Species Vulnerability and Ecological Risk Assessments
Species Vulnerability Assessment identifies and quantifies the factors that influence a species’ vulnerability to collection and has been designed as a pre-assessment tool for a subsequent Ecological Risk Assessment. In turn, the Ecological Risk Assessment considers aspects of the fishery and assigns a level of consequence for the impact of each aspect; and the likelihood of this consequence occurring for each species. The assessment focuses on a mix of biological and fishery factors that exert influence on a species’ vulnerability, including life history, growth rates, ecological niche, and physical accessibility. The Ecological Risk Assessment is a critical step in the continuous improvement cycle for the management of the fisheries.
Coral Fishery Species Vulnerability Assessment
(Format: PDF, size: 243 KB)
Coral Fishery Ecological Risk Assessment
(Format: PDF, size: 561 KB)
Aquarium Fishery Species Sustainability Assessment
(Format: PDF, size: 299 KB)
Aquarium Fishery Ecological Risk Assessment
(Format: PDF, size: 172 KB)
Coral Sea Fishery Ecological Risk Assessment
(Format: PDF, size: 706 KB)
Fishery Management Arrangements
Management arrangements for the fisheries include input controls that manage effort through limited entry, special management areas, number of boats and divers and temporal closures during spawning. Output controls that manage catch include quotas for the Coral Fishery and catch triggers across all fisheries.
Policy for the Management of the Coral Fishery
(Format: PDF, size: 349 KB)
Guide to the Queensland Marine Aquarium Fish Fishery
(Format: PDF, size: 271 KB)
Coral Sea Fishery Management Arrangements
(Format: PDF, size: 1.6 MB)
Performance Measurement System
Performance Measurement System formalises the objectives, performance indicators, performance measures and management responses developed by Fisheries Queensland with input from key stakeholders. It measures the performance of Queensland fisheries with respect to sustainable use of fish stocks and fishery related impacts on the broader ecosystem.
A Performance Measurement System provides detail about how fishery performance can be achieved according to the fishery objectives. It also provides a monitoring system that can trigger a review of current management arrangements.
The Performance Measurement System is reviewed and updated regularly, and provides a guide to sustainability criteria reported on in Annual Fishery Reports. Development of Performance Measurement System is also required under recommendations attached to the Wildlife Trade Operation approvals granted by the Australian Government under the EPBC Act.
Performance Measurement System – Queensland Marine Aquarium Fish Fishery
(Format: PDF, size: 153 KB)
Performance Measurement System – Queensland Coral Fishery
(Format: PDF, size: 144 KB)
Annual Fishery Report
Annual Fishery Reports include analysis of performance against fishery objectives as outlined in the Performance Measurement System. The reports include information regarding: a description of the fishery; management arrangements in place; research and monitoring outcomes; recent catch data for all sectors of the fishery; status of target stock; interactions with protected species; impacts of the fishery on the ecosystem in which it operates; and information outlining progress in implementing recommendations resulting from the previous accreditation of the fishery.
Coral Fishery Annual Status Report
(Format: PDF, size: 284 KB)
Aquarium Fishery Annual Status Report
(Format: PDF, size: 223 KB)
Coral Sea Fishery Annual Status Report
(Format: PDF, size: 1.9MB)
Agency Submission to the Australian Government
The fishery management agency submits an application to the Australian Government for assessment for ongoing export eligibility, including progress against the conditions and recommendations that accompanied the previous ‘Fishery Assessment’.
Coral Fishery Progress Against Conditions and Recommendations
(Format: PDF, size: 116 KB)
Aquarium Fishery Progress Against Conditions and Recommendations
(Format: PDF, size: 142 KB)
Fishery Assessment
Fishery Assessments are conducted against the Guidelines for the Sustainable Management of Fisheries, which outline specific principles and objectives designed to ensure a strategic and transparent way of evaluating the ecological sustainability of fishery management arrangements. The management regime must take into account arrangements established under Australian laws and international agreements, including CITES.
These assessments are based on the merits of the combination of management measures in place and fishery specific issues. The conditions and recommendations that accompany approval from a Fishery Assessment can include implications for Ecological Risk Assessment, which in turn flows through to fishery management and the subsequent Fishery Assessment.
Coral Fishery ‘Fishery Assessment’
(Format: PDF, size: 727 KB)
Coral Sea Fishery ‘Strategic Assessment’
(Format: PDF, size: 760 KB)
CITES Non-detriment Finding
The Australian Government CITES Scientific Authority must determine whether international trade in Appendix II species will be detrimental to the survival of those species in the wild. A positive Non-detriment Finding is a critical link in the cycle of assessment, management and monitoring. Export eligibility will not be approved without it. This is particularly important for the Coral Fishery as all stony corals are listed on Appendix II.
This assessment has been developed to inform the Minister’s consideration and support a decision on whether to declare a Wildlife Trade Operation for the fishery to allow export from the fishery, and also to inform individual decisions about whether to grant export permits for CITES listed species taken in the fishery.
Coral Fishery Non-detriment Finding
(Format: PDF, size: 1.7 MB)
Wildlife Trade Operation Declaration
Export of an Australian native wildlife specimen and/or CITES-listed specimen for commercial purposes must come from an approved program, such as a Wildlife Trade Operation. A Wildlife Trade Operation is an operation that meets legal requirements under the EPBC Act, such as a commercial fishery.
Coral Fishery Wildlife Trade Operation Declaration
(Format: PDF, size: 2.4 MB)
Aquarium Fishery Wildlife Trade Operation Declaration
(Format: PDF, size: 1.1 MB)
Coral Sea Fishery Wildlife Trade Operation Declaration
(Format: PDF, size: 3.8 MB)
The Australian Government Minister for the Environment declares the fishery to be a Wildlife Trade Operation and stipulates the conditions and recommendations required of the fishery management agency. These can, and do, incorporate the conditions for ongoing Non-detriment Findings for CITES listed species. Approval is for a maximum of three years.
