Transcript Fisheries Plans

Process and Timelines
DEVELOPING FISHERIES PLANS:
5 MAIN STAGES
Main Stages
in
Developing
a
Fisheries Plan
Document
current situation
Develop
management
objectives
Assess
the
fishery
Decide on
management
measures and
develop
operational plan
Monitor
and
review
STAGE 1: DOCUMENT THE CURRENT SITUATION
• Bring together all relevant information
• MFish has made a start on Stage 1
• FPAG to:
- Flesh out the information pulled together by MFish
- Check accuracy
- Add relevant information you hold
• OUTPUT: Comprehensive and relevant information brief
on current situation, agreed to by FPAG
STAGE 2: DEVELOP GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
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Develop goals
Develop objectives for the fishery.
MFish will help different parties reach a common ground.
Must meet all relevant legislative obligations and fisheries
standards.
• Get Ministerial direction (if required) on agreed goals and
objectives
• OUTPUT: Set of goals and objectives agreed by FPAG
SETTING OBJECTIVES: SUSTAINABILITY
Fisheries outcome – “the value New Zealanders obtain through
sustainable use of fisheries resources and protection of the
aquatic environment is maximised”
Goals
Operational objectives
A1(i) Implement an overall harvest strategy that balances:
High catch rates; against
Risk of recruitment failure (impact of dredging on recruitment
success); and
A1. Maintain sustainability of the
Stability of fishery over time (i.e. minimises ‘boom/bust’
fishery
effects)
A1(ii) Ensure sustainability in years of low biomass.
i.e. when a survey does not occur because biomass is suspected to be too
low to justify it; or when surveyed biomass is less than that required to
support the baseline TACC of 22 tonnes.
A2. Where possible, negative effects A2(i) Understand how climatic conditions e.g. El Niño/La Niña affect the
of the environment on the fishery are fishery
minimised

A2(ii) Manage impacts of starfish, tube worm, blackgill on fishery
as much as possible
SETTING OBJECTIVES: ENVIRONMENT
Goals
Operational objectives


B1. Avoid, remedy or mitigate
adverse effects of scallop fishing on

the environment


B2. Ensure human environmental
activity has no significant negative 
effects on the fishery
B1(i) Understand the environmental effects of scallop dredging and
their significance
B1(ii) Develop and apply standards for acceptable levels of
environmental impact
B1(iii) Protect areas of special biodiversity or ecological
significance from dredging
B1(iv) Use best practice fishing methods to minimise environmental
impacts
B2(i) Understand effects of sedimentation, pollution, and runoff on
scallop ecosystems
B2(ii) Combined advocacy amongst stakeholders to minimise
impact of activities (e.g. development) that may harm scallop
populations
SETTING OBJECTIVES: USE
Goals
Operational objectives
 C1(i) Develop utilisation strategy for commercial sector that balances:
High catch rates;
Risk of recruitment failure;
Stability of fishery over time (minimises ‘boom/bust’ effects)

C1(ii) In-season annual catch entitlement increase occurs as quickly
and efficiently as possible

C1(iii) Develop utilisation strategy for recreational sector that:
Outlines fair access to the fishery (as controlled by bag limit,
season, size limit)
Outlines what happens to recreational allowance if biomass is
high enough for commercial catches to increase in-season
Outlines how rec harvest pressure will be controlled as
C1. Develop ability of each sector to
necessary
get best value from the fishery

C1(iv) Develop utilisation strategy for customary sector in which:
Tikanga and kawa regulate harvest;
Historical measures of catch effort used to regulate harvest;
Predictors such as seasonal cues are used;
Mahinga mätaitai (harvest sites) are identified

C1(v) Identify and appropriately manage areas of particular
significance to customary fishing

C1(vi) Avoid damage (from scallop dredging) to horse mussel beds
that are important for customary fishing

C1(vii) Obtain better information on recreational & customary catch

C1(viii) Improve the level of compliance with fisheries regulations

C2(i) Optimise existing dredges to minimise incidental mortality

C2(ii) Ensure fishers are using the best fishing method available to
reduce incidental mortality
C2. Reduce wastage of scallops

C2(iii) Size limit is optimal to reduce wastage

C2(iv) Ensure the regulation relating to harvest of scallop wash-ups
on beaches provides for appropriate utilisation without jeopardising
compliance
Fisheries Act (1996)
8. Purpose –
(1) The purpose of this Act is to provide for the utilisation of fisheries resources
while ensuring sustainability
(2) In this Act –
“Ensuring Sustainability” means –
• (a) maintaining the potential of fisheries resources to meet the reasonably
foreseeable needs of future generations; and
• (b) avoiding, remedying, or mitigating any adverse effects of fishing on
the aquatic environment
“Utilisation” means conserving, using, enhancing and developing fisheries
resources to enable people to provide for their social, economic, and cultural
well-being.
SMART OBJECTIVES
Fisheries objectives will need to be SMART –
Specific,
Measurable,
Achievable,
Relevant and
Time-bound
eg “the objective is to increase biomass of SNA 7 to 30% of BO by 2013”
STAGE 3: ASSESS THE FISHERY
1. Assess goals and objectives against relevant laws and standards
2. Gap Analysis: Assess how well the existing management framework meets
the newly-developed fisheries plan goals and objectives.
3. Refine information needs: Agree to list of information required for risk
value analysis
STAGE 3: ASSESS THE FISHERY CON’T
4. Undertake risk value assessment to:
(a) Analyse costs and benefits of different approaches.
(b) Risk assessment to identify key management issues.
(c) Evaluate alternative approaches to managing the fishery.
5. Where objectives and standards are not being met, plan to make
improvements.
OUTPUTS: MFish Assessment report (of objectives against the Act);
Agreed list of information needs for risk value assessment; completed
risk value assessment
STAGE 4: DECIDE ON MANGEMENT MEASURES &
DEVELOP OPERATIONAL PLAN
•
Specify management measures and fisheries services (eg, compliance,
research).
•
Prioritise agreed management measures and services (so MFish resources
can be allocated).
•
Responsibilities for implementation.
•
Contingency strategies (where necessary).
•
Performance measures and monitoring of the fishery.
•
Final decisions will lie with the Minister of Fisheries.
OUTPUT: FPAG requested preferred services plan (accepted by fisheries
manager)
STAGE 5: MONITORING & REVIEW
• A formal review conducted at an appropriate time (maybe every 5
years?).
• Describe the outcome of a formal review of the fisheries plan.
• Re-consider appropriateness of the objectives.
• Re-assess the fishery and update information in Stage 1 – the
current situation.
• Decide on new management measures and services for the next 5
years.
Estimated
timeline
Stage 1
(Document current
situation)
Stage 2
Stage 3
Stage 4
(Goals and Objectives)
(Assess fishery)
(Operational Plan)
2 Meetings
(Jan, Feb 2008)
2 Meetings
(March, April 2008)
2-3 Meetings
(May - July 2008)
2-3 Meetings
(Sept - Nov 2008)
General Notes
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Fish plan should take about one year to complete
Not all issues need to be addressed at once
We will ‘park’ issues when no progress is being made, and move forward on
common ground
Full consultation (s12) will occur after FPAG has finished development of
the fish plan (after step 4)
Implementation on requested services plan expected
If there is an urgent issue that can’t wait until the fish plan is completed,
we’ll deal with it outside the fish plan process.