Ecologically Sustainable Development

Ecologically sustainable development (ESD) is essential to protect biological diversity and maintain essential ecological processes and life-support systems through the entire ecosystem.

This means that economic development of fisheries must be managed in a way that safeguards the welfare of future generations while enhancing individual and community well-being.

The Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (external site) sets out guidelines for the ecologically sustainable management of fisheries. These include:
  • A fishery must be conducted in a manner that does not lead to overfishing, or for those stocks that are fished, the fishery must be conducted such that there is a high degree of probability the stock will recover.
  • Fishing operations should be managed to minimise their impact on the structure, productivity, function and biological diversity of the ecosystem.

Australian fisheries management is shifting its focus from individual target species, to one that consideres the full effects of fishing on marine ecosytems.

Ecosystem-based fisheries management requires scientific understanding, assessment and management of:
  • the effects of fishing on target and non-target species and their habitats
  • the effects of fishing on marine food webs
  • the impact on fisheries of other human activities, climate variablity and change
  • the productivity of marine systems
  • the socio-economic aspects of fishing.