Scott Hansen, Peter Ward, Andrew Penney

1. Identification of vulnerable benthic taxa in the western SPRFMO Convention Area and review of move-on rules for different gear types SC-01-09 Scott Hansen, Peter Ward, Andrew Penney October 2013 Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences

2. International Requirements: UN General Assembly • In 2007, UNGA Resolution 61/105 called upon RFMOs: • 83 d) To require members of the regional fisheries management organizations or arrangements to require vessels flying their flag to cease bottom fishing activities in areas where, in the course of fishing operations, vulnerable marine ecosystems are encountered, and to report the encounter so that appropriate measures can be adopted in respect of the relevant site. • The four key requirements of Resolution 61/105 in relation to protection of VMEs are: • 83 a) to assess the impacts of individual bottom fishing activities and act to prevent such impacts from occurring. • 83 b) to identify VMEs and to assess whether bottom fishing activities will negatively influence the long term survival and sustainability of such ecosystems. • 83 c) in areas where VMEs are known or likely to occur, ‘to close such areas to bottom fishing and ensure that such activities do not proceed unless conservation and management measures have been established to prevent significant adverse impacts on vulnerable marine ecosystems’. • 83 d) to implement move-on protocols that require the cessation of fishing operations in cases that VMEs are encountered.

3. Purpose of this Review • Numerous RFMOs or flag states have responded to the UNGA requirements by developing move-on protocols, which differ in many respects. • The purpose of this paper is to review these various move on rules, particularly how they have dealt with: • Identification of regionally specific VME taxa. • VME evidence encounter thresholds and biodiversity indices. • Move on distance and closure provisions. • The results of the review are used to identify characteristics of effective move-on rules, to help inform the development of move-on rules for use by SPRFMO participants.

4. Characteristics of VME Indicator Taxa • Characteristics of VME indicator taxa used in the New Zealand move-on protocol, expanded from the FAO guidelines (FAO 2009, Parker et al 2009) • Fragility to fishing gears. • Functional significance to the community or ecosystem. • Uniqueness, rarity or endemism. • Low productivity due to life-history traits. • Previous encounters as bycatch. • Easy onboard identification by scientific observers. • Regionally-specific lists should be developed of VME taxa that meet these requirements

5. CCAMLR VME Indicator Taxa The 2009 CCAMLR workshop on VMEs identified a comprehensive list of VME indicator species for the CCAMLR region, using a diverse range of data on occurrence of these taxa in CCAMLR waters.

6. SPRFMO VME Indicator Taxa Parker et al (2009) developed a list of vulnerable taxonomic groups for use in the New Zealand move-on protocol in the SPRFMO Area, with two further groups identified as indicative of VME habitats. This should be updated using recent scientific observer data on VME encounters. For example, there may be merit in classifying sponges to Class, as Hexactinellida or Demospongiae, and some groups of sea urchins may provide a worthwhile addition to the SPRFMO list of VME taxa

7. Move-On Positions and Distances • Australian and New Zealand both implement the SPRFMO required move-on distance of 5 nm. However, they differ in the choice of position to move away from. • Under the New Zealand protocol, an area is closed within a 5 nm radius of the start of hauling the gear (the end of the trawl). This 5 nm radius closure remains active only for that vessel and only for the duration of that trip. • Under the Australian protocol, a 5 nm closure applies to the entire length of the trawl tow or line set and remains active for all vessels fishing under the Australian flag for the remaining duration of the annual fishing permits. • There are significant differences in trawl tow lengths fleets, depending on the species being targeted and the areas being fished. Combined with different move-on positions, this can results in some portions of longer tows being left out of the move-on closure.

8. Trawl Tow Lengths by Fleet and Species Length-frequency distribution of Australian and New Zealand high seas trawl tows for orange roughy (Orh) and alfonsino (Byx), and comparison of mean tow lengths with the 5 nm move-on distance required under the SPRFMO interim measures for bottom fisheries.

9. Comparison of Move-On Protocols Move-on protocols adopted by different RFMOs differ quite substantially:

10. Attributes of Effective Move-On Rules Lists of regionally specific VME indicator taxa should be identified for each fishery, using all available information on species occurrence and retention by fishing gears. VME taxa should be specified at a level that facilitates rapid onboard visual identification by trained observers. Encounter thresholds indicating evidence of a VME should be based on analyses of historical bycatch data, taking account of the different retention rates of species by each gear type. Multiple species can be used to indicate higher biodiversity. Once evidence of a VME is encountered using an agreed protocol, move-on areas should closed to fishing by all vessels of that gear type until further analysis or evidence indicates that area does not contain VMEs. Move-on distances and area closures should encompass the area covered by typical fishing operations using that gear type. Move-on rules should be considered to be interim measures, providing precautionary protection for areas showing evidence VMEs until objectively planned spatial closures can be implemented to protect known and highly biodiverse VME areas.

11. Questions? Scott Hansen, Peter Ward, Andrew Penney October 2013 Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences