{"id":"F2026L00304","name":"Small Pelagic Fishery (Overcatch and Undercatch) Determination 2026","slug":"small-pelagic-fishery-overcatch-and-undercatch-determination-2026","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":443215,"registerId":"F2026L00304-fast-fetch-1775958111321","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-12","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Small Pelagic Fishery (Overcatch and Undercatch) Determination 2026","content":"---\nmeta-content-style-type: text/css\nmeta-content-type: application/xhtml+xml; charset=utf-8\n---\n\n\n\n \n\nSmall Pelagic Fishery (Overcatch and Undercatch) Determination 2026\n\nThe Australian Fisheries Management Authority makes the following determination.\n\nDated 11 March 2026\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\nContents\n\n1 Name\n\n2 Commencement\n\n3 Cessation\n\n4 Authority\n\n5 Definitions\n\n6 Determination of overcatch and undercatch\n\n \n\n1 Name\n\n This instrument is the Small Pelagic Fishery (Overcatch and Undercatch) Determination 2026.\n\n2 Commencement\n\n This instrument commences on the day after registration on the Federal Register of Legislation.\n\n3 Cessation\n\n This instrument ceases on 1 May 2027. \n\n4 Authority\n\n This instrument is made under subsections 29(5) and 30(3) of the Management Plan for the purpose of paragraph 17(6)(aa) of the Act.\n\n5 Definitions\n\n \n\nNote: A number of expressions used in this instrument are defined in section 3 of the Management Plan, including the following:\n\n1. eastern sub-area\n2. western sub-area\n3. Australian sardine sub-area\n\n\n \n\n In this instrument:\n\nAct means the Fisheries Management Act 1991.\n\n Management Plan means the Small Pelagic Fishery Management Plan 2009.\n\n6 Determination of overcatch and undercatch\n\n1. This section applies to the 2026-27 fishing season commencing on 1 May 2026 and ending on 30 April 2027.\n2. For a species of fish specified in an item in column 1 of the table within the sub-area of fishery specified in an item in column 2 of the table:\n\n\n (a) the determined percentage of overcatch for the purpose of subsection 29(5) of the Management Plan is determined in column 3 of the table; and\n\n (b) the determined percentage of undercatch for the purpose of subsection 30(3) of the Management Plan is determined in column 4 of the table; and\n\n (c) the determined weight, in kilograms, of overcatch for the purpose of subsection 29(5) of the Management Plan is determined in column 5 of the table. \n\n \n\n| Item | Column 1
Species of fish | Column 2
Sub-area of the fishery | Column 3
Determined percentage (overcatch) | Column 4
Determined percentage (undercatch) | Column 5
Determined weight |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| 1 | Australian sardine | Australian
sardine | 10% | 10% | 2 000 kg |\n| 2 | Blue mackerel | Eastern | 10% | 10% | 2 000 kg |\n| 3 | Blue mackerel | Western | 10% | 10% | 2 000 kg |\n| 4 | Jack mackerel | Eastern | 10% | 10% | 2 000 kg |\n| 5 | Jack mackerel | Western | 10% | 10% | 2 000 kg |\n| 6 | Redbait | Eastern | 10% | 10% | 2 000 kg |\n| 7 | Redbait | Western | 10% | 10% | 2 000 kg |\n\n\n \n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This instrument does not expand statutory powers or add new categories of regulated activity. It exercises an existing power under the Management Plan to determine overcatch and undercatch parameters for a defined season (s4, s6). It is time‑limited (ceases 1 May 2027; s3) and routine in form: it fixes numeric parameters for specific species/sub‑areas rather than altering coverage, enforcement mechanisms, or entitlement frameworks, so the substantive scope of regulation remains unchanged."},"complexity_factors":["Cross-reference to enabling authorities: made under subsections 29(5) and 30(3) of the Management Plan for paragraph 17(6)(aa) of the Act (s4) — requires checking multiple instruments to understand legal effect.","Temporal limitation: applies only to the 2026–27 season with specific commencement and cessation dates (s2, s3, s6.1) — necessitates periodic renewals or new instruments.","Tableed parameters: sets both percentage and absolute‑weight measures for overcatch/undercatch by species and sub‑area (s6.2 and table) — dual metrics can interact in catch accounting.","Reliance on external definitions: many key terms (sub‑areas, species definitions) are defined in section 3 of the Management Plan and must be consulted to determine applicability (s5).","Practical compliance implications: the instrument fixes mechanical rules that fishers must apply in logbooks and quota reconciliation, producing predictable but administratively binding outcomes.","Low drafting complexity: instrument is short and formulaic, with identical percentages and weights across items, reducing interpretive ambiguity."],"plain_english_summary":"This instrument sets the percentages and fixed kilogram amounts used to treat overcatch and undercatch for specified small‑pelagic species and sub‑areas for the 2026–27 fishing season (1 May 2026–30 April 2027). It operates under the Small Pelagic Fishery Management Plan and the Fisheries Management Act. It affects licence‑holders and quota accounting: AFMA’s determinations (generally 10% over/undercatch and 2,000 kg per item in the table) will be the mechanical basis for adjusting recorded catches and reconciling allowances during that season."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This instrument performs exactly the function its title suggests: determining overcatch and undercatch percentages for the Small Pelagic Fishery. It is a routine annual administrative determination made under established powers in the Management Plan, with no expansion into new policy areas or substantive changes to the regulatory framework."},"complexity_factors":["Very short instrument: only 6 operative sections plus a table","Minimal defined terms: only 2 explicit definitions ('Act' and 'Management Plan'), with 3 terms cross-referenced from another document","Single conditional application: only applies to the 2026-27 fishing season (1 May 2026 – 30 April 2027)","Simple tabular structure: 7 rows of data with consistent 10%/10%/2,000kg pattern across all species and sub-areas","No nested exceptions, no sub-delegations, no offence provisions, no civil penalty provisions","Straightforward legislative authority: cites specific subsections of parent legislation without complex conditional triggers"],"plain_english_summary":"This short-term determination sets the allowed “wiggle room” for commercial quota holders in the Small Pelagic Fishery for the 2026–27 season, and gives AFMA the enforcement framework. \n\nIt permits 10% overcatch or undercatch (but no more than 2,000 kg overcatch), applies to sardine, blue mackerel, jack mackerel and redbait across east and west sub-areas, and expires 1 May 2027."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/small-pelagic-fishery-overcatch-and-undercatch-determination-2026","history":"/api/acts/small-pelagic-fishery-overcatch-and-undercatch-determination-2026/history","analysis":"/api/acts/small-pelagic-fishery-overcatch-and-undercatch-determination-2026/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/small-pelagic-fishery-overcatch-and-undercatch-determination-2026/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/small-pelagic-fishery-overcatch-and-undercatch-determination-2026/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/small-pelagic-fishery-overcatch-and-undercatch-determination-2026/documents"}}