Sharing the Fish conference '06
Final report
Sharing the Fish06 Conference was held from 26 February – 2 March 2006 and preceded by the FAO Pre Conference Workshop on 23 – 24 February 2006.
Sharing the Fish06 Conference was an initiative of the Department of Fisheries Western Australia. The aim of the conference was to focus on resource allocation and the sustainability of fisheries and to provide a neutral and objective forum for the multi-disciplinary discussion of the elements of effective allocation of fisheries resources to ensure their sustainability. Sharing the Fish06 Conference aimed to build on the property rights concept and take forward the issue of resource allocation and sustainability in fisheries.
The fundamental question to be addressed by the conference was "How may fisheries managers and policy makers go about considering, undertaking, and implementing the allocation of fish resources to ensure their sustainability, be these issues considered at the stakeholder, local, national, international or regional level?
The FAO Pre Conference Workshop on 23 – 24 February 2006 was attended by over 100 people and was successful in providing a grounding on allocation concepts for participants.
A total of 321 people attended conference and workshop (representing 321 people, from about 40 countries). This attendance was weighted towards developed countries as potential participants from developing countries could not obtain travel sponsorship and the conference funding was not designed to address this gap.
FRDC requested a special session that focused on issues and solutions for resource sharing in Australia. Over 100 people attended this session.
Sharing the Fish06 Conference was successful in meeting its objectives and received considerable positive feedback from participants about the quality of both the intellectual content and the organisation. Proceedings will be published by the Department of Fisheries Western Australia.
Project products
Peter Dundas Smith scholarship
A Review of People Development in the Australian Fishing Industry
Final report
The Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) has a longstanding commitment to investing in people development to support the fishing industry (commercial, recreational and Indigenous sectors) to enhance its learning, innovation and professionalism. To date, this investment has been primarily in the form of the sponsorship of leadership development and scholarships and other awards in higher education.
The FRDC is now seeking to take a more strategic approach to funding its people development program to ensure that its investments are closely aligned with broader industry priorities and needs. A more strategic approach will assist the creation of a learning culture within the industry so that FRDC investments will encourage a broader interest in learning and development beyond the immediate funding recipients.
The consultants have made a wide range of recommendations that cover the needs of all sectors of the industry. However, while the needs of the different sectors vary, we believe that there is a good deal of commonality. The common thread is that there is an urgent need to build capability at the local and regional levels to address real and practical issues that are impacting on industry development. We believe that the Australian fishing industry, and the FRDC in particular, can learn much from the Cooperative Venture for Capacity Building (CVCB) approach of the other Australian RDCs and the Industry Development Framework (IDF) of the NZ Ministry of Fisheries. The focus of these activities is to build models of good practice and practical resources to address regional issues in a cooperative or team-based approach.
A cooperative approach in the commercial fishing sector at the regional level is also an important ingredient in the industry’s challenge to improve the value of Australian seafood through a whole-of-chain approach to the production and marketing of seafood. Building value at each stage will require the development of capability to establish networks and cooperative ventures that will advantage the individuals and the industry as a whole.
An effective people development program will benefit from a move to a strategy-based (rather than a project-based) approach to funding. This approach is underpinned by endorsement of an operational plan that clearly identifies broad objectives (or challenges) and action strategies that will determine funding priorities. Projects may be initiated by the FRDC, or proposed by external stakeholders, that will support the achievement of the strategies. Similarly, all FRDC research and development projects should contain a discrete people development component to ensure that the project has identified a clear strategy for building capability to apply the outcomes.
The consultants also believe that a strategy-based approach will help address the largely uncoordinated and fragmented nature of people development that is now occurring across the industry. The FRDC can work with the peak bodies (ASIC, NAC, SSA, Indigenous councils, Recfish Australia, AFISC) to ensure an industry-wide approach to people development that is soundly based on agreed priorities and is best placed to lever investment by all levels of government.
One clear priority is to seek greater access to vocational education and training (VET) funding for the fishing industry. A coordinated approach that builds on the labour market intelligence of AFISC and its state/territory counterparts is the preferred way of identifying needs and funding impediments. The FRDC can then support the peak industry bodies to make the high level approaches to government that are required to influence policy makers. A stronger involvement in VET will also require the industry to embrace the Seafood Industry Training Package as the basis of competency standards across all sectors of the industry.
Finally, it is crucial that the FRDC takes steps to invest in building its own capability to manage an effective people development program on behalf of the industry. The FRDC will require some immediate support as well as take steps to ensure that it can sustain the program in the longer term. The FRDC will also require the input of key stakeholder groups on a continuing basis to ensure that its people development strategies continue to reflect the priorities and needs of the broader industry.
International symposium on cephalopod lifecycles: biology, management and conservation
2005 Australian Society for Fish Biology Workshop & 2005 International Barramundi Workshop
Australian Rural Leadership Program
The Australian Rural Leadership Program prepares participants to be leaders to help shape and secure a competitive, profitable and sustainable future, the fishing industry needs leaders with knowledge, skills and network. Leaders who will:
1. Develop and share a vision for their industry;
2. Operate effectively in an international context;
3. Establish stategic alliances and build strong links within and across industry sectors;
4. Identify the competing demands for industry, Government and community support;
5. Understand the values, arguments and tactics of other interest groups;
6. Deal confidently with industry, Government and community leaders, in Australian and overseas;
7. Identify and analyse the strategic issues affecting the future of the fishing industry; and
8. Participate in shaping national policies.