Rough justice for threatened deep sea perch

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EcoEarth

ORANGE roughy has become the first commercially-caught fish to be added to Australia's list of threatened species.

Known as deep sea perch, giant spawning aggregations of the slow-growing, long-lived fish have been taken by trawl nets in southern Australian waters.

Protection under the law was needed if the species was to have any chance of long-term survival, the federal Environment Minister, Ian Campbell, said yesterday.

Senator Campbell said roughy would be listed as "conservation dependent", and managed under a program implemented by the Australian Fisheries Management Authority.

The Humane Society International, which nominated the fish for protection, said it was disappointed that

commercial catches of the fish would continue.

"A total allowable catch of 400 tonnes and a by-catch quota of 150 tonnes has been set," said the society's campaigner, Gemma Hunneyball.

"The species is now at 7 per cent of its unfished biomass. AFMA's own guidelines for sustainability say that targeted fishing should stop below 20 per cent."

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