Conservationists Condemn Fisheries Report Findings

The Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) today welcomes the release of the 2004 Bureau of Rural Sciences' (BRS) Fishery Status Reports but criticises the Australian Government for not taking enough action to prevent species from becoming overfished and ensuring their recovery.

AMCS National Fisheries Campaigner, Craig Bohm, said "AMCS remains deeply concerned that BRS reports that 23 per cent of the main fish species managed by the Australian Government remain overfished or depleted. We are also concerned that most species are not recovering, particularly species like eastern gemfish and orange roughy."

Bohm continued, "The list of overfished species has increased from 5 species in 1992 to 17 species in 2004, yet the factors that contribute to overfishing continue to persist. These include:

• overfished species are still sold on the marketplace
• few natural areas remain in the sea where fish can hide from high tech and industrial levels of fishing and
• catch levels in many fisheries remain too high and are far from precautionary." 

Bohm continued, "AMCS also urges that the BRS Fisheries Status Reports are extended to include an assessment of all Australian fisheries - not just those few managed by the Australian Government."

At Easter 2004, AMCS launched Australia's Sustainable Seafood Guide, the first national guide to choosing seafood sustainably. The guide is based on the BRS Fishery Status Reports and aims to help seafood eaters avoid overfished species and steer clear of fisheries with questionable environmental practices.

Bohm concluded, "Already over 60,000 Australian households have requested Australia's Sustainable Seafood Guide. This year AMCS welcomes the opportunity to remove brown tiger prawns from our "Say No" list. However, it is disappointing that not much else has changed. Most of our concerns about overfished species, habitat damage and bycatch remain, despite a lot of government rhetoric to improve fisheries management.

To find out more and receive a copy of Australia's Sustainable Seafood Guide, the public can call 1800 066 299 or visit www.marineconservation.org.au