I write to you regarding consultation on the draft NSW Snapper and Yellowtail Kingfish Harvest Strategies developed through the Line & Trap Harvest Strategy Working Group.
NSW DPIRD is developing harvest strategies for key species and fisheries, with harvest strategies providing transparent and structured frameworks for management. Harvest strategies include objectives, performance indicators, monitoring arrangements and pre-agreed management responses which aim to help meet objectives for all fishing sectors.
The draft NSW Snapper Harvest Strategy and draft NSW Yellowtail Kingfish Harvest Strategy have now been released for public consultation and can be found at:
• Have your say – draft NSW Snapper Harvest Strategy
• Have your say – draft NSW Yellowtail Kingfish Harvest Strategy
For both Snapper and Kingfish, DPIRD has developed new independent assessment models which have also been peer reviewed, and the following conclusions have been made for the 2 stocks:
• Snapper biomass is estimated to be at 23% of unfished levels. Snapper has been at lower levels than the current estimate in the last 30 years, but has been showing positive signs more recently of increasing biomass.
• Kingfish biomass is lower than previously thought at 5.5% of unfished biomass and has remained at a low but relatively consistent level over the past 2 decades. Consequently, there is strong need to reduce catches and rebuild the stock to higher level.
Management changes are required to assist these key stocks to reach 30% of unfished biomass in the short-term, and 50% in the longer-term. To achieve this, it is proposed that total annual catches be kept at or below 120 tonnes per year for Kingfish, and 300 tonnes per year for Snapper through a series of management changes for recreational and commercial fishers aimed at reducing fishing the total catch of both species.
Feedback received through public consultation will be considered before the harvest strategies are finalised.
If you have any further enquiries, I have asked Mr Nicholas Giles, Program Leader Resource
Management, to be available to answer any questions you may have. Mr Giles can be contacted at nicholas.giles@dpird.nsw.gov.au.
Sincerely
Tara Black
Deputy Secretary, Fisheries and Forestry
Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development