A review of fisheries enhancement methods to promote profitability and sustainability in Australian fisheries
Whilst a range of fisheries enhancement approaches have been applied in Australia, quantitative comparison between the outcomes achieved is lacking. The decision to use fisheries enhancement techniques can be heavily influenced by politics, especially in the recreational fishing sector. Despite the general results from past fishery enhancement activities appearing positive, not all approaches may deliver the best return on investment. Quantitative comparison of techniques is needed to enable decisions to be made with greater certainty and deliver the best value.
Broad uptake and application of some fisheries enhancement techniques by fisheries managers in Australia has been limited. A major constraint for fisheries managers has been the absence of clear comparative data on the costs and benefits for each approach and how they can be most effectively applied in different scenarios. Fisheries enhancement is widely practised around the world and quantitative assessments of the benefits of some techniques exist. Cost benefit analyses have also been conducted for some projects in Australia, but the results have yet to be consolidated and considered in the context of how they can be applied more broadly by fisheries managers.
Consolidating the knowledge base on fisheries enhancement methods will enable robust comparison of the return on investment of different approaches for various fisheries and assessment of their long-term viability and impacts on fishery sustainability. Such information will enable managers to more clearly identify the most appropriate techniques and potential benefits for their specific fisheries, leading to increased uptake and implementation. To assist uptake by fishery managers, a decision support tool is needed to enable managers to readily incorporate these approaches with other fishery management considerations.
Report
Project products
SCRC: RTG: Hands-on operational experience and training at the Port Stephens Research Institute (PSRI) marine finfish hatchery, Port Stephens Fisheries Institute, Taylors Beach, NSW (Fisheries Technician: Trevor Borchert, DEEDI)
Final report
This grant provided the opportunity to broaden both knowledge and practical skills through gaining experience with new species and hatchery techniques in a premiere aquaculture research facility. The grant recipient travelled to Port Stephens Fisheries Institute (PSFI) for one week from 19-24 August 2012, to gain hands-on operational experience and training under the guidance of NSW fisheries staff in hatchery procedures for Australian Bass, Snapper, Mulloway and Yellowtail Kingfish, and in the live feed production procedures developed by PSFI. During this period he assisted PSFI staff in undertaking an induced spawning of Australian Bass, larval-rearing of Australian bass for stock enhancement, live feed production of rotifers and Artemia, as well as assisting with broodstock management.
Both PSFI and Bribie Island Research Centre (BIRC) play a leading role in research, development and extension to the aquaculture industry in New South Wales and Queensland respectively, improving methods for hatchery production for sustainable aquaculture and business profitability and success. Broodstock management, live feed production and larval rearing are similar at both research facilities, with only minor differences in system design and hatchery protocols.
SCRC: The development of an Australian Cobia aquaculture industry
There is an opportunity to develop a collaborative, whole of chain approach to launching this new species so that the market is carefully developed and supplied with fish of consistent quality at economically sustainable prices. This project provides an avenue for DEEDI to work with the Queensland aquaculture sector to bring another species, suited to pond aquaculture, to farm- and market-ready state. For PRF it represents an opportunity to lead the market in Australian cobia production and marketing, and to establish the company as a vertically integrated producer of both prawns and cobia.
Final report
Cobia is a high quality high performing aquaculture species overseas and is capable of providing good economic returns from pond-based production. However, the culture of this species has not yet been developed in Australia. Queensland, and in particular, Pacific Reef Fisheries (PRF) has the technical capability and infrastructure to produce cobia for the marketplace and to target the appropriate market sector for the product.
This project aims to build on previous research by PRF and the Department for Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI) to develop an Australian Cobia aquaculture industry.