Changes to Recreational Fishery Management Plan

Now Closed

This online engagement was hosted on YourSAy from 28 February to 4 May 2020. Below is a record of the engagement.

Click here to download a PDF of the Draft Management Plan: Report on Review

Introduction

A 10-year Management Plan for Recreational Fishing in South Australia was approved and adopted on 13 August 2017 by the then Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries.

The Minister’s Recreational Fishing Advisory Council (MRFAC), the main advisory body to State government on recreational fishing in South Australia, recommended amendments to the Management Plan for Recreational Fishing in South Australia to ensure the MRFAC is acknowledged as the main advisory body to the State Government on recreational fishing.

Membership of the MRFAC consists of representatives from recreational fishing organisations, as well as independent members with expertise in recreational fishing.

This document summarises the significant changes included in each section of the draft Management Plan now provided for public consultation in line with current management practice.

Fishery to which this plan applies (Section 1)

No change.

Consistency with other management plans (Section 2)

No change.

Term of plan and review of the plan (Section 3)

This review report will satisfy requirements under section 49 of the Act to extend the term of the Draft Plan from the date of adoption for a period of ten years.

Amendments proposed to indicate a timeframe for review (see below).

‘A review of this management plan will be undertaken two years after its commencement.’ – Page 6 of the Draft Management Plan for Recreational Fishing in South Australia

Fisheries management in South Australia (Section 4)

No change.

Description of fishery (Section 5)

Amendments proposed to update outdated Recreational expenditure estimate report for South Australia (see below).

‘The most recent expenditure estimate for South Australia was in 2015-16 where the annual estimated recurrent expenditure by the State’s recreational fishers was $160.8 million. This expenditure included direct expense related fishing items, such as bait and boat hire, as well as indirect expense items such as travel and accommodation (Deloitte Access Economics, 2017).’ – Page 12 of the Draft Management Plan for Recreational Fishing in South Australia

Co-management arrangements (Section 6)

Amendments proposed to refer to the MRFAC as the main advisory body to the State Government (see below).

‘The Minister’s Recreational Fishing Advisory Council (MRFAC) was formed in 2019 to improve dialogue and communication between recreational fishers and Government. The role of the Council is to provide feedback and advice to government on recreational fishing development issues, initiatives and policies that impact the recreational fishing sector. An initial task of the Council is to create a Recreational Fishing Strategy for South Australia.

Membership of the council consists of representatives from recreational fishing organisations, as well as independent members nominated through a nomination process through a preferential voting system.

The Council determined that from 1 July 2019, where a recreational fishing representative is required for an advisory committee established under section 20 of the Fisheries Management Act 2007, the Council will provide the Minister with direct recommendations of individuals who would be suitable.

PIRSA and recreational representatives on advisory committees will continue to pursue opportunities to improve the co-management arrangements for the recreational fishery. This is undertaken in accordance with the principles provided in the Policy for the Co-Management of Fisheries in South Australia (PIRSA 2013d), in an effort to deliver sound, effective and efficient management outcomes and the strategies outlined in this plan.

The following provides examples of participation by recreational fishers in fishery management processes:

• Participated in discussions prior to the protective measures in response to sustainability concerns to manage the Snapper fishery, which resulted in the submission of a proposal on behalf of recreational fishers to inform the management decision. Post-decision, consultation was maintained through the representation role of a MRFAC on the Snapper Management Advisory Committee to ensure equitable management arrangements and effective implementation of the resulting arrangements
• Membership in key management advisory committees and groups like the Snapper Management Advisory Committee and Rock Lobster Fisheries Management Advisory Committee.
• Informing the Reservoir Fishing Taskforce to create new fishing opportunities through opening offline SA Water reservoirs suitable for recreational fishing.’ – Page 15 of the Draft Management Plan for Recreational Fishing in South Australia

‘Co-management arrangements regarding Murray cod management and handling have been developed. This project links to the Catfish work previously undertaken in the River Murray, and has strong linkages to Murray Cod stock enhancement and habitat related work in the River Murray. It is a component of a broader co-management project funded through the FRDC. - Page 16 of the Draft Management Plan for Recreational Fishing in South Australia

‘Artificial reef project - PIRSA implemented the SA Habitat Enhancement Project to build an artificial reef to improve recreational fishing opportunities. This project informed the establishment of Windara Reef, an area of approximately twenty hectares of native shellfish reef in north-western Gulf St. Vincent in partnership with The Nature Conservancy and other partner groups.’ – Page 16 of the Draft Management Plan for Recreational Fishing in South Australia

‘Consultation with the MRFAC’ – Page 17 of the Draft Management Plan for Recreational Fishing in South Australia

‘Recreational fishing committees (RFC’s). These regional based committees are established by the recreational sector to represent the interests of recreational fishers. They are generally area based (e.g. West Coast). These committees will be directly linked to Government through the MRFAC.’ – Page 17 of the Draft Management Plan for Recreational Fishing in South Australia

Ecosystem impacts (Section 7)

No changes.

Goals and objectives (Section 8)

Amendments proposed to reflect changes to co-management arrangements (see below).

‘The MRFAC has been tasked with developing a Recreational Fishing Strategy for South Australia. This strategy is expected to guide priority areas of development for the recreational fishing sector in the future.’ – Page 20 of the Draft Management Plan for Recreational Fishing in South Australia

Harvest Strategy (Section 9)

Amendments proposed to reflect changes to co-management arrangements and updates to the national agreed reporting framework for stock classification (see below).

‘Consistent with the national agreed reporting framework for stock classification the classifications used in this section are:

• Sustainable stock: Biomass (or proxy) is at a level sufficient to ensure that, on average, future levels of recruitment are adequate (i.e. recruitment is not impaired) and for which fishing mortality (or proxy) is adequately controlled to avoid the stock becoming recruitment impaired (overfishing is not occurring).
• Depleting stock: Biomass (or proxy) is not yet depleted and recruitment is not yet impaired, but fishing mortality (or proxy) is too high (overfishing is occurring) and moving the stock in the direction of becoming recruitment impaired.
• Recovering stock: Biomass (or proxy) is depleted and recruitment is impaired, but management measures are in place to promote stock recovery, and recovery is occurring.
• Depleted stock: Biomass (or proxy) has been reduced through catch and/or non-fishing effects, such that recruitment is impaired. Current management is nt adequate to recover the stock, or adequate management have been put in place but have not yet resulted in measurable improvements.’ – Page 26 of the Draft Management Plan for Recreational Fishing in South Australia

‘These plans outline the performance indicators and trigger/limit reference points which are used in assessing stock status (i.e. sustainable, depleting, recovering, depleted).’ – Page 27 of the Draft Management Plan for Recreational Fishing in South Australia

‘In the case where a species’ trigger/limit reference points are breached and the status of the species is determined to be depleting or depleted, a process for the recreational sector (outlined below) will be considered to ensure sustainability of the fishery.’ – Page 27 of the Draft Management Plan for Recreational Fishing in South Australia

‘Consideration of the fishery status report and/or the stock assessment reports will be undertaken within the existing co-management framework. Where the species is depleting or depleted the following options may be used for considering and developing revised recreational fishery management arrangements:

• The need for a change to the recreational sector to be assessed

• Identify management targets/what is to be achieved by the changes

• Targeted consultation with MRFAC, RFCs, local councils, commercial industry associations and the conservation sector (as needed)

• Public consultation, which also includes public meetings and information sessions

• Feedback to MRFAC and other stakeholder groups as needed on the outcomes/comments from public consultation and PIRSA’s consideration of the feedback

• Finalisation of management changes and community education (Media release/s, article in Fish Facts newsletter, website announcement, Recreational fishing app updated etc.)

• Development of a monitoring/review framework for the revised changes in consultation with MRFAC’ – Page 28 of the Draft Management Plan for Recreational Fishing in South Australia

‘A review of this harvest strategy may be conducted at any time in line with the Act. A review of the harvest strategy would be conducted under Section 49 of the Act as it is part of this management plan.’ – Page 30 of the Draft Management Plan for Recreational Fishing in South Australia

Allocation of access between sectors (Section 10)

No change.

Recreational fishing research and stock assessment (Section 11)

Amendments proposed to reflect changes to co-management arrangements (see below).

‘Research needs are identified by PIRSA in consultation with MRFAC (and other stakeholders) through co-management processes.’ – Page 37 of the Draft Management Plan for Recreational Fishing in South Australia

Compliance and monitoring (Section 12)

Amendments proposed to reflect changes to co-management arrangements (see below).

‘The compliance risk assessment is used to inform annual compliance planning processes, and is reviewed each year; it is an internal confidential document. However, PIRSA will, through the co-management arrangements, gather MRFAC views on the priority risks in planning this document.’ – Page 39 of the Draft Management Plan for Recreational Fishing in South Australia

Regulatory arrangements (Section 13)

Amendments proposed reflect the need for adaptive co-management in the instance of a temporary closure of a fishery for protective measures (see below).

‘Fishing can be banned in some areas all year and for some others temporally (e.g. seasonal closures). Seasonal closures are declared to protect fished species during their breeding season. Protected species caught during a closure or closure period must be returned to the water immediately. Additionally, temporary closures, which may use a combination of seasonal or regional closure, may occur when a fishery stock is considered depleting or depleted, exampled by the Snapper fishery closure in 2019.’ – Page 43 of the Draft Management Plan for Recreational Fishing in South Australia

Resources required to implement the plan (Section 14)

Amendments proposed to reflect changes to co-management arrangements (see below).

‘PIRSA and the MRFAC will continue to explore resourcing opportunities for the sector, including management, compliance, research, fishing and fish habitat enhancement, education and extension.’ – Page 45 of the Draft Management Plan for Recreational Fishing in South Australia

All enquiries

Primary Industries and Regions SA (PIRSA)

Level 15, 25 Grenfell Street

GPO Box 1671, Adelaide SA 5001

T: 08 8226 0900

E: PIRSA: pirsa.mrfac@sa.gov.au