Response to the Draft Victorian Coastal Strategy 2007.
The Victorian Abalone Divers Association Inc. (VADA) represents the Victorian Abalone Industry and has Members in the all facets of the Industry - harvest operators, quota holders and AFAL holders in all 3 abalone management zones. Membership also includes a number of Registered Abalone Processing Receivers as well as interested members of the public.
The Victorian Abalone industry is responsible for approximately 75 million dollars in exports annually and has returned around $45,000,000 in fees and charges alone, to the Victorian community over the last 10 years. Approximately $20,000,000 of this sum has been over and above the Fisheries Management, Research and Enforcement costs.
Additionally, the abalone industry has spent in the region of $5,000,000 to further bolster; research, education, management and Industry workshops for the fishery.
VADA believes we should act as custodians of natural marine resources. This is the
reason that we have put so much effort into developing sound stewardship and planning for sustainable management of wild abalone.
We should learn from the consequences of ..........
Read the full PDF. (5.96 MB) or Save to disk (5.63 MB)
Victoria’s natural marine environment is of utmost
importance to the Victorian and Australian community.
© VADA 2007
2008-09 CZ Blacklip Abalone TAC Submission
The Victorian Abalone Divers Association Inc. (VADA) and its members are committed to ensuring sustainable harvesting of abalone from all Victorian waters. 
This incorporates further developing principles for spatial management and practical application of those
principles within a partnership management approach.
In January 2008, VADA conducted a Resource Development Workshop to assess the condition of blacklip and greenlip abalone resources within the Central Abalone Zone (CZ) of Victoria.
This meeting was well attended by a large number of stakeholders, including divers, quota owners, and researchers.
A further Special General Meeting of CZ abalone stakeholders was held in February 2008.
This Meeting overwhelmingly accepted recommendations that;
- The Blacklip abalone TACC for the 2008-09 season, should be set at the ideal sustainable amount as assessed and recommended by Resource Development Workshop in January.
- Harvesting of stunted Blacklip abalone in areas around Cape Liptrap should be undertaken by Permit.
The full recommendations and Submission can be found here;
PDF (7.81 MB) or Save to Disk (7.74 MB)
Blacklip Abalone-
.... the bastion of Victoria's Commercial Abalone Industry.
© VADA 2008
2008-09 CZ Greenlip Abalone TAC Submission
The Victorian Abalone Divers Association Inc. (VADA) conducted
surveys of greenlip abalone stocks, along sections of the Victorian Abalone Central Zone.
These surveys covered extensive areas of recognised greenlip habitat, and involved timed
collections, compilation of length frequency information as well as length of first maturity data at each location.
Included in this process is photographic evidence of greenlip abalone in their natural habitat.
What became obvious during the collection of the information was that the current legal minimum length of 130 mm is inappropriate to adequately protect the greenlip abalone from over exploitation.
VADA believes that there is now sufficient information to set a sustainable TACC for greenlip abalone and that this will also ensure Industry is able to further invest in research of greenlip abalone stocks.
VADA is recommending the reinstatement of commercial harvesting of Greenlip Abalone for the 2008-2009 fishing season in the Central Zone of Victoria.
Read VADA's full Submission, outlining sample locations, catch rates, depths, average sizes etc. PDF (5.87 MB) or Save to Disk (5.43 MB)
Recommendations for the first ever greenlip abalone TAC in the Central Zone.
© VADA 2008