EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
Issued by the Authority of the Commission of
the Australian Fisheries Management Authority
Fisheries Management Act 1991
Bass Strait Central Zone Scallop Fishery Management Plan 2002
Bass Strait Central Zone Scallop Fishery Total Allowable Catch Determination 2011.
Subsection 17(5) of the Fisheries Management Act 1991 (the Act) provides that a plan of management made under the Act is to set out, amongst other things, the objectives of the plan of management and measures by which the objectives are to be attained.
Paragraph 17(6)(aa) of the Act provides that a plan of management made under the Act may provide for the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) to determine the fishing capacity permitted for the fishery or a part of the fishery in respect of a particular period or periods.
Subsection 27(1) of the Bass Strait Central Zone Scallop Fishery Management Plan 2002 (the Plan) provides that, prior to the start of the fishing season, AFMA must determine the total allowable catch (TAC) for each species of scallop for the fishing year.
The Determination sets the TAC for the Commercial Scallop, Pecten fumatus, at
2000 tonnes (whole weight) and for the Doughboy Scallop, Chlamys (Mimachlamys) asperrimus, at 100 tonnes (whole weight) for the 2011 fishing year.
The TACs prescribed are consistent with the Harvest Strategy for the Bass Strait Central Zone Scallop Fishery (the Fishery), which provides that a zero TAC is to be set unless surveys of the Fishery indicate that adequate biomass is available for harvest. Surveys conducted during 2010 and 2011 indicated that scallop stocks were sufficient to commence fishing in 2011.
Consultation
Subsection 27(3) of the Plan provides that, before setting a TAC for a fishing year, AFMA must consult Scallop Management Advisory Committee (ScallopMAC) and consider their views. AFMA may also consider the views of other interested persons. AFMA consulted with the Scallop Resource Assessment Group at meetings on 19-20 January and 11 March 2011. AFMA consulted with the ScallopMAC at meetings on 17 February and 4 April 2011. The TACs for the 2011 fishing year reflect the recommendations from these meetings.
Regulation Impact Statement
The Office of Best Practice Regulation (OBPR) advised that a Regulation Impact Statement was not required for the Determination (OBPR ID 12508).
Details of the Determination are set out below:
Clause 1 | Provides for the Determination to be cited as Bass Strait Central Zone Scallop Fishery Total Allowable Catch Determination 2011. |
Clause 2 | Provides for the commencement of the Determination. |
Clause 3 | Provides that terms used in the Determination that are also used in the Plan have the same meaning in the Determination as in the Plan. |
Clause 4 | Provides that the TAC for Commercial Scallop is 2000 tonnes and 100 tonnes for Doughboy Scallop. |