ABARES Fisheries Status Report map data: Small Pelagic Fishery (SPF): maximum area fished annual map data for 2010 to 2020

This dataset presents maps of maximum area fished of ocean waters within the Small Pelagic Fishery (SPF).

The data were prepared as part of the annual ABARES Fishery Status Report series, which provides an independent evaluation of the biological and economic status of fish stocks managed solely or jointly by the Australian Government. The data were produced by ABARES from data supplied by the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA).

The data are presented annually by fishing season which ran from 1 July to 30 June until 2011–12. From 2012–13 the fishing season runs from 1 May to 30 April. For example the 2020–21 year runs from 1 May 2020 to 30 April 2021.

The data are polygon vector format, stored in an ESRI file geodatabase, prepared using ArcGIS Desktop ArcMap version 10.6.

There are no fishing intensity data for this fishery because of the low number of fishing boats operating in this fishery.

Maximum area fished is defined as the maximum area within which fishing occurred during a given fishing season as polygon cells of one degree of longitude by one degree of latitude (approximately 111 kilometres x 111 kilometres). A cell is included if any fishing activity occurred anywhere within that one degree by one degree cell. Note that cells included in this dataset may also partially cover land.

The data supplied by AFMA were filtered to remove activity by fewer than five boats within the area of analysis in order to conform with AFMA’s Information Disclosure Policy (https://www.afma.gov.au/about/fisheries-management-policies/information-disclosure-fisheries-management-paper).