60 results
Communities
PROJECT NUMBER • 2017-069
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Indigenous Capacity Building Program

This project aimed to address the need to increase the number of Indigenous Australians with capacity to engage in management and governance of fisheries and aquatic resources, by developing a capacity building program with supporting materials and conducting capacity building activities with...
ORGANISATION:
Fishwell Consulting Pty Ltd
TAGS
Indigenous
Fisheries Management
Community
Communities
PROJECT NUMBER • 2016-206
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Indigenous fishing subprogram: Business Nous - Indigenous business development opportunities and impediments in the fishing and seafood industry

The Business Nous Project (BN) research and outputs have been finalised in November 2019 with the completion of the website and workshop outputs and the project evaluation. The project delivered successfully on three of the four objectives with the workshop component of the project is being held in...
ORGANISATION:
Affectus Pty Ltd
TAGS
Workforce
Marketing
Indigenous
Fisheries Management
Community
Communities

Identifying and synthesizing key messages from projects funded by the FRDC Indigenous Reference Group

Project number: 2018-183
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $167,738.00
Principal Investigator: Leila Alkassab
Organisation: Land to Sea Consulting
Project start/end date: 31 Aug 2019 - 8 Mar 2020
Contact:
FRDC
TAGS
Training
Stakeholder
Indigenous
Data
Community

Need

The IRG has raised a need to synthesise the key messages from previous projects that they have supported. In order to ensure that the data and information from these projects are accessible and easily understood for various audiences (includes Indigenous, commercial and recreational stakeholders, researchers, policy makers and the general public), the IRG has identified a need to create succinct materials that can be useful to those that seek to develop policy and stimulate community driven engagement.

Objectives

1. To gain an understanding of the materials and formats that policy-makers and key fisheries organizations need in their utilization of research to develop policy.
2. To improve general stakeholder awareness of the key research findings in of FRDC and IRG projects.
3. To provide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities with material that they can use in their engagement with government and non-government agencies.
4. To develop a succinct fact-sheets and a report that integrate the key messages of eight previous IRG projects in a user-friendly and culturally appropriate way.

Final report

ISBN: 978-0-646-82309-6
Author: Leila Alkassab
Final Report • 2020-08-01 • 492.72 KB
2018-183-DLD.pdf

Summary

What the report is about
This project identifies, synthesises and summarises the key messages of eight projects that have been funded by the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) and the Indigenous Reference Group (IRG) on fisheries. These key messages have been presented through a series of materials including a synthesis report, summary booklets and an infographic, all of which were developed as a way of raising awareness of the latest research findings regarding the Indigenous fisheries in Australia. They are presented in a manner that is useful and accessible to a wide-range of audiences including Indigenous communities, decision makers and other fisheries stakeholders.
The materials have specifically developed with the aim of empowering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities by providing them with resources that they can use to engage government and non-government agencies. This project also involved a two-way learning component which entailed engaging an Indigenous student as a researcher for the duration of this project.
Background
In 2011 the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) and the Indigenous Reference Group (IRG) on fisheries held a national forum to discuss issues around Indigenous involvement in fishing and seafood based Research, Development and Extension (RD&E). Participants at the forum included Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with experience or expertise in fishing, seafood, or natural resource management across Australia as well as a small number of non-Indigenous participants (Calogeras et al. 2012). In 2012, participants from the forum reviewed and endorsed the work and confirmed that the outputs and the outcomes aligned with the desires of the group. Through this process, the IRG developed a set of five priorities to guide RD&E for and about Indigenous fishing in Australia (Calogeras et al. 2012).
The FRDC-IRG have supported a number of projects focused on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander fisheries that focus on elements of the RD&E priorities (Calogeras et al. 2012). These projects have information that the IRG needs to communicate with Indigenous, commercial and recreational stakeholders, researchers, policy makers, agencies and the general public. Their findings bridge certain knowledge gaps about the Indigenous fisheries and highlight key issues and priorities of Indigenous fishing communities in terms of access and use of their fisheries.
Aims/objectives
This project was undertaken in response to the need identified by the IRG to ensure that the research findings from the previous eight projects are made accessible and easy to understand. The project consisted of the following objectives:
  1. To gain an understanding of the materials and formats that policy makers and key fisheries organisations need in their use of research to develop policy.
  2. To improve general stakeholder awareness of the key research findings in of FRDC and IRG projects.
  3. To provide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities with material that they can use in their engagement with government and non-government agencies.
  4. To develop succinct fact-sheets and a report that integrate the key messages of eight previous IRG projects in a user-friendly and culturally appropriate way.
Methodology
The project team conducted a desk-top review of eight project reports, their appendices, conducted phone meetings with the principle investigators of each project and liaised with the IRG. Project materials were subsequently developed with the use of qualitative data analysis software NVIVO and designed through Canva, a graphic design program.
Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander artwork was used for the materials produced and where appropriate the artist engaged was from the region that the original project was for or about. An Indigenous student was also recruited as an employee of Land to Sea Consulting for the purposes of two-way capacity building.
Results/key findings
The project findings echo the key messages drawn from the eight recent FRDC-IRG projects that took place on country through participatory and ethical research methodologies. The five themes identified provide an insight into Indigenous priorities for:
  1. Indigenous fisheries
  2. Governance and management
  3. Legislation and policy
  4. Economic empowerment
  5. Capacity building
These five themes have been developed as a way of understanding the key messages of recent FRDC-IRG research and for providing a step forward in offering fisheries stakeholders with in-depth insights into the challenges and opportunities facing the Indigenous fisheries sector. They support and align with the IRG RD&E principles and priorities while emphasising the particular findings and core assertions of the research projects analysed.
Implications for relevant stakeholders
The significance of this project lies in the materials created to communicate with Indigenous communities, fisheries managers, policy makers and other stakeholders involved in the Australian fisheries. They are short, easy-to-read and accessible versions of eight comprehensive research projects and clearly summarise their findings and synthesise their key messages.
The also provide Indigenous communities with material that they can use to engage decision makers. For policy makers and managers, they provide a synthesised and summarised version of recent research bout Indigenous fisheries from which proactive policy can be built and based upon.
Recommendations
The five key messages that have been created through the synthesis of the FRDC-IRG projects have come to shape the very core of this project. Therefore, it is ultimately inevitable that these are the same messages that must embody the recommendations of this project. They are particularly aimed at policy makers and the direction for further development in the Indigenous fisheries sector.

Project products

Brochure • 2020-08-01 • 33.17 MB
2018-183-synthesis report.pdf

Summary

Indigenous communities in Australia have utilised, shared and traded marine resources since time immemorial. These communities continue to hold strong connections and knowledge to aquatic ecosystems and biological resources, and fishing remains embedded in their cultural, social and economic lives.
Since the early stages of colonisation, the ability of Indigenous fishing communities to access their fisheries for both cultural and commercial purposes has been disrupted by external factors, including the policies and practices of the Australian state. In recent history international agreements have been put in place to protect Indigenous rights to access and manage their fisheries worldwide. The Australian government has an obligation to ensure the protection of Indigenous peoples access to their land and sea. Yet there still remains a gap in the aspirations of Indigenous community for their fisheries and formal fisheries management arrangements.
Presently, the Commonwealth, States and Territories define and recognise Indigenous fisheries through different legislation, policy and practices. In turn, there is an identified need for a comprehensive set of national principles to guide the development, implementation and monitoring of Indigenous fisheries policy across all jurisdictions.
The key messages that have been identified through the findings of recent FRDC-IRG research projects present opportunities for various levels of government to proactively assist and support Indigenous fishing communities to access and utilise their fisheries in ways that align with Indigenous aspirations.
Brochure • 4.65 MB
2018-183-Summary booklet–2012-216 Indigenous Cultural Fishing and Fisheries Governance.pdf
Brochure • 2020-08-01 • 9.97 MB
2018-183-Summary booklet-2013-017 Optimising the Management of Tropical Reef Fish through the Development of Indigenous Scientific Capability.pdf
Brochure • 2020-08-01 • 50.93 MB
2018-183-Summary booklet-2013-218 Building the capacity and performance of Indigenous fisheries.pdf
Brochure • 2020-08-01 • 42.41 MB
2018-183-Summary booklet-2014-233 Improving access for Indigenous Australians to, and involvement in, the use and management of Australia’s fisheries resources.pdf
Brochure • 2020-08-01 • 15.98 MB
2018-183-Summary booklet-2015-205 Livelihood values of Indigenous customary fishing.pdf
Brochure • 2020-08-01 • 12.26 MB
2018-183-Summary booklet-2016-201 Business opportunities and impediments for Aboriginal community development in supportive fishing industries in the Roper River to Robinson River area of the Northern Territory.pdf
Brochure • 2020-08-01 • 13.39 MB
2018-183-Summary booklet-2016-204 'Wave to Plate' establishing a market for cultural fisheries in Tasmania.pdf
Brochure • 2020-08-01 • 24.76 MB
2018-183-Summary booklet-2016-206 Business Nous Indigenous business development opportunities and impediment in the fishing and seafood industry.pdf
People
PROJECT NUMBER • 2019-124
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Shared science and Indigenous knowledge to support fisheries capacity building in Torres Strait

This report presents the results of a collaborative science capacity building project involving CSIRO researchers and Torres Strait Islander Fishing Industry representatives. Project participants worked together in the development and delivery of science capacity building programs tailored to each...
ORGANISATION:
CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere Hobart
TAGS
Training
Trade
Resource Access And Allocation
Rac Cmwth
Indigenous
SPECIES
Tropical Rock Lobsters
Sea Cucumbers
People

Environment Social Governance (ESG) framework plan for fisheries and aquaculture

Project number: 2023-126
Project Status:
Current
Budget expenditure: $100,000.00
Principal Investigator: Amy White
Organisation: ERM Australia Consultants Pty Ltd
Project start/end date: 30 Sep 2024 - 9 Mar 2025
Contact:
FRDC
TAGS
Sustainability
Responsible Fishing
Consumer
Community

Need

The Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) is seeking support to plan and develop an Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) framework for fisheries and aquaculture to address the requirements of several stakeholders (government, investor, consumers) and be a leader addressing key current and emerging ESG trends and expectations. The ESG Framework would cover all fisheries and aquaculture sectors (Indigenous, commercial, wild catch, and recreational).

The proposal sets our suggested approach to developing an ESG framework development plan for Australian fisheries and aquaculture. It includes our proposed methodology, budget and work plan, as well as information on our team and experience.
The overarching objectives of this engagement are as follows:
- Identify the unifying purpose of an ESG framework for Australian fisheries and aquaculture, the drivers that will shape it and the intended audience.
- Review relevant frameworks, standards and agreements to identify existing requirements and best practice related to ESG for Australian fisheries and aquaculture.
- Provide options for how the Australian fisheries and aquaculture sector could design and structure an ESG framework aligned to existing frameworks and systems, and reflecting monitoring and evaluation aspirations and the unique needs of fisheries and aquaculture.
- Prepare an ESG framework development plan which clearly outlines and prioritises the steps that need to be taken to establish and build a mature framework for Australian fisheries and aquaculture.

Please refer to the attached file (Our Recommended Approach Section, pages 14 - 22) for our detailed approach based on our understanding of your needs (P0710649 Fisheries and aquaculture ESG Framework_V2_STC).

Objectives

1. To develop an ESG Framework Plan for fisheries and aquaculture covering all sectors (Indigenous, commercial wild catch, recreational fishing, aquaculture).

Two-Eyed Seeing – a framework for cultural fishery assessments supporting equitable and sustainable access to shared resources in NSW Inland Rivers

Project number: 2021-107
Project Status:
Current
Budget expenditure: $1,460,500.00
Principal Investigator: Katherine J. Cheshire
Organisation: NSW Department Of Primary Industries Port Stephens
Project start/end date: 2 Jul 2023 - 31 Aug 2028
Contact:
FRDC
TAGS
Sustainability
Rac Nsw
Non Market Values
Indigenous
Freshwater

Need

Fish are totemic and a primary food source; and so are part of the deep cultural, spiritual and economic connections Aboriginal communities have to their waterways that are part of ‘Country’. Cultural knowledge tells us that when there’s more water availability cultural fishers experience increased total catches and greater diversity of target species, and they fish more (e.g. increase in recreational and subsistence fishing). These narratives also suggest that as a result of these improved cultural fishing opportunities, there are flow on socio-economic benefits to household budgets, diets of communities, social behaviours and mental health and well-being.

Water is sacred and living; and central to the cultural, social and spiritual identity of Aboriginal people, as well as to their livelihoods. Conceptual models underpinning western water management frameworks and decision making do not incorporate Aboriginal/First Nations socio-cultural complexity, local knowledge and governance arrangements. These are critical – Aboriginal/First Nations people have strong connections with fish, water, rivers and knowledge to contribute to planning, as well as a fundamental right to participate. Water and fish are central to the way of life, two-way knowledge and planning frameworks will support reciprocity in engagement and participation.

Two-Eyed Seeing Frameworks (Ganma, Yolgnu for two-ways) provide a way forward for cultural fishery assessments supporting equitable and sustainable access to shared resources. In this framework, knowledge systems (western and cultural) contribute in parallel, on an equal footing, and both serve as evidence bases to produce an enriched picture of mutual understanding. Application of this framework can empower Aboriginal communities to participate more equitably and negotiate by using their science and values and providing a method for inclusion.

The overall objective of this proposed project is to empower Aboriginal communities through application of a “Two-Eyed seeing framework” (Reid et al. 2020) to participate more equitably and negotiate for cultural fishing practices and water allocation and management. This project will define the cultural fishery and quantify the socio-economic value of cultural fishing in two NSW river regions, and assist communities to identify water management needs for key cultural fish species to support ongoing planning and negotiations. It will improve our current fishery and water management by providing a pathway for cultural fisheries and cultural science to be included. Overall, it will increase our current knowledge of fish and fisheries, by bridging the gap between cultural science and western science practitioners and knowledge holders to share understandings, insights and skills. The application and extension of this framework to a national project will be considered for future use in addressing cultural fishery allocations and management.

Objectives

1. Identify suitable NSW riverine cultural fisheries, engage with Aboriginal Communities, Traditional Owners, codesign the project and confirm move to phase 2.
2. Define and quanitfy the cultural fishery and associated totemic, cultura and social values
3. Identify and describe fish objectives and water management needs for cultural fish species using the Fish and Flows Framework.
4. Determine if changes in (2) are related to changes in water availability, policy and operations and/or river restoration activities (e.g. fish passage restoration, cold water passage, screening), if possible.
5. Objectively assess the efficacy and utility of the “Two-Eyed Seeing framework” in assessing the totemic, culutal and social fishing values and linking them to the fish and flows framework, including consideration of National applicability.

Non-market values to inform decision-making and reporting in fisheries and aquaculture – an audit and gap analysis

Project number: 2018-068
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $118,293.91
Principal Investigator: Louisa Coglan
Organisation: Queensland University of Technology (QUT)
Project start/end date: 3 Feb 2019 - 29 Jun 2020
Contact:
FRDC
TAGS
Resource Access And Allocation
Recreational Fishing
Policy
Non Market Values
Indigenous

Need

Most Australian fisheries policies require that fisheries management take account of the cumulative effect of all human users of marine resources, including professional, recreational and Indigenous Australian fishers. The triple bottom line (TBL) approach is the general framework used to assess performance against economic, social, and environmental dimensions. TBL requires articulation of these broad values, but these may be qualitatively assessed. Significant progress has been made in incorporating some of these elements into fisheries management decision, particularly prioritising different objectives of fishery management [e.g. 1, 2]. In some cases, development of semi-quantitative approaches have been used to assist in decision-making across these multiple dimensions [e.g. 3], including in some cases indigenous value [e.g. 4]. Recent research has also extended this focus to develop a robust articulation of Indigenous Australian customary fishing values to enable their inclusion when developing fisheries management policies [5].

Optimal decisions require the trade-off between costs and benefits to be considered. TBL approaches do not explicitly consider this trade-off, resulting in challenges in identifying optimal outcomes. Where these costs and benefits are expressed as explicit monetary values, assessing the trade-off requires deducting the expected costs from the expected benefits (commonly referred to as cost-benefit analysis (CBA)).

However, in fisheries, many costs and benefits do not have an explicit monetary value. Hence, decisions about the use and management of marine resources increasingly requires objective information on the non-market value of benefits (and costs). Some attention has been focused on the estimation of non-market values of recreational fishing [e.g. 6, 7], although only limited attempts to-date have been made to use these values in supporting management decision making [e.g. 8]. Many other values have not been quantified, and their use in fisheries management has not been fully explored.

Objectives

1. To support robust and defeasible evidence based decision-making in fisheries and aquaculture decision making that is understood and supported by key fisheries and aquaculture managers.
2. To provide managers with an understanding of the resources available to account for non-market values in fisheries and aquaculture decision making
3. To identify key research gaps and make recommendations related to the need for further empirical non-market valuation studies

Final report

ISBN: 978-1-925553-26-0
Authors: Louisa Coglan Sean Pascoe Gabriela Scheufele Samantha Paredes and Aimee Pickens
Final Report • 2021-03-19 • 3.77 MB
2018-068-DLD.pdf

Summary

This study examined the issues around non-market values requirements and identified potential sources of robust and defensible estimates of key values, including those generally viewed as difficult to measure.  
The project identified thirteen types of non-market values that fisheries and aquaculture managers considered as potentially important to their decision making. Of these, the top four involved values related to users of the fisheries resources, including fisher satisfaction, values to Indigenous Australian fishers, and the value of fish and experience to recreational fishers. The next four involved impacts of fishing on others, including habitats, species, local communities and other users of the marine environment.
The gap analysis identified that recent values for most of the values of potential use to fisheries and aquaculture management were unavailable. This limits the role of benefit transfers and identifies a need for further primary studies of non-market values.
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