Publication Date

3-2024

Series Number

341

Publisher

Western Australian Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

City

Perth

ISBN

978-1-921845-38-3

ISSN

2202-5758

Abstract

In December 2023, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD, the Department) convened an ecological risk assessment (ERA) of the fisheries that access the Statewide Large Pelagic Fish Resource (Resource). This Resource comprises a range of tropical and temperate species including mackerels, billfish, kingfish, cobia, mahi mahi and tunas. This document contains the background information used to support the ERA risk scoring process, scoring from the workshop and a summary of the workshop discussions that were relevant to the risk scoring. This includes an overview of Western Australian commercial fisheries that access the Resource, with a focus on the Mackerel Managed Fishery. This report also includes information about recreational and charter fisheries that access the Resource. ERAs are conducted by the Department as part of its Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management framework. Accordingly, the ERA will consider the potential ecological impacts of harvesting of the Resource. This includes impacts of fishing on all relevant retained and bycatch (non-retained) species, endangered, threatened and protected species, aquatic habitats and the broader environment. Risk scores were determined during the ERA workshop, based on available scientific information and expert knowledge. The assessment will conform to the AS/NZS ISO 31000 risk management standard, and to the methodology adopted by the Department, which uses a consequence-likelihood analysis for estimating risk. A broad range of stakeholders were invited to participate in the ERA workshop, including representatives of the commercial, recreational, and charter fishing sectors, State and Commonwealth Government agencies, the conservation sector, universities, and DPIRD staff including fisheries managers, scientists, compliance officers and biosecurity personnel. In this ERA, forty-one ecological components were scored for risk. The vast majority (39) of ecological components were evaluated as low or negligible risks, which do not require any specific control measures. There were 2 medium risks, which were assessed as acceptable under the current monitoring regime and control measures that will be in place over the next five years. No components were scored as high or severe risks. It is recommended that the risks be reviewed in five years.

Number of Pages

94

Keywords

mackerel, tuna, billfish, kingfish, cobia, mahi mahi, fishery, fishing, impact

Disciplines

Aquaculture and Fisheries | Marine Biology

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