Introduction

Australia’s fisheries are a valuable natural resource. They are accessed by, and important to, sectors with diverse interests - commercial (wild catch and aquaculture), recreational, Indigenous and conservation - and they require careful and considered management.

In 2012/13, commercial fisheries production
in Australia was valued at over $1.3 billion with aquaculture production valued at over $1.0 billion. The recreational and charter fishing sectors also make a significant contribution to the economy and lifestyle of many Australians and visitors.

Commercial fisheries have value through the production chain - fishers, processors, marketers and consumers - whilst recreational and Indigenous fishers value the lifestyle and community/cultural benefits and quality experiences obtained from fishing and related activities.

There is a high level of community expectation that our fishery resources will be maintained at sustainable levels and that aquatic habitats will be protected. Above all, the community wants to be assured that incentives for illegal activity are minimised. The Commonwealth, States and Territories have legislated to this effect.

Successful fisheries management depends heavily on achieving optimal compliance. This is almost always achieved when there is close and ongoing

cooperation between fishers and compliance agencies, a high level of awareness and understanding about management arrangements, and perhaps most importantly, a sense of shared responsibility and stewardship for the sustainability of marine resources.

This strategy outlines the objectives that Australian fisheries agencies will pursue to promote voluntary compliance and create effective deterrence to illegal fishing activity. It outlines the principles

that agencies under the umbrella of the National Fisheries Compliance Committee (NFCC) will use when planning the delivery of cost-effective and efficient fisheries compliance programs. It also acknowledges the need to complement Australia’s National Plan of Action against Illegal Unreported and Unregulated fishing (IUU).

At the same time, it acknowledges that differences in legislation, policy and management apply across Commonwealth, State and Territory fisheries and recognises their varied nature and location.

At the heart of the Strategy is the need to achieve collective responsibility and stewardship among stakeholder groups (commercial, recreational and Indigenous fishing sectors) and the community generally.

Mission

The Optimal Level of Compliance

‘...is that which holds the level of non-compliance at an acceptable level, which can be maintained at a reasonable cost while not compromising the integrity of management and resource sustainability’.

This is underpinned by the following strategic objectives:

Working in partnerships and building relationships;

Risk based compliance approaches, including mitigating the risk of organised crime;

Fair, reasonable and cost effective compliance approaches with a focus on outcomes; and

Safety and professional development of fisheries officers.