SETFIA recently met with Fisheries Victoria, the EO of FutureFish, Charlie Micallef (a Port Philip Bay charter operator & movie maker), Steve Auld (Commonwealth Trawl Manager AFMA).  Industry was represented by Dale Sumner, Andy Watts, Bill Cull and Simon Boag.

Commonwealth licensed trawlers are catching increased amounts of snapper as a by-catch.  Snapper is a species managed by the State.

Catches of snapper are as follows:

State commercial                            108 tonnes                          16%

Recreational (estimated)                400-480 tonnes                   72%

Commonwealth commercial           80 tonnes                            12%

TAC                                                  668 tonnes

Increased Commonwealth catch is a good news story for the snapper fishery.  Commercial operators and recreational fisherman agree the fishery is in the best shape it has been for decades.   The increased number of snapper entering Port Philip Bay make it especially difficult for Commonwealth trawlers based at the entrance of the Bay to work their traditional grounds to target Commonwealth quota whilst avoiding snapper.

The State and AFMA have an MOU setting down a 50kg trip limit for al methods other than trawling.

The meeting agreed the aim was to explore management arrangements that would:

1.       Ensure there was no Commonwealth targeting

2.       Avoid discarding of dead fish

SETFIA’s position is:

1.       Commonwealth vessels have a right to harvest their property right of Commonwealth quota on historical grounds with the associated by-catch regardless of which agency (State/AFMA) currently manage the species

2.       The snapper fishery should be a sustainable, well managed fishery based on good science

3.       SETIA will abide by a functioning MOU between the Commonwealth and the State

4.       Sensible management arrangements (i.e. not discarding around trip limits and no additional spatial closure on the remaining 15% of fishable Commonwealth trawl waters)

5.       That the current Commonwealth catch is a sustainable  by-catch given the science presented was that the 668 tonne total was sustainable within the context of the current fishery

The Recreationalists were particularly impressive and only wanted a sustainable fishery with reasonable CPUE.  They believe there is a place for commercial fishing.  They have recently lobbied the State to impose size limit, catch and large fish catch controls. 

Negotiations continue between all stakeholders to select management controls that allow Commonwealth vessels to take snapper as a by-catch of targeting Commonwealth quota without draconian discarding of dead snapper.