Orange Roughy Declared Threatened Species

[mrmoshe]

Orange roughy declared threatened species

Orange roughy is set to be the first commercially harvested fish to be added to Australia's threatened species list, to protect it from over-fishing.

The Federal Government says scientific advice indicates orange roughy is under considerable pressure and needs protection to try to secure its long-term survival.

Huge catches of orange roughy were made during the 1980s, before the stocks were given some protection.

The Environment Minister, Ian Campbell, says catch limits will be set at levels that will conserve the species.

"Orange Roughy is the first commercially harvested fish to be listed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999," he said.

"My decision to add the Orange Roughy to the threatened species list follows careful consideration of the scientific information, as well as extensive consultation with experts and the public."

Orange roughy will be listed as conservation dependent, and will be managed subject to a conservation program to be implemented by the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA).

Limits have been drastically reduced and trawlers are prohibited from targetted fishing for the roughy.

Orange Roughy are found in south-eastern and south-western Australia, the Great Australian Bight and around Tasmania.

The fish can live for 100 years.

[Flattieman]

It's about time too... The orange oughy has been depleted for so long... Good to hear.

Flattieman.

[Ross Hunter]

It's about time too... The orange oughy has been depleted for so long... Good to hear.

Flattieman.

Thanks for the post Mallacoota Pete

This is what I find so bloody dissapointing about the whole system. Why didn't the overseer of this Fishery (Federal Fisherys) know that these magnificent fish live to 100 years of age?. Why did they allow wholesale slaughter of them at the St Hellens Sea Mount for years untill someone realised that they had overfished them?. Here we have a species that probably does not breed untill they are 25 maybe 35 years of age. I say place them on the endangered species list along with gemfish and southern bluefin now......but it is like closing the gate once the bull's bolted .Where the bloody hell have the greens been during all this? Oh! that's right pushing stranded whales back in the water.

My argument is that it is this fishery which is in very bad shape not our beaches and coastlines and it is just another case of very bad management by governing bodies. These are the same people in a different camp who we are supposed to believe in and have confidence in. The same people who have done no research on the species involved, who are jamming Marine Parks down our recreational throats and we are supposed to have confidence in them.