6 results
Environment
PROJECT NUMBER • 2009-067
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Tactical Research Fund: Nutrient and phytoplankton data from Storm Bay to support sustainable resource planning

This project has provided preliminary data on environmental conditions in Storm Bay that is assisting managers and marine industries to better understand effects of climate change and climate variability on fisheries and aquaculture in the region, including changing currents and primary...
ORGANISATION:
University of Tasmania (UTAS)

Determinates of socially-supported wild-catch and aquaculture fisheries in Australia

Project number: 2017-158
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $66,868.94
Principal Investigator: Karen A. Alexander
Organisation: University of Tasmania (UTAS)
Project start/end date: 14 Feb 2018 - 30 Jul 2018
:

Need

In order to secure the future of Australian wild-catch and aquaculture fisheries, it is increasingly clear that, alongside effective and responsible management and production, building and maintaining societal support is vital.

There are a number of recent examples in Australia where wild-catch and aquaculture fisheries have been threatened, even shut down, as a result of not having a ‘social license to operate’. This is despite having good ecological, economic and management credentials. Examples include: the 2016 closure of the Victorian small scale Port Phillip Bay net fishery as a result of pressure from the recreational fishing sector; the environmental controversy over mid-water trawling (‘super trawlers’) for small pelagic species despite scientifically-determined healthy stock status; and environmental non-governmental organisations (eNGOs) campaigns against Tassal’s proposed fish farm operations in Okehampton Bay on Tasmania’s east coast.

The wild-catch and aquaculture industries are increasingly and acutely aware of the need to garner societal support. But, they are unsure of how to address poor societal support at its root, who needs to be involved to address the problem, and effective pathways to improving societal support. From an industry perspective, there are gaps in knowledge in terms of 1) identifying the determinants of poor/high societal support; 2) identifying stakeholder groups to target who determine societal support and outcomes for wild-catch and aquaculture fisheries (e.g. other resource user groups, eNGOs, decision-makers and government, consumers, other publics); and 3) appropriate, effective and innovative pathways to improve societal support through engagement strategies and interventions.

However, there is a wealth of information available that is not directly or easily transferable currently. It requires collation and synthesis to address the knowledge gaps, including learnings from other industries, international wild-catch and aquaculture fisheries, as well as historical case studies of successes and failures within Australia. This project will draw together knowledge from existing literature and documentation and also use key informant interviews to address the above gaps.

Objectives

1. To provide a nuanced definition of societal support for wild-catch and aquaculture fisheries in Australia
2. To identify determining factors (social, economic, environmental and political) affecting societal support for wild-catch and aquaculture fisheries in Australia
3. To identify means by which to detect, assess and monitor societal support for wild-catch and aquaculture fisheries in Australia using a risk-based approach

Final report

ISBN: 978-1-925646-82-5
Author: Karen A. Alexander & Kirsten E. Abernethy
Final Report • 2019-08-31 • 1.21 MB
2017-158-DLD-final.pdf

Summary

Australia’s wild-catch fisheries and aquaculture are increasingly attentive to the importance of having support from communities and stakeholders to ensure their future sustainability and prosperity. This project aimed to identify determinants of socially-supported wild-catch fisheries and aquaculture in Australia. This project was developed collaboratively with the Human Dimensions Research Subprogram and relevant industry stakeholders and extends previous FRDC projects by examining differential definitions and assessments of social acceptability.
Environment
PROJECT NUMBER • 2015-024
PROJECT STATUS:
CURRENT

Managing ecosystem interactions across differing environments: building flexibility and risk assurance into environmental management strategies

Summary The overarching aim of this research was to provide an improved understanding of the environmental interactions of Atlantic Salmon farming and to provide recommendations to both government and industry on monitoring and management strategies that are appropriate to the level of risk...
ORGANISATION:
University of Tasmania (UTAS)
People
Blank
View Filter

Organisation