Sardine fishery in South Australia the nation's largest by volume and certified sustainable with quotas, licences

Restricted licensing and managed catch quotas saw South Australia's sardine industry, operating out of Port Lincoln on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula, make a huge expansion.
Images courtesy South Australian Sardine Industry Association

South Australia’s sardine fishery –  the largest by volume in Australia – in 2018 became the first of its kind in the southern hemisphere to be certified by the Marine Stewardship Council for sustainable fishing.

Independent auditor MRAG Americas assessed the fishery, operating out of Port Lincoln on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula, for the certificate of sustainability. The fishery was the third in South Australia to be certified, joining the Spencer Gulf king prawn and Lakes and Coorong pipi fisheries.

The Marine Stewardship Council welcomed the joint commitment of the South Australia sardine fishery and state government, through its department of primary industry and regions South Australia (PIRSA) in joining the council’s global aspirations in make seafood markets more sustainable.

South Australian Sardine Industry Association executive cfficer Marcus Turner said the certification backed the work individuals and organisations involved with the South Australian sardine fishery over the past 25 years: “We have focused on building a culture of sustainability, and take pride in achieving world’s best practice; as for the licence holders, there is no other option.” He also attributed attribute its success to a strong working relationship with government and scientists.

Australian sardines (sardinops sagax) were the prime target of the South Australian Sardine Industry Association and its eight purse seine vessels. Fishing was mostly at night, with schools of sardines found by sonar. The catch was netted, pursed and drawn into a smaller area next to the vessel. The fishery’s vessels were “very selective,” with 99.17% of the catch being sardines.

The South Australian commercial sardine fishery, operating in waters off the state from the late 1990s, had a peak season typically from November to June. It was managed by limited-entry licensing with a total allowable commercial catch set for each 12 month period. The fishery clocked annual sardine catches between 27,500 to 42,000 metric tons – Australia’s largest by volume.

Steve Shanks, who managed the sardine industry for PRISA, said the individual transferable quota management from 2000 had been the framework for a sustainable fishery to develop. Since 2000, the fishery expanded from a 5,000 (metric-ton) fishery to a 42,000 (metric-ton) fishery, due largely to the developing stock assessment and harvest strategies with the industry.