Recommendation 7 The two year FRDC Project No. 2008/101: Extension of Although progress has been made on the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation funded recommendation, bycatch rates in the fishery Fisheries Queensland to: research results on improved bycatch reduction devices to remain high. While the Department acknowledges was that recent extension programs have resulted in the Queensland East Coast Otter Trawl Fishery continue to develop and implement measures to reduce completed in 2011. This project has facilitated a reduction lower bycatch rates, it still considers that continued bycatch in the East Otter in fishery bycatch rates through the use of more effective efforts should be made to minimise bycatch rates. Trawl Fishery; and turtle exclusion devices and bycatch reduction devices. The Department considers that an effective way to Additionally, Fisheries Queensland has advised that continue these improvements would be to include a develop a performance development of a performance measure aimed at performance measure aimed at reducing bycatch measure aimed at reducing reducing bycatch levels in the fishery will be considered in rates levels into the fishery’s management bycatch levels in the fishery. the light of mandating the use of highly effective bycatch arrangements. reduction devices as part of the trawl plan review. The Department recommends that this action be continued (see Recommendation 4, 4).
Recommendation 7 Fisheries Queensland to: continue to develop and implement measures to reduce bycatch in the East Otter Trawl Fishery; and develop a performance measure aimed at reducing bycatch levels in the fishery. The two year FRDC Project No. 2008/101: Extension of Fisheries Research and Development Corporation funded research results on improved bycatch reduction devices to the Queensland East Coast Otter Trawl Fishery was completed in 2011. This project has facilitated a reduction in fishery bycatch rates through the use of more effective turtle exclusion devices and bycatch reduction devices. Additionally, Fisheries Queensland has advised that development of a performance measure aimed at reducing bycatch levels in the fishery will be considered in the light of mandating the use of highly effective bycatch reduction devices as part of the trawl plan review. Although progress has been made on the recommendation, bycatch rates in the fishery remain high. While the Department acknowledges that recent extension programs have resulted in lower bycatch rates, it still considers that continued efforts should be made to minimise bycatch rates. The Department considers that an effective way to continue these improvements would be to include a performance measure aimed at reducing bycatch rates levels into the fishery’s management arrangements. The Department recommends that this action be continued (see Recommendation 4, 4).
assessment-2013.docx