{"id":"F2025L01408","name":"Heard Island and McDonald Islands Fishery (Total Allowable Catch) Determination 2025","slug":"heard-island-and-mcdonald-islands-fishery-total-allowable-catch-determination-2025","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":443042,"registerId":"F2025L01408-fast-fetch-1775957950209","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-12","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Heard Island and McDonald Islands Fishery (Total Allowable Catch) Determination 2025","content":"---\nmeta-content-style-type: text/css\nmeta-content-type: application/xhtml+xml; charset=utf-8\n---\n\n\n\n \n\nHeard Island and McDonald Islands Fishery (Total Allowable Catch) Determination 2025\n\n \n\nThe Australian Fisheries Management Authority makes the following determination.\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\nDated 12 November 2025\n\n \n\n| Helen Kroger | Ian Dutton | Brett McCallum |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Chair | Commissioner | Commissioner |\n| Wez Norris | Sevaly Sen | Scott Spencer |\n| Commissioner | Commissioner | Commissioner
|\n| Sally Troy | | |\n| Commissioner | | |\n\n\n \n\n \n\nContents\n\n1 Name\n\n2 Commencement\n\n3 Authority\n\n4 Definitions\n\n5 Cessation\n\n6 Total Allowable Catch\n\n \n\n \n\n1 Name\n\n This instrument is the Heard Island and McDonald Islands Fishery (Total Allowable Catch) Determination 2025.\n\n2 Commencement\n\n This instrument commences on 1 December 2025.\n\n3 Authority\n\n This instrument is made pursuant to paragraph 17(6)(aa) of the Fisheries Management Act 1991 and under section 11 of the Management Plan.\n\n4 Definitions\n\nNote 1: A number of expressions used in this instrument are defined in section 3 of the Management Plan, including the following:\n\n1. fishing year;\n2. fishery;\n3. target species; and\n4. total allowable catch.\n\n\n \n\nNote 2: A number of expressions used in this instrument are defined in definitions section of the Act, including the following:\n\n1. take.\n\n\n \n\nIn this instrument:\n\nManagement Plan means the Heard Island and McDonald Islands Fishery Management Plan 2002.\n\nAct means the Fisheries Management Act 1991.\n\n5 Cessation\n\n This instrument ceases on 30 November 2026.\n\n6 Total Allowable Catch\n\n1. The total allowable catch for target species and the limits to the amounts that may be taken of other species for the fishing year commencing 1 December 2025 and ending 30 November 2026, are determined in accordance with this section.\n2. For the purpose of subsection 11(1) of the Management Plan, the total allowable catch for the target species is determined to be:\n\n\n \n\n1. 2,119 tonnes for Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides); and \n2. 1,427 tonnes for Mackerel icefish (Champsocephalus gunnari).\n\n\n1. For the purpose of subsection 11(2) of the Management Plan, the limits to the amounts that may be taken of other fish species are determined to be:\n\n\n1. 409 tonnes combined for Caml grenadier (Macrourus caml) and Whitson’s grenadier (Macrourus whitsoni); and \n2. 360 tonnes combined for Bigeye grenadier (Macrourus holotrachys) and Ridge scaled rattail (Macrourus carinatus); and \n3. 1,663 tonnes for Unicorn icefish (Channichthys rhinoceratus); and \n4. 120 tonnes combined for skates and rays (Bathyraja spp.); and \n5. 80 tonnes for Grey rockcod (Lepidonotothen squamifrons); and \n6. for all other fish species caught in the fishery, 50 tonnes for each individual species.\n\n\n \n\n \n\n \n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"Unauthenticated. Configure AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY or use a provider module. Learn more: https://ai-sdk.dev/unauthenticated-ai-gateway","source":"analysis-cron"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This instrument performs exactly the function intended by its enabling legislation: setting annual total allowable catch limits for a specific fishery. It has not expanded beyond its original purpose of implementing the Management Plan's requirement for annual TAC determinations under section 11."},"complexity_factors":["Very short instrument: only 6 operative sections spanning approximately 2 pages","Minimal defined terms: only 2 explicit definitions ('Management Plan' and 'Act'), with the rest incorporated by reference to external instruments","No nested conditional logic or exceptions: the catch limits are stated as absolute figures without sub-limits, triggers, or alternative calculations","Single cross-reference structure: relies entirely on the Heard Island and McDonald Islands Fishery Management Plan 2002 and the Fisheries Management Act 1991 for operational detail","Straightforward temporal scope: fixed 12-month operation with automatic cessation date (30 November 2026)","No administrative decision-making or discretion within the instrument itself — it is purely declaratory of numerical limits"],"plain_english_summary":"This instrument sets the 2025–26 commercial catch limits for the Heard Island and McDonald Islands fishery, chiefly allocating 2,119 t of Patagonian toothfish and 1,427 t of Mackerel icefish for 1 Dec 2025–30 Nov 2026. It also imposes bycatch caps and governs permit-holders’ legal take in this remote, slow-recovering Southern Ocean ecosystem.\n\nIt affects licensed commercial fishers, AFMA enforcement, and scientists/environmental monitors, and helps maintain MSC certification; the instrument expires after one year."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This Determination does not alter the statutory scope of the fishery or create new regulated activities; it exercises the Management Plan/Act authority to set quantitative catch limits for the 2025–2026 fishing year. The instrument simply specifies TACs and bycatch limits under paragraph 17(6)(aa) of the Fisheries Management Act 1991 and section 11 of the Management Plan (Section 3 and Section 6)."},"complexity_factors":["Sets discrete numeric quotas for two target species and multiple other species (Section 6(2)–6(3)): straightforward numerics reduce drafting complexity.","Includes combined limits across species groups (e.g. combined grenadier limits) which require aggregation and real‑time accounting by operators (Section 6(3)(1)–6(3)(2)).","Relies on defined terms in the Management Plan and the Act (fishing year, fishery, target species, total allowable catch, take), creating interpretive dependency on those instruments (Section 4, Notes 1–2).","Applies only to a single, clearly defined 12‑month period (commencement and cessation: Sections 2 and 5), meaning annual reissuing is required and short planning horizon for industry.","Default cap of 50 tonnes for each ‘other’ species requires species‑level monitoring and identification to enforce per‑species limits (Section 6(3)(6)).","Authority and legal basis are cross‑referenced to specific provisions of the Fisheries Management Act 1991 and the Management Plan, so legal effect depends on those instruments (Section 3).","Operational complexity arises from monitoring, reporting and enforcement needs implied by numerical limits (Section 6) though those administrative mechanisms are not detailed in this instrument."],"plain_english_summary":"This instrument sets numeric total allowable catches (TACs) and limits for bycatch species in the Heard Island and McDonald Islands Fishery for the single fishing year from 1 December 2025 to 30 November 2026. It lists tonne limits for two target species and several grouped and individual limits for other species. It affects licensed fishers operating in that fishery and the Australian Fisheries Management Authority because those limits determine how much may legally be taken and drive compliance, enforcement and commercial decisions."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/heard-island-and-mcdonald-islands-fishery-total-allowable-catch-determination-2025","history":"/api/acts/heard-island-and-mcdonald-islands-fishery-total-allowable-catch-determination-2025/history","analysis":"/api/acts/heard-island-and-mcdonald-islands-fishery-total-allowable-catch-determination-2025/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/heard-island-and-mcdonald-islands-fishery-total-allowable-catch-determination-2025/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/heard-island-and-mcdonald-islands-fishery-total-allowable-catch-determination-2025/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/heard-island-and-mcdonald-islands-fishery-total-allowable-catch-determination-2025/documents"}}