A fishing boat from the South Australian Sardine Fishery, the largest by volume in Australia.
Photo: South Australian Sardine Industry Association.
The 'Fishery status reports 2024' launched by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) found that most Australian fish stocks were sustainable last year. Moreover, according to ABARES Executive Director, Dr Jared Greenville, overall, Commonwealth fisheries continued to be well-managed in 2023.
"Of the 102 stocks assessed only 3 changed status, but the overall result was the same as last year with 67 stocks classified as not overfished and 75 classified as not subject to overfishing," Dr Greenville said.
The ABARES Fishery status report provides an annual, independent assessment of the biological and economic status of fish stocks managed solely or jointly by the Australian Government, as is the case with Commonwealth-managed fisheries.
Specifically, this 29th edition of the report covers the biological status of 102 fish stocks in 22 fisheries, summarizing their performance against the requirements of fisheries legislation and policies. As said, out of the 102 stocks assessed in 2023, there were 3 stock status changes, 67 stocks were classified as not overfished and 75 as not subject to overfishing.
Moreover, according to ABARES, the fisheries assessed in the 'Fishery status reports 2024' generated an estimated gross value of production (GVP) of AUD 412 million (EUR 254.4 million / USD 276.2 million) in 2022–23. This means 29% of Australia's total wild-catch fisheries GVP of AUD 1.42 billion (EUR 876.8 million / USD 951.9 million).
In Australia, sustainable management of seafood resources also involves aquaculture. It should be recalled that, at the end of last year, another report by ABARES showed that, although both fisheries and aquaculture prospered in 2022, it was aquaculture that stood out within the Australian seafood industry, surpassing the value of wild catch.
Map of Australian Fishing Zone showing the location of Commonwealth fisheries.
Image: Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES).
Now, although the 'Fishery status reports 2024' found that Commonwealth fisheries continued to be well-managed last year, it also highlighted several pressures on sustainable fisheries management. Among these, the ABARES report highlighted challenges in monitoring and responding to the impacts of continued climate change, and a decline in the quality and quantity of data needed to conduct stock assessments.
"In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of stocks with uncertain status and a small increase in the number of stocks assessed as overfished or subject to overfishing," said Dr Jared Greenville.
"This emphasises the importance of regular monitoring of fish stocks to allow fisheries management decisions to be adaptive and to direct effort to improving data collection," continued ABARES Executive Director.
"That said, the management systems for Commonwealth fisheries are well established," he concluded. "We're in a good position to tackle these challenges and shore up long-term sustainability for our fish stocks."
