Public consultation on the Commonwealth fisheries policy reviews is closed.
We are conducting the 5-year reviews of the Harvest Strategy Policy and the Bycatch Policy.
Fisheries management and science is evolving and it's important to review these policies to ensure they remain fit for purpose.
The Harvest Strategy Policy aims to keep fisheries sustainable and productive. It sets out the principles for creating harvest strategies for fisheries managed by the Australian Government. Harvest strategies use the best available science to set catch levels and other rules.
The Bycatch Policy aims to minimise bycatch in commercial fishing. Bycatch is the incidental catch by commercial fishers of species that aren't sold. This can include finfish but also other wildlife like birds, mammals, and reptiles.
Last year, we asked for your views on the policies and how to improve them. This year, we held workshops with experts and key stakeholders. We used feedback from those processes to help us draft a review report.
How you had your say
We sought feedback from you about our draft report on the reviews of the Commonwealth Fisheries Harvest Strategy Policy and the Commonwealth Fisheries Bycatch Policy.
We invited anyone with an interest in Australian Government-managed fisheries to make a submission in response to the draft report.
What happens next
We will review and consider your feedback. We will use it to finalise the report for release in 2025.