5 results
Communities
PROJECT NUMBER • 2021-117
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

A global review on implications of plastic in seafood

Microplastics are commonly consumed by seafood species however, there is still limited understanding of the effects and implications that microplastics may have on the fishing and aquaculture industry. This project summarises research on the effects that microplastic may be having on seafood...
ORGANISATION:
University of Adelaide

Tropical fish traps – addressing ghost fishing impacts and refinements to catch reporting/sampling

Project number: 2022-164
Project Status:
Current
Budget expenditure: $150,000.00
Principal Investigator: John Wakeford
Organisation: Austral Fisheries Pty Ltd
Project start/end date: 31 May 2023 - 31 May 2025
Contact:
FRDC

Need

The negative impacts of lost fish traps ghost fishing are well documented and of concern to all parties involved with the sustainable harvest of seafood from the aquatic environment (Macfadyen et al 2009; Newman et al 2011; Vadziutsina & Rodrigo 2020). Essentially, lost fishing gears that continue to kill/harm fish represent an inefficiency in the fish production process, and in essence are a form of waste associated with the harvesting process, that ultimately reduces the yield and casts a bad light on the fishery itself. This project does not meet any specific FRDC priority in the current round, hence the lodgment under (Other), although because of what it attempts to address and minimise, it is likely to gain strong support from those concerned with appropriate management of fisheries i.e., minimising the wasteful use of renewable food resources at a time when there is a food crisis in the world, with parties including the FRDC, AFMA, ENGO's and the fishing industry.

Objectives

1. Quantification of fish trap (various designs) loss rates, both in the distant past and more recently, together with the main factors influencing the loss rate.
2. Quantification of how well “dumped” or unattended traps catch fish, together with the main factors affecting the performance (including the presence of trap disabling mechanisms).
3. Apply refinements* to fishing practices/gear to address loss rates and ghost fishing and assess performance (*utilising observations made in the first year of project).
4. Apply refinements to fishing activity reporting to assist with the management of effort creep, trap loss, and ascertaining appropriate harvest levels for the target species.

Review of national guidelines to develop fishery harvest strategies

Project number: 2021-135
Project Status:
Current
Budget expenditure: $443,632.00
Principal Investigator: Sean R. Sloan
Organisation: Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (NSW)
Project start/end date: 28 May 2023 - 29 Jun 2024
Contact:
FRDC

Need

The current National Guidelines were developed through the FRDC (Project 2010/061) with recognition of the need for a coordinated, nationally consistent approach to establishing harvest strategies for Australian fisheries. At this time, the Commonwealth Harvest Strategy Policy and Guidelines (2007, now updated) provided a foundation for harvest strategy development in Commonwealth managed fisheries, however implementation of the key elements of harvest strategies (defined objectives, indicators, assessments, reference points, trigger points and decision rules) varied across jurisdictions, and gaps remained for data limited fisheries.
Similar to the proposed project, the AFMF and FRDC recognised that support for development of harvest strategies could be improved through development of the National Guidelines that focused on less developed areas of harvest strategy policy, including cross-jurisdictional and recreational management arrangements, and incorporating quadruple bottom line (ecological, social, cultural and economic) analysis into fisheries decision making.
As harvest strategy policy and incorporation of quadruple bottom line ecologically sustainable development (ESD) principles have increased as management priorities, harvest strategies have sought to incorporate increasingly challenging issues, in many cases continuing to use disparate approaches between jurisdictions that arguably hold the same objectives and responsibilities, as well as potentially competing interests.
In many cases, harvest strategy policy and development has been held back from achieving quadruple bottom line objectives due to a lack of consistency in the outlook and approach between jurisdictions, and available guidance for dealing with the complexities associated with multi-species, multi-sector or multi-jurisdictional issues. With significant developments occurring around traditional fishing and management, progressing the inclusion of cultural fishing specific objectives is also required.
In addition, the review provides opportunity to address broader issues including the relationship and function of harvest strategies in association with shared access with competing users, cultural interests, ecological issues (e.g. habitat degradation, pollution and climate change), and marine conservation areas, as well as options, incentives and trade-offs for improving data, monitoring and assessment in data poor fisheries or sectors.
The proposed review will ensure the National Guidelines remain a prominent, independent and contemporary guide for fisheries jurisdictions, managers, researchers, fishers and stakeholders in supporting the review of harvest strategy policy frameworks and the development of harvest strategies that in many cases seek to resolve complex issues and balance competing interests.
To achieve this, the proposed project aims to:
1. Review and update the National Guidelines to Develop Fishery Harvest Strategies to ensure the National Guidelines are consistent with current harvest strategy utilisation, address contemporary fisheries challenges and the most up to date information available;
2. Take stock of harvest strategies in Australia (by jurisdiction) and internationally, including how many fisheries now have operational harvest strategies adopted and those under development; and
3. Produce a report with the updated National Guidelines coupled with a detailed communication plan and associated materials to promote and communicate the outcome of the review with all stakeholders.

Objectives

1. To review and update the National Guidelines to Develop Fishery Harvest Strategies (2014) to ensure the National Guidelines are consistent with current harvest strategy utilisation and reflect the most up to date information available
2. To take stock of harvest strategies in Australia and internationally (by jurisdiction) including how many fisheries now have operational harvest strategies adopted and those under development
3. To produce a report with the updated National Guidelines coupled with a detailed communication plan to promote the outcome of the review