20% of Australian-managed fisheries still in the red – Fishupdate.com
20% of Australian-managed fisheries still in the red Published: 04 July, 2007
Orange roughy stocks remain in the red Photo: Greenpeace
TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, says it is concerned by todays announcement by Senator Abetz, Australias Minister for Fisheries, that 20% of Australian fisheries are overfished and/or subject to overfishing.
This is another in a long line of annual fisheries status reports containing bad news on Australias managed fisheries, said Glenn Sant, TRAFFICs Global Marine Programme Leader.
Although at long last overfishing has been eliminated in fisheries managed solely by Australia, 20% of Australian fish stocks remain at risk and the status of a further 51 stocks is uncertain.
As a zoologist and conservationist its hard to ignore the perilous state of many of Australias fisheries; species such as gemfish, southern scallops, school shark and most orange roughy stocks remain in the red.”
According to Sant, the latest figures mean that consumers can only be confident that around a third of assessed stocks are being fished sustainably.
The Australian public, the owners of the fisheries resources, deserve a better guarantee that commercial fish stocks are being fished responsibly, said Sant.
In 2005, the Australian Government committed, through the Securing our fishing future package, to develop a Harvest Strategy Policy to underpin precautionary management and rebuilding of overfished stocks. According to TRAFFIC, the Policy is already 12 months late.
Australias fish stocks cant afford any further delays in implementing a Harvest Policy just how seriously is the Australian Government taking its commitment to rebuild overfished stocks? asks Sant.
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