MSC ASSESSMENT REPORT The Lakes and Coorong Fisheries Southern Australia Version: SCS_ Final Report Date: 13 June 2008 Client: Southern Fishermen’s Association MSC reference standards: MSC Accreditation Manual Issue 4, MSC Fisheries Certification Methodology (FCM) Version 5, MSC TAB Directives (All) MSC Chain of Custody Certification Methodology (CoC CM) Version 5. Accredited Certification Body: Scientific Certification Systems, Inc. Marine Fisheries Conservation Program 2000 Powell Street, Suite 1350 Emeryville, CA 94608, United States Assessment Team Dr. Chet Chaffee, Project Manager, SCS Dr. Trevor Ward, University of Western Australia Dr. Norm Hall, Murdoch University, Western Australia Mr. Noel Taylor-Moore, Econfish Services LAKES AND COORONG FUISHERY ASSESSMENT 1 FINAL REPORT Amendments Issued Since Original Draft Amd. No Date Description Of Amendment 1 March 2006 Draft Report for Client Review 2 December 2006 Draft Report for Peer Review 7 August 2007 Draft for Public Comment 3 25 February 2008 Draft Final Report after Public Comment Period for Objections Posting 4 13 June 2008 Final Report after Objections Posting LAKES AND COORONG FUISHERY ASSESSMENT 2 FINAL REPORT TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................................5 1.1 THE FISHERY PROPOSED FOR ASSESSMENT....................................................................................................................6 2 LAKES AND COORONG FISHERIES...................................................................................................................6 3 PROCESSING AND TRANSHIPMENT...............................................................................................................22 4 THE ASSESSMENT PROCESS..............................................................................................................................22 4.1 EVALUATION TEAM........................................................................................................................................................22 4.2 OTHER FISHERIES IN THE AREA AND SUMMARY OF PREVIOUS CERTIFICATION EVALUATIONS ...................................22 4.3 THE MSC STANDARD ....................................................................................................................................................22 4.4 INTERPRETATION OF MSC PRINCIPLES FOR PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS ...............................................................26 4.5 SUBMISSION OF DATA ON THE FISHERY........................................................................................................................27 5 ASSESSMENT TEAM MEETINGS AND INTERVIEWS................................................................................28 5.1 JUSTIFICATION FOR SELECTION OF ITEMS/PERSONS INSPECTED....................................................................................28 5.2 INTERVIEWS AND MEETINGS ..........................................................................................................................................28 6 ASSESSMENT TEAM PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS............................................................................29 7 TRACKING, TRACING FISH AND FISH PRODUCTS.................................................................................116 8 PEER REVIEW, PUBLIC COMMENT, AND OBJECTIONS.......................................................................117 9 CERTIFICATION RECOMMENDATION AND PERFORMANCE SCORES.........................................117 10 MEETING CONDITIONS FOR CONTINUED CERTIFICATION.............................................................120 10.1 GENERAL CONDITIONS FOR CONTINUED CERTIFICATION..........................................................................................121 10.2 SPECIFIC CONDITIONS FOR CONTINUED CERTIFICATION............................................................................................121 11 MSC LOGO LICENSING RESPONSIBILITIES..............................................................................................129 12 CONCLUSION .........................................................................................................................................................130 APPENDIX 1 – COMMERCIAL GEAR RESTRICTIONS............................................................................................133 APPENDIX 2 – PEER REVIEWS.........................................................................................................................................135 APPENDIX 3 - SFA ACTION PLAN FOR MEETING REQUIRED CONDITIONS ...............................................158 LAKES AND COORONG FUISHERY ASSESSMENT 3 FINAL REPORT SUMMARY This assessment is of the Lakes and Coorong fishery (LCF) in South Australia. The area of the LCF includes freshwater, estuarine and marine waters of the lower Murray River lakes (Lake Alexandrina and Lake Albert), the Coorong lagoons and the coastal marine waters adjacent to the Sir Richard and Younghusband Peninsulas, to three nautical miles from the low water mark. The LCF does not operate in Commonwealth waters. The assessment report contains assessments of 4 of the seven key species fished according (Department of Env. and Heritage 2005), which are: Goolwa cockles (Donax deltoides); mulloway (Argyrosomus japonicus); yellow-eye mullet (Aldrichetta forsteri); and golden perch (Macquaria ambigua). European carp (Cyrpinus carpio), black bream (Acanthopagrus butcheri), and greenback flounder (Rhombosolea taparina) are also fished in the Lakes and Coorong fishery, and the principle bycatch species are bony bream (Nematolosa erebi) and yabbies (Cherax destructor). The stocks of all four species were addressed individually for this assessment and make up the certification units for the assessment. Management of the fishery is undertaken by The Minister for Agriculture, Food, and Fisheries with advice or input from several sources: PIRSA (Department of Primary Industries and Resources South Australia), Inland Fisheries Management Committee, SAFIC South Australian Fishing Industry Council) , SARDI (South Australia Research and Development Institute), SFA (Southern Fishermen’s Association). The assessment was carried out by the Certification Body Scientific Certification Systems, Inc. using a four person assessment team comprised of Dr. Chet Chaffee as the Lead assessor having participated in numerous MSC assessments and pre assessments; Dr. Norm Hall (Murdoch University) has international expertise in fisheries stock assessment and management; Dr. Trevor Ward (University of Western Australia) has extensive experience in assessing the ecological functions of marine ecosystem, as well as the impacts on these ecosystems from activities such as fishing; and Noel Taylor-Moore (independent consultant) with extensive experience in marine resource management, including fisheries. The assessment followed set procedures as described in the MSC Fishery Certification Methodology Version 5. Key stages of the assessment were: Notification of confirmation of assessment; Confirmation of Assessment Team; Consultation on draft Performance Indicators and Scoring Guideposts; Release of final Performance Indicators and Scoring Guideposts; Notification of assessment visit and call for meeting requests; Call for Stakeholder input; Assessment visit; Notification of Proposed Peer Reviewers; Notification of Draft Report; and Notification of Final Report. Following the initial stage of wider stakeholder review, the report, containing the recommendation of the assessment team, any further stakeholder comments and the peer review comments has been considered by the SCS Certification Review Board (a body independent of the assessment team). The complete report, containing the final determination and all amendments, is contained herein for final posting. Significant strengths of the fishery in relation to the MSC standard, derive from the intrinsically small nature of the fishery. The Lakes and Coorong fishery has a limited number of participants, making control and implementation of management measures more practical. The fishers, many of which belong to the Southern Fishermen’s Association, are significantly engaged in assisting the authorities manage the fishery through support for research to practical advice on updating management. The main weakness of the fishery also results from the fact that it is a small fishery. The fishery LAKES AND COORONG FUISHERY ASSESSMENT 4 FINAL REPORT receives limited funds to gather better scientific information and perform regular and formal stock assessments. As a result, a number of proxies are used to manage the fishery rather than formal stock assessments and biological reference points based on stock assessments. While this has worked to maintain each of the species within reasonable limits, a couple of the species now exploited show signs of being fully exploited and in need a more regular stock assessment to ensure their long term viability. Each of the four species considered in this assessment report received at a minimum a weighted average score of 80 against each of the MSC Principles and did not score less than 60 against any Performance Indicators. It is therefore determined that the four species assessed should be certified according to the Marine Stewardship Council Principles and Criteria for Sustainable Fisheries. As required, the client for the fishery must agree