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Following the initial groundwork to assess community support and approaches for a non-commercial fishery monitoring program in the Torres Strait (Bedford et al 2021 - https://www.pzja.gov.au/sites/default/files/final_report_-_monitoring_the_non-commercial_catch_in_torres_strait_update_06042021.pdf ), the following five steps were proposed:
1. Community consultation and sign on (engaging community re support for the suggested monitoring method).
2. Assess self-reporting web-based tool/APP platform design and development options (including data collection and storage options), through co-design with communities and Government to meet stakeholder needs.
3. Develop self-reporting web-based tool/APP platform, database and data flow infrastructure.
4. Community rollout – pilot (in some communities).
5. Community rollout – full-scale (to all communities).

The Torres Strait Scientific Advisory Committee (TSSAC) recommended that steps 1 and 2 (above) be undertaken first and they form the scope of this proposal.

As also noted in the TSSAC committee meeting of June 2021, the project was an initiative of the quota working group subcommittee of the Torres Strait Regional Authority Board, and identified as a priority by the Traditional Inhabitants (https://www.pzja.gov.au/sites/default/files/tssac_79_meeting_record_final.pdf). In particular, by ‘improving estimates of non-commercial catch of commercial species to inform stock assessment and set sustainable catch levels, as well as determine the catch sharing between the sunset sector, and how much to allocate for community consumption, in order to protect Traditional non-commercial catches and help ensure sustainable management.’

As noted in the ‘Opportunity’ section of this proposal, this project help fill a range of needs for Torres Strait communities, including:
• More accurate assessment of the Recommended Biological Catches of commercial species from all sources of fishing in the Torres Strait
• Reliable assessments of ongoing catches from the substantial non-commercial sectors in the Torres Strait, including knowledge of future change in catches that may be due to pressures from fishing, coastal industry, climate change, other ecosystem regime change
• Stronger ownership of marine resource management by Torres Strait communities, including ownership of non-commercial catch information, and supported by improved knowledge of the temporal and spatial dynamics of non-commercial catches.

The previous project also concluded that a non-commercial fishery monitoring program would have the best chance of success by gaining broad and committed acceptance by local communities and their leaders, with a strong co-design component. The need for this level of consultation was re-iterated by Traditional Inhabitants in several PZJA fishery management fora, including the TSSAC. This project is designed to meet that need.

The proposed project aligns strongly with the Torres Strait Fisheries Strategic Research Plan (https://www.pzja.gov.au/sites/default/files/tssac_srp_2018-2022_post_tssac_final.pdf). In particular:
• Theme 1: Protecting the Torres Strait marine environment for the benefit of Traditional Inhabitants; which is based on improving effective management of fishery stocks in order to support Traditional Inhabitant social and economic needs; which is an expectation of the improved fishery data outputs from the project.
• Theme 2: Social and Economic Benefits; which promotes social and economic benefits for Traditional Inhabitants from Torres Strait fisheries; for example, through increased capacity required to manage the program and increased knowledge of any future changes in catches through space and time in the Torres Strait.
• Theme 3: Technology and Innovation; which promotes the development of technology to support the economic, environmental and social benefits from the fishing sector.

This research project is co funded by the Australian Fisheries Management Authority of the Australian Government. Project co- investigators are Kenny Bedford, David Brewer and Timothy Skewes.

Objectives

1. Collate and review existing and new information about the potential options for a non-commercial fishery monitoring program as recommended by Bedford et al. (2021)

2. Assess the level of community need and support (or otherwise) for a non-commercial fishery monitoring program through a comprehensive and equitable community consultation and participation process throughout Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area communities

3. Develop cost and performance options for a non-commercial fishery monitoring program and its components (e.g. self-reporting web-based tool/APP platform

data management, storage and access

complimented surveys) to allow for an assessment of value (e.g. meeting needs, ease of use, maintenance and data use in stock assessments)

Final report

Authors: Kenny Bedford David Brewer Timothy Skewes and Natasha Stacey

Final Report • 2024-12-31 • 4.61 MB

2022-045-DLD.pdf

Summary

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 maintenance of traditional activities, such as traditional fishing, are key pillars of the Torres Strait Treaty (1985).

The long-term sustainability of all fisheries in the Torres Strait region requires reliable catch data from all sectors, including commercial and non-commercial (traditional and recreational). This data is not only a priority for managing key commercial species, such as Spanish Mackerel (Scomberomorus commerson), coral trout (Plectropomus spp) and Tropical (Ornate) Rock Lobster (Panulirus ornatus), also caught by traditional and recreational sectors, but also for the many other traditionally fished species that communities rely on. Commercial fisheries have management programs in place and data contributes to assessments that are central to management decisions. However, fish catches from the traditional and recreational fishery sectors are largely unquantified, except for some historic snapshot surveys and are either currently not monitored, or only in a very limited way. Torres Strait Islanders have expressed concern for their traditional fisheries and the need to protect them to ensure food security needs. Monitoring traditional fishing catches from both traditional and recreational fishing sectors has also been identified as a high priority in numerous Protected Zone Joint Authority (PZJA) fisheries committees over recent years. This project aimed to contribute knowledge to support a future monitoring program to address these data gaps.

The project presents two primary recommendations. The first applies to the development and support of a pilot program for a bespoke traditional fishing app in the Torres Strait (separate from the recreational fishery program); and the second, to support concurrent promotion of the Queensland Government recreational fishing monitoring app (currently using the Qld fishing 2.0 app) program to monitor the Torres Strait recreational fishery.

Project products

Fact Sheet • 2024-12-31 • 7.63 MB

2022-045-Indigenous App-Torres Strait-FactSheet A4-PRINT VERSION.pdf

Summary

This Fact Sheet supplements the FRDC Final Report '2022-045 Measuring non-commercial fishing catches (traditional fishing) in the Torres Strait to improve fisheries management and promote sustainable livelihoods'. It is a summary of what the project is about; key findings; principles and best practice approaches for app development; and recommendations. There are two versions of this Fact Sheet: (i) Print version and (ii) web version.

Fact Sheet • 2024-12-31 • 2.17 MB

2022-045-FactSheet-WEB.pdf

Summary

This Fact Sheet supplements the FRDC Final Report '2022-045 Measuring non-commercial fishing catches (traditional fishing) in the Torres Strait to improve fisheries management and promote sustainable livelihoods'. It is a summary of what the project is about; key findings; principles and best practice approaches for app development; and recommendations. There are two versions of this Fact Sheet: (i) Print version and (ii) Web version.

PROJECT NUMBER • 2020-029

PROJECT STATUS:

CURRENT

Improving performance of ITQ fisheries - Project activity paused

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....

ORGANISATION:

University of Tasmania

TAGS

Social Science

Individual Transferable Quota

Human Dimensions Research

Fisheries Management