The 26th edition of the Fishery status reports was produced with financial support from the Fisheries Resources Research Fund, administered by the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE). The reports are an outcome of collaboration with fisheries researchers, management and industry throughout Australia. They draw on both published and unpublished reports from fishery assessment meetings, and workshops organised and funded by the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA).
The assistance of AFMA officers with the preparation of these reports, including the provision of information on management arrangements, fishery data and photographs, is appreciated. The input of scientists, industry representatives, fishery managers and other members of resource assessment groups is also appreciated, as are the contributions from CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, the Australian Antarctic Division, and the fishery research agencies of state and territory governments. The contribution of previous ABARES employees to earlier versions of the Fishery status reports is also appreciated. The contribution of the in-house production team at DAWE was invaluable in producing the report, as was the contribution of the scientific editors at Biotext.
Status determination of stocks in jointly managed fisheries requires the use of data and assessments compiled by regional fisheries organisations, including the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT), the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, the Secretariat of the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO), and the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC). The contribution of these data is greatly appreciated.
The following data sources are acknowledged:
- AFMA – Australian Government fisheries logbook, catch disposal, electronic monitoring and observer data; fisheries management boundaries
- DAWE – boundaries of marine protected areas
- Australian Antarctic Division – Macquarie Island coastline
- Geoscience Australia – coastline, state boundaries, place names, bathymetric features, and Australian Fishing Zone and Exclusive Economic Zone boundaries
- Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) – CCAMLR statistical division boundaries
- CCSBT, IOTC, SPRFMO, WCPFC and Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement – catch-and-effort data and/or boundary data.
The Species Identification and Data Programme of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is thanked for the use of species line drawings included in the report, as are the other contributors of line drawings (acknowledged in the report).