EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
Issued by the authority of the Australian Fisheries Management Authority
Fisheries Management Act 1991
Southern Squid Jig Fishery Management Plan 2005
Determination No. SSJF 01
The proposed Determination would be a legislative instrument for the purposes of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003.
Subsection 17(6)(aa) of the Fisheries Management Act 1991 (the FMA) provides that a plan of management made under the FMA 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 11(1) of the Southern Squid Jig Fishery Management Plan 2005 (the Plan) provides that, prior to the start of the fishing year, AFMA must determine the total allowable effort (TAE) for the fishing year.
The fishery
The Southern Squid Jig Fishery (SSJF) targets squid species by the squid jigging method. Jigging is a particularly successful method for targeting squid and has a high level of specificity for the target species.
The majority of squid taken from the fishery is sold on the domestic market, with some of the byproduct (mainly tentacles) being exported to Mediterranean countries.
Most squid caught by the jigging method are taken from fishing grounds off Portland, Queenscliff and Lakes Entrance in Victoria, with a small number of operators fishing in South Australian waters.
Regulation Impact Statement
The Office of Regulation Review (ORR) advised AFMA that a Regulation Impact Statement was not required for the proposed Determination (ORR ID 7469).
Consultation
AFMA’s management philosophy (as foreshadowed in its governing legislation) involves a partnership approach to the management of marine resources under its jurisdiction. Cooperation with relevant stakeholders, such as the fishing industry, government agencies, the community and others with an interest in the sustainable management of the Commonwealth’s fisheries resources, is a vital part of this approach. This approach provides opportunities for stakeholders to have input into the management process through, in the case of the SSJF, the Southern Squid Jig Fishery Management Advisory Committee (SquidMAC) and the Southern Squid Jig Fishery Fisheries Assessment Group (SquidFAG) – now known as the Southern Squid Jig Fishery Resource Assessment Group (SquidRAG).
Subsections 11(2)(a) & (b) of the Plan provide that, before determining the TAE for a fishing year, AFMA must consult SquidMAC and SquidRAG and consider their views, along with the views of any other interested person(s). AFMA consulted with SquidMAC and SquidRAG at their 18 July 2005 joint meeting, at which they recommended a TAE of 800 standard squid jigging machines for the 2006 fishing year. This recommendation was agreed by the AFMA Board out of session in July 2005.
Details of the Determination are set out below:
Clause 1 | Provides for the Determination to be cited as Determination No. SSJF 01. |
Clause 2 | Provides for the commencement and period of application of the Determination. |
Clause 3 | Provides for the interpretation of the Determination. In particular, the clause states that terms defined in the Plan and FMA have the same meaning in the Determination. Terms used in the Determination first take the meaning given in the Plan, then (in the absence of terms in the Plan) that given in the FMA. |
Clause 4 | Provides the total allowable effort measured in standard squid jigging machines that may be used in the fishery for the 2006 fishing year. |