Stock Assessment remains a key component of fisheries management. The pool of Australian scientists that practice in this field is well respected globally. However, this community is generally dispersed, both in terms of organisational structure and geography. Opportunities to share skills and common issues on a regular basis, including discussions on new developments in the field, are often lacking. Previous projects on stock assessors’ use of bespoke models versus packages have shown that lack of knowledge of available off-the-shelf packages and their specifications was a key roadblock to adoption of these methods. The new Stock Assessment Toolbox web-site (toolbox.frdc.com.au) goes some way to address this issue by providing a single repository for globally developed packages. Another barrier was knowledge on how to use these packages, which was partially addressed through subsequent courses on data-limited methods and the Stock Synthesis assessment framework. Although these incorporated advances in the field, there is still a large gap in terms of adoption – not only of packages but of new techniques, sharing our own advances with the world and vice versa. There is a need to understand the influencers (both human and in terms of scientific practices) in this field, both in Australia, and from the international world into Australia. This requires bringing past projects together and adding new skills to fisheries assessors to facilitate and further a strong sense of connection and a community of practice within the field, and with other related fields. This work is aimed at helping assessors gain and share skill and knowledge amongst each other through understanding their impediments and drivers. The project will create a roadmap for the next generation of assessors and methods.
Project number:
2021-002
Project Status:
Current
Budget expenditure:
$304,351.00
Principal Investigator:
Cathy M. Dichmont
Organisation:
Cathy Dichmont Consulting
Project start/end date:
31 Mar 2022
-
29 Jun 2024
Contact:
FRDC
1. Keep the Stock Assessment Toolbox relevant through regular updates
2. Understand how stock assessment scientists gain and share their expertise
3. Facilitate transformative change by connecting assessment scientists with each other and others
4. Investing in the tools and people through training
PROJECT NUMBER
•
2023-179
PROJECT STATUS:
CURRENT
Community Trust in Rural Industries 2022-2025 - Joint RDC initiative
1. Develop capability across the sector to monitor, anticipate and respond to shifts in the levels oftrust the community has in Australia's rural industries.
ORGANISATION:
AgriFutures Australia
PROJECT NUMBER
•
2023-174
PROJECT STATUS:
CURRENT
Post harvest application of electro-stunning in a commercial setting, sustainable packaging development and new product development to increase sustainability of Australian farmed barramundi
Commercial in confidence
ORGANISATION:
Humpty Doo Barramundi Pty Ltd
PROJECT NUMBER
•
2023-167
PROJECT STATUS:
CURRENT
Design and build a portable hatchery prototype for the Australian seaweed industry
Commercial in confidence
ORGANISATION:
Sea Health Kelp Lab