Fisheries Management

Legislation

The Fisheries Management Act 2007 (external site) and Regulations made under the Act provide for the management of fisheries in South Australia.  This Act replaces the Fisheries Act 1982 (external site).

The new Act includes new offences, heavier penalties for non-compliance and the establishment of a new Fisheries Council to advise the Minister on issues relevant to fisheries.

Under the Act, a number of regulations provide for the management of specific fisheries. The following regulations are in place:   



Information and Reporting

Management is carried out through a series of management plans as well as through regulations, orders and licence conditions. More information about the management of particular fisheries can be found in the various management papers.

Management plans set out management strategies and key performance measures for each fishery. The purpose of the plan is to ensure that the fishery is managed on a sustainable basis while allowing for continued development of the industry.

The success of the Management Plan and, consequently, the sustainability of the particular fishery are both highly dependent on the provision of accurate fishery, biological, economic and social information. Each plan includes ecological, social and economic indicators as a means of reporting on ecologically sustainable development (ESD), now accepted as the foundation for natural resource management in Australia.

Information used to develop management strategies includes:


Future management plans will also need to include a risk-based assessment of ecosystem impacts.


Other Management Controls
Where necessary, additional controls are used. These include:

  • permanently closing areas to fishing to protect important habitats, for example aquatic reserves
  • specific measures to protect juvenile or breeding fish (such as size limits and seasonal and area closures).

Vessel monitoring systems, established under the Fisheries Management (Vessel Monitoring Scheme) Regulations 2007 (external site), are used to assist with the management of the Northern Zone Rock Lobster Fishery and the Sardine (Pilchard) Fishery. Use of the systems is also being trialled in the Blue Crab Fishery.


SA Fisheries Resources - Current Status and Recent Trends 2006
This report is a reference for the community on the status of South Australia's major fish stocks and the current management measures in place to ensure their long-term sustainability.