterms,thismeansthatRecfishwestbelievesthatanadditionalamount,equaltothediscardsof recreational abalonefishers, shouldbe added to the recreational catch estimatesgiveninFMPNo.204.

Anallocationtotherecreationalsectorof twiceitscurrent‘real’catchwouldmean100percentoftheresourcewouldbeallocatedtotherecreationalsector(notethisapparentlyassumesthatthecommercialdiscardrateisclosetozero).However,Recfishwestappreciatesthata100per cent allocation to the recreational sector is not likely to be acceptable, and therefore has a preferencetousearrangementsthat involvetheuseofspatialseparationtoresolveresourcesharingconflictsinthePerthmetropolitanregion(Recfishwestpers.com.).

6.2.7 Comparativeanalysisofoptions

Theproportionthatwouldbeallocatedtoeachsectorundereachoftheoptionsdiscussedaboveis outlined in Table 6.


Table 6. Allocation options expressed as proportions by weight.

Option Source Proportion (%)

Recreational Commercial

1 IFAAC 53 47

2 IFAAC 53 47

3 IFAAC 50 50

4 RFAC 55 45

5 AIAWA 42 58

6 Recfishwest -* -*

Option1(theSHLlesstheTACC)isthepreferredproportionalallocationoftheIFAACasitbestrepresentsthecurrentmanagementpractice,whichhasbeeninplacesince1997.Thiswouldalsobethesameallocationifthedatasetovertheperiod1997to2003wereused,asinOption2.

Option3,onthebasisofusingdataoverthe1997–2001period,isproblematicalbecauseofconcernstheIFAAChasaboutthedataforthe1997,1998and1999(seesection6.2.3).Therewould,ineffect,beonlytwoyears(2000and2001)overthatperiodinwhichcatchescouldbecompared.

AlthoughnotthatdifferentfromallocationsunderOptions1and2,Option4isarbitraryanddifficultto justify in comparison to allocations that are based on historical data or management practices.

Option5isanalternativeapproachtoallocationsthat theindustrybelievesaccountsfor thedifferent impacts each of the sectors has on the stock sustainability. The option is a substantial departure from the status quo because it is based on the recreational sector taking less animals and the commercial sector takingmore on average than has been the case in recent years.Managingallocationonnumberswouldmeanthattherewouldbethenecessitytointroducenewmanagementarrangementstoregulatetherecreationalcatch.

Options1and2arepreferredoverOption5becausetheyaremorecloselymatchedwiththeIFAAC’sguidingprinciples,particularlyprinciples(i)and(v)(seesection3.3).

Option6isbasedonRecfishwest’sprincipleinrelationtoaccommodatingnaturalgrowthoftherecreationalsector,oranallocationoftwiceitscurrent‘real’catchshareoritsprojectedcatchafter20years.Inpracticalterms,implementationofthisoptionwouldmeanthatinthelongtermtherewouldbeasubstantialreallocationtotherecreationalsector.

As an allocation of this nature represents a substantial departure from IFAAC’s guiding principles (Section3.3)Option6was lesspreferred thanotheroptions thatmore closelymatched thecommittee’s principles.

6.2.8 determining Proportional allocations

Ofthesixoptionspresented,Option1(andbydefaultOption2)wouldnormallybethepreferredOptiontorecommendtotheMinister,whichwouldresultina53/47percentsplitbetweenthecommercialandrecreationalsectors,respectively.

*Recfishwest'spreferenceistousespatialseparationtoresolveresourcesharingconflicts.


In considering these figures however IFAAC notes the background of data uncertainty, andespecially,difficultiesofaccuratelycomparingdifferentsectorsandcomponentsofthefishery.

Recommendation 8:When at a future time it becomes appropriate to manage therecreationalandcommercialsectorsonafullyintegratedbasisthestartingpointforanyfutureproportionalallocationsinthePerthmetropolitanregionshouldbeanallocationof53percentfortherecreationalsectorand47percentforthecommercialsector.

6.3 aquaculture

TheAquacultureCouncilofWesternAustralia(ACWA)hasstatedthat,basedontheprojectedsizeoftheabaloneindustryin2015,thesectorwouldrequireaccessto200kgofbroodstockper species.

According to theACWA, this access would be required for start-up enterprises, but moreimportantlyfortheinclusionofnewgeneticmaterialfornewtraitsaspartofselectivebreedingprograms.TwohundredkilogramsofRoe’sabalonebroodstockisequivalenttoabout1,550animals,basedonanaverageweightof129g(Table5).

The best available information indicates that less than 200 Roe’s abalone are taken in thePerth metropolitan region for aquaculture purposes under a Ministerial exemption. Theremay therefore be a case to allocate 200 Roe’s abalone in the Perth metropolitan region to the aquacultureindustry,whichisasmallamount(about26kgs)andwouldnothaveanimpactonthe sustainability of the resource.

However, this type of allocation raises a number of policy issues such as; “who holds theallocation?”,“isittransferable?”,“howisitdistributedbetweencompetingaquaculturalists?’and“inacostrecoveredenvironment,whowouldpayforthemanagementandmonitoringofthis takeforcommercialpurposes?”Noadvicewasreceivedas towhythis relativelysmallcatchcouldnotbeaccessedviathecommercialsector.

TheIFAAC’Sview,giventhesmallamountrequiredforbroodstockpurposes,isthatprovidedtheaquacultureindustrycanaccessitsrequirementsviatheexistingexemptionprocessorfromthecommercialsector,aspecificallocationisnotnecessary.TheIFAACbelievesthispositionreflectsitspragmaticandpracticalapproachtoconsideringallocations.

Recommendation 9:Access to Roe’s abalone in the Perthmetropolitan region foraquaculture purposes should only be byMinisterial exemption. Should there be aregular and ongoing need to access the resource, then the aquaculture sector should make appropriate arrangements with the participants in the existing commercialfishingsectorforaccesstobroodstock.


seCtIon 7 other IssUes

7.1 reallocation mechanisms

government’s2004IFMpolicy(paragraph16)statesthat‘Prioritywillbegiventoinvestigatingthepotentialdevelopmentofmarketbasedsystems toachievereallocations,alongwithdueconsideration of social equity considerations, as soon as practical. Clearly, consideration of any market-basedsystemwillbebasedonits‘merits’.

In relation to the abalone resource, the IFAAC does not consider the development of areallocationmechanismapriorityatthistimebasedonthreerelevantfactors.Firstly,giventhecurrentstabilityofrecreationalandcommercialshares,thereisnoimperativeforamechanismtoeffectshiftsintheshares.Secondly,giventhesectorsfishindifferentfisherycomponents,anychangeinshareswouldresultinachangeinfishingpressureoneachofthecomponents,theconsequencesofwhichwouldbecomplex.Thecomplexityarisingfromthissituationiscompoundedbythethirdfactor,whichistheinabilitytomeettheinformationrequirementstosupportsuchtransfers.AnexampleofatradebetweensectorsandthecomplexitythatwouldresultisprovidedinBox2.

Box2–Exampleofatradebetweensectors

Thecommercialsectormaywanttoincreaseitscatchby7tonnes.Underareallocationmechanismtheonlywaytoaccesstheadditional7tonnesisbypurchasingitfromtherecreationalsector.

Given thatmostof the recreationalfishingoccurs in the ‘reef top’area, the recreationalsectorhas(mostly)onlythisresourceof60+mmanimalstotrade.Thisraisesthequestionofwhetherthisisadesirableoutcomeforthecommercialsectorwhichisseekingtocollectlarger70+mmanimalsnotpresentincommercialquantitiesinthe‘reeftop’area.

The commercial sector could take an equivalent ‘weight’ of 70+mm animals from the‘offreeftop’component,butwouldlikelyfindthatthereisinsufficientstockstomaintainthisincreasedexploitationsoovertimetheabundanceofabaloneinthe‘offreeftop’zonewoulddecline.Intheshorttermthe‘reeftop’componentstockindicatormayshowstockincreasingas lesspressure is exerted in that areaby recreationalfishers.However,overtime,asthe‘offreeftop’componentisthehabitatofthebroodstock,itislikelythatthelevelofrecruitmentintothefisheryasawholewoulddecline,alsoeffectingthe‘reeftop’zone.

ThediscussioninBox2isbynomeansexhaustive,butitisusedprimarilytodemonstratethat,at this stage, there are many imponderables regarding the comparability of the recreational and commercialsectors’catchesofRoe’sabaloneinthePerthmetropolitanregionandthatitwouldbe inappropriate at this stage to introduce a reallocation system.

TheIFAACexpectsthatthesecomplexityandinformationrequirementswillberesolvedovertime allowing for the establishment of a proportional allocation framework for the abaloneresource, and at this point the need and appropriateness of a reallocation mechanism willbecome apparent.

Recommendation 10: When at a future time it becomes appropriate to managethe recreational and commercial sectors on a fully integrated basis, a reallocationmechanism should be introduced.


7.2 Managementoftherecreationalsector’sallocation

The IFAAC notes thatmanagement arrangementsmust provide users with the opportunityto access their allocation (see Guiding principle x (Section 3.1.3), and Section 5.3.3) andappropriate management structures and processes should be introduced to manage each user groupwithintheirprescribedallocation(seeGuidingprinciplevii,seeSection3.1.3).

Although allocations are not being recommended at this stage, it is clear that the current management arrangements applied to the recreational sector do not allow for a consistentharvest. Research byMcLeod andNicholls, referred to earlier, indicates that theremay besignificantadvantagesaccruingtotherecreationalusersofchangestothemanagementoftherecreationalabalonefishery.

TheAIAWAhasproposedthattheallocationoftags(say,differentcoloursforeachweekoftheseason)andalimitonthenumberoftagsanindividualmaypurchasebeusedasamethodofmanagingtherecreationalsector.Theuseoftagswouldbeaverydirectmethodofmanagingthetotalcatchoftherecreationalsectorandmayhavemerit,buthassomesignificantissuesassociatedwithimplementation,including:

• tagdesign(i.e.howtodesignatagthatcanbeplacedon/inanabalone?);

• thecostofimplementingthesystemandthecostoftags;

• administrationofthesystem;

• tradingoftags;and

• associatedchangestomanagementthatwouldberequiredtocomplementatagsystem.

TheIFAACrecommendsthattheDepartmentofFisheriesworkwiththerecreationalsectortodevelopamanagementregimewhichwillminimiseincidentalmortality;optimisethesocialandeconomicbenefitsfromrecreationalRoe’sabalonefishing;andallowthesectortoachievethetotalallowablerecreationalcatch.

Recommendation11:TheDepartmentofFisheriesworkwiththerecreationalsectortodevelopamanagement regimewhichwill reduce incidentalmortality and catchvariabilitybetweenyears,providetheopportunityforthesectortotakeitsallocationandimprovethesocialandeconomicbenefitsfromrecreationalfishing.

7.3 Monitoring allocations

theIFAAC’sviewisthatitwasneverintendedthatresourcereallocationneedstorespondonareal-timebasis,butshoulddealwithtrendsintheutilizationoffishtowardsmakinglong-termadjustmentsbetweensectorstoreflectlong-termchanges.

Thechallengewillbetofindasetofprinciples/performanceindicatorsthataccountforyear-to-yearvariationincatches,soastoattempttosetlonger-termadjustmentofbusinessrulesforeach of the sectors.

7.4 allocations outside the Perth metropolitan region

TheMinisterhasindicatedtothecommitteethathewouldacceptadviceonproposalstoresolveresourcesharingconflictsoutsidethePerthmetropolitanregionthatarebroadlysupportedbystakeholders(seeAppendixF).


TheRFAC,RecfishwestandDepartmentofFisheriesareallproposingspatialclosuresaroundmajorsouthcoastboatrampsandtemporalclosurestocommercialfishingonweekendsandpublicholidaystoreduceconflictoutsidethePerthmetropolitanregion.

Thesetypesofchangestomanagementarrangementshavethepotentialtoreduceconflict,buttodatethecommercialsectorhasnotshownaninterestinpursuingtheseapproaches.

Inordertoprogresstheissue,theIFAACwillseekdetailedinformationontheproposedlocationto be closed and any possible impacts, including an assessment by the Department of Fisheries ofanyproposals.TheIFAACwillbeencouragingstakeholders,includingtheDepartmentofFisheries, to negotiate arrangements during the submission period thatwill reduce conflict.IFAACwould hope that stakeholderswould present the committeewith detailed proposalsprior to the close of submissions.

Ifthereisinsufficienttimefornegotiationsduringthesubmissionperiod,theIFAACwouldrecommendthattheDepartmentofFisheriesconveneandfacilitatefocusgroupmeetingsinregionalareastonegotiateagreementoverchangestoreduceresourcesharingconflicts.

Recommendation 12: The Department of Fisheries should initiate and facilitatenegotiationsbetweenthecommercialandrecreationalsectorsaimedatresolvingtheirconflictsoutsidethemetropolitanregion.

Recommendation 13: Major abalone resource sharing conflicts, outside the Perthmetropolitan region, that remain unresolved three years after the date of decisionon the recommendations in this report should be referred to the IFAAC tomakerecommendationsforresolution.

7.5 Management committees

Thetworelevantpoliciesregardingmanagementofallocationsare:

GuidingPrinciplevii(seesection3.1.2)statesthat:

Appropriate management structures should be introduced to manage each user group within their prescribed allocation. These should include predetermined actions that are invoked in that group’s catch increases above its allocation.

Andguidingprinciplex(seesection3.1.2)statesthat:

Management arrangements must provide users with the opportunity to access their allocation…

TheDepartmentofFisheries’managementfunctionsareoftencarriedoutinconsultationwithstakeholders’ representatives and throughMinisterial advisory committees.For abalone, theAbaloneManagementAdvisoryCommittee (AbMAC) has been established under theFish Resources Management Act 1994 toprovideadvice to theMinisterforFisheriesonabalonemanagement issues.

The Recreational Fishing Advisory Committee (RFAC) is another statutory committeeestablished under section 33 of the Fish Resources Management Act 1994thatprovidesadvicetotheMinisterforFisheriesonallrecreationalfisheries,includingabalone.

ThemajorityoftheAbMACmembershipiscommercialfishers,anditprimarilyprovidesadvice


on management of the commercial sector. In contrast, the majority of the RFAC members are recreationalfishersanditprovidesadviceonlyonrecreationalfishing.TheMinisterthereforereceivesadviceonmanagementoftheabaloneresourcefromtwodifferentcommittees-onewithacommercialfocusandtheotherwitharecreationalfocus.

Representative bodies such as Recfishwest and the Abalone Industry Association of WA(AIAWA) also provide ‘input’ into abalone management issues and approach theMinisterdirectly.

OneoftheoutcomesthatareexpectedtoflowfromthedeterminationofallocationsundertheIFMprocessisthateachsectortakesagreaterresponsibilityformaximisingthebenefitfromtheir allocation.The recreational sector, inparticular,mayalsobe expected tobenefit frommore direct involvement in themanagement of their allocation.Appropriate structures alsoneedtobeinplaceinrelationtotheparticipationofCustomaryfisheries.

The existing management structures outlined above may not be the most appropriate forthesepurposesandthereisaneedtodeterminewhatchanges,ifany,arerequiredtocurrentinstitutional arrangements.

AllmajorstakeholdershavereferredtotheneedtohaveappropriatemanagementstructuresinplacetotakeadvantageoftheopportunitiesthatIFMwillprovidesectors.Forexample,theNationalNativeTitleTribunalhasidentified:

…the absence of a means for consistent informed input from indigenous people is a major impediment to the development of an effective IFM system.

TheWesternAustralianFishing IndustryCouncil (WAFIC) has stated that theGovernmentneeds to:

Devolve the responsibility (….) for use of these shares to credible institutions that genuinely involve and represent individuals and groups that access the shared fish stocks

WAFICindicatedthattherewouldbevalueinexaminingtheformationofarecreationalabaloneadvisorycommittee.TheWAFICadvisedthatthisapproachmayrequireadditionalresourcesbeingallocatedtoRecfishwest,ortheformationofanadvisorycommitteeunders41oftheFish Resources Management Act 1994(WAFICsubmission).

TheRFACbelievedthatlicensedrecreationalabalonefishersmaynotbeadequatelyrepresentedincurrentadvisoryorlobbygroups,suchastheRFACandRecfishwest.

During stakeholder consultation, concerns were raised that recreational abalone fishers ofVietnamese orChinese descentmay not bewell served by the current communication andconsultationarrangements.Keystakeholdersrecognisedtheneedforeffectivecommunicationwith all abalone fishers and for there to be real opportunities for participation in fisherymanagement.TheIFAACbelievesthatspecialconsiderationsshouldbegivenastohowfishersofVietnameseandChinesedescentmaybestbeincludedinconsultationprocessesandastohowtheymayberepresentedinmanagementdeliberations.

Inconclusion,theIFAACsupportsabroadreviewofmanagementstructuresandinstitutionstodeterminewhetherthereisneedforchangetoenablethesectorsandlicenceholderstohavemoreinvolvementinthedevelopmentoffuturemanagementarrangements.


Recommendation 14: The Department of Fisheries progressively develop, inconsultationwithstakeholders,thenecessaryregulatoryandconsultativestructuresthataccountfor:

(a) theneedtoincludepeopleofallbackgroundswhoaccesstheresource;

(b) thereconstitutionoftheabalonemanagementadvisorycommitteetodealequitablywith Customary, recreational and commercial issues, and enable negotiationswithinandbetweenthesectors;and

(c) theneed togiveeffect to theGovernment’s IFMpoliciescontained inGuidingprinciplesviiandx(seesection3.1.2).

7.6 Broaderlegislativearrangements

theWesternAustralianFishingIndustryCouncil(WAFIC)hasmadethepointinitssubmissionto the IFAAC that incorporation of decisions around allocations and policies adopted by Governmentthroughlegislationisextremelyimportant,asitdemonstratestothecommunitythattheGovernmentisseriousaboutthisinitiative.

Further,theWAFICarguesthattheimplementationofallocationdecisionsinlegislationwillalsoprovideaddedsecurityandconfidencetosectorsabouttheiraccesstotheirshareoftheresource. As a result, the WAFIC proposes the introduction of a Ministerial Policy Guideline on these matters.

ThisviewisconsistentwiththeIFMGovernmentPolicy(paragraph9,AppendixA),whichstates that:

Allocation processes will be developed in the context of policy guidelines set by the Minister. In the longer term, it may be desirable to amend the Fish Resources Management Act 1994 to incorporate allocation processes.

TheIFAACconsidersthatthisisamatteralreadycoveredbytheGovernmentPolicyonIFM,whichwasreleasedin2004andthetimingofthedevelopmentofaMinisterialPolicyGuidelineis a matter for the Minister for Fisheries.


reFerenCes

DepartmentofFisheries,WesternAustralia,website:www.fish.wa.gov.au

Department of Fisheries, 2002. Application to Environment Australia on the Abalone Managed Fishery,November,2002.

Department of Fisheries, 2005, Integrated Fisheries Management Report Abalone Resource, Fisheries Management Paper, No 204, Perth, Western Australia.

Dortch,C.E.,GKendrickandK.Morse1984,AboriginalmolluscexploitationinsouthwesternAustralia’, Archaeology in Ocenania 19, pp 81-104.

Hancock, B.T and Caputi, N. in press, The Roe’s abalone fishery near Perth metropolitan area, Western Australia. J. Shellfish Research

Hancock, B. 2000. Genetic subdivision of Roe’s abalone, Haliotis roei Grey (Mollusca:Gastropoda),insouth-westernAustralia.Mar.FreshwaterRes.51679-687.

McLeod,R.andJ.,Nicholls2004.A socio-economic valuation of Resource Allocation options between recreational and commercial fishing uses. FRDC Project 2001/065

NationalNativeTitleTribunal,2005,National Indigenous Fishing Technical Working Group, website:www.nntt.gov.au,AccessedJune,2005.

Wright, G., 2005, An overview of the evidence for indigenous fisheries on the west and south coasts of Western Australia,NationalNativeTitleTribunal,ResearchReport.


aPPendICes

AppendixA IntegratedFisheriesManagement–GovernmentPolicy,1October2004

AppendixB IntegratedFisheriesManagement–AllocationProcess

AppendixC SourceofstakeholdersubmissionstoIFAAC

AppendixD Approachtakentoconsultation

AppendixE Listofpeopleororganisationsthatmadeasubmission

AppendixF MinisterialletteronCustomaryfishing

AppendixG Ministerialletteronallocationstotheconservationsector

AppendixH MinisterialletteronallocationswithinthePerthmetropolitanregion

AppendixI Departmentalletteronallocationsbysubregions

AppendixJ Departmentalletteronamountofabaloneindigenouspeopleate

AppendixK Departmentalletteronthetakeandincidentalmortalityofeachsector


AppendixA IntegratedFisheriesManagement–GovernmentPolicy, 1 october 2004

general

1. TheGovernmentiscommittedtotheimplementationofanintegratedmanagementsystemforthesustainablemanagementofWesternAustralia’sfisheries.

2. Theintegratedmanagementsystemwillbeopenandtransparent,accessibleandinclusiveandflexible.

Informationrequirements

3. The development and funding of an appropriate research and monitoring programencompassing all user groups is essential to provide the necessary information forsustainabilityandallocationissuestobeaddressedunderanintegratedframework.Thisprogramwill be progressively phased-in over a number of years asmore fisheries arebroughtundertheintegratedmanagementframework.

4. TheDepartmentofFisherieswill,inconsultationwithusergroups,investigateoptionsforstandardisingcatchinformationbetweensectors,notingthatthescalefordatacollectionandreportingmustbeappropriateforeachparticularfishery.

Guidingprinciplesformanagement

5. The followingprincipleswill be adopted (by incorporating them into either legislation,MinisterialPolicyGuidelinesorpolicyasappropriate)asthebasisforintegratedfisheriesmanagement.

i) FishresourcesareacommonpropertyresourcemanagedbytheGovernmentforthebenefitofpresentandfuturegenerations.

ii) Sustainability is paramount and ecological requirementsmust be considered in thedeterminationofappropriateharvestlevels.

iii) Decisionsmustbemadeonbestavailableinformationandwherethisinformationisuncertain,unreliable,inadequateornotavailable,aprecautionaryapproachadoptedtomanagerisktofishstocks,marinecommunitiesandtheenvironment. The absence of, or any uncertainty in, information should not be used as a reason for delaying or failing to make a decision.

iv) Aharvestlevel,thatincorporatestotalmortality,shouldbesetforeachfishery10 and the allocationdesignatedforusebyeachgroupshouldbemadeexplicit.

v) Allocations to user groups should account for the totalmortality on fish resourcesresultingfromtheactivitiesofeachgroup,includingbycatchandmortalityofreleasedfish.

vi) Thetotalharvestacrossallusergroupsshouldnotexceedtheprescribedharvestlevel.Ifthisoccurs,stepsconsistentwiththeimpactsofeachusergroupshouldbetakentoreducethetaketoalevelthatdoesnotcompromisefuturesustainability.

10FisheryisdefinedundertheFRMAasoneormorestocksorpartsofstocksoffishthatcanbetreatedasaunitforthepurposesofconservationormanagement;andaclassoffishingactivitiesinrespectofthosestocksorpartsofstocksoffish.


vii)Appropriatemanagementstructuresandprocessesshouldbeintroducedtomanageeachusergroupwithintheirprescribedallocation.Theseshouldincorporatepre-determinedactionsthatareinvokedifthatgroup’scatchincreasesaboveitsallocation.

viii)Allocation decisions should aim to achieve the optimal benefit to the WesternAustraliancommunityfromtheuseoffishstocksandtakeaccountofeconomic,social,culturalandenvironmentalfactors.Realistically,thiswilltaketimetoachieveandtheimplementationoftheseobjectivesislikelytobeincrementalovertime.

ix) Allocationstousergroupsshouldgenerallybemadeonaproportionalbasistoaccountfornaturalvariationsinfishpopulations.Thisgeneralprincipleshouldnothoweverprecludealternativearrangements inafisherywherepriorityaccess foraparticularuser group(s)may be determined. It should remain open to government policy todeterminethepriorityuseoffishresourceswherethereisaclearcasetodoso.

x) Managementarrangementsmustprovideuserswiththeopportunitytoaccesstheirallocation.There should be a limited capacity for transferring allocations unutilised by a sector for that sector’suseinfutureyears,providedtheoutcomedoesnotaffectresourcesustainability.

Morespecificprinciplestoprovidefurtherguidancearoundallocationdecisionsmayalsobeestablishedforindividualfisheries.

Sustainableharvestlevels

6. Asustainabilityreportwillbepreparedforeachfisheryinaccordancewiththe‘Policyfortheimplementationofecologicallysustainabledevelopmentforfisheriesandaquaculturein Western Australia’.

7. TheExecutiveDirector,DepartmentofFisheries,willapproveasustainabilityreportforeachfishery,whichincludesaclearstatementontheharvestlevel.

allocation processes

8. An Integrated FisheriesAllocationAdvisory Committee will be established under s42of the Fish Resources Management Act 1994 (FRMA)to investigateresourceallocationissues and make recommendations on optimal resource use to the Minister for Fisheries including:

i) allocationsbetweengroupswithintheharvestlimitsdeterminedforeachfishery;

ii) strategiestoovercomeallocationandaccessissues arising from temporal and spatial competitionatalocal/regionallevel;

iii) allocationissueswithinasectorasreferredbytheMinisterforFisheries;

iv) morespecificprinciples toprovide furtherguidancearoundallocationdecisions forindividualfisheries;and

v) othermatters concerning the integratedmanagement of fisheries as referred by theMinister for Fisheries.

9. AllocationprocesseswillbedevelopedinthecontextofpolicyguidelinessetbytheMinister.Inthe longer-term, it may be desirable to amend the FRMA to incorporate allocation processes.

10. The Integrated Fisheries Allocation Advisory Committee will generally comprise achairpersonandtwomembers.

11. TheMinisterwillberesponsiblefordeterminingtheprocessandtimeframesforresolvingallocationissuesineachfisherybasedonadvicefromtheIntegratedFisheriesAllocationAdvisoryCommittee.


12. TheMinisterwillprovideastatementofdecisiononannouncementofhisdeterminationinan allocation matter.

13. The Minister may make public the Committee’s report at the same time his statement of decision is released.

Compensation

14. Where a reallocation of resources from one user group to another results in demonstrable financial loss to a licensed fisherman, in principle there should be consideration ofcompensation.Compensationmaytakevariousformsanddesirablydoesnotnecessarilyinvolve the payment ofmoney. TheDepartment of Fisherieswill review the scope ofthe Fisheries Adjustment Scheme Act 1987 to ensure it contains sufficient flexibility toencompass these principles under an integrated management system.

15. Cases for compensation should be assessed on their merits.

16. Prioritywillbegiventoinvestigatingthepotentialdevelopmentofmarketbasedsystemstoachievereallocations,alongwithdueconsiderationofsocialequityconsiderations,assoonaspractical.Clearly,considerationofanymarketbasedsystemwillbebasedonitsmerit.

17. Nocompensationshouldbepayablewhereadjustmentsaremadeforsustainabilityreasons.

Effectivesectoralmanagement

18. The Government is committed to introducing more effective management across allfisheries.Theimplementationofmoreeffectivesectoralarrangementsinwhichthecatchofasectorcanbecontainedisanessentialfirststepintheintroductionofanewintegratedmanagementsystemwithinwhichallocationissuesmaybeaddressed.Intheinterim,eachsectorwill continue to bemanaged responsiblywithin current catch ranges and shouldthecatchofasectoralterdisproportionatelytothatofothersectors,theMinisterwilltakeappropriate management action to address this.

19. It is important to formalise existing shares as abasis for future allocationsdiscussions.Thesewillbeformalisedonthebasisofproportionalcatchsharesusingthebestavailableinformationduringthefiveyearperiodfrom1997to2001.

20. RecreationalfishingplansfortheWestCoastandGascoyneregionswillbeimplementedwith effect from 1October 2003 to provide amore effective framework formanagingrecreationalfisheries.AreviewoftheNorthandSouthCoastregionsisalsounderway.

21.Areviewofthecommercialwetlinefisheryhascommenced.Managementoutcomesmustinvolvetheremovalofexcessfishingcapacityfromthefisheryandtheestablishmentofadedicatedcommercialfisherywithclearentrycriteriaandanappropriatelimitoncatchineach bioregion.

Funding

22. Theinitiativecanbecommencedwithinthe2004/05budgethoweverresourcingrequirementswillincreaseasmorefisheriesarebroughtunderaintegratedframework.FuturefundingwillbeconsideredthroughtheGovernmentbudgetprocess.

23. The Government will consider seeking greater contributions from all users over timecorresponding to growing certainty/security over access as allocation models areimplementedineachfishery.


appendix B Integrated Fisheries Management allocation Process

Introduction

GovernmentPolicy 2004 on IntegratedFisheryManagement (IFM) states that theMinisterwilldeterminetheprocessandtimeframesforresolvingallocationineachfisherybasedontheadviceoftheIntegratedFisheriesAllocationAdvisoryCommittee(IFAAC).

A. DeterminingtheNeedforaFormalAllocationprocessinaFishery

TheMinister forFisheries has requested that IFAACbeginwith theWesternRockLobsterFishery,AbaloneFisheryandtheWestCoastDemersalFinfishFishery.

InthefuturetheIFAACwillconsultbroadlyastofisheriesthatshouldbeincludedintheIFMprocessandadvisetheMinisterforFisheriesaccordingly.

B. DevelopmentofanIntegratedFisheryManagementFisheryReport-DepartmentofFisheries

The setting of sustainable harvest levels is fundamental to ensure sustainablemanagement.AnIntegratedFisheriesManagementFisheryReportwillbepreparedby theDepartmentofFisheriesforeachfisherythat is tobesubject to theIFMprocess(IFMGovernmentPolicy,2004,paragraphs6&7).

Thereportswillcontaindetailssuchas:

• Thecurrentmanagementpracticeswithinthefishery;

• Historicalcatchlevelsorestimatesofcatchtakenbyeachsector;

• Thebiologyofthefishspeciesinvolved;

• Thesustainableharvestleveloftheresource;and

• Otherrelevantdatasuchasregionalemployment,economicandsocial/lifestyleissues.

Inshortthereportshouldbearobustsummaryofthefactsaboutthefishery.

TheDepartment, in developing these reports,will consultwith thekey stakeholder groups.TheIFMreportwillbeapprovedbytheExecutiveDirector,DepartmentofFisheriesandwillincludeaclearstatementofthesustainableharvestlevel.

C. the Integrated Fisheries allocation Process.

Step 1 – Investigation of the allocation issue

IFAAC will receive the IFM Report and then conduct preliminary investigations into theallocation issue by:

• Seekingsubmissionsandconsultingwith thepeakstakeholdergroupssuch theWesternAustralian Fishing Industry Council, Recfishwest, Conservation Council of WesternAustralia and bodies representing Indigenous interests.

• Drawingontheknowledge,data,technicalmaterialandexperienceavailablewithregardtotheparticularfisherybothfromtheDepartmentofFisheriesandasappropriatefromothersources.

• Identifyingareasofagreementanddisagreementbetweenthedifferentparties.

Aspartofitsconsiderations,IFAACmayrequesttheDepartmentofFisheriestofurtheradviseon the ecological, economic and social impacts of any proposed change in resource allocation.


Followingtheseactions,IFAACwillformaliseitsinitialposition.

Step 2 - IFAAC settles draft allocation report and releases for public comment.

OnceIFAAChascometoaninitialpositionwithregardtoallocation,thiswillbedocumented,alongwiththereasonsforitsconclusions,andwillrecommendtotheMinisterthatitbereleasedasa‘draftallocationpaper’forpubliccomment,invitingsubmissions.

Thisstageintheprocesswillallowthoseinvolvedinfishing,managingandresearchingthefishery,aswellasthoseinthewidercommunitywhomayhaveaspecificinterestinthisfisherytoprovideadditionalinput.Dependingonthecircumstancesoftheparticularfishery,IFAACmayhold or askDepartmentalOfficers to undertakemeetings in relevantmetropolitan andregional locations to enable industry, recreational fishers and communitymembers to inputtheirviewsintotheIFAACprocess.

Thecommentperiodwillbenormallyforaperiodoftwomonths.

Step 3 - IFAAC recommends an allocation to the Minister for Fisheries

Once the comment periodhas closed, and IFAAChas considered the submissions receivedIFAACwillfinaliseitspositionandsubmitafinalallocationreporttotheMinister.

Step 4 - Determination by the Minister (IFM Government Policy, 2004, paragraph 12)

The Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is responsible for considering the recommendations of IFAAC and determining the allocations. The allocations are likely to be fixedforaperiodofaboutfiveyears.

TheMinisterhasagreedtoprovideastatementofdecisiononannouncementofhisdeterminationin an allocation matter. The Minister may make public IFAAC’s report at the same time as his statement of decision is released. (IFMGovernmentPolicy,2004,paragraphs11,12&13)

D.Mechanismsforfutureallocationsbetweensectors(IFMGovernmentPolicy16)

TheTooheyreportstatesthatthe‘Communityexpectationsanddemandsovertheuseoffishresourceswill change over time so an integrated frameworkmust allow for adjustments inallocationstooccur,bothwithinandbetweensectors’.IFMGovernmentPolicyparagraph16statesthatprioritywillbegiventoinvestigatingthedevelopmentofamarketbasedsystemtoachievereallocations,alongwithsocialequityconsiderations,assoonaspractical.

IFAACproposestoinvestigatepossiblemechanisms,consultwithstakeholdersonproposalsthroughapublicprocessandprovideadvicetotheMinisteronpreferredoptions.InformulatingitsrecommendationsIFAACwillhaveregardtoGovernmentPolicyParagraphs14to17.


AppendixC SourceofstakeholdersubmissionstoIFAAC

DepartmentofFisheries http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/docs/op/op032/index.php

Recfishwest http://www.recfishwest.org.au/SubIFMAbaloneFMP204.htm

RecreationalFishingAdvisoryCommittee Contact: Doug Bathgate Phone: 9482 7332

WAFishingIndustryCouncil http://www.wafic.com.au/key_issues/submissions_and_reports.phtml

AquacultureCouncilofWesternAustralia Contact: Mr Dan Machin Phone: 9492 8814

AbaloneIndustryAssociationofWA Contact: Ian Taylor Phone: 0419 903 421

NationalNativeTitleTribunal Contact: Guy Wright Phone: 9268 9700


appendix d approach taken to consultation

Initiative Date

Advertisement in the Western Australian Newspaper 29 August

Draft Allocation Report released:Department of Fisheries website;Department of Premier and Cabinet – Citizenscape website;Copies posted to all commercial licensees and pre-registered ‘interested’ persons

1 September

Advertisement in the Ethnic Communities Council e-newsletter

August/September issue

Article in the Western Australian “New catch limit looms to save abalone stocks”

2 September

Editorial in the Western Australian Newspaper “Time to get tough to protect abalone stocks”

4 September

Advertisement in the West Australian Newspaper Government Announcements section

6 and 8 September

Article in the Sunday Time Newspaper “Abalone Harvest Shares” 10 September

Article in all Community Times Newspapers 9-13 October

Article in the Australian Chinese Times 11 September

Flyer (translated in Vietnamese and Mandarin) with recreational licence renewal

All renewals from mid September

Briefing to Volunteer Fisheries Liaison Officers 17, 18 and 19 October

Public meetings in Rockingham, Scarborough and Hillarys (advertised in the Western Australian, Community Times, Australian Chinese Times, Ethnic Communities Council Newsletter and flyers distributed with recreational licence renewals).

24, 25 and 26 October

Illustrated flyer on recreational abalone rules All renewals from 2 November

Vietnamese Radio – written statement to be read out w/b 6 November

Ad in Chinese and English editions of Asia Times (new rec rules and IFM proposals)

10 November

Illustrated recreational rules pamphlet and IFM pamphlet (translated in Vietnamese and Mandarin) inserted in the Chung Wah Association Newsletter

13 November


AppendixE Listofpeopleororganisationsthatmadeasubmission


AppendixF MinisterialletteronCustomaryfishing


AppendixG Ministerialletteronallocationstotheconservationsector


AppendixH DepartmentalletteronallocationswithinthePerthmetropolitan region


AppendixI Departmentalletteronallocationsbysubregions


AppendixJ Departmentalletteronamountofabaloneindigenouspeopleate


AppendixK Departmentalletteronthetakeandincidentalmortalityofeach sector


gLossarY oF aCronYMs

AIAWA Abalone Industry Association of Western Australia

FMP 204 Fisheries Management Paper No. 204

FRMA Fish Resources Management Act 1994

IFAAC IntegratedFisheriesAllocationAdvisoryCommittee

IFM Integrated Fisheries Management

NNTT NationalNativeTitleTribunal

SHL Sustainableharvestlevel

TAC Totalallowablecatch

TACC Totalallowablecommercialcatch

TARC Totalallowablerecreationalcatch

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