State, Market and Community: Managing Australian Fisheries

• Main Author: Haward, MG
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia 2009
• Subjects: Studies in Human Society; Policy and Administration; Public Policy; Antarctic; Indian; Pacific; Antarc*
• Online Access: http://www.assa.edu.au; http://ecite.utas.edu.au/60989

Australia has a significant maritime domain, the fourth largest maritime jurisdiction in the world, with an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and Extended Continental Shelf (ECS) of 13.6million square kilometres (nearly twice the area of the continental land mass)1 from tropical to Antarctic waters. Australian fisheries are traditionally small-scale operations, and Australian fisheries are small relative to major fishing powers, yet they remain important to the Australian economy. The Australian industry is diverse, encompassing small owner-operator bay and inlet fisheries through to offshore and distant water operations, the latter operating in the Southern, Pacific and Indian Oceans. The diversity of operations, and the often widely differing interests that develop as a result, are important factors in shaping policy.