SUSTAINABILITY & RESEARCH
All divers use data loggers that record fishing data for every dive.
This is used in stock assessment to ensure long term sustainability of the resource.
DiverObs
DiverObs will give divers a voice about the state of the fishery by reporting your observations.
This is an industry-led initiative, and your responses will be sent and held privately by your industry organisation.
Your DiverObs will be used together with other data sources to aid in the management of your fishery.
It is important to complete a survey soon after every dive.
For research related to sea urchins note the button below to Oceanwatch.
Diver participation into Research on sea urchins ( C rodgersii) and the environment
1964
Early research comment re interactions noted
1970s
Scoresby Shepherd Gabo Island
1980s
Warwick Nash Salt Lake “warnings“
1980s
Underwood Andrew ecology biology
1990s
Andrews FRDC Industry $ and time Interactions with abalone and habitat
1990s
Blount et al roe quality for commercial use
2000s
Diver documentation of urchin harvested areas following an increase in harvesting by commercial fishery.
2015
FRDC TRF funded small experimental density reductions of C rodgersii in abalone fishing areas. (D Worthington)
2020
AANSW & OCEANWATCH partnership in Plague To Profit
2022
Ongoing monitoring and support for research into the sustainable harvest of urchins in NSW
Strict Government enforced controls, and a care for the environment we fish in, ensure the fishery is managed in an environmentally sustainable manner.
SECURE FISHERIES
Commercial abalone fisheries exist in Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales. All are highly regulated and monitored by the Department of Fisheries of each State Government. There are strictly enforced controls that limit the total commercial harvest. These controls ensure that the fisheries are managed in an ecologically sustainable manner. Each State abalone fishery is assessed against the Guidelines for the Ecologically Sustainable Management of Fisheries – under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. Following this assessment, each abalone fishery has been certified in recognition that it is managed in an environmentally sustainable manner.
Under the New South Wales Fisheries Management Act. the New South Wales Abalone fishery is classified as a share (or unit) managed fishery. A diver must have 70 shares in order to dive. Share ownership is published on the New South Wales Department of Primary Industry website and is publicly available. There is usually approximately 20 active divers operating mainly out of south coast ports such as Eden, Tathra, Bermagui, Narooma, and Batemans Bay. Sea Urchin is harvested alongside Abalone, this assists in maintenance of productive reef weed species and promotes higher yielding meat recovery and growth rates. New South Wales Abalone is carefully managed via a strict Total Allowable Catch (TAC) setting, variable Minimum Size Length (MSL) appropriate for the area fished. Diver initiated collection of catch data using GPS monitoring technology linked to catch targets and catch rates. Abalone availability 12 months of the year weather permitting. Sea urchin roe available December - June.