AFMA’s responsibilities are shared between a commission and the Chief Executive Officer:
- The AFMA Commission is responsible for domestic fisheries management.
- The Chief Executive Officer is responsible for foreign compliance, and for assisting the commission and giving effect to its decisions. The Chief Executive Officer is responsible for the agency that supports these functions.
The CEO is appointed on a full-time basis and is also a commissioner. All other commissioners are appointed on a part-time basis.
Commissioners cannot hold any executive position in a fishing industry association, nor can they have a controlling interest or executive role in any entity holding a Commonwealth fishing concession.
The Commission Charter explains the authority and responsibilities of the Commission in relation to performing its functions. While the functions and duties of the Commission and the CEO are identified in legislation, the practical responsibilities of these have evolved over the years. The Charter also discusses how the Commission and the CEO work together to interpret and operationalise the functions performed by AFMA.
Find the latest Commission Chairman's summaries from previous meetings on the AFMA website.
The current AFMA commissioners are:
Appointed from 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2027.
More about Helen Kroger
Helen has held leadership positions in the private, public and not for profit sectors for the last 20 years. She is a former Liberal Senator for Victoria, Government Whip and active former member of numerous key Senate and Joint Committees.
She has extensive board experience and advises corporations on regulatory and compliance, governance, communications and stakeholder management issues.
Appointed from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2029.
More about Scott Spencer
Scott has over 40 years experience in natural resource management and public policy development.
He is a former Secretary of the Queensland Fish Management Authority, Director General of the Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Water, Deputy Director General (Policy ) in the Queensland Department of Premier and Cabinet and most recently, Deputy Director General, Fisheries and Forestry within the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.
Scott was also Chair of the Board of Directors of Sunwater Ltd and for a number of years, operated his own private consultancy. He has held numerous statutory positions including as Commissioner on the then Murray Darling Basin Commission.
Scott has formal qualifications in Economics.
Appointed from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2029.
More about Brett McCallum
Brett has been a director of Bresal Consulting since November 2015. He has a Bachelor of Commerce and is a past Deputy Chair of the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation.
He is currently the independent chair of both the Western Australian and South Australian FRDC Research Advisory Committees.
He has over 40 years experience in peak fishing industry representation as Chief Executive of the WA Fishing Industry Council and the Pearl Producers Association.
Brett has held senior managerial positions with several leading Australian fishing, pearling and exporting companies.
Brett has experience from a number of State and Federal Government working groups and committees. His expertise covers commercial fisheries management, government policy setting, natural resource management, economics and business management.
Brett was first appointed to the AFMA Commission in 2019.
Appointed from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2029.
More about Sevaly Sen
Sevaly is an applied economist with over thirty years experience in fisheries in Australia, Oceania, Europe, Africa and Asia.
Sevaly ran her own consultancy company in the UK, worked for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation in southern Africa and the Institute of Fisheries Management in Denmark. Since moving to Australia in 1999, Sevaly runs her own consultancy business.
She has been a member of the Fisheries Council of South Australia, the NSW Structural Adjustment Review Committee and the Torres Strait Scientific Advisory Committee. Current memberships include the NSW Marine Estate Expert Knowledge Panel, the South Australian Allocation Review Committee and the Torres Strait Rock Lobster Working Group. Sevaly is also advisor to Sydney Fish Market on sustainability issues and is economic lead on the FRDC Human Dimesions Research sub-program.
Appointed from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2029.
More about Sally Troy
Sally has more than 30 years of experience in natural resource management focusing on good governance, science-based regulation, and the development and application of science and technology programs for food and fibre production and for environmental systems.
She has served on several Boards and national committees and has held senior positions in the Australian Public Service portfolios of Agriculture (including Fisheries), Environment, and the National Oceans Office, and in Victorian Parks management. She chairs the ACT Multi Hazard Advisory Council and volunteers in the emergency relief service of St John’s Care, ACT.
Sally has significant high-level expertise in governance, policy development, risk-based regulatory systems, communications, and stakeholder management. She has a PhD in marine science, a Masters in Environmental Law and Policy, and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors course.
Appointed from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2029.
More about Ian Dutton
Ian is an independent ESG Advisor with 40 years experience in fisheries, aquaculture and marine resources management. He has worked in senior leadership roles in academia, the not-for-profit sector, private and public sectors throughout Australia, the USA and the Asia-Pacific region.
He has maintained professional engagement in fisheries research and development as a Matsumae Fellow at Nihon University, Adjunct Professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and as an Editor of the Indonesian Journal of Tropical Marine Science and Technology.
Most recently, he served as General Manager of Marine Resources for the Tasmanian Government, Chair of the SMRCA Partnership with IMAS and Chair of the National Aquaculture Committee of the Australian Fisheries Managers Forum.
He holds a PhD from the University of Queensland and has also completed the Cornell University Executive Leadership program.
Appointed from 8 April 2024 to 7 April 2029.
More about Wez Norris
Wez is a career fisheries professional, with 25 years’ experience working in numerous fisheries from small scale hand collectibles to prawn trawl and industrial tuna fisheries.
He was recently appointed for his second term as the Chief Executive Officer and Commissioner of the Australian Fisheries Management Authority, a role that he has filled since 2019.
Prior to taking up the CEO role, Wez worked in Queensland and in the Pacific, where he spent 5 years as the Deputy Director-General at the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency, in the Solomon Islands.
Wez’s focus is on organisational leadership of AFMA to ensure that Commonwealth fisheries management is fit-for-purpose in the changing marine and geopolitical environment to ensure the correct balance between sustainability and economic returns to the Australian community.
Wez has a Bachelor of Applied Science in Natural Systems and Wildlife Management from the University of Queensland.