The Fisheries Research and Development Corporation’s (FRDC) Northern Territory Research Advisory Committee (NT RAC) recognised that a 5-year Research Development and Extension (RD&E) Plan was a major strategic need of the NT but acknowledged that there was limited capacity among sectors to undertake the necessary consultation and compile the required information, to successfully develop such a plan — particularly because of the diversity and geographical separation of various sectors (Indigenous, recreational, commercial wild-catch and aquaculture) and their wide respective stakeholder bases. NT RAC therefore contracted Fishwell Consulting to liaise with each of the sectors to develop separate sector-specific strategic RD&E Plans; and based on these, produce an overarching 5-year RD&E Plan for NT fishery and aquaculture.
The context under which this Strategic RD&E Plan was developed is very much driven by the FRDC — which is a co-funded partnership between its two stakeholders, the Australian Government and the fishing and aquaculture sectors — whose role is to plan and invest in fisheries RD&E activities in Australia. The FRDC 2015-2020 RD&E plan is framed around the National RD&E Strategy, while the FRDC 2015-2020 RD&E Plan guides development, and is itself guided by the FRDC sector-based Industry Partnership Agreement (IPA) RD&E plans and FRDC Research Advisory Committee (RAC) jurisdictional-based RD&E plans. The sector-based and jurisdictional-based plans are also informed by end users. Given this arrangement, development of the NT RD&E Strategy should be guided directly by a combination of the FRDC 2015-2020 RD&E Plan and input from stakeholders, with consideration of the structures of other jurisdictional plans.
Existing plans and strategies were summarised to develop the RD&E framework on which to base this Strategic RD&E Plan. At a high level, there are existing strategic plans that are relevant and influential to setting the Northern Territory’s commercial wild-catch and aquaculture research agenda. These include the northern Strategic plans put in place by relevant peak bodies and the Land Councils, NT Fisheries Strategic Plan and associated portfolio plans, the Department of Primary Industry and Resources Industry Development Plan, Success through Innovation – the National Fishing and Aquaculture Research, Development and Extension Strategy 2016, the Northern Territory Fishery Resource Sharing Framework, the ‘Our North, Our Future’ white paper on developing northern Australia and science strategies put in place by research agencies.
Key stakeholders were identified in the commercial fisheries and aquaculture, Indigenous, recreational and guided fishing tour sectors. These sectors cover a wide geographical distribution, and use a range of equipment to catch and culture a diverse range of species. Representative bodies were engaged via face to face and phone interviews and online surveys. Online surveys were chosen as the main data gathering tool because of the wide spatial extend of NT fisheries. These were distributed and promoted by representative bodies.
Common themes across sectors were identified and formed the basis for a draft overarching RD&E Plan for the NT which was developed in line with a format agreed upon by NT Fisheries and stakeholders. Draft RD&E Plans for each sector were returned to each stakeholder group (in confidence) for comment. Following this, revisions were made and the final draft document returned for comment prior to broader release.
Across all sectors, the main issues were related to access regarding native title, particularly associated with the Blue Mud Bay decision. In all three plans issues relating to access featured heavily, including developing an understanding of the value each sector places on coastal resources, building awareness of access requirements to and appropriate behaviours on Aboriginal land, the capacity to enforce changed access arrangements and fostering strategic alliances and partnerships between sectors. Many goals, priority areas and outcomes are common across plans for each sector. These outcomes were grouped under the relevant FRDC program (https://www.frdc.com.au/research/rde-planning-and-priorities/frdc-program-areas). Common priority areas for the Environment program are demonstrated resource sustainability and fine-scale spatial information on sectoral catches, effort and “values”. Only priority areas relating to successful, secure and profitable businesses (either commercial wild-catch, aquaculture, FTOs or Indigenous) were common across sectors for the Industry program, however equitable cross-sectoral access and allocation arrangements were common to the commercial wild-catch and aquaculture and recreational sectors, and this priority area has goals relating to developing strategic partnerships with all sectors and a mutual understanding of the value that each sector places on coastal resources. Maintaining a social licence to operate is a priority common to the Communities program, and this also includes goals relating to developing strategic partnerships with all sectors and a mutual understanding of the value that each sector places on coastal resources. Under this program, both Indigenous and commercial sectors have priority areas that include increasing capacity of Marine Rangers programs. The People program includes priority areas for capacity building and industry leadership. Priority areas for Adoption are common across sectors.