Finer Spatial Management in the Abalone Fishery ??

The panels below provide a background to the need for finer Spatial management in the Victorian Abalone Industry, as well as detailing initiatives Industry has already taken.

Victoria is a significant contributor to the total Australian abalone harvest, and Australia is the largest supplier of wild abalone to world markets.

VADA is committed to -

• Developing and using principles of finer spatial management in the Abalone Fishery.
• Encouraging Industry to play a role in and take ownership of the problems.
• Working together openly and co-operatively allowing for flexible development of solutions aimed at addressing the spatial management issues as they arise.
• Promoting Fishery Managers and Researchers to work with Industry & other stakeholders.

1962 -

• Saw the beginning of the Abalone Industry in Victoria.
  Divers traveled and worked sporadically along Victoria's coast, however by 1968 there were more than 350 full and part time abalone divers working in Victoria. Production peaked at 3,384 tonnes during 1967/68

1968 -

• Fisheries Act established for abalone. The Number divers dropped from approx. 350 to 108, and the Fishery is now closed to new entrants. A recreational bag limit of 10 abalone per person, per day, is introduced.
• 1968 also saw the first voluntary initiatives introduced by divers concerned about the new fledgling industry - size limits were initiated, together with daily catch limits in a hope to address diver numbers, and the declining state of the resource.

1970 -

• The Victorian coastline is divided into 3 abalone fishing zones and the 108 Licensed divers are restricted to only working in one zone, the breakup was -
  • 34 Licence's in the Eastern Zone.
  • 56 Licence's in the Central Zone and
  • 18 Licence's in the Western Zone.

1982 -

• Sees total diver numbers down to 90 - through natural attrition - older divers retiring from the industry.

1984 -

• Legal minimum lengths for abalone were set over large areas, virtually all of a zone. This was done with little or no research, and in some instances below the voluntary sizes that were being used by industry.
  Introduction of Licence "Transferability" with the proviso that 2 Licence's were to be replaced by one new Licence holder.
  This was an attempt to further reduce numbers, thereby enhancing sustainability objectives.
  However this had little effect as the new younger divers were very keen to reduce their newly acquired mortgages and worked harder than the combined efforts of the divers they replaced.

1988 -

• Saw the introduction of an annual TAC (Total Allowable Catch) for the abalone industry - commonly known as quotas. With diver numbers now reduced to acceptable numbers, new entrants into the industry only had to purchase one existing Licence.
  Diver numbers are now:
  • 23 Eastern Zone, 20,000 kg each, 460 ton
  • 34 Central Zone 20,580 kg each, 700 ton
  • 14 Western Zone. 20,000kg each, 280 ton
  Total for Victoria 1,400 ton. This remained unchanged for 14 years. (Untill 2001)

2001 -

• Introduction of the Abalone Management Plan which for the first time specifies important management arrangements needed to ensure sustainable use of this valuable resource into the future.
  Although quotas and generalised Legal Minimum Lengths (LML's) are still the main strategies for managing Victoria's abalone fishery.
  • 3 separate abalone Management Zones.
  • Limited Entry Fishing
  • Legal minimum lengths still valid over large areas
  • Output controlled TAC
  • Abalone stocks are localised, distinct populations, with minimal interactions, that should be managed in a spatially applicable fashion.
  • Catches reported on over 100 different reef codes.
  • Landing of Live whole abalone
  • Daylight hours only fishing
  • Beach Weighing - actual weights landed are debited against quota.
  • Sealing of abalone catches into bins and bins identified by consecutively numbered tags.
  • Reporting of actual catches prior to leaving landing point.
  • And we were still having problems

2003 -

• Introduction of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) - Commercial Harvesting in the Central zone Abalone Fishery.
  • Signed on 30 September 2003 and to remain in force until the end of that quota year - 31 March 2004.
  • The MOU specifies two "catch reference points" and a target maximum harvest level for each of seven designated "sub-zones" which together comprise the central zone fishery.
  • The aim of the MOU is to encourage distribution of harvesting effort across the central zone

2006 -

• Far more refined MOU now specifying 15 separate "sub-zones", various voluntary size limits as well as daily catch limits.
• Full cost recovery plus Royalty payments by Industry.
• Separation of quota and diving entitlements
• Ability to permanently transfer units of quota to any entity, even outside the Fishing Industry.

Major Issues -

• Significant illegal catches of abalone taken, by highly organised groups of fish thieves.
• Fisheries Enforcement have insufficient numbers and powers to stop thieves.
• Serial depletion appearing on some reefs in all zones.
• Research gaps in identifying Fast and Slow areas for abalone growth & density effected dependency.
• Most divers are contract divers not owner divers.
• Ability for divers to harvest abalone where ever and when ever they liked.
• Introduction of Marine Parks and Sanctuaries.
• TAC’s dropping or under pressure, to drop in 2 of 3 Zones.

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Introduction to Spatial Management -

The first attempt to control distribution of effort occurred with the signing of the first MOU between Fisheries Victoria and VADA for the 2002/2003 season in respect of the Port Phillip Bay (PPB) area only.

This was a collaborative effort between industry and Fisheries Victoria and capped catches at 115 tons per season. (Catches were high as 180 tons) The MOU was expanded for the 2003/2004 season to take in a total of 7 areas throughout the zone. Because of prevailing weather conditions in the previous seasons it was again expanded for the 2005/2006 season to 12 areas.

The MOU was yet again expanded to 15 areas for the 2006/2007 season. . This Memorandum of Understanding now forms part of the advice for TAC setting, by distributing catches throughout the Central and Western Zones.

Key Issues -

• The reference points contained in the MOU’s for the Central and Western Zones now meet agreed objectives, including:
  • Minimum and maximum catches taken from identified areas.
  • Larger voluntary size limits to be fished by industry, in almost all areas.
  • Voluntary daily catch limits, to reduce daily fishing footprint.
• There is general consensus between, Fishery managers, researchers and industry that spatial management is a priority for industry.
• The MOU approach has the benefit of providing flexibility, whilst at the same time allowing for legislation to close a sub-zone, should voluntary closures fail.
• There has been 100% compliance to voluntary Closures in the Central Zone.
• The MOU is a clear example of co-management between industry and Fisheries Victoria working in a partnership.

Real Time Recording of Catches -

• Historically recording of catches and reporting back to industry was on an annual basis, this provided no avenue for industry to identify and respond to areas of concern.
• For spatial management to work, timely recording of catches is essential.
• Fisheries Victoria and Industry developed a method of recording and reporting daily catches. All catches are now reported by mobile phone at the time and point of landing.
• This information is recorded into the designated catch areas immediately and is made available to Industry
• This allows industry to be actively involved in moving of effort between the areas.
• Based on the above information. VADA provides information and recommendations on a finer scale, as to where divers should reduce fishing effort or increase effort.
• VADA provides reef code maps indicating voluntary size limits for all reef codes.

Key Issues -

• After a number of presentations by specialist researchers, including Dr. Jeremy Prince, Dr. Rob Day and Dr. Harry Gorfine. 2001 saw Industry commence using "Length of First Maturity" research (LOFM) to set appropriate size limits for various reef areas. These new size limits were a voluntary initiative adopted by the Commercial Abalone sector.
• Industry provided the input to identify and classify similar reef areas as fast, medium or slow growth.
• Industry has financed the LOFM research through gonad assessment. This is ongoing and additional areas are identified annually.
• Trialing of rapid appraisal method, (rounded and high shell visual method), this has resulted in a new FRDC (Fisheries Research and Development Corporation) funding program to validate application

Setting of Size Limits at a Finer Scale

• Industry funded and developed the use of "Data Loggers" A device which records the size of abalone and the location caught. Currently they have been in use for 4 years
• Collecting large amounts of actual catch data, provides information on the size structure of catches from individual reefs.
• The data is provided to PirVic (Primary Industries Research, Victoria), who then provide a report back to industry. This forms part of the basis for regular Industry Workshops - fine tuning sustainable harvesting.

• The Abalone Industry now funds resource development Workshops involving, Fishery managers, researchers, divers and owners,
• The next workshop will be attempt to engage recreational peak body.
• This has led to the development of a Harvesting Code of Practice which covers such things as, good harvesting practice, handling, voluntary size limits and area closures, MOU and reef maps.
• Workshops are aimed at providing:
  • Education for all industry.
  • Input from Industry participants as to what they see on the bottom.
  • Input from the Commercial and research catch information.
• Which culminate in an output recommendation to Fisheries Victoria of TAC setting information, size limits to be worked and distribution areas for total catches.
• And Further development of harvesting MOU’s.

Proposed and On-going -

• Extra LOFM Research at more locations
• Resolving growth response to reductions of density through tagging program.
• Tagging for growth data,
• Greenlip, LOFM and stock assessment
• Addressing issue of effects on growth rate by tagging on vessel, when compared with tagging in situ
• Expanded Data logger use
• Next season 2007/2008 will be the second year of compulsory resource development levy to be collected from industry, for use by industry in resource development.

Future Issues -

• Continued development of finer Spatial Management principles and addressing the unique issues involved in implementation.
• Maintain incremental increases in Voluntary size limits
• Ability to regulate current Voluntary size limits.
• Continued development of Co-Management principles ensuring that industry, Fisheries Victoria and other interested stakeholders are actively engaged and involved.
• Focused on rebuilding of abalone stocks.
• The focus on expanding our involvement into research and training. And competency based diver accreditation.
• Development of a web based facility for divers to access information and submit industry data on line.
• Use of the information gained over the last years to be used in development of new abalone Management Plan.