147 results
Industry

A South Australian gulfs and coastal ecosystem model to optimise multi-species fisheries management in a changing environment

Project number: 2018-011
Project Status:
Current
Budget expenditure: $218,932.00
Principal Investigator: Simon D. Goldsworthy
Organisation: University of Adelaide
Project start/end date: 3 Jun 2019 - 17 Dec 2020
Contact:
FRDC

Need

The SA State Government has made a commitment to reform the Marine Scalefish Fishery (MSF) that aims to provide long-term sustainability of key stocks for both recreational and commercial fisheries, and unlock the industries economic potential. The key reforms include a voluntary buy-back scheme targeting the removal of at least 30% of commercial licences and the introduction of new zoning and quota management regulations. The timeframe for the reforms will be determined in consultation with the industry. Details on the implementation strategy have yet to be developed, but will need to be underpinned by extensive stakeholder consultation and backed by research that provides confidence that among the approaches considered, those chosen will best deliver the intent of the reforms.

This project aims to develop an SA Gulfs and Coastal ecosystem model to provide a Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) tool to assess and optimise a range of reform scenarios. The project will link in closely with FRDC 2017/014 (Informing structural reform in the MSF), utilising many of its key outputs, including time series of spatial distribution of catch and effort, social-economic performance, and reform implementation scenarios. This project also will extend the investigation by integrating environmental time-series data to evaluate changes in productivity over time, identified as a potential factor in declining fisheries catches in the GSV ecosystem (FRDC 2013/031). Identifying the causes of productivity loss and its impact on fish production are important to resolve, especially in the context of the MSF reforms. Ultimately, the project aims to provide decision support tools to assess and evaluate the performance of diverse fisheries management strategies, and how these may perform under varying production regimes. Such an approach will provide a platform to evaluate and optimise the effectiveness of management strategies, and help ensure the fishery reforms achieve their key objectives.

Objectives

1. Develop an SA Gulfs and Coastal Ecosystem model to provide a MSE tool to inform and optimise multi-regional management, quotas for multi-species fisheries and multi-sector harvest strategies
2. Use the model to run scenarios to assess, evaluate and optimise Marine Scalefish Fishery reform options
3. Assess potential production loss issues, and evaluate how different MSF reform options may perform under different future production scenarios
Industry
PROJECT NUMBER • 2022-045
PROJECT STATUS:
CURRENT

Measuring non-commercial fishing catches (traditional fishing) in the Torres Strait in order to improve fisheries management and promote sustainable livelihoods

Traditional fishing in the Torres Strait Region has, and continues to be, important for livelihood sustainability for all Torres Strait Islander communities, providing a source of kai kai or food, nutrition and other social, cultural and spiritual benefits. Protection of the marine environment and...
ORGANISATION:
Charles Darwin University (CDU)

Improving performance of ITQ fisheries - Project activity paused

Project number: 2020-029
Project Status:
Current
Budget expenditure: $201,212.00
Principal Investigator: Caleb Gardner
Organisation: University of Tasmania
Project start/end date: 30 Jun 2021 - 29 Jun 2022
Contact:
FRDC

Need

Individual Transferable Quotas (ITQs) and Individual Transferable Effort (ITE) systems have been introduced to a wide range of Australian fisheries (FRDC 2017-159). Since 1985, forty-six ITQs have been introduced to a range of fisheries and can be found across all jurisdictions in Australia; six ITEs have also been introduced, mainly in prawn trawl fisheries. Such systems allocate shares or portions of a total allowable catch (TAC), or total allowable effort (TAE), between fishers, vessels, communities, or others with an interest in the fishery.

Experience shows that ITQs as generally designed and implemented have not always fully delivered promised outcomes, have had outcomes that were unintended and unwanted, and in some instances have resulted in outcomes that make it difficult for fisheries managers to deliver against other, in many cases non-economic, objectives of fisheries management. In some instances, these unintended and unwanted consequences may also have been inappropriately attributed to the ITQs/ITEs and may more be down to other drivers such as globalisation or changes in stock abundance.

Building on industry and management’s growing interest in improving ITQ-fishery outcomes (SRL Corporatisation Workshop, Melbourne Airport, October 2019) and on the findings of 2017-159, this work will aim to provide evidence-based advice to managers and industry on options to address any performance gaps or unintended and unwanted consequences, and the potential effects of any proposed interventions on the economic, social and environmental outcomes of ITQs as generally implemented in Australian fisheries. The scope of options will include industry-led private sector initiatives, as well as Government-led changes to management.

Objectives

1. Assess the effects of adoption and ongoing management of ITQs including consequences that flow from ITQs and the effects of the adoption on specific performance indicators.
2. Develop adaptive management options for existing ITQs that will assist in managing the impact of unintended and unwanted consequences.
3. Better support managers in planning for the mitigation and management of unintended and unwanted consequences over time, including the cost of implementing change.
4. Provide options to fishery managers and stakeholders to assist in the adjustment of existing fisheries management under ITQs to avoid, or mitigate, unintended and unwanted consequences and/or enhance unintended but positive consequences.

Plan

Author: FRDC
Plan • 2023-09-29 • 239.48 KB
2020-029_FRDC-agreed_pathway.pdf

Summary

Following the Improving performance of ITQ fisheries Forum on September 28, 2023, decisions were made regarding the project's direction. Instead of proceeding to case studies, stakeholders acknowledged the importance of focusing on future research priorities for rights-based fisheries approaches. Actions include finalising project reports, seeking independent reviews, and enhancing stakeholder consultations. The upcoming four-year independent review of FRDC provides further opportunities for input. Efforts also involve aligning research priorities with end-users, improving project procedures, and addressing improvement areas through the mandated external independent review of FRDC.
 
View the FRDC agreed pathway for this project for more details.
 
 

Applying the fisheries climate adaptation handbook to Australia's state fisheries

Project number: 2021-104
Project Status:
Current
Budget expenditure: $310,300.00
Principal Investigator: Beth Fulton
Organisation: CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere Hobart
Project start/end date: 11 Jul 2022 - 11 Mar 2023
Contact:
FRDC

Need

Commercial in confidence. To know more about this project please contact FRDC.

Objectives

Commercial in confidence
Communities
View Filter

Organisation