Assessing Risk for Bycatch and Byproduct Species Using a Modified Sustainability Assessment for Fishing Effects (SAFE) Approach

Central to ecosystem-based fisheries management is ensuring the sustainability of bycatch and byproduct species. However, the sustainability of these species is difficult to assess as the lack of information limits the use of traditional stock assessment methods. We demonstrate, using a complex multi-species fisheries exemplar, the efficient assessment of large numbers of diverse species, using a modified Sustainability Assessment for Fishing Effects (SAFE) approach. Applying this technique to 256 teleost and elasmobranch species caught in Australia's Northern Territory Demersal and Timor Reef Fisheries, we first applied an initial screening assessment to identify at-risk species followed by a secondary SAFE assessment for a more detailed evaluation. To enhance the precision of the secondary assessment, we incorporated species distribution modelling and refined fishing footprint estimates through spatial analysis of trawl paths, from vessel monitoring system data. Additionally, we integrated Monte Carlo simulations into the SAFE process to quantify uncertainties in fishing footprint and capture efficiency parameters. The conservative criteria applied in the initial screening process assessed 208 species as low-risk, with the remaining 48 species evaluated through our modified secondary SAFE approach. These 48 species were also subsequently classified as low-risk. Our approach adds steps to the SAFE process but enables us to efficiently assess large numbers of diverse species and thereby allows resources to be allocated to those species most at-risk. This adaptable approach is readily modifiable for application in other fisheries, including those with no or limited effort and catch data.