Managing the Gulf of Papua Prawn Fishery: Sustainability, Maximum Returns and Cooperation between Commercial Fishing and Indigenous Fishing Communities

Abstract

In many fisheries around the world, harvesting capacity is excessive and fish stocks are under threat. The Gulf of Papua prawn fishery (GPPF) presents a different set of management challenges. Limited property rights and fishing capacity, along with tension between a commercial fleet and indigenous fishing communities over access, have resulted in a relatively underdeveloped resource, conflict and considerable losses in economic returns. This article details the results of a joint project between the National Fisheries Authority (NFA) in Papua New Guinea and supporting Australian institutions on the management of the GPPF. The analysis indicates a catch target that maximises sustainable returns at biomass levels larger than biomass at maximum sustainable yield, thus protecting the resource, and a simple plan to share access to the inshore fishery. Both strategies are being implemented by the NFA. Together, they present one of the few very good examples of how to 'get things right' in the use and management of a fisheries resource, providing 'win-win' outcomes for Papua New Guinea.