33 results
Environment
PROJECT NUMBER • 2014-028
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Mud cockle (Katelysia spp.) stock enhancement/restoration: practical implementation and policy evaluation

This study was conducted to restore the Mud Cockle population in the Section Bank of Port River, South Australia, which had drastically decreased due to commercial fishing. Mud Cockles are important not only for commercial purposes but also for stabilizing sediment and reducing turbidity in the...
ORGANISATION:
SARDI Food Safety and Innovation
SPECIES
Industry
PROJECT NUMBER • 2017-095
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Australian Fisheries and Aquaculture Statistics 2016

Since 1991 ABARES has annually published detailed production and trade data in Australian Fisheries Statistics (now Australian fisheries and aquaculture statistics) to meet the needs of the fishing and aquaculture industries, fisheries managers, policy makers and researchers. The research undertaken...
ORGANISATION:
Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry
TAGS
People
Industry
PROJECT NUMBER • 2022-021
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Review of approaches for determining commercial fisheries compensation

The report discusses challenges in compensating fishers for giving up their fishing rights, particularly in small-scale commercial fisheries. These challenges include lack of transparency, data issues, timing problems, and mistrust. Based on past experiences, the report recommends several...
ORGANISATION:
Synergies Economic Consulting
Blank
PROJECT NUMBER • 2017-122
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Review of fishery resource access and allocation arrangements across Australian jurisdictions

In 2010, the Australian Fisheries Managers Forum listed access and allocation as one of the top priority policy issues to be addressed in Australian fisheries. Subsequently, the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) formed a working group to examine possible approaches to access...
ORGANISATION:
Fishwell Consulting Pty Ltd

Aquatic animal welfare – a review of guidance documents and legislation

Project number: 2020-040
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $209,420.00
Principal Investigator: Paul Hardy-Smith
Organisation: Panaquatic Health Solutions Pty Ltd
Project start/end date: 14 Jan 2021 - 29 Nov 2023
:

Need

The aquaculture, commercial and recreational fisheries sectors along with the FRDC have recognised the need to continue the work of the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy (AAWS) Aquatic Animal Working Group (AAWG) (2005-2013). In September 2018, the FRDC funded a workshop to review the activities of the AAWS-AAWG and for the industry peak bodies to prioritize knowledge gaps for future R&D. One of the recommendations from the workshop funded by FRDC 2017-221 was to conduct a stocktake of the current industry processes and legislation that relate to aquatic animal welfare.

The initial stocktake was completed in 2006 by Dr Paul Hardy-Smith and colleagues. The aquatic animal welfare landscape has significantly changed since 2006. States and Territories are developing animal welfare legislation and guidelines that either specifically addresses aquatic animal welfare considerations and/or includes aquatic animals (e.g. fish, crustaceans) under the definition of “animal” in the legislation. This changing landscape has implications for “in-field” practices (e.g. methods used to kill aquatic animals) and other practices (e.g. transportation of live aquatic animals).

It is critically important that the commercial wild capture, aquaculture and recreational fishing sectors understand the implications of this changing landscape. These sectors need to ensure their own guidelines or codes of conduct are addressing the regional requirements and if they are not, then it is important that they are assisted in addressing changes to protect themselves. It is important that aquatic animal welfare requirements in no way place human welfare at risk. There is a need to promote the changes to industry practice that have positive outcomes for aquatic animal welfare and to ensure industry practices are keeping within the welfare requirements of that State or Territory.

Our project will comprehensively document and analyse the legislative framework as it applies to aquatic animal welfare in each State and Territory. The project will identify key areas of concern for commercial wild capture, aquaculture and recreational sectors which will be used to assist in developing priority case studies.

Objectives

1. To conduct a contemporary stocktake of Australia's current aquatic animal welfare policies, programs, and procedures as expressed in legislation, Codes of Practice, Standards or other relevant guidance documents as applicable to the commercial wild capture, aquaculture and recreational fishery sectors.
2. To develop case studies to assess the suitability and practicality of the all Codes of Practice, Standards or other relevant guidance documents to align with industry practice and the legislative animal welfare requirements in the commercial wild capture, aquaculture and recreational fishery sectors.
3. Make recommendations to improve the alignment of industry practice with legislation for improved outcomes for aquatic animal welfare in the commercial wild capture, aquaculture and recreational fishery sectors.

Report

ISBN: 978-0-9756047-6-2
Authors: Dr Paul Hardy-Smith Dr Joy A. Becker and Dr Robert Jones
Report • 2023-03-01 • 3.07 MB
2020-040-DLD.pdf

Summary

This report provides a contemporary review of aquatic animal welfare in Australia, focussing on fish, crustaceans and cephalopods that are captured or farmed in the commercial wild capture, aquaculture and recreational fishing sectors in Australia. It also reviews the welfare of aquatic animals used in teaching or research.
Aquatic animals, like all animals, play an important role in maintaining a healthy environment. Many aquatic animals are valuable sources of nutrition for humans and other animals and contribute significantly to Australia’s primary industry in both domestic and international trade. Other aquatic animals have cultural and economic importance to our tourism and recreational industries. For aquatic animals, as with other animals, better health through improved welfare can increase productivity and can have beneficial impacts on sustainability.
The last review of aquatic animal welfare arrangements in Australia was conducted in 2006. Community understanding of animal welfare, including aquatic animal welfare, has increased since then. Having a sound understanding of animal welfare laws and any changes that may be happening to those laws is important to industries that work with aquatic animals.
Communities
PROJECT NUMBER • 2018-053
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Enhancing the understanding of the value provided to fisheries by man-made aquatic structures

In 2018, the state’s recreational and commercial fishers (represented by the peak bodies Recfishwest and WAFIC) commissioned a program of research as part of a Fisheries Research Development Corporation project aimed at documenting the social and economic values and benefits that stakeholders...
ORGANISATION:
Curtin University
People
Industry
PROJECT NUMBER • 2019-093
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Australian Fisheries and Aquaculture Statistics 2018

Since 1991 ABARES has published detailed production and trade data annually in Australian fisheries statistics, now renamed Australian fisheries and aquaculture statistics. The publication is designed to meet the needs of the fishing and aquaculture industries, fisheries managers, policymakers and...
ORGANISATION:
Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry
Adoption
PROJECT NUMBER • 2018-049
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

A Better Way to Fish: testing the feasibility of tunnel net ‘fish trap’ gear in North Queensland

This study found that tunnel nets are technically feasible in this location. In spite of the weather conditions, the fishing gear remained intact and successfully captured significant numbers of marketable fishes. Importantly, SOCI species were released alive and in excellent condition, as were...
ORGANISATION:
James Cook University (JCU)
View Filter

Species