Integrated Fisheries Management
Integrated Fisheries Management (IFM) is an innovative framework that
was developed to address the growing competition for fish resources
between commercial, recreational and indigenous fishers.
To explain the IFM process in very simple terms, imagine a fishery and
its stock of fish as a fish pie. A pie that is to be divided four ways
with not all slices of equal size.
The first and most important slice of the fish pie – belongs to the
cook, it represents the fish – this is the breeding stock on which the
survival of the fishery relies – so it stays on the plate, or in the
water, and is not caught or shared.
The rest of the pie can be divided between the professional fishermen
who catch for the community and export income, the recreational and
customary fishers who catch to feed family and friends.
Scientists decide the size of the pie – the estimate of the total
catch. The size of each of these slices (the share) is the subject of
mediation between all sectors, with the final decision down to the
Minister of Fisheries.
This process is being used in the Western Rock Lobster and
Abalone fisheries. The next fishery to go through this process will be
the West Coast Demersal Scalefish Fishery, which includes fish like Dhufish, Snapper and Baldchin Groper.
For IFM process to work well it
needs to have all stakeholders involved and
that includes seafood consumers.
To learn more about Integrated Fisheries Management, view the WA Department of Fisheries' extensive explanation here.
