PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Authority (Nopsema) this week released a guidance framework to help drive improved cooperation between the offshore petroleum industry and the fishing industry.

It was hoped that the framework would help to manage direct impacts to fisheries that may occur as a result of seismic surveys.

Led by the Department of Industry, Science and Resources (DISR), Nopsema, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), and the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA), in collaboration with the industry sectors, the framework is intended to foster the cooperation and coexistence of the two industries in Australia’s Commonwealth marine area during the preparation for, and implementation of, marine seismic surveys. 

“The fishing and petroleum industries are important for food security and energy production, respectively, and both have rights to operate in Commonwealth waters. This can create challenges when titleholders wish to conduct seismic surveys in established fishing grounds,” Nopsema's head of its environment, renewables and decommissioning division, Cameron Grebe, said.

“Looking at how these challenges have been addressed in leading jurisdictions such as Norway, we identified a need to improve the way the two sectors engage. The purpose of this guidance is to enhance and facilitate effective cooperation between these two important industries in a more efficient proactive manner.”

The framework, which aims to improve the effectiveness of consultation and also notably includes principles to underpin loss adjustment processes where appropriate, should drive improved cooperation and positive engagement.

Under the current legislation, companies wishing to conduct a seismic survey must develop an environment plan, including rigorous consultation with relevant persons, and it is during this process that the concerns of the fishing industry are identified.

This new, voluntary framework will support the petroleum or geophysical company to better understand and address these concerns and likewise support the fishing industry in expressing them.