The Commonwealth Ombudsman has indicated that the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) has violated the laws in its management of the Australia's fishing industry.

The Ombudsman is investigating claims that the AFMA might have violated laws while determining quotas. Fisheries Minister Joe Ludwig has said that if the investigations reveal any issues, the government will work to address them.

The Ombudsman has sent a letter to Andrew Wilkie, an MP from Tasmania that AFMA did not comply with the Fisheries Administration Act when it determined quota for the supertrawler, Abel Tasman, which is not banned by the country. The director of Seafish Tasmania, Gerry Geen said that the company and its partner could loose millions of dollars due to the ban and it is seeking legal advice.

It is not clear if the government will compensate the company and other fishing firms for the losses incurred due to the ban. Environment Minister Tony Burke has pointed out that AFMA has told the government that new legal advice indicates that it has not been implementing sections of the Act in an appropriate manner.

“They're questions I think we should wait for the Ombudsman to finalise their report. They have provided an interim report and it goes to technical issues. What I'd prefer to do is two things: I've asked the Department to investigate the broad issues around that matter, and they'll report back to me in due course,” he said.