ISSN 1175-1584 MINISTRY OF FISHERIES Te Tautiaki 1 nga tin1 a Tangaroa . Managing the effects of fishing on the environment: what does it mean for the rock lobster (Jasusedwardsii) fishery? P. A. Breen New Zealand Fisheries Assessment Report 2005153 October 2005 Managing the effects of fishing on the environment: what does it mean for the rock lobster (Jaws edwardsii) fishery? P. A. Breen NIWA Private Bag 14901. Wellington New Zealand Fisheries Assessment Report 2005153 October 2005 Published by Ministry of Fisheries Wellington 2005 ISSN 1175-1584 @ Ministry of Fisheries 2005 Citation: Breen, P.A. (2005). Managing the effects of tishing on the environment what does it mean for the rock lobster (Jasu.edwurdsii) fishery? New Zealand Fisheries Assessment Report 2005L73.45 p. This series continues the informal New Zealand Fisheries Assessment Research Document series which ceased at the end of 1999. Breen, PA. (2005). Managing the effects of fishing on the environment: what does it mean for the rock lobster (Jasus edwurdsiz] fishery? New Zealand Fisheries Assessment Report 2005/53. 45 p. This study addresses Objective 11 of the Wish contract CRA2000-01,held by the NZ Rock Lobster Industry Council, to conduct a desktop study to identify and explore data needs associated with managing the effects of rock lobster fishing on the environment. It reviews the Wish Strategy to identify those specific requirements likely to affect the rock lobster industry and to identify the directions that management is likely to take, including a quick look at New Zealand's Biodiversity Strategy. Australian experiences with a similar process are examined to see how the Western Australia and South Australia lobster fisheries coped with environmental requirements and risk assessments. Finally, the study identifies the specific topics likely to be listed in a risk assessment, briefly considers the likely risk considerations, and examines whether required data are available and adequate. The study recommends that the rock lobster industry should convene a workshop, with government and other stakeholders, to identify and agree severity, likelihood and risk for a number of possible topics. Data collection should then be revised and improved and short directed programs conducted t6 address the tractable items. The industry should also establish representation on the Aquatic Environment Working Group and participate in the Aquatic Environment Research Planning Group. A purely reactive stance is not likely to be of greatest benefit to stakeholders: the management of environmental effects of fishing is new and fluid, and stakeholders can do much to help guide this in productive directions. CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ..............................................................................................................3 CONTENTS ..............; .......................................................................................................................4 1. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................5 1.1 Overview ...................................................................................................................................5 1.2 Background ................................................................................................................................5 2 . DRAFT lClFISa STRATEGY .................................................................................................... 6 2.1 The Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EM)............................................................................ 6 2.2 Scope of the Strategy.................................................................................................................. 8 2.3 Implementation .................................................................................................................9 2.3.1 Environmental standards.................................................................................................. 9 2.3.2 Responsibility for implementing .................................................................................10 2.3.3 Environmental risk assessment .............................,......................................................... 11 3 . EAF IN MORE DETAIL ...............................................................................................................11 3.1 Non-target species ...................................................................................................................11 3.1.1 Protected species............................................................................................................ 11 3.2 Habitats..................................................................................................................................... 13 3.2.1 Biodiversity.................................................................................................................... 13 3.3 Indirect effects of fishing .........................................................................................................16 3.4 The pressure - state - response ffamework ...............................................................................16 3.5 Summary ..............................................................................................................................17 4 . ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT OF FISHERIES IN AUSTRALIA ....................... 17 4.1 The Australian how-to guide ....................................................................................................18 4.2 ESD manual: rock lobsters ............................'...... ...........................................................20 4.3 Western Australian rock lobsters .............................................................................................20 4.4 South Australian rock lobster ......................................................................................... 23 5. NEW ZEALAND ROCK LOBSTERS .................................................................................... 24 5.1 Managing the effects on non-target species .............................................................................24 5.1.1 Handling mortality on the target species .......................................................................24 5.1.2 Bycatch of other species ................................................................................................26 5.1.3 Associatedor dependent species.................................................................................... 27 5.1.4 Protected species ..........................................................................................................27 5.2 Managing the effects on habitats ..............................................................................................28 5.2.1 Direct effects of fishing ........................................................................................... 28 5.2.2 Maintaining diversity and protecting habitats of particular significance....................... 29 5.2.3 Addressing sustainability of associated and dependent species.................................... 30 5.3 Managing the indirect effects on ecosystems ...........................................................................30 5.3.1 Trophic effects ...........................................................................................................30 5.4 Summary ..................................................................................................................................32 6 . SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................34 7. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS........................................................................................................... 34 8. REFERENCES ..................................................................................................................... ....35 APPENDIX 1: PRINCIPLES AND OBJECTIVES OF ECOLOGICALLY SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (ESD) ............................................................................................................ 40 APPENDIX 2: OCTOPUS .................................................................................................................. 44 This document describes a study undertaken to address Objective 11 of the MFish contract CRA2000- 01, held by the NZ Rock Lobster Industry Council (NZ RLIc). That objective was: Objective 11: To conduct a desktop study to identifi and explore data needs associated with managing the effects of rock lobsterfishing on the environment. This report was written in 2004, reviewed by MFish, and has been revised for publication in mid- 2005. After revision, the draft Strategy referred to was replaced with a revised Strategy, but another revision of this report was not possible. This study is based on the Ministry of Fisheries @Wish) draft Strategy for Managing the Environmental Effects of Fishing wish 2003). A premise of the study is that MFish requirements for managing environmental effects of fishing are inevitable, but that there is some scope for considering priorities and for collecting data earlier rather than later so that required risk assessments can be advanced. This study fm reviews the MFish Strategy to identify the specific requirements likely to affect the rock lobster industry. Then the topics identified by the Strategy are explored in more detail to identify what direction management is most likely