Government moves to protect southern bluefin tuna
The Federal Government has announced it will formally protect the southern bluefin tuna by listing it as a threatened species.
The species has been categorised as "conservation dependent", meaning it can still be fished.
But the Government and fisherman will have to establish a plan of management to stop its decline and support its long-term recovery.
Environment Minister Tony Burke says a fishing ban in Australian waters would not necessarily reduce the global bluefin catch, because it is a highly migratory fish.
"The species has declined in the past and while ongoing improvements in management measures are helping to stabilise the population, the breeding population is still considered to be less than 8 per cent of unfished levels," he said.
"This listing will not prevent or restrict fishing or create additional regulatory burden on the industry.
"Fishing can continue under existing arrangements, but it will now be a legal requirement that the species remain under a plan of management that includes actions to stop its decline and support its long-term recovery."
Chief executive of the Southern Bluefin Tuna Association, Brian Jeffriess, said the Government was ignoring scientific advice that stocks were recovering.
"It really shows an appalling lack of judgment frankly, you know what the minister has is some scientific advice from his own personal scientific committee," he said.
"There is not one person on that scientific committee who has any experience in value-added tuna, yet he's chosen to ignore the other scientific advice and chosen to accept that alternative advice. It's quite an extraordinary situation."
Humane Society senior program manager Alexia Wellbelove says the protection does not go far enough because the species can still be caught, but is a step in the right direction.
"Internationally this species is listed as critically endangered, so internationally it's recognised that this species is in a bad way," she said.
"By having some level of protection that's obviously better than nothing at all."