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2011 review of the Commercial Dive Fishery
Introduction
Since the management plan for commercial dive was first submitted to your Department for assessment in December 2005, there has been no major change to the management arrangements of which your Department has not been notified. The following report does not repeat the history, statistics or management strategies previously supplied to SEWPaC but addresses the recommendations put forward by the then DEH and provides updates of the fishery’s progress since that time.
It should be noted that there was recently a review ofthecommercial dive fishery and a copy of the updated policy paper was forwarded to your Department. The main item of interest to SEWPaC, is that whelks were taken off the list of species that can be harvested under the commercial dive fishery. This was not the result of them being over fished or a lack of stocks but due to a lack of interest and a lack of detailed knowledge of the species. Whelks can therefore no longer be fished on a commercial basis in Tasmania. All other changes are identified in the policy update (which has been included with this document).
Progress towards recommendations made in the Assessment of the Tasmanian Commercial Dive Fishery.
Recommendation 1: DPIPWE(Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment) to advise SEWPaC of any material change to the CDF (Commercial Dive Fishery) managementarrangements that could affect the criteria on which EPBC Act decisions are based, within three months of that change being made.
Response: There has been no significant change to the management arrangements with the exception of the removal of whelks as a commercial species.
Recommendation 2: DPIPWE to monitor the status of the target species in relation to performance indicators. Within 3 months of becoming aware of one or more of the performance indicators being triggered, DPIPWE to develop a clear timetable for the implementation of appropriate management responses.
Response: There has been no call to implement a management response.
Recommendation 3: DPIPWE, within 18 months, to establish and implement an appropriate formal consultative mechanism for the CDF and consider, where appropriate, any relevant community, conservation, indigenous and recreational interests.
Response: Tasmanian Seafood Industry Council (TSIC), the official representative of the Commercial Dive Fishery, has agreed to have an increased role in the Tasmanian Commercial Dive Association attending meetings, writing minutes and arranging mail out and communications with licence holders. It should be noted that neither the size of the fishery nor the returns it gains would suggest that a FAC or equivalent would be warranted for this fishery. However, under some circumstances it may, and has been, appropriate to form working groups consisting of relevant stakeholders to address any concerns that may arise. It must also be remembered that TSIC is the Fishery’s official representative body. Consultation arrangements are clearly covered under the Living Marine Resources Management Act 1995 Division 3 - Changes, review and revocation, and the Fisheries (Commercial Dive) Rules 2011.
Recommendation 4: DPIPWE to develop and implement mechanisms to validate commercial catch and effort data in the fishery within 12 months.
Response: The reporting system now in placerequires the licensed processor to receive a copy of the disposal docket from the licensed fisher before taking possession. A further copy of the catch and disposal datais sent to the Department within 48 hours and recorded on the electronic system and the original of the docket is kept by the fisher. The processor is also required to supply the Department with monthly reports showing the totals of each species processed for that month.
Recommendation 5: Within 18 months, DPIPWE to develop a process to improve estimates of take from all sectors and factor these into management arrangements.
Response: As accepted and agreed to by SEWPaC in November 2005, the recreational and indigenous take of commercial dive species is extremely low and considered to be insignificant at this time. This is verified by absence of reference to these species in the Technical Reports on the “Recreational Fishing In Tasmania” produced by the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) – previously known as the Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute (TAFI), which is unable to measure any value for the species to the recreational sector. The Tasmanian Recreational Fishing Advisory Committee also acknowledges a distinct lack of interest by their stakeholders in the species. There were also no submissions from the indigenous sector in response to the management plan or the recent review. However, the Department will continue to conduct surveys that identify recreational fishers’ catch that will indicate any changes in interest toward commercial dive species. In addition, the random police checks will bring to our attention any breach of rules associated with species such as periwinkles. If the surveys and Police checks indicate that numbers of commercial dive species taken by other sectors is becoming significant and catch is being registered, it will then be possible for DPIPWE to incorporate their demand into the management of the species.
Recommendation 6: DPIPWE to develop and implement targeted research and management
strategies to address key gaps in the knowledge of sea urchin and periwinkle biology and ecology.
Response: As acknowledged earlier by SEWPaC, it is difficult to gain funding to promote research in the industry with the markets for the commercial dive fishery remaining relatively marginal. To help overcome this shortfall, a Commercial Dive Research Trust Fund was established with the introduction of the new management plan, requiring divers to contribute $100 annually to the fund. This was further increased under the recent review to 100 fee units (currently equivalent to $138) so that the fishers’ research contributions keep pace with the CPI.
Early this year, the commercial dive research fund helped secure an FRDC grant in excess of $100,000 to undertake a study on periwinkles. The study will be overseen by IMASand has the full support of the industry and TSIC. The objectives are as follows:
Objectives
1Assess diver perceptions on periwinkle resource status and factors that influence aggregating behaviour and variability in abundance
2Assess regional and habitat variability in size at maturity and growth in periwinkles and the appropriateness of current size limits
3Evaluate the relationship between supply and demand for periwinkles and options to maximise economic returns to the Tasmanian industry
4Develop a fishery report card to aid in the sustainable development and management of the periwinkle fishery
A copy of the study is attached.
Once the funds are given more time to accumulate, it is anticipated that a similar project will be initiated for the sea urchins.
In addition, there are a number of other research projects that are and will continue to be used to contribute to the commercial dive data base. Monitoring for other, more lucrative species such as abalone and scallops can provide important information for dive species. IMAS conduct regular studies including habitat mapping and long term monitoring projects which also collect data for commercial dive species. The commercial dive fishery will continue to use these and other ecosystem based projects to improve its information base.
IMAS has also assessed past catch figures for both sea urchin and periwinkles. They assessed annual catch, compared effort from year to year and considered areas and sites of catch.
1.A description of the status of the fishery and catch and effort information.
Sea urchins
There are two species of sea urchin harvested in Tasmania. The traditional Heliocidaris which has a well established Asian market, and the invasive species Centrostephanus which is now moving down from NSW waters as a result of changes in eastern currents and causing serious issues for the native ecosystems and lucrative fisheries such as abalone and rock lobster.
Heliocidaris Sea Urchins
Since the introduction of the new management arrangements for the Commercial Dive Fishery on 21 December 2005, the Heliocidarissea urchin fishery has been operating well within the precautionary TACs allocated. This is due to market influences rather than any resource issues. Therefore neither the size limits nor the TACs for Heliocidaris have changed since the management plan was introduced in 2005. The TACs are based on 75% of the average catch from the 5 years prior to the introduction of the plan.
The value of the Heliocidarissea urchins has remained reasonably constant. The roes from the urchins has been averaging around 6% by weight and attracting $42kg - $48/kg for A grade roe and $5/kg- %10kg for B grade roe. The level of A grade roe has also been consistent averaging a little over 50% of the take.
Table 1. Heliocidaris Sea Urchins - Catch 2006/2007 – 2009/2010 in Tonnes
2006/2007 / 2007/2008 / 2008/2009 / 2009/2010Heliocidaris Urchins Cent East Zone / 0.37 / 0.84 / 0.44 / 16.19
Heliocidaris Urchins South East Zone / 19.26 / 25.84 / 21.74 / 26.53
Heliocidaris Urchins Undeveloped Zone / 0.78 / 0.40 / 6.48 / 7.90
Heliocidaris Urchins Total / 20.41 / 27.09 / 28.66 / 50.62
Centrostephanus Sea Urchins
There has been a steady increase in the level of interest and available markets over the past couple of years. The increased interest has taken the divers’ focus from the periwinkles and centred it more on the two species of sea urchins.
There has recently been a processor established in the north east of the state primarily concentrating on sea urchins and the Centrostephanus in particular. The markets for Centrostephanus were only developed late in 2009 when there was over 7 tonnes taken. Over the past licensing year (1 September 2010 to 31 August 2011) there has been in excess of 50 tonnes harvested. They are increasing their markets in Asia and the Pacific Islands and it is expected thatCentrostephanuswill build to a few hundred tonnes annually over the next few years. There is no TAC or size limit for this species which is creating damaging seaweed barrens and impacting on the habitat of the Heliocidaris, abalone and rocklobster. There are currently projects funded through FRDC to find means of controlling the Centrostepahaunus threat.
Centrostephanus is not graded into A and B grade and the divers are paid for live weight rather than roe. The species however produces more roe as a percentage of body weight reaching 11% roe compared to the 6 -7 % for Heliocidaris.
Table 2. Centrostephanus Sea Urchins - Catch 2006/2007 – 2009/2010 in Tonnes
2006/2007 / 2007/2008 / 2008/2009 / 2009/2010 / 2010/2011Centrostephanus Urchins / 0 / 0 / 7.11 / 12.96 / 55.15*
*2010/2011 figure excludes catch for June 2011 – August 2011
Periwinkles
When the management plan was first introduced, most interest in the fishery centred on periwinkles rather than sea urchins, with the focus largely in the Developed Zone. The catch limit of 17.6 tonnes of periwinkles was reached in the developed zone in the first licensing year, but the undeveloped zone was left largely untapped as shown in Table 3.
In 2007/2008 the strategy of separate catch limits for periwinkles in both the developed and undeveloped zones as well as market demand, saw effort extending into the undeveloped zone. There was a more even spread of effort with the catch limit being reached in both zones. However, the following year, catch in periwinkles declined and focus began to move to sea urchins.
In 2009/2010 the trends of a decrease in periwinkle catch and interest in sea urchins continued. Some reports stated that periwinkle stocks remained high and that the lower catch was a reflection of having a number of new, less experienced divers operating. It was also reported that many divers had simply moved their efforts into other areas as supported by the interest in sea urchins. It was also suggested that periwinkle populations were not as abundant as in previous years. As mentioned earlier, Department and the Commercial Dive Association are working with the IMASon a research project to learn more about periwinkle biology and population structure in Tasmania. This project will be partly sponsored from the research fund to which all commercial diver licence holders contribute when they renew their licences each year. For the interim, the minimum size limit of periwinkles has been increased to 40 mm and catch figures will be monitored.
Over the four year period that the management plan has been operating, periwinkles have fetched a beach price of $3.50 to $4.80 per kilogram.
Table 3. Periwinkles - Catch 2006/2007 – 2009/2010 in Tonnes
2006/2007 / 2007/2008 / 2008/2009 / 2009/2010Periwinkles Developed Zone / 18.91 / 17.61 / 8.54 / 2.69
Periwinkles Undeveloped Zone / 6.63 / 17.62 / 11.30 / 7.73
Total Periwinkles / 25.54 / 35.23 / 19.84 / 12.96
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