3Objectives

#### 3 Objectives (1) The following objectives must be pursued by the Minister in the administration of this Act and by AFMA in the performance of its functions: (a) implementing efficient and cost‑effective fisheries management on behalf of the Commonwealth; and (b) ensuring that the exploitation of fisheries resources and the carrying on of any related activities are conducted in a manner consistent with the principles of ecologically sustainable development (which include the exercise of the precautionary principle), in particular the need to have regard to the impact of fishing activities on non‑target species and the long term sustainability of the marine environment; and (c) maximising the net economic returns to the Australian community from the management of Australian fisheries; and (d) ensuring accountability to the fishing industry and to the Australian community in AFMA’s management of fisheries resources; and (e) achieving government targets in relation to the recovery of the costs of AFMA. (2) In addition to the objectives mentioned in subsection (1), or in section 78 of this Act, the Minister, AFMA and Joint Authorities are to have regard to the objectives of: (a) ensuring, through proper conservation and management measures, that the living resources of the AFZ are not endangered by over‑exploitation; and (b) achieving the optimum utilisation of the living resources of the AFZ; and (c) ensuring that conservation and management measures in the AFZ and the high seas implement Australia’s obligations under international agreements that deal with fish stocks; and (d) to the extent that Australia has obligations: (i) under international law; or (ii) under the Compliance Agreement or any other international agreement; in relation to fishing activities by Australian‑flagged boats on the high seas that are additional to the obligations referred to in paragraph (c)—ensuring that Australia implements those first‑mentioned obligations; and (e) ensuring that the interests of commercial, recreational and Indigenous fishers are taken into account; but must ensure, as far as practicable, that measures adopted in pursuit of those objectives must not be inconsistent with the preservation, conservation and protection of all species of whales.