SOUTH EAST
MANAGEMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE
South East MAC 13
Agenda item 4.3: Squid Total Allowable Effort Recommendation for the 2014 Season
ABSTRACT
The paper asks SEMAC to consider recommending to the AFMA Commission a Total Allowable Effort amount for the Southern Squid Jig Fishery for the 2014 fishing season of 550 standard squid jig machines plus 10 standard squid jig machines research allowance.
RECOMMENDATIONS
1.
That SEMAC recommends to the AFMA Commission: a.
a total Allowable Effort for the 2014 Southern Squid Jig Fishery season of 550 standard squid jigging machines the same as the 2013 season; b.
continue the current research effort allowance of 10 standard squid jigging machines that may be issued under Scientific Permits; and c.
that SEMAC notes the proposed level of effort for the 2014 is the same as the current season.
BACKGROUND
2.
The target species of the Southern Squid Jig Fishery (SSJF), Arrow Squid (Nototodarus gouldi), is a short lived species that is highly fecund, has a short life span (thought to be completed within 12 months), has variable recruitment (which may be linked to environmental factors) and reproduces throughout the year. Total catch in the SSJF has historically shown considerable variability between seasons.
3.
The SSJF is managed under the Southern Squid Jig Fishery Management Plan 2005 (the Plan) using effort controls based on a set number of standard squid jigging machines allocated under gear SFRs.
These management arrangements took effect on 1 January 2006.
4.
Under the Plan, before the start of each fishing year (1 January to 31 December), AFMA must determine an annual TAE for the fishery. The number of standard squid jigging machines allocated to a gear SFR for a fishing year is calculated by dividing the TAE for the fishing year by the total number of gear SFRs at the start of the fishing year. Before setting the annual TAE, AFMA must seek advice from both the Squid Resource Assessment Group (SquidRAG) and South East Management Advisory
Committee (SEMAC). The RAG considered TAEs on 20 September and draft minutes are at
Attachment B.
5.
There is insufficient scientific information available to set biological reference points and Total
Allowable Catch (TAC) for squid, although preliminary biomass estimates from ecosystem models are orders of magnitude higher than catch. The Harvest Strategy (attachment A) uses a system of withinseason monitoring against catch triggers that signal the need for assessment and review of the management arrangements.
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6.
Triggers are split into intermediate triggers that prompt further assessment and consideration by the
RAG and a limit trigger that would prompt further assessment using depletion analysis. Specific triggers for squid caught in SSJF and trawl fisheries also apply.
7.
Current triggers are summarised here. a.
Annual Combined trigger (all methods): i.
limit trigger – 6,000 tonnes; and ii.
intermediate trigger – 4,000 tonnes b.
SSJF triggers (jig only): i.
SSJF limit trigger – 5,000 tonnes; and ii.
SSJF intermediate trigger – 3,000 tonnes c.
Combined trawl trigger (all trawl methods): i.
limit trigger – 2,000 tonnes
8.
The combined intermediate 4,000 tonne catch trigger equates to half the highest historic annual catch by squid fishing vessels off southern Australia. If the 3000 tonne trigger for the SSJF or the
4,000 tonne combined catch intermediate triggers are reached further assessment and consultation by the RAG are required.
9.
If the 5000 tonnes jig or 6000 tonne combined catch limit is reached effort in the fishery should not increase until the fishery is reassessed using depletion analysis, and increased fishing justified as being sustainable. There is also an additional effort trigger of 30 ‘standard vessels’ (defined as a vessel carrying 10 standard squid jigging machines) operating in the fishery.
10.
Arrow Squid are not considered overfished or subject to overfishing (ABARES Fishery Status Reports
2011) and low catches in recent years are not attributed to stock declines but to economic factors such as operating costs and low market prices.
11.
The SSJF is a low impact fishery; it uses highly selective gear with minimal bycatch or associated discards. The risk of interactions with marine wildlife is ranked as low in the SSJF Ecological Risk
Assessment and supported by fishery data and observer reporting.
12.
The TAE determined for 2013 season was 5500 gear SFRs, which equated to 550 standard squid jig machines. No SFRs were surrendered during 2013.
COMMENT
13.
In general catches for the 2013 SSJF season have been down from 2012, with 99 days fished, and 164 tonnes of squid caught.
14.
Catch for the SSJF is well below the intermediate trigger level of 3000 tonnes. Trawl catch was approximately 508 tonnes; well below the 2000 trawl catch limit trigger, and comparable to trawl catches in recent years. Combined jig and trawl catch was around 672 tonnes; again well below the combined limit of 6000 tonnes. The 30 vessel effort limit in the fishery was not exceeded.
15.
AFMA Management recommends that the current level of effort be maintained in the fishery. AFMA
Management also recommends continuing the current research effort allowance that may be issued under Scientific Permits, at 10 standard squid jigging machines, noting that there are no research projects currently in the SSJF.
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RAG ADVICE
16.
SquidRAG met by teleconference on 20 September 2013 to discuss the TAE recommendation for
2014. The RAG noted that none of the trigger limits had been met during the year, and there was no basis to change arrangements from previous years. The RAG recommended a TAE of 5,500 SFRs, or
550 standard squid jig machines which was the same as the 2013 season. The RAG also recommended 10 standard squid jig machines be allocated for research, if required (see RAG advice at Attachment B).
PURSUIT OF AFMA OBJECTIVES
17.
AFMA Management considers the proposed TAE is in line with the objectives of the Fisheries
Management Act 1991. There is currently no concern that fishing in accordance with the proposed limits will result in any significant risks for the sustainability of the stock or the broader marine environment. Fishing effort/impacts and catches are low and squid have a high reproductive potential. The recommended TAE for the SSJF for 2014 is considered precautionary and is consistent with AFMA’s objectives of ensuring the exploitation of fish stocks is ecologically sustainable.
18.
The recommended TAE allows for ecologically sustainable utilisation of the squid resource by the jig fishing industry if this is warranted under current economic circumstances. This is consistent with
AFMA’s objective of economic efficiency.
FINANCIAL AND BUDGET IMPLICATIONS
19.
The TAE recommended in this paper is consistent with the management provisions of previous seasons and will incur no changes in costs to operators or management.
AFMA Management FOR RECOMMENDATION
October 2013
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Attachment A
SSJF Harvest Strategy Overview
Harvest Strategy Overview
A system of real-time within-season management is proposed.
Suites of intermediate and limit catch and effort triggers were defined based on recent catch history, with values well below historical high catch levels. These serve as checks against controlled expansion, whereby the limit trigger may not be revised higher without investing in a higher Tier level assessment, the results of which provide defensible justification for doing so. The intermediate trigger levels are not associated with “hard” decision rules to limit the fishery, but rather invoke data monitoring and/or analyses in order to better inform the fishery and potentially develop more robust triggers in light of improved understanding of its dynamics.
Triggers for i) jig catch (intermediate and limit triggers), ii) jig effort (intermediate trigger), iii) combined jig and trawl catch (intermediate and limit triggers) and iv) combined Commonwealth trawl catch (limit trigger) are proposed, as follows:
1. Southern Squid Jig Fishery o Catch (2 trigger points): i) 3000t intermediate trigger (this is a level that could be reached, for example during a boom) ii) 5000t limit trigger o Effort: 30 standard vessel intermediate trigger (where a “standard vessel” equates to a vessel carrying SFRs equivalent to 10 standard squid jigging machines, noting that the average has generally been 7-8 jigging machines).
2. Combined Commonwealth Trawl sector fisheries (note this includes much more than the GAB and SET, even though at present (2007) the majority is caught only by those 2 sectors) o 2000t catch limit trigger
3. Combined jig and trawl triggers o Catch triggers i) 4000t combined intermediate trigger ii) 6000t combined limit trigger
Limit triggers may be overridden to enable industry to take advantage of “boom” seasons, during which the stock is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by the fleet fishing at full capacity. A “boom” is defined by the following “exceptional circumstance” criteria:
• Within one lunar month o The average CPUE of the entire jig fishery increases by twofold or greater;
� (average CPUE to be calculated as month-specific, based on average CPUE for that month since January 1996 [the time at which a reliable catch and effort database was established])
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� N.B. as a general rule, average jig CPUE is 200kg/hour (this figure could potentially be used as a proxy in the absence of information – e.g. if a baseline CPUE is unavailable) o AND catch has been documented as occurring in the middle of the day AND irrespective of moon phase at night
To avoid over-exploitation during periods of low availability, the following criteria form an additional trigger:
• Effort is very high, defined as in excess of 45 boats (noting that the 30 boat trigger would have been reached in the interim, but that this decision rule is focused on a different objective and a more immediate response), but average CPUE per trip is low (<20% of long-term average), AND
• There is no evidence of high squid density elsewhere (across any and all fisheries, including state fisheries, i.e. whole-of-stock consideration, in terms of ad hoc checking of catches across the whole of the fishery and all of the sectors), AND
• There is no evidence of self-regulation within one month (as evidenced by “peripheral” vessels ceasing fishing within ~2 weeks of low catches occurring, quantitatively equated to effort decreasing to below 30 boats)
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Attachment B
Summary of SquidRAG meeting of 20 September 2013
In the absence of new research, the RAG deferred to the information circulated by AFMA in the paper
“Total Allowable Effort for the 2014 Season”. This document included catch and effort data for the SSJF and the South East Trawl sector of the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery. Total Squid catch by the Tasmania commercial sector was also considered.
Key points:
1.
The RAG had no sustainability concerns for the fishery. Squid catch in the SSJF and the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery are both well below the trigger points of the Harvest
Strategy for jig, trawl and combined catch.
2.
Ecosystem impacts resulting from this fishery were considered minimal.
3.
There is a large amount of latent effort in the SSJF. While this is not ideal, the cost of management is spread across a larger number of concession holders, reducing the average cost per concession holder. Latent effort will also enable the fishery to take advantage of future developments.
4.
The RAG was unable to comment on how the TAE related to maximising the economic efficiency of the SSJF.
5.
Since there is no biological or economic reason to change the TAE, the RAG recommend to the
AFMA Commission that the TAE remain at the same level as 2013 at 550 jigging machines. The
RAG also recommended the number of SFRs required to operate one machine should be set at
10 SFRs, the same as in 2013.
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