Seabird ID Guide for commercial fisheries in southern Australia

This special edition of our protected species identification guide on seabirds has been created to help fishers in the south-east of Australia identify the seabirds encountered during fishing more accurately. All seabirds are protected species and listed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Good quality data from fishers is fundamental to ensuring that our fisheries are managed well. As long as operators are fishing in accordance with their fishery’s accredited management arrangements, it is not an offence to interact with protected species including seabirds. However, it is an offence not to report these interactions. Operators must report all interactions with protected species, including seabirds. An interaction is any contact fishing vessels or fishing gear has with a protected species, including contact with warp wires or being caught in a net or even a collision with a boat. When an interaction with a protected species occurs, operators need to fill out the listed marine and threatened species form (or Wildlife reporting form) in the daily fishing logbook, or e-log, and then submit it to AFMA in the usual manner. Under agreed reporting arrangements, AFMA will report interactions to the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities on the operator’s behalf, by fishery, through periodic summary reports of interactions.