Commentary on provisions of Act Fisheries objectives, fisheries statements, and fisheries management plans Section 6: Fisheries management plans
Subsection (1) imposes a duty on a relevant fisheries authority or authorities to prepare and publish the fisheries management plans proposed in the list in the JFS, as required by section 2(3)(b).
	Subsection (2) requires that a fisheries management plan must specify the relevant authority or authorities that published it and specify each stock, fishing activity and geographical area to which it relates. A plan must also specify any indicators used for monitoring the effectiveness of the plan. The plan must comply with subsection (3) which requires the plan to state whether available scientific advice is sufficient to make an assessment of the stock’s maximum sustainable yield and, if it is, specify the policies for restoring or maintaining the stock at sustainable levels.
	If such scientific advice is not available for a stock (e.g. if catch data is not collected), the plan must specify policies for maintaining or increasing the level of that stock. If the plan does not include such policies for that stock, the plan must specify the reasons for that. Subsection (4) requires the authority or authorities to adopt the precautionary approach (as per section 1), when specifying policies for stocks where there is insufficient scientific evidence.
	Subsection (5) requires a fisheries management plan to include a statement that it has been prepared and published for the purposes of this section. Subsection (6) requires the relevant authority or authorities to comply with the timetables for producing plans set out in the JFS.
	Subsection (7) defines terms used in this section.