The design and implementation of an integrated, long-term bycatch monitoring program has not been undertaken in any Australian prawn trawl fishery. The diversity and complexity of bycatch issues in most of these fisheries means that designing such a program is a significant challenge. The Northern Prawn Fishery (NPF) has been proactive in its support of research aimed at ensuring ecological sustainability, particularly regarding bycatch. This has shown significant benefit during the 'road tests' of EA's strategic assessment guidelines, with the NPF one of the few fisheries with a risk assessment of bycatch (FRDC 1996/257). The risk assessment highlighted species that were at highest risk from trawling, and there is now a need to take the next step and collect information on these species to determine the actual extent of this risk. There has also been a substantial amount of research evaluating the most suitable monitoring methods for this fishery. There is now a clear need to draw this information together in the design, trial and implementation of a monitoring program. This will be done in consultation with management, industry and other stakeholders. The program will then be handed over to NORMAC and AFMA for the long-term.
The NPF Bycatch Act ion Plan has committed to bycatch monitoring and a trial of a trained crew-member observer scheme for bycatch. Monitoring is needed in order for NORMAC to report against the commitments made in the BAP. This research also addresses NORMAC's high priori ty research area of the Effects of Fishing. It specifically addresses the priorities of assessing bycatch, ensuring the sustainability of bycatch and the development of monitoring programs for BRDs under commercial conditions. This research forms part o f an overall ecosystem management plan for the NPF and is critical to fulfilling NORMAC’s commitments in the NPF BAP and addressing the guidelines of EA's strategic assessment. The project also addresses FRDC Effects of Trawling subprogram priorities reg arding bycatch: “Methods for measuring and monitoring bycatch and the quantification of the direct impacts on associated populations and communities of bycatch species”.
The proposed project will address a range of issues currently faced by Australian f isheries, including
(i) how to establish a long term monitoring program for non-target species;
(ii) how the industry can best measure its impact on bycatch species;
(iii) how to increase industry’s ability to provide validated and high quality data on non-target species, that are acceptable to all stakeholders.
This project will provide the NPF with a cost effective process to demonstrate to the Australian and international community its willingness and ability to monitor its impacts on the species gr oups of most concern. This is an important step that will also have to be made by other Australian fisheries. We anticipate that the experiences gained and processes implemented during this project may be transferred to other fisheries. Consequently, it is hoped that there will be far-reaching benefits to the wider community arising from the projects completion.