Estimating net economic returns from Australia’s Sub-Antarctic fisheries: a non-survey approach ...

• Main Author: Curtotti, Robert
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Australian Bureau of Agricultural Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) 2023
• Subjects: FOS Agriculture, forestry and fisheries; Antarc*; Antarctic; Heard Island; Icefish; Macquarie Island; McDonald Islands; Patagonian Toothfish
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.25814/4ygv-h260; https://daff.ent.sirsidynix.net.au/client/en_AU/ABARES/search/detailnonmodal/ent:$002f$002fSD_ASSET$002f0$002fSD_ASSET:1035061/one

Purpose Despite having a high value, there has been limited economic analysis of Australia’s main sub-Antarctic fisheries, the Heard Island and McDonald Islands (HIMI) fishery and Macquarie Island Toothfish Fishery (MITF). This report estimates net economic returns in these fisheries using non-survey methods. This is the first time this work has been undertaken. This information can be used to assess the economic performance of the fisheries as per the Fisheries Management Act 1991. Key findings • Using a non-survey-based approach, the net economic return (NER) trend for the HIMI and MITF is assessed for the period 2002–03 to 2021–22 financial years. These fisheries supply both Patagonian toothfish and mackerel icefish to world markets, and both these species are covered in this analysis. • It shows NER rising from 2008–09 to 2019–20, followed by a sharp decline from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The rising trend in NER in this period coincides with the transition of the fleet, from trawl to almost ...