Commercial Fisheries

Current Policy Objectives for Commercial Fisheries Management The Fisheries Act 1995 has a key objective of utilising fisheries resources in a manner consistent with ecologically sustainable development (ESD) principles- in short, managing resources in a way that meets the needs of the community today while conserving ecosystems for the benefit of future generations. Regulations such as licence limitation, catch quotas, size limits, gear restrictions, seasonal and area closures are imposed to support this primary objective. Unregulated access to fisheries resources typically results in unsustainable fishing practices and management controls therefore aim to avoid fishery collapse, habitat loss or decreases in the abundance of rare species. The commercial fishing industry in Victoria is one of the most highly regulated and monitored industries operating in Victoria today.

The pursuit of ESD presents one of the greatest challenges to governments, the fishing industry and the community. At an operational level the setting of sustainable levels of fishing has been central to fisheries management and science for some time. The concept of ESD although, is much broader than the traditional focus on yields derived from target species. It now requires that management decisions pay attention to the impact of fishing on non-target species and the marine environment as a whole.

This complexity poses numerous difficulties for fisheries managers, partly because of the poor understanding of how fisheries ecosystems work and how different species interact or are affected by other disturbances or economic activity. Total ecosystem and multispecies management can not easily be translated into a fisheries management strategy and as a result a precautionary and conservative approach will continue to underpin fisheries management planning and decision making processes.

The economic and social impact of commercial fishing in Victoria

The commercial fishing industry is one of the largest industries providing employment for people in rural Australia. In Victoria, approximately 8000 people are dependent on seafood landed or produced here for the bulk of their employment. About $180 million of seafood product is landed at Victorian ports. Approximately $130 million is from Victorian managed fisheries, while the rest is from a combination of Commonwealth and Tasmanian fisheries. With Victoria's clean unpolluted waters, our commercial fish catch is keenly sought by both the domestic and overseas markets. Victoria is also the processing centre for much of the seafood that is caught in South-eastern Australia.

Victoria boasts some of the world’s finest and most sought after seafood. Victorian commercial fish production is perhaps symbolic of the national and global comparison in that they are renowned for their high value species rather than high tonnages. The cooler waters of Victoria support valuable commercial export fisheries for abalone and Southern rock lobster, with an estimated value of $70M and $20M respectively. In 1996 the Victorian Government closed the Port Phillip Bay scallop fishery due to the environmental concerns over scallop dredging. Since the closure of the Bay, the Victorian scallop industry has been entirely dependent on Bass Strait for product. The quantity of scallops available from Bass Strait has fluctuated over recent years due to environmental reasons.

Bay and inlet fishers have been the mainstay of production for fresh, locally caught scalefish seafood to the domestic market for over one hundred and fifty years in Victoria. The total value of production for these fisheries is estimated to be in the vicinity of $8 million annually, however the total value of these fisheries should not be accounted for by production alone. These relatively small scale fisheries therefore provide a significant community value given that more than two-thirds of the Victorian public choose to purchase fresh fish at the market price, rather than catch their own fish. Other important commercial fisheries in Victoria target eels, giant crab and wrasse. Commercial fisheries are therefore important in providing employment through relatively small but viable industries in regional coastal centres across Victoria.

Health benefits of eating seafood

Australians are beginning to understand the benefits of eating seafood. Apart from its varied appearance, taste and texture, it is generally widely available, quick and easy to prepare and very healthy. Seafood is stacked with key long chain omega –3 fatty acids- which help prevent coronary heart disease and rheumatoid arthritis- and is generally low in cholesterol. It is also high in vitamins, protein and minerals although its nutritional value varies between species and groups.

Source: Yearsley, G. K., Last, P. R. & Ward R.D. (1999) Australian Seafood Handbook: Domestic species. CSIRO Marine Research, Australia.

Commercial Fish Production Information Bulletin

This annual report describing commercial fish production for the 2007/08 season is produced using data compiled from catch and effort records supplied by Victorian commerical fishery access licence holders.

The information bulletin is designed to meet the needs of the fishing industry, fishery researchers, Fisheries Victoria, the Victorian Government, the Commonwealth Government, and the United Nations Food Agriculture Organisation.

You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the document below. A free copy can be downloaded from Adobe Acrobat (external link).

Commercial Fish Production Bulletin (PDF 369KB)