Objectives and functions

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Objectives and functions

This page provides information about AFMA’s objectives, functions and powers.

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Ministerial Statements of Expectations and Regulator Statements of Intent

Ministerial Statements of Expectations are issued by the responsible Minister to a regulator to provide greater clarity about government policies and objectives relevant to the regulator in line with its statutory objectives, and the priorities the Minister expects it to observe in conducting its operations. Statements of Expectations should be refreshed with every change in Minister, change in regulator leadership, change in Commonwealth policy or every two years.

These Statements should include:

consideration of the economic and social environment in which the regulator operates, and the Government’s policy objectives and priorities, including the Deregulation Agenda

strategic direction (to the extent allowed by legislation) on the conduct of the regulator, its role, and how the regulator should engage with business, the community, other regulators and policy agencies including the states and territories

the expectation that regulators act in accordance with best practice, embedding the Government’s principles of regulator best practice currently being developed, and striving for continuous improvement against these principles

how the responsible Minister proposes to engage with the regulator, including undertakings on how the Minister will help provide an enabling environment for the regulator to consistently implement best practice

request that the regulator responds via a Regulator Statement of Intent, outlining how it will deliver on the Minister’s expectations.

A Regulator Statement of Intent identifies how AFMA (the regulator) will deliver on the Australian Government’s expectations and embed these expectations in our performance and planning processes. AFMA will integrate these Statements into our performance reporting processes as required under the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013（https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2017C00269） and as part of our Corporate Plan 2022-23 and Annual Report 2022-23.

View the Statement of Expectations（https://www.afma.gov.au/sites/default/files/2025-09/minister-julie_-collins-to-mr-wez-norris-statement-of-expectations.pdf） and the Regulator Statement of Intent（https://www.afma.gov.au/corporate-and-reports/statement-intent-2025）.

Objectives

Our objectives are listed in the Fisheries Administration Act 1991（http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Series/C2004A04236） and the Fisheries Management Act 1991（http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Series/C2004A04237） which cover all AFMA’s operations.

Legislative objectives govern all of AFMA’s activities. The following objectives must be pursued by the Minister in the administration of the Fisheries Management Act 1991 and by AFMA in the performance of its functions:

Implementing efficient and cost effective fisheries management on behalf of the Commonwealth.

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.

Maximising net economic returns to the Australian community from the management of Australian fisheries.

Ensuring accountability to the fishing industry and to the Australian community in AFMA’s management of fisheries resources.

Achieving government targets in relation to the recovery of AFMA’s costs.

In addition to the objectives mentioned in subsection 3(1) of the Fisheries Management Act 1991 , the Minister, AFMA (and Joint Authorities under s78) are to have regard to the objectives of:

Ensuring, through proper conservation and management measures, that the living resources of the Australian Fishing Zone (AFZ) are not endangered by over-exploitation.

Achieving the optimum utilisation of the living resources of the AFZ.

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.

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.

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.

The Fisheries Administration Act 1991（http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Series/C2004A04236） also requires AFMA to pursue the objective of ensuring that:

The exploitation in the Australian Fishing Zone (as defined in the Fisheries Management Act) and the high seas of fish stocks in relation to which Australia has obligations under international agreements.

Related activities; are carried on consistently with those obligations.

To the extent that Australia has obligations:

under international law; or

under the Compliance Agreement or any other international agreement.

In relation to fishing activities by Australian‑flagged boats on the high seas ensuring that those activities are carried on consistently with those obligations, and

Ensuring that the exploitation in the Australian fishing zone (as defined in the Fisheries Management Act 1991 ) and the high seas of fish stocks in relation to which Australia has obligations under international agreements and related activities are carried on consistently with those obligations.

In pursuing all of these objectives under both the Fisheries Management Act and the Fisheries Administration Act, AFMA must place equal emphasis on all of the objectives and not pursue some at the expense of others. However, varying degrees of weight and emphasis may be given to a particular objective depending on the circumstances. This position has been confirmed where AFMA’s approach to pursuing these objectives has been tested before the courts.

AFMA is the Commonwealth agency which, jointly with Queensland, co-ordinates and delivers fisheries management and surveillance/enforcement programs in the Torres Strait Protected Zone on behalf of the Torres Strait Protected Zone Joint Authority (PZJA).