ASFB Home > 2007 > Spatial Management in Commonwealth Fisheries – are we losing the plot or finding common ground?

Spatial management in a fisheries context is the placing of area-based restrictions on fishing on either a permanent or temporary basis. The purpose is most often to protect one or more species and/or their supporting habitat. These are not new and have been used since fishing commenced thousands of years ago.

Spatial management forms a key part of many fisheries management schemes. In Australia, the northern prawn fishery, sub-antarctic fisheries and the bass strait scallop fishery use area based management irrespective of being input or output controlled. In some fisheries no spatial management was employed until very recently. Management was based solely on catch controls and/or gear controls, eg the South East Trawl Fishery, the Gillnet, Hook and Trap Fishery and the Western Tuna and Billfish Fishery.

We are currently witnessing an increased use of spatial management that is likely to result in the fishing industry being progressively constrained to commercially productive areas. While this is clearly causing the industry concern since it limits exploration of new areas, it also may present an opportunity for greater self management by fishers as the public-interest is adequately protected through the use of spatial management.