Southern Bluefin

[pjbink]

No one is suggesting that the SBT is not overfished, but this is an international issue given that they are so wide ranging. The study I mentioned is just some potentially good news on a local level. Here's some information from AFMA:

Principal Species Southern bluefin tuna (Thunnus maccoyii)

No of Statutory Fishing Right (SFR) owners as at 11 May 2007 98

Estimated catch and value for 2002-2003 Approximately AUD 78 million for the wild harvest component of the fishery. Value added from grow out of wild caught fish in sea cages is approximately AUD 150 million.

Fishing Seasons The SBT fishing year runs from 1 December to 30 November each year. For the purse seine fishery, fishing for grow out farms occurs from January – March. Longlining for SBT occurs primarily in winter months off Southern NSW and to a lesser extent off southern WA.

Main Markets Japan. Small but growing markets in Republic Of Korea, China and USA.

Fishing Techniques Around 98% of Australia’s SBT quota is taken by 5-10 purse seine vessels fishing in the GAB for 15-25 kg SBT. These are towed alive back to static grow out cages off Port Lincoln and fattened for up to 6 months before harvest and export to Japan. SBT is also a valuable and largely incidental catch for long-line vessels operating in southern Australian waters (approximately 100 tonnes/year). They are also taken in small amounts by pole and line, and trolling.

Stock Status Overfished globally. For several years the CCSBT has been working on a management strategy to guide the setting of global quotas and to pursue stock rebuilding. Implementation of the management procedures has been delayed due to the recent discovery of over-catches. The 2007 CCSBT scientific committee meetings are to consider how to best progress the management procedures. .

Management Plan The SBT Management Plan 1995 is in place and has been recently reviewed to ensure reflection of current fishing practices and best risk management strategies. The amended Management Plan is in force for the 2004-05 season which commenced on 1 December 2004.

Management Method Output controls comprising Individual Transferable Quotas (ITQs). National catch allocations for member countries were determined and set by the CCSBT at its October 2004 meeting. Australia received a national allocation of 5,265 tonnes and AFMA subsequently set the Australian TAC at this level for the 2004-2005 season.

International Management CCSBT member countries are engaged in a Scientific Research Program (SRP). The core components of SRP are Management Strategy Evaluation, Observer Programs, Stock Assessment and the management of impacts on Ecologically Related Species. Member countries are continuing efforts to ensure membership of the Commission includes all countries that catch SBT in significant quantities. The inclusion of Indonesia is a high priority.

Bycatch Action Plan An SBT Fishery By-catch Action Plan (BAP) was initially developed as part of a broader BAP for the Australian Tuna Fisheries. For 2004-05, a separate Tuna Purse Seine Fishery BAP is being developed to better manage bycatch issues within the purse seine fisheries for SBT and Skipjack tuna.

Major Management Issues over the next 12 months:

The refinement of data collection and validation processes for the fishery, in particular the observer program for the purse seine sector.

Smooth implementation of the SBT Fishery Management Plan.

Improving the international management framework (through CCSBT) to improve management of the global SBT Fishery.

Monitoring the continuing catches by non-member countries outside the CCSBT framework, and in excess of a sustainable global catch. These catches continue to limit the chances of a global SBT stock recovery.

Attempting to reduce uncertainty in the SBT stock assessment in light of possible further declines in recruitment and spawning biomass.

[Dreamtime]

No one is suggesting that the SBT is not overfished, but this is an international issue given that they are so wide ranging.

Here's some information from AFMA:

Principal Species Southern bluefin tuna (Thunnus maccoyii)

No of Statutory Fishing Right (SFR) owners as at 11 May 2007 98

Estimated catch and value for 2002-2003 Approximately AUD 78 million for the wild harvest component of the fishery. Value added from grow out of wild caught fish in sea cages is approximately AUD 150 million.

Australia received a national allocation of 5,265 tonnes and AFMA subsequently set the Australian TAC at this level for the 2004-2005 season. [/b]

That seems to be quite a high quota for Australia - do you have the actual harvest figures for that period?

For example, Australian YFT catches for 2005 were 1,500 tons & just over 2,000 tons for 2006. On the other side of the coin, Papua New Guinea's catch figures of YFT for the same period was 51,000 tons and 49,500 tons respectfully.

Bearing those figures in mind it would appear that Australia has a resposible approach to wild fish stocks as opposed to other nations. Either that, or we don't have the populations of fish that our neighbours do.

Some interesting examples for the same periods from non FFA members:-

Phillipines - 121,000 tons and 116,500 tons

Indonesia - 47,500 tons and 47,500 tons

Japan - 48,500 tons and 48,000 tons

Korea - 49,000 tons and 49,000 tons

Taiwan - 47,000 tons and 38,500 tons

Just my thoughts anyway.