97th AFMA Commission meeting – Chair's Summary

The Commission convened for its 97th meeting in Melbourne, Victoria, on 11 and 12 March 2025.  

Annual Public Meeting

AFMA convened its annual public meeting virtually on 11 March 2025, as required under the Fisheries Administration Act 1991. Nine people attended the meeting, consisting of eight fishing industry members and one representative of an offshore wind development company.  

AFMA provided a summary presentation of the role of the agency and some key issues facing Commonwealth fisheries management, followed by an open discussion. The main topic raised by participants was the ongoing pressure of “spatial squeeze”, with a particular focus on how offshore wind proponents might better engage with both AFMA and the fishing industry to identify opportunities for cooperation, including through data collection and sharing.

Stakeholder Engagement

The Commission considered written updates from the Great Australian Bight Industry Association (GABIA), Tuna Australia, Northern Prawn Fishing Industry (NPFI) and the Australian Southern Bluefin Tuna Industry Association and met with representatives of the Commonwealth Fisheries Association (CFA) and NPFI.  

Feedback and advice from all industry stakeholders remains consistent that commercial fisheries are facing ongoing difficult economic conditions that, in some cases, threaten the viability of participants. Discussions in the Commission-CFA roundtable focussed on how AFMA and industry representatives can work together more closely to identify opportunities for efficiency, innovation and regulatory reform. 

Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery Total Allowable Catches

The Commission considered detailed advice from relevant Resource Assessment Groups (RAGs), Management Advisory Committees (MACs) and AFMA Management to set TACs for the range of quota and non-quota species in the SESSF. The Commission was highly appreciative of the depth of analysis provided, including the ongoing development and consideration of climate sensitivity information.

TACs and relevant overcatch and undercatch settings determined by the Commission are provided in Table 1. Species where the Commission either departed from RAG/MAC/AFMA Management advice, or felt that additional context was required were:

• School and gummy shark

The Commission noted strong and consistent concerns raised by many shark fishers about the high abundance of school shark. Stakeholders reported that it is becoming increasingly difficult to avoid high catches of school shark, including when fishing in areas where interactions have previously been low.

The Commission was encouraged that such reports may be empirical evidence of stock recovery, and are supported by some data series, such as standardised catch per unit effort (CPUE) in the trawl sector. However, it also noted that SharkRAG and SEMAC continue to recommend constraint to low levels of catch, given a lack of new robust scientific information, and the next stock assessment is due to be considered later in 2025.

The Commission agreed to follow the approach agreed in 2024 (Commission meeting 92), resulting in a school shark TAC of 207 tonnes.

The Commission noted the excellent cooperation from South Australia in amending its measures to limit school shark catch to reflect the Commission’s decisions from 2024, but expressed concern about high and potentially increasing catch in Western Australia. The Commission agreed to write to WA to seek further cooperation on this shared responsibility.

The Commission set the gummy shark TAC at 1,564 tonnes, which represents a minor increase compared to the 2024–25 TAC. The Commission determined that it was not appropriate to further reduce the gummy shark TAC to reduce catch of school shark, based on the status of gummy shark (all stocks at or above the target reference point), the magnitude of the reduction applied last season (8%) and the impending school shark stock assessment.

• Mirror dory

The Commission considered a proposal to set aside the “large change limit” (LCL) in the SESSF Harvest Strategy given positive indicators for the stock and the potential for a large TAC increase in 2025–26. 

The Commission recalled that it had considered this matter last year and decided not to set the LCL aside1. The Commission noted that much of the reasoning for the previous decision continues to apply, but that the strong positive CPUE trend is now well established (5 years), providing greater confidence that it is reflective of higher abundance rather than being a short-term fluctuation or anomaly, which is what the LCL intends to manage.

The Commission also noted that catch in 2024–25 is expected to reach the current TAC, which also was not the case last year. 

As such, the Commission agreed to set the LCL aside and set the mirror dory TAC at 334 tonnes.

• Silver warehou and oreo basket

The Commission supported recommendations from SEMAC to roll-over TACs for both species rather than using assessments completed in 2024 that produced results not considered plausible by the assessor or the RAG and MAC. In both cases the 2024 assessments would have resulted in very large TAC increases.

• Pink ling

The Commission noted the outcome of the 2024 assessment of the eastern pink ling stock, which showed no major concerns and a sustained, positive trajectory. The Commission set the pink ling TAC at 1,541 tonnes.

In agreeing to SEMAC’s recommendation to continue managing eastern pink ling through a co-management agreement with the South East Trawl Fishing Industry Association (SETFIA), the Commission acknowledged the success of this arrangement over the past years and the constructive role it has played in improving stock status. 

Small Pelagic Fishery (SPF) Total Allowable Catches

The Commission approved amendments to the SPF harvest strategy based on a recent review of the harvest strategy by the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies, which included new information and additional Management Strategy Evaluation testing. The primary changes are increases to the exploitation rates for jack mackerel, blue mackerel and redbait, and greater guidance around establishing unfished biomass to guide decision making.

The Commission considered advice from SPFRAG and SEMAC on TACs for the main target species. The Commission supported the RAG/MAC advice on each species. TACs and relevant overcatch and undercatch settings determined by the Commission are provided in Table 2. 

The Commission noted that the TAC for jack mackerel (East) represents a temporary departure from the harvest strategy to respond to the unsuccessful daily egg production survey conducted in 2024.  In approving the recommendation, the Commission noted that both the RAG and MAC were confident that the survey was unsuccessful due to timing, rather than being indicative of any stock concern, and that catches at the proposed level (13,000 tonnes) would be sustainable.

The Commission agreed to set the jack mackerel East TAC at 13,000 tonnes for 2025-26 only to provide sufficient opportunity for industry to decide whether to complete a new survey, or for the TAC to drop to Tier 2 under the harvest strategy.

Great Australian Bight Trawl Fishery (GABTF)

The Commission approved the updated Orange Roughy Research Plan for the GABTF, as developed by GABIA under its co-management agreement with AFMA. The Commission also approved research catch allowances to support implementation of the Plan.

The Commission considered a proposal from GABIA to increase undercatch and overcatch provisions for deepwater flathead and bight redfish. The Commission reviewed CPUE data for both species, which supports the industry expectation that catches will increase over time. However, the Commission also noted that overall catch against the TAC for each species is low and will likely remain low for some time due to decreased participation in the fishery. As such, the Commission was satisfied that the quota market should accommodate the increased CPUE without manipulation of undercatch and overcatch.

Western Tuna and Billfish Fishery (WTBF)

The Commission determined the following provisions in the WTBF:

• Undercatch and overcatch – 10%
• Determined weight – 2 tonnes

AFMA IT uplift and cybersecurity strengthening

The Commission welcomed a comprehensive update on the above bodies of work and reaffirmed its support for continued progress and investment.

Electronic Monitoring

Commissioners were pleased to note that several fishery-specific trials have been undertaken, and that evaluation reports are in preparation.  The Commission noted that decisions on whether to implement EM in fisheries are likely to be required in May 2025 (for small fisheries such as GABTF, Western Deepwater Trawl and North West Slope Trawl) and July 2025 for NPF and the Commonwealth Trawl Sector. Trials of EM continue in sub-Antarctic fisheries.

Next meeting

The Commission agreed that its next meeting would be held online on 12 May 2025.

Helen Kroger
Chair

Table 1. Agreed SESSF TACs, determined amounts and percentages for overcatch and undercatch for the 2025–26 fishing season.

Table 2. Agreed SPF TACs, determined amounts and percentages for overcatch and undercatch for the 2025–26 fishing season