The ASFB, through our annual conference and network of members has a forum for exchange of information. For our 2015 conference we are proposing to support the attendance of Paul Lumley the Executive Director of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) as a keynote speaker and organise some targeted workshops prior to the conference in Darwin (lead by NT Fisheries, Bo Carne and Charles Darwin University, Alison King) and Mildura (lead by Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre, Lee Baumgartner & Deb Bogenhuber).

Mr Lumley has been selected as our preferred keynote based on his extensive history working with Northwest US tribes on salmon issues, particularly in the Columbia River Basin. He previously spent 17 years with CRITFC working on biological issues associated with power stations, and has also assisted in fund raising and establishing a grant program for the four Columbia River treaty tribes. Mr Lumley has indicated availability and a preliminary commitment to attend and undertake proposed workshops and present Keynote.

ASFB has a commitment to increase engagement between ASFB members and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, within the scope of the society. We recognise that to support this involves improving opportunities for Indigenous people to engage in research, fisheries management and compliance and other commercial activities. There is a great deal of interest in the ability to develop and start new commercial initiatives that maintain ongoing Indigenous interests and concerns in the fisheries management and industry and environmental rehabilitation. Australian Indigenous experience in commercial fisheries has gained momentum, and many of our members have expressed an interest in learning from International First Nations and Indigenous peoples experience.

We have in principal support for this activity through Indigenous agencies and advisory groups, including the Fisheries Research and Development Corporations Indigenous Reference Group, Northern Territory Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries, the New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council, the Murray Lower Darling Indigenous Nations.

Australian and Canadian fisheries face the challenges of evolving domestic and international policies that call for the move to full implementation of ‘ecosystem’ and ‘integrated’ management approaches, to allow sustainable management of multiple coastal activities during a time of increasing market (and general public) pressure for sustainability. The evolving landscape of management demands increased participation of fisheries with other activities in integrated management processes and shared stewardship responsibility. A workshop in March 2014 summarised progress in implementing an ecosystem approach to fisheries, with emphasis on social and economic aspects, and how these can contribute to the generation of a ‘license to manage’ for fisheries management agencies (FRDC Report F2013/436, in prep). One recommendation of the workshop was for further exploration of integrated management approaches that encompasses the broader dimensions and users of the marine ecosystem.

This proposal will build on the 2014 workshop in a study of Australian and Canadian experience in applied integrated ocean management. We propose to focus on case studies including the NSW Marine Estate Management; Canadian Bay of Fundy Marine Advisory Committee (and related initiatives); Great Barrier Reef Marine Park; Spencer Gulf and Ecosystem Development Initiative; and Great Australian Bight. We will establish a network to compile, compare, and assess methodologies, policies/frameworks and progress.