Managing risk and uncertainty in deep-sea fisheries: lessons from Orange Roughy M. Lack K. Short A. Willock A joint report by TRAFFIC Oceania and the WWF Endangered Seas Programme Published by TRAFFIC Oceania and WWF Australia Acknowledgments © TRAFFIC Oceania and WWF Australia, 2003 The authors of this report acknowledge, with much appreciation, the assistance provided by the following people: Geoff Richardson, Simon All rights reserved. Latimer and staff of AFMA Communications, Paul Ryan, Mike Yates and All material appearing in this publication is copyrighted and may be Bob Stanley (AFMA); Richard Tilzey and James Findlay (BRS); Jeremy reproduced with permission. Any reproduction in full or in part of this Lyle (University of Tasmania); Martin Exel (Austral Fisheries Pty Ltd); publication must credit TRAFFIC and WWF as the copyright owner. Gail Richey (SETFIA); Jeremy Prince (Biospherics Pty Ltd); Kevin Rowling (NSW Fisheries, Australia); Nic Bax, Alan Butler, Tony Koslow The views of the authors expressed in this publication do not necessarily and Marinelle Basson (CSIRO); John Annala (Ministry of Fisheries, New reflect those of TRAFFIC or WWF. Zealand); Malcolm Clark (NIWA); Jenny Whyte (WWF-New Zealand); Steve O’Shea (Auckland University of Technology); Roz Priest; V.A. The designations of geographical entities in this publication, and the Short; Louise Heaps (WWF-UK); Sabine Christiansen (WWF-Germany); presentation of the material, do not imply the expression of any opinion Charlotte Mogenson (WWF European Policy Office); John Gordon whatsoever on the part of TRAFFIC or WWF concerning the legal status (Scottish Association of Marine Science); Crispin Ashby (FRDC); and of any country, territory, or area, or its authorities, or concerning the Gui Menezes (University of the Azores); Simon Cripps, Peter Bryant and delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Charlotte Breide (WWF International); Trevor Ward (University of The TRAFFIC symbol copyright and Registered trademark ownership is Western Australia); Margaret Moore (WWF Australia); Maija Sirola and held by WWF. TRAFFIC is a joint programme of WWF and IUCN. Julie Gray (TRAFFIC International). Suggested citation: Lack, M., Short, K. and Willock, A. (2003). Managing We thank reviewers Ian Cartwright (Thalassa Consulting), Matthew risk and uncertainty in deep-sea fisheries: lessons from Orange Roughy. Gianni, Steven Broad (TRAFFIC International) and Glenn Sant (TRAFFIC TRAFFIC Oceania and WWF Endangered Seas Programme. Oceania) who provided informed and helpful comments on the draft. Report title: Managing risk and uncertainty in deep-sea fisheries: lessons Preparation and publication of this document was made possible with from Orange Roughy funding support from: TRAFFIC Oceania and WWF Australia. The David and Lucile Packard Foundation ISBN: 1875941568 WWF-UK Marine Programme Photo credits: thanks to Australian Broadcasting Corporation Content WWF Australia Resource Conservation Office Sales; Australian Fisheries Management Authority; Austral Fisheries Pty WWF International Endangered Seas Programme Ltd; CSIRO Marine Research; Steve O’Shea; The Examiner. M. Lack is a consultant from Shellack Pty Ltd Newspaper credits: The Mercury: Hobart, Tasmania and The Examiner: Launceston, Tasmania. K. Short is WWF Australia’s Sustainable Fisheries Project Leader Thanks to PEter Hill of Geoscience Australia for providing the high A. Willock is the TRAFFIC Network’s Senior Fisheries Advisor resolution bathymetry image of St Helen’s Hill (Figure 1) Map prepared by Hiwire Design Pty Ltd. Illustrations by Bruce Mahalski. The report can be downloaded from the WWF and TRAFFIC websites noted below. For more information, contact: Resource Conservation Programme WWF Australia GPO Box 528, NSW 2001, Australia Tel: +61-2-9281-5515 Fax: +61-2-9281-1060 Website: www.wwf.org.au Email: [email protected] TRAFFIC Oceania GPO Box 528, NSW 2001, Australia Tel: +61-2-9280-1671 Fax: +61-2-9212-1794 Website: www.traffic.org Email: [email protected] Managing risk and uncertainty in deep-sea fisheries: lessons from Orange Roughy M. Lack K. Short A. Willock Managing risk and uncertainty in deep-sea fisheries CONTENTS Acronyms iii Executive summary iv 1. Introduction 1 Structure of the Report 1 2. Deep-sea fisheries 2 Seamount fisheries 2 Management 4 3. International trade in Orange Roughy 7 Biology 7 Orange Roughy fisheries 8 Management 9 Ecological effects of fishing 14 International trade analysis 17 4. Orange Roughy fishery case studies 21 CASE STUDY 1: Chatham Rise, New Zealand 21 The fishery 21 Stock status 22 Management 23 CASE STUDY 2: St Helen’s Hill, Australia 25 The fishery 25 Stock status 26 Management 28 CASE STUDY 3: North-east Atlantic Fisheries 31 The fisheries 31 Stock status 32 Management 33 CASE STUDY 4: Madagascar Ridge 37 The fishery 37 Stock status 39 Management 40 5. Analysis of Orange Roughy management 41 What has caused management failure? 42 Understanding of the biological characteristics 42 Adequacy of stock assessment models 43 The precautionary approach 43 Failure to address excess global fishing capacity 46 Management methods 46 Political will 46 Management regimes for discrete high seas and straddling stocks 47 Monitoring, control and surveillance measures 47 Summary 47 i Managing risk and uncertainty in deep-sea fisheries 6 Observations and recommendations for management of deep-sea fisheries 48 Precautionary approach 49 Over-capacity 51 International tools and provisions 52 High seas management by RFMOs 52 Broader international instruments 52 Ecosystem-based management approaches 55 Conclusions 57 References 58 Appendix I: Global Orange Roughy fisheries 63 Appendix II: A selection of media clippings on the St Helen’s Hill fishery 67 Figures Figure 1 A three-dimensional swath bathymetry image showing the St Helen’s Hill seamount 5 Figure 2 Reported world catch of Orange Roughy (tonnes) 9 Figure 3 Major fisheries for Orange Roughy 10 Figure 4 Imports of frozen fillets of Orange Roughy into the USA, 1995-2002 (Product weight, kg) 20 Figure 5 FAO Orange Roughy catch data and US import data (Greenweight, using two conversion rates, kg) 20 Figure 6 Trends in Chatham Rise subarea catch limits and catch 24 Figure 7 Orange Roughy catch and TACs in the Eastern Zone and St Helen's Hill 28 Figure 8 Bathymetric map of Madagascar Ridge 38 Tables Table 1 Biological and life history characteristics of Orange Roughy 7 Table 2 Bycatch in Orange Roughy fisheries 15 Table 3 Imports of frozen fillets of Orange Roughy into the USA, by country of origin, 1995-2002 (product weight, kg) 19 Table 4 Stock assessment estimates for Chatham Rise Orange Roughy stocks (tonnes) 22 Table 5 Chatham Rise subarea catch limits 1992/93 to 2002/03 (tonnes) 23 Table 6 Key developments in the St Helen's Hill/Eastern Zone stock assessment 27 Table 7 Summary of ICES assessments of north-east Atlantic Orange Roughy stocks 33 Table 8 Fishing activity in the south-west Indian Ocean 39 Table 9 Summary of management and status of known Orange Roughy fisheries 41 Boxes Box 1 Seamount ecosystems 3 Box 2 Sustainability 5 Box 3 Deep-sea sharks 6 Box 4 South Tasman Rise - a straddling Orange Roughy stock 11 Box 5 Stock assessment 14 Box 6 The rise and fall of the St Helen’s Hill through the eyes of the media 30 ii Managing risk and uncertainty in deep-sea fisheries The Examiner Fisherman Allan Barnett with some of his huge catch of Orange Roughy. 28 Jun 1989 ACRONYMS ACFM Advisory Committee on Fisheries Management (ICES) NMFS National Marine Fisheries Service (USA) AFFA Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Australia ORAG Orange Roughy Assessment Group (Australia) AFMA Australian Fisheries Management Authority OSPAR Commission for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the BRS Bureau of Rural Sciences (Australia) North-east Atlantic CAY Current Annual Yield RFMO Regional Fisheries Management Organisation CBD Convention on Biological Diversity SEAFO South East Atlantic Fisheries Organisation CCAMLR Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living SEFAG South East Fishery Assessment Group Resources SESSF South Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery CDS Catch Documentation Scheme (CCAMLR) SETF South East Trawl Fishery CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild SETMAC South East Trawl Management Advisory Committee Fauna and Flora SSB Spawning Stock Biomass CPUE Catch Per Unit Effort TACTotal Allowable Catch CSIRO Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation TACC Total Allowable Commercial Catch (Australia) UN United Nations DPIE Department of Primary Industries and Energy (Australia) UNCLOS United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea EBM Ecosystem-based Management UNFSA United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement EEZ Exclusive Economic Zone UNGA United Nations General Assembly EU European Union UNICPOLOS United Nations Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on ESD Ecologically Sustainable Development Oceans and the Law of the Sea FAOFood and Agricultural Organisation (UN) VMS Vessel Monitoring System FRDC Fisheries Research and Development Corporation WGDEEP Working Group on the Biology and Assessment of Deep-sea ICES International Council for the Exploration of the Seas Fisheries Resources (ICES) IPOA International Plan of Action WTO World Trade Organisation ITQ Individual Transferable Quota WWF World Wide Fund for Nature IUCN IUCN-The World Conservation Union IUU Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Scientific terms MCS Monitoring, Control and Surveillance Bcurrent