PIRSA Fisheries and Aquaculture and SA’s Research Advisory Committee identified the need for cross-sectorial research to support the future management and recovery of SA’s Snapper stocks. Recently, the SA Government announced a three-year closure of Snapper fishing, and a package of research needs were identified, including to gain an understanding of the effects of barotrauma and sector-specific fishing methods on the survival of released Snapper. The key priority identified was to better understand the factors that explain PRS, to identify practical strategies to mitigate post-release mortality, and subsequently use that information to improve awareness among all fishing sectors. Particularly emphasis was placed on the recreational and commercial fishers in relation to capture, handling and release practices in cases where under-sized (

Moreton Bay is a 1,500 km-squared urbanised estuary adjacent to one of the fastest growing regions in Australia. Rapid population growth creates a challenge for wastewater utilities to deal with the increase in nutrient loads. This includes the single largest asset of Queensland Urban Utilities (QUU), the Luggage Point Sewage Treatment Plant, at the mouth of the Brisbane River that discharges into the bay. At the same time, on the eastern side of Moreton Bay, the Queensland rock oyster industry faces reduced productivity due to environmental change, disease and algal blooms, and challenges associated with the business risks presented by monoculture. Here, communities on Minjerribah (Nth Stradbroke Island) are also investigating new opportunities during their transition away from sand mining, and Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation (QYAC) has Native Title on a large tract of the Moreton Bay Marine Park, which to date is mostly unutilised.

Seaweed production offers a unique and timely solution to address some of the economic, environmental and social challenges in Moreton Bay. Seaweed farming is a “no-feed” form of aquaculture; it is zero waste and compatible with oyster farming and marine park zoning. Seaweeds grow quickly and strip nutrients from the water column, draw down carbon dioxide and can remove pollutants such as heavy metals. At the right scale, seaweed farming will reverse environmental change. Because of this, QUU and the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) are evaluating how much nutrient can be extracted from the bay as an offset for their discharge licences, to avoid substantial capital investment in sewage treatment whilst delivering better environmental outcomes for each dollar spent.

At more than 25 million tonnes per year, seaweed is the largest marine crop in the world. Southeast Queensland is the perfect setting for developing a seaweed industry – ample light, warm water and existing aquaculture leases with farmers, such as Moreton Bay Rock Oysters (MBRO), seeking to diversify their production. Investing in seaweed production will create a new industry for our coastal communities with accountable environmental services and sustainable products.

Recent research shows general public support for Australia’s fishing industry (Sparks 2017; Voyer et al 2016) that depends on people’s assessments of industry’s commitment to implement best practice and demonstration of being effective environmental stewards (Mazur et al 2014). The FRDC has recognised external pressure for the fishing industry to move beyond compliance with environmental and other regulations and improve its performance in key areas, including animal welfare. As noted above, the FRDC has provided support for a range of research and industry initiatives to achieve positive aquatic animal welfare outcomes. The FRDC also recognises that further improvement to the seafood industry’s aquatic animal welfare practices are required.

Recent FRDC project investments has produced valuable knowledge about how when change is called for it is very important to recognise that multiple factors influence – positively and/or negatively - people’s decisions to take up those new, innovative, and/or different practices (i.e. 2017-133, 2017-046, 2017-221). These factors typically include personal values and belief systems, access to different kinds of resources required to make changes, particular features of the recommended practices, as well as a range of macro-levels factors that while they may be outside of people’s direct control still affect their choices. FRDC Project 2017-133 generated important insights about how and to what extent these kinds of factors have been keeping the seafood industry from making more substantive progress towards building greater stakeholder and community trust (Mazur & Brooks 2018).

Further work of this nature is now needed to shed greater light on aquatic animal welfare in the seafood industry (FRDC 2017-221). In particular the research should be focused on identifying the particular features of ‘best care’ for aquatic animals, the range of factors that may be obstructing industry members’ use of those practices, and examples of recent (extension) initiatives used to encourage better aquatic animal welfare.

Current practices for slaughter of farmed Barramundi use ice slurry. The sector has undertaken preliminary research to understand impacts of harvest and slaughter methods on stress, product quality and fish welfare.
Further investigation is needed into practical and cost-effective application of rested harvest on farms, together with understanding how practices can be improved, for example understanding optimal ice slurry amount, timing, and crowding; and determining impact on flesh quality indicators (e.g. flesh pH, blood glucose and lactate and blood pH). Complementary to harvest method protocols, is the need to investigate the impact on stress of direct transfer of fish into ice slurry as a slaughter method.

The project focus contributes directly to the National priority of:
Improving productivity and profitability of fishing and aquaculture, by increasing profitability through better supply-chain connections (FRDC RD&E plan, 2015-20).
Similarly, the project addresses the NPIRDEF, Working together: the National fishing and aquaculture RD&E Strategy, 2010 value chain outcome of:
Fisheries and aquaculture are prosperous and viable; strategic research themes – growth and profitability; maximising value from aquatic resources.