Southern Squid Jig Fishery Total Allowable Effort Determination 2011

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

Issued by the authority of the Australian Fisheries Management Authority

Fisheries Management Act 1991
Southern Squid Jig Fishery Management Plan 2005

Southern Squid Jig Fishery Total Allowable Effort Determination 2011

The Southern Squid Jig Fishery Total Allowable Effort Determination 2011 (the Determination) is a legislative instrument for the purposes of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003.

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 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 ‘fishing year’ is defined in the Plan as the calendar year.

The Southern Squid Jig Fishery

Operators in the Southern Squid Jig Fishery (the SSJF) target squid species by the squid jigging method. This method involves the use of bright lights to illuminate the water around the fishing boats. Squid gather in the shaded area under the boat and dart into the light to take barbless lures that are ‘jigged’ up and down on either side of the boat. The line is hauled when the jigging machines register a change in the weight on the line. Jigging is a particularly successful and highly selective method for targeting squid, with minimal to no bycatch. Accordingly, ‘effort’ is defined by reference to the number of ‘squid jigging’ machines that may be used in the fishery.

The target species, Arrow Squid (Nototodarus gouldi), is a highly productive and relatively short lived species, making it suitable to be managed using input (effort) controls.

The majority of squid taken from the fishery is sold on the domestic market, with some of the byproduct (mainly tentacles) 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.  

Consultation

Subsection 11(2) of the Plan provides that before determining the TAE for a fishing year, AFMA must consult, and consider the views of the Southern Squid Jig Fishery Resource Assessment Group (SquidRAG) and the South East Management Advisory Committee (SEMAC), and may consult, and consider the views of, any other interested person.

SquidRAG held a teleconference on 13 September 2011 and SEMAC held a meeting on
19 September 2011 to consider the TAE for the 2012 fishing year. SquidRAG and SEMAC both recommended a TAE of 560 standard squid jigging machines for the 2012 fishing year. 

AFMA has determined that the TAE for the fishery for the 2012 fishing year is 560 standard squid jigging machines, after considering the recommendations of the SquidRAG and SEMAC.  The TAE for the 2012 fishing year is the same as that determined for the previous 2011 fishing year. AFMA is satisfied that the Determination pursues its legislative objectives of the Act. 

Regulation Impact Statement

The Office of Best Practice Regulation (OBPR) advised that a Regulation Impact Statement was not required for this Determination consistent with the agreement in place to cover all regulatory changes deemed to be of a minor or machinery nature. 

Details of the Determination are set out below: