![Picture](/uploads/1/8/8/0/18803080/592676.jpg)
Australian Fisheries Management Authority
The AFMA is a government organisation for the management of fisheries nationwide. One of the AFMA’s major obligations and long term goals is the sustainability of fisheries in Australia. Working alongside the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and other government organisations, the AFMA manages Australian fisheries from policies to research and policing on the water. Ecological Risk Management is a major initiative from the AFMA to work on the sustainability of Australian fisheries.
“A key initiative driving the implementation of the ecological component of Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) in Commonwealth managed fisheries is the implementation of an Ecological Risk Management (ERM) framework. The framework details a process for assessing and progressively addressing the impacts that fisheries’ activities have on five aspects of the marine ecosystem: target species, byproduct and discard species, protected (TEP) species, habitats and communities.”
Australian Fisheries Management http://www.afma.gov.au/managing-our-fisheries/environment-and-sustainability/Ecological-Risk-Management/
The AFMA is a government organisation for the management of fisheries nationwide. One of the AFMA’s major obligations and long term goals is the sustainability of fisheries in Australia. Working alongside the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and other government organisations, the AFMA manages Australian fisheries from policies to research and policing on the water. Ecological Risk Management is a major initiative from the AFMA to work on the sustainability of Australian fisheries.
“A key initiative driving the implementation of the ecological component of Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) in Commonwealth managed fisheries is the implementation of an Ecological Risk Management (ERM) framework. The framework details a process for assessing and progressively addressing the impacts that fisheries’ activities have on five aspects of the marine ecosystem: target species, byproduct and discard species, protected (TEP) species, habitats and communities.”
Australian Fisheries Management http://www.afma.gov.au/managing-our-fisheries/environment-and-sustainability/Ecological-Risk-Management/
![Picture](/uploads/1/8/8/0/18803080/2476737.png?325)
Over the past several years, risk assessments to at least Residual Risk Assessments have been carried out in all major fisheries. The highly time consuming assessments have meant that fisheries have been thoroughly assessed and have increased the sustainability of the industry. Ecological Risk Assessments have been successful because through these assessments, the AFMA has been able to identify areas needing improvement and fisheries at potential risk, and has been able to develop specifically targeted management strategies. For example, it was found through the AFMA risk assessment that Southern Bluefin tuna were being taken from pelagic longlines from the Eastern Tuna and Billfish fishery. Management arrangements were made including that any Bluefins taken by other fisheries are included in the quota and must be taken under the provisions of the Southern Bluefin Tuna Management Plan 1995.