❓ A parliamentary question regarding the transition of the octopus fishery to an interim managed fishery, focusing on allocation methods, stakeholder engagement, and sustainability assessments. The Minister provides answers detailing the rationale behind decisions and ongoing research.
AnsweredQoN 1288Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
OCTOPUS
FISHERY
1288. Hon
DARREN WEST to the Minister for Fisheries:
This
question is not about sharks! I refer to the octopus fishery and in particular
the move to an interim managed fishery.
(1) Why was only one year used as a
selection period to generate allocations for the interim managed fishery?
(2) Which stakeholders were engaged
in the consultations towards the interim managed fishery?
(3) What is
regarded as a sustainable number of trigger traps for the fishery?
(4) What
work has been done to assess the sustainability of the fishery?
(5) What time frames have been used
to generate allocations in other fisheries moving to an interim management
fishery?
FISHERY
1288. Hon
DARREN WEST to the Minister for Fisheries:
This
question is not about sharks! I refer to the octopus fishery and in particular
the move to an interim managed fishery.
(1) Why was only one year used as a
selection period to generate allocations for the interim managed fishery?
(2) Which stakeholders were engaged
in the consultations towards the interim managed fishery?
(3) What is
regarded as a sustainable number of trigger traps for the fishery?
(4) What
work has been done to assess the sustainability of the fishery?
(5) What time frames have been used
to generate allocations in other fisheries moving to an interim management
fishery?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question.
(1) The use of the 2012 calendar year was
recommended by an independent access and allocation panel. The year 2012
represented the year in which the majority of industry was operating using the
same type of gear. Approximately 95 per cent of fishing was conducted using trigger
traps.
(2) External stakeholders that have been
consulted throughout the process so far include: Western Australian Fishing
Industry Council; Recfishwest; and industry, including six exemption holders in
the existing developmental fishery and two additional operators permitted to
fish for octopus under a licence condition. The interim management plan for the
fishery is still under development. As such, formal consultation on a draft
plan is yet to be undertaken.
(3) The maximum number of trigger traps will be
determined by dividing the final approved sustainable catch in each zone by the
final approved annualised catch rate of a trap.
(4) The department's research division
has researched the sustainability of the developing octopus fishery, including
a three-year Fisheries Research and Development Corporation–funded
study.
(5) There are no set criteria for the number of years that should be used to
generate allocations in a particular fishery. In the case of the developing
octopus fishery, an independent access and allocation panel recommended fishing
days in 2012 as the most appropriate criteria. This was subsequently supported
by me.
(1) The use of the 2012 calendar year was
recommended by an independent access and allocation panel. The year 2012
represented the year in which the majority of industry was operating using the
same type of gear. Approximately 95 per cent of fishing was conducted using trigger
traps.
(2) External stakeholders that have been
consulted throughout the process so far include: Western Australian Fishing
Industry Council; Recfishwest; and industry, including six exemption holders in
the existing developmental fishery and two additional operators permitted to
fish for octopus under a licence condition. The interim management plan for the
fishery is still under development. As such, formal consultation on a draft
plan is yet to be undertaken.
(3) The maximum number of trigger traps will be
determined by dividing the final approved sustainable catch in each zone by the
final approved annualised catch rate of a trap.
(4) The department's research division
has researched the sustainability of the developing octopus fishery, including
a three-year Fisheries Research and Development Corporation–funded
study.
(5) There are no set criteria for the number of years that should be used to
generate allocations in a particular fishery. In the case of the developing
octopus fishery, an independent access and allocation panel recommended fishing
days in 2012 as the most appropriate criteria. This was subsequently supported
by me.
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