[Produce a ‘Critical Review Paper’ to provide a potential roadmap for additional research, as well as help identify communication strategies for the seafood industry. This is a development and networking opportunity to create future relationships and collaborations]

This bursary will allow Professor Gillanders to attend the microplastics and seafood symposium in Edinburgh, Scotland. The focus of the symposium will be human health aspects of microplastics in seafood. The aim is to produce a critical review paper to provide a potential roadmap for additional research, as well as help identify communication strategies for the seafood industry. This is part of an international partnership between FRDC, Seafish (UK) and Seafood Industry Research Fund (USA) that will have 11 scientific experts attending along with industry. The symposium provides Australians with a unique opportunity to engage with experts and industry from around the world.

We will also visit several UK based research groups as part of our travel - we have already engaged with researchers from Plymouth Marine Laboratories, University of Plymouth and Exeter University including Professor Richard Thompson, the first researcher to identify microplastics as an issue.

Bursary recipient will attend five sessions over the two day conference:
- Fishing with care and precision
- Thriving coastal communities
- Growing market value
- Healthy marine environments
- Modernising fisheries management

Additional conference activities will be attended were possible, including networking functions and FRDC meetings.

Benefits of including the bursary recipient in the Australian delegation to New Zealand include:
- Improvements in trans-tasman industry relationships
- Enhanced learning and sharing on important industry issues (notably electronic monitoring of fleets)
- Relevance and input to group discussion and thinking regarding important session topics and ideas
- Increased understanding of government policy decisions and drivers and other external impacts on fishing industry productivity

The proposed study will produce information about the supply-chain economic contribution of selected small scale fisheries in Western Australia, as well as a method that can be applied to making these estimates for other fisheries.

The proposed approach includes making three separate estimates of the supply-chain contribution of selected fisheries using three different levels of information: (1 – minimal cost) published fishery production data and a regional economic model that describes inter-regional flows using published statistical data, (2 – minimum consultation) the same as 1 but also including a workshop with key stakeholders to inform the assumptions, and (3 – maximum data) the same as 2 but also collecting primary data from businesses along the supply-chain. As such, the estimates produced for the selected fisheries using approach 3 will be of high quality and the recommended method described in the guidelines will be informed by a comparison of the cost and performance of undertaking the analysis using each level of information.

Three approaches to obtain supply chain data will be utilised and compared in this project. Below summarises the set of data sources within each approach.

Minimal cost approach
Fishery production statistics: Published production statistics (State of the Fisheries 2020/21*) or data request to DPIRD
Fishery financials and employment: Published profiles (if available) or matched fisheries (as per 2017-210)
Supply-chain flows: Analysis of regional input-output tables, taken as given
Supply-chain financials and employment: Analysis of regional input-output tables

Minimal consultation approach
Fishery production statistics: Published production statistics (State of the Fisheries 2020/21*) or data request to DPIRD
Fishery financials and employment: Published profiles (if available) or matched fisheries (as per 2017-210)
Supply-chain flows: Estimated by workshop with stakeholders, starting from input-output table estimates
Supply-chain financials and employment: Analysis of regional input-output tables

Maximum data approach
Fishery production statistics: Published production statistics (State of the Fisheries 2020/21*) or data request to DPIRD
Fishery financials and employment: Primary data
Supply-chain flows: Primary data
Supply-chain financials and employment: Primary data

* Newman, S.J., Wise, B.S., Santoro, K.G. and Gaughan, D.J. (eds) 2021, Status Reports of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of Western Australia 2020/21: The State of the Fisheries, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western Australia.

Key to estimating the supply-chain flows for the low-data approaches, we will apply the direct coefficients from input-output tables within our RISE models to the value of each fishery to estimate the value of each node of the supply chain for each fishery. The input-output model tells us for each dollar of sales from the fishing sector there are sales to other sectors (i.e. processing, wholesale trade, retail trade, food services). Subsequently, those sectors also have sales to other sectors. By applying these coefficients in sequence we can estimate the value of each node of the supply chain. Data for input-output models are held by BDO and ultimately sourced from publications by ABS, RBA, ATO and other public organisations.

Under the minimal consultation approach, we will refine the supply-chain map developed under the minimal cost approach by eliciting judgement by key stakeholders. These stakeholders will have an idea of the size of the supply chain nodes and will be able to confirm or adjust the values according to their knowledge.

Under the maximum data approach, we will interview businesses along the supply chain in order to collect data to value each supply chain node. We will elicit the value of each business and the number and size of businesses at each node. Information on the number and approximate size of businesses at each supply chain node will be sought from industry participants at the workshop. Contact details for businesses willing to be involved in the interview process with also be sought at the workshop.