FAR FEWER LONGLINERS
In addition to these measures, there are a number of
other factors that have led to a decrease in the impact
of commercial fishing on marlin in Australian waters
over the past 30 years.
The first of these is a dramatic reduction in fishing
effort within the eastern Australian Exclusive Economic
Zone (EEZ). Prior to 1997, the Japanese fleet had
access to the Australian Fishing Zone off eastern
Australia, deploying more than 20 million hooks in
some years.
However, in 1997/8 these vessels were excluded
from fishing in Australian waters. Combined with
a government buy-back and removal of domestic
commercial fishing licenses in 2005/06, this has led
to significantly reduced levels of longline fishing effort
in recent years, which has lowered to around eight
million hooks.CATCH LIMITED OFF CAIRNS
The second is the creation of a special management
zone, known as the Coral Sea Zone (formerly ‘Area
E’), in the waters off Cairns and Townsville. This area
is renowned worldwide for black marlin gamefishing
and the zone has since been recognised in the ETBF
Management Plan.
Only 12 of the 85 longline fishing boats in the ETBF
are allowed to longline in the Coral Sea Zone. This
limits the number of longliners that can fish in the
key black marlin spawning grounds. Longliners fishing
in this zone are only permitted to set 500 hooks at
any one time, while boats in the rest of the fishery
on average set around 1500 hooks (unless targeting
southern bluefin tuna).
Setting only 500 hooks means that boats typically
make shorter sets and much of the catch is brought
to the boat alive. This also ensures that any black or
blue marlin they catch are much more likely to survive
release.PROTECTING GAMEFISHING
The current commercial management arrangements
for black and blue marlin in the ETBF have been
successful in protecting the important gamefishery
for black marlin. Sensible management of bothcommercial and game fishers should also help ensure
the continued success of black and blue marlin fishing
off Cairns and other developing gamefishing areas
such as Exmouth.
The good working relationships that have formed
between gamefishermen and commercial fishers
operating out of Cairns are a model to be emulated
in other areas of Australia. It is now common for
longliner skippers to call charterboat captains on
the radio and put them onto concentrations of black
marlin. Likewise, gamefishing charter skippers help
commercial boats with helpful sightings of good
numbers of tuna. It is obvious that there is mutual
respect for the important role that each user group
holds in the local economy.ALWAYS WATCHING
Moving forward, the introduction of e-monitoring
(video cameras) in the commercial fishery has led to
a much greater capacity to verify data reporting and
compliance with management regulations.
E-monitoring is also greatly increasing the
effectiveness and flexibility in the types of management
arrangements that can be used to manage commercial
fishery interactions with tuna and billfish stocks in
Australia’s commercial fisheries. Fisheries managers
now have access to reliable data, not only on what is
being caught, but how it is handled and released.BEFORE THEY GET HERE
While domestic management practices are clearly
promoting sustainable fisheries, effective international
management is also essential to the long-term
sustainability and viability of the black and blue marlin
gamefisheries off Australia.
The Australian Government, backed up by groups
such as Tuna Australia and the Game Fishing
Association of Australia (GFAA), continues to advocate
in international fisheries forums. They lobby for
stronger management of migratory fish stocks that
are shared with Australia as that is essential to
ensuring sustainability, as well as the ongoing social
and economic benefits that come from sustainable
fisheries.“Effective
international
management
is essential.”
An e-monitoring
set-up on a longliner
typically involves the
use of tamper-proof
sensors and video
cameras capable
of recording fishing
activities. These can
later be reviewed by
Fisheries officers to
verify logbook data.76 facebook.com/BlueWatermagazine
AFMA: Black and blue marlin in Australia’s ETBF