Feds give green light to marlin, tuna slaughter ?

[Gad]

UPDATE of...25 January added to bottom of thread

From the latest Fishing World Email Newsletter

Fishing World

20 Jan 2011

By Jim Harnwell

Despite recent moves by countries such as Peru and Panama to protect marlin and other sportfish, the Gillard Labor Government will ignore scientific advice and protests by gamefishing organisations and allow long-line fleets to catch thousands of tonnes of tuna and billfish off Australia’s east coast over the next 12 months.

As part of a new Total Allowable Commercial Catch system being introduced into the Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery, the Australian Fisheries Management Authority is set to allow commercial operators to kill almost 10,000 tonnes of tuna, marlin and broadbill in the period from March 1, 2011, to February 29, 2012.

This is despite scientific advice recommending much lower catch rates and strong protest by recreational fishing groups who say the commercial sector will wipe out stocks of iconic gamefish worth millions to the local economy.

An AFMA committee is meeting on January 24 to approve the new TACC for yellowfin tuna, bigeye tuna, swordfish, striped marlin and albacore.

The federal fisheries agency is expected to give a green light to the catch of 2655 tonnes of yellowfin and 2000 tonnes of bigeye, although its own Recommended Biological Commercial Catches for yellowfin are set at 1512 tonnes and 734 tonnes for bigeye.

If the TACCs are approved – and pundits Fisho has spoken with indicate they will be – then AFMA’s refusal to heed its own scientific advice means that commercial boats will be taking more than 2400 tonnes of tuna – or about 60,000 fish of 40 kilos each - than government scientists say is sustainable.

Sources say AFMA will also approve the catch of 1550 tonnes of swordfish, 400 tonnes of striped marlin and 3000 tonnes of albacore. The RBCC for swordfish is 1331 tonnes, while the maximum catch of striped marlin is 362 tonnes. Albacore, which are described as “an under utilised resource†on the AFMA website, have a scientifically recommended catch of 2012 tonnes.

Under the AFMA proposal, commercial operators will this year be able to catch almost 4000 striped marlin of 80 kilos each (and discard unknown numbers of dead and dying blue and black marlin caught as bycatch) and 300,000 10 kilo albacore, as well as the 60,000 yellowfin and bigeye tuna.

Fisho understands that a joint submission from Recfish and the Game Fishing Association of Australia (GFAA), and submissions from the NSW Game Fishing Association and NSW Fisheries have been sent to AFMA outlining concerns about the new TACCs, especially in regard to the commercial catch of striped marlin and associated bycatch of “protected†black and blue marlin.

The Tropical Tuna Management Advisory Committee, which is responsible for the ETBF, has said that it “notes the concerns of recreational groups about the setting of some TACCsâ€.

The full AFMA report can be found at http://www.afma.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Item-3-Tropical-Tuna-Mac-4-18-January-2011.pdf.

Fishing World urges concerned anglers to immediately lodge protests with the federal Government about this issue. See Comment article HERE for more detail on this issue and also for contact details for federal Fisheries Minister Joe Ludwig, Environment Minister Tony Burke and Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

[werewolf]

Why are we not surprised? Stupid government

[Gad]

Follow on to original post

Feds investigating marlin/tuna scandal

24 Jan 2011

By Fisho staffers

ANGLER protest about plans to sanction the slaughter of thousands of tonnes of billfish and tuna by the east coast long-line fleet has reached the ears of the federal politicians who control the fishery.

Mike Kelly, the parliamentary secretary for fisheries, is reviewing the decision made by the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) to disregard scientific advice and allow the long-line fleet to catch unsustainable numbers of tuna, marlin and swordfish.

Fisho contacted Dr Kelly’s office this morning and was told that he is looking at the processes behind the AFMA decision to allow almost 10,000 tonnes of yellowfin, bigeye, swordfish, striped marlin and albacore to be killed by commercial operators over the next 12 months.

The AFMA proposal, if accepted by Dr Kelly and Fisheries Minister Senator Joe Ludwig, means that commercial operators will be allowed almost 4000 tonnes more than is recommended by government scientists as a sustainable fishery.

Dr Kelly’s office said he was aware of the issue and would release official comments either late today or tomorrow morning.

Political pundits involved in the campaign to halt the gamefish slaughter say this development is “encouragingâ€.

“What has happened is that we have got the issue away from the (AFMA) bureaucrats and placed it with the politicians,†one senior source told Fisho. “This doesn’t mean the government will actually do anything but the fact that we’ve brought it to their attention, and that they are looking at it, is encouraging.â€

Fishing World published details of the planned AFMA slaughter online late last week, with the result being a tide of anger and protest by anglers sickened by the commercial exploitation of iconic gamefish species.

“It seems apparent that protests by fishos have resulted in federal politicians becoming aware that we are not happy about this unsustainable and greedy plan to decimate our gamefish stocks,†said Fishing World publisher and editor Jim Harnwell.

“I’d like to thank all the fishos out there who have taken the time to send protests into the federal government.

“Your actions in this regard are important and I think they will make a difference. I have no idea at this stage if we will be able to stop this planned slaughter of our tuna and marlin stocks but now at least the issue is being looked at by the blokes who make the decisions, not just faceless bureaucrats.â€

Fishing World has organised a protest letter, which can be downloaded HERE and sent to Mr Kelly and Senator Ludwig.

“If you haven’t sent this letter, or one that you’ve written yourself, it’s important that you do so as soon as possible,†Harnwell said.

“We need to ensure Dr Kelly and Senator Ludwig are fully aware of just how angry and disappointed we are that the federal government would even think about allowing the unsustainable slaughter of important and valuable recreational gamefish.â€

The original news article breaking the story about the planned slaughter, plus op-ed pieces and reader comments, can be viewed by clicking HERE and HERE.

We’ll publish Dr Kelly’s comments about what the federal government plans to do about the AFMA long-line decision as soon as we get them.

[Gad]

UPDATE of 25 January

Feds put stopper on gamefish slaughter

25 Jan 2011

By Mick Fletoridis

Federal fisheries spokesman Dr Mike Kelly has today ordered the Australian Fisheries Management Authority Commission (AFMA) to hold off on its plans to allow Australia's east coast longline fleet to increase the harvest of tuna and marlin on the East Coast from 5,926 tonnes to 9,505 tonnes - despite scientific advice pointing to the unsustainability of such an increase.

AFMA met yesterday to discuss its proposed changes to the Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery under the new Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery management plan. Fisho was informed today by a spokesman from Dr Kelly's office that following the meeting he ordered AFMA officials to explain how Australia's east coast fishery can sustain the proposed quota increases, when scientific experts say it can't. This development has effectively put off the final decison on quotas until next month.

Former UK MP and Parliamentary spokesman for Angling, Martin Salter, who is currently helping the Boating and Fishing Council of Australia develop strategies to promote, protect and enhance recreational fishing has been actively involved in Fishing World's protest campaign.

"While I have no doubt that the vast majority of recreational fishers in Australia would like to see long lining for game fish outlawed that is probably a debate for another day. In the meantime we have won an important review of the crazy AFMA proposals. I just hope that once Ministers have seen the figures they have the good sense to follow scientific advice on sustainable catch quotas for the long term health of what is still a highly regarded world class recreational fishery," Salter said.

Fisho echoes Salter's sentiments and sees this development as a good outcome but remains guarded as to any guarantees the final Total Allowable Commercial Catch will be reduced as a result of this review.

"All we are doing is asking the federal goverment to ensure that any catch quotas are sutainable and scientifically allowable", said Fishing World editor and publisher Jim Harnwell.

"We urge our readers to continue to let our politicians know that we oppose such unsustainable increased pressure on our East Coast Tuna and Billfish fishery."

Fisho will keep you updated on any further developments.

[Gad]

Well this is a bit different from the usual innuendo reply of "thanks for you comments,now go away" departmental response

This is an automatically generated response.

Thank you for your email to Senator the Hon Joe Ludwig, Senator for Queensland, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Manager of Government Business in the Senate.

Due to the large volume of emails received, I am unable to acknowledge receipt of each email personally.

Your email is important and will be dealt with as soon as possible. Response times will vary depending on the complexity of the issues raised. However, if you require any further information please contact my office 02 6277 7520. For electorate and constituent matters, please contact the office on 07 3229 4477 or toll free 1300 301 944 (outside metro area only).

If your email relates to an invitation or media enquiry it will be forwarded to the relevant staff member.

Thank you again for your email.

Regards

Joe Ludwig

[Gad]

11th Feb update

Kelly steps in to reduce gamefish slaughter

11 Feb 2011

By Jim Harnwell, Fishing World editor & publisher

IN a win for anglers, plans to allow commercial long liners to slaughter unsustainable numbers of tuna and billfish have been reworked following intervention by federal fisheries supremo Mike Kelly.

As well as moving to reduce commercial exploitation of gamefish stocks, Dr Kelly, the parliamentary secretary for fisheries, has rejected calls by extreme green groups for the establishment of massive no fishing zones in federal waters, including the Coral Sea, saying he is not “a big fan of drawing lines on waterâ€. He has also reassured anglers that the federal bioregional planning process, first initiated by the Howard Government, would have “very little impact†on rec fishing.

As previously reported by Fisho, the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) last month presented a new quota system for the Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery. This quota, if implemented, would have resulted in the long line fleet being able to catch almost 4000 tonnes more tuna and billfish than scientists say is sustainable.

Implementation of the quota system, due in late January, was delayed for two weeks following protests by anglers via an online campaign spearheaded by Fishing World.

Following those protests, and subsequent intervention by Dr Kelly’s office, a revised quota system was announced by AFMA today, with proposed catch levels being dropped. Full details of the revised AFMA quotas, and comparisons with the original proposals, can be found HERE.

In an exclusive interview, Dr Kelly told Fishing World he had “actively engaged†with AFMA over the past fortnight to force it to reduce the proposed quotas.

“We worked closely with AFMA on what they were proposing,†Dr Kelly said. “I made it clear that there wasn’t enough attention being paid to the sustainability of the fishery and that any decisions made would have to be based on the available science.

“AFMA is not a law unto themselves. During our conversations with them they realised they had to work with other groups (like anglers) and they also had to explain their proposals to a broad audience. If that sort of thing didn’t happen, they understood that parliament may not feel inclined to support their proposals.â€

Dr Kelly said he had been concerned about sustainability issues with the original AFMA proposal, regardless of the angler campaign and other protest action by groups such as Greenpeace.

“There were a few statistical stand-outs (in the original AFMA quota proposal) and there seemed to be some questions about the sustainability of what they were proposing.â€

The backdown by AFMA is a major win for anglers as it should result in a more productive and diverse gamefishery. Dr Kelly said he was aware of the significant socio-economic benefits of the recreational fishing sector, especially in relation to gamefishing, and said he was committed to developing “sustainable and responsible†fisheries.

He said the commercial sector could not be seen as a “growth industry†due to environmental limitations inherent to a wild catch fishery. There was now significant opportunity to develop an aquaculture industry to offset and perhaps even replace some sections of the commercial industry, he said. Aquaculture could provide fresh fish for local consumption and export markets and a reduction in commercial pressure on wild stocks would allow the recreational sector to maximise sustainable angling opportunities.

Dr Kelly, who holds the key “fishing†seat of Eden-Monaro in southern NSW for the Labor Government, was a senior military officer before being elected to parliament in 2007. He said he specifically asked for the fisheries portfolio after the most recent federal election because he was interested in, and understood, the issues facing recreational and commercial fishing.

During the interview with Fishing World, Dr Kelly made it clear he would make future decisions on fisheries matters based on scientific advice and consultation with user groups. “I want to make decisions based on the available science while also making sure we provide the mechanisms for groups and the community to provide input.â€

Helping the recreational sector develop the organisational skills to effectively engage with government was a priority, Dr Kelly said. “At the moment working with you guys is like trying to herd cats! There are so many groups, so many opinions.â€

The Australian tackle industry, in association with allied industry groups and organisations such as RecFish and ANSA, is currently working on a strategy paper, part of which will outline ways the recreational sector can improve its communications performance.

But slick PR and lobbying strategies don’t guarantee Dr Kelly’s attention or support. He told Fisho he had met with various high profile environmental groups, including the US-based Pew organisation, which is currently pushing to have Australia’s Coral Sea declared a no-fishing zone.

“I’ve listened to all these groups and I’ve heard what they say,†Dr Kelly said. “Then I told them that I’m interested in the science and making decisions based on what the science says. If the science says something needs to be done, if there’s a problem, then I’ll do something about it. But I’m not interested in feel-good policies.â€

Fishing World asked Dr Kelly if he had seen any scientific reports highlighting the need for the Coral Sea to be declared a no-fishing zone.

“No,†Dr Kelly said.

He also said that he was not in favour of establishing marine parks in federal waters, saying he “wasn’t a fan of drawing lines on the water because fish don’t recognise those linesâ€.

In recognition of concerns about possible restrictions to access to fishing areas, he said the bioregional planning process currently being investigated by the federal Government would “have very little impact†on recreational fishermen.

“(The federal process) is part of an international treaty obligation that’s all to do with looking at protecting the ocean floor. Any impact that would occur as a result of that would likely be with commercial trawlers, and we’ve got a compensation process for people in that industry in place if needed. I would think (the bioregional process) would result in very little impact on what recreational anglers do.â€

The new quota system for the ETBF comes into effect on March 1.

[nadders]

its amazing how quickly they can change their blunders when the outcome will lead to more green votes, but what about their other blunders i.e green zones and the currently unfolding snapper debacle :dry: (talking about govnts in general i know green zones and snapper debacle arent fed. govnt decisions)

[Gad]

11th Feb update

Revised quotas for gamefish

11 Feb 2011

THE Australian Fisheries Management Authority this afternoon released revised quotas for long liners working the Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery. These new quotas, which are set to start from March 1, are a reduction from the quotas previously put forward by the commercial sector, but do not reflect the levels advocated by scientists, conservationist and anglers as being sustainable.

For example, AFMA only reduced the commercial take of striped marlin by 10 tonnes to 390 tonnes, despite concerns about bycatch of protected blue and black marlin and a lack of knowledge about striped marlin stocks.

The federal fisheries agency significantly reduced the quota on bigeye tuna and also dropped the catches of albacore and yellowfin. The quota for broadbill swordfish remains the same at 1550 tonnes.

The new AFMA quota system sets the catch limit of albacore at 2500 tonnes (originally 3000 tonnes), bigeye tuna at 1056 (2000), striped marlin 390 (400) and yellowfin 2200 (2655).

A total of 1909 tonnes of gamefish have been saved from long liners due to the protest actions of Australian anglers.

However, long liners will still be able to kill more than 6000 tonnes of fish than the scientists says is sustainable.

[Gad]

Fishing Worlds Email Newsletter

COMMENT: Kelly is saying all the right things

11 Feb 2011

By Jim Harnwell

GIVE yourself a clap on the back, fellas. The emails sent by all you Fisho readers to Mike Kelly's office in Canberra definitely helped influence today's decision on billfish and tuna quotas. It’s important not to get too carried away – we haven’t stopped the commercial exploitation of our iconic gamefish species, just minimised for the moment the numbers of tuna and marlin that will end up as sushi. The numbers of fish, especially striped marlin, that the long liners can legally take is still way too high. Regardless, this is a significant win. Up until very recently, recreational concerns about fish stocks and sustainability just didn’t rate with the federal fisheries bureaucracy.

The fact that our concerns on this issue have been listened to, and at least partially acted on, is due in no small part to the appointment of Mike Kelly as federal parliamentary secretary for fisheries. Unlike most politicians involved in fisheries policy, Kelly actually seems to know what he’s talking about. Even more interesting is the fact that he professes a keen interest in fisheries matters. He actually asked for the job, believe it or not. And he seems dedicated to making the “right decisionsâ€, decisions he says can only be made when based on science and careful consultation. His moves to get AFMA to reconsider the catch levels it initially proposed for the ETBF quotas show that he’s not frightened of making tough decisions, nor is he concerned about taking on the bureaucracy. And as you’ll see from his comments in the news story HERE he’s seemingly not at all interested in kowtowing to green extremists either …

Kelly seems to be the sort of politician we fishos should get to know better. My brief interview with him this week left me with the impression that he’d be tough but fair in his decision-making. Can we honestly expect anything better than that?

While Kelly so far seems to be a refreshing and welcome choice as our federal fisheries chief, the past few weeks have also been positive as far as showing what we can do if we put our minds to it. While we regrettably have a few rats in our ranks, we as anglers by and large pulled together to put a stop to the unsustainable AFMA quotas. A lot of behind-the-scenes work went on as this campaign unfolded, with various individuals, notably John Dunphy, Len Olyott, Doug Joyner and Martin Salter, amongst others, putting in many hours of largely thankless effort. NSW Fisheries and RecFish Australia also played pivotal roles in highlighting sustainability concerns over the AFMA proposals.

This little battle with AFMA has not only resulted a slight reprieve for our tuna and marlin stocks, it has also helped us establish ourselves as the true guardians of the marine environment. Make no mistake, we drove this issue. No one else was in there fighting. If we hadn’t made such a fuss, it’s likely AFMA would have got its evil way. Senator Brown and his Green cohorts were nowhere to be seen as AFMA planned the slaughter of 400 tonnes of striped marlin, plus thousands of tonnes of tuna and swordfish. Imogen Zethoven from Pew? Not a squeak. Only Greenpeace, probably the most reasonable and level-headed of all the green groups, made the effort to decry the AFMA proposals.

The fact that concerned anglers took on a powerful bureaucratic machine and won should give us a lot of hope for the battles we’ll face in the future. Hopefully it will also help us develop the unity and cohesion we so urgently need.