17 results

Trans Tasman Rock Lobster Industry Congress - Locking in the Future: 2023-2031

Project number: 2022-109
Project Status:
Current
Budget expenditure: $150,000.00
Principal Investigator: Tom T. Cosentino
Organisation: Southern Rocklobster Ltd (SRL)
Project start/end date: 7 Feb 2023 - 30 Dec 2033
Contact:
FRDC

Need

Australian and New Zealand Rock Lobster is a high value product that has strong recognition in their local and export markets. There is significant capital investment across the combined jurisdictions of the Trans-Tasman lobster fisheries. As with most other wild caught fisheries and seafood sectors Trans-Tasman lobster fisheries face similar challenges in regards to, sustainability, threats to / competition for the resource and resource access, product quality and food safety, implications from aquaculture production and applying and taking advantage of new and emerging technologies. In addition to these common industry issues, lobster fisheries produce a product that is predominantly for live export which adds further challenges such as barriers to trade and trade agreements, complex supply chains and understanding the ‘what and where’ of new market opportunities.

Well organised and educational forums such as Trans-Tasman Rock Lobster Congresses enable a sharing of information and a collaborative approach to addressing challenges and sharing successes. Since first being held in 1999 the biennial Rock Lobster conferences have become the pre-eminent forum for the respective Trans-Tasman lobster industries to consider and address the many challenges across the supply chain. There is never a shortage of key issues and topics to address and bring together in a common theme to deliver a successful Trans-Tasman Industry Congress that has the support of all the key industry bodies and wider stakeholders.

The history of successful Trans-Tasman Industry Congresses, speaks for itself.
Trans-Tasman Congresses have well established support of all the key industry bodies and wider stakeholder interests with all lobster producing jurisdictions having now hosted an event. This history combined with the experience, existing contacts, establishing themes, producing engaging programmes, having informative exhibitions, attracting quality keynote speakers - both local and international, continuing sponsorship from service providers and the ability to attract the general support of industry ensure there is a pool of support and knowledge to deliver successful congresses

Initial Contributions (2023):
• Total combined initial contributions will be to a maximum of $30,000.00.
• Request a cash contribution from the NZRLIC.
• Request a contribution from the Eastern Rock Lobster Industry.
• Contribution from the SRL IPA.
• Contribution from the WRL IPA.

Proposed Governance Arrangements:
• The Managing Entity (ME) i.e. the industry body responsible for administering the congress in a particular year, will be responsible for holding and managing the ‘kitty’ of funds.
• ‘Surplus’ funds will be used to fund the administration, hosting and attendance of any planning meetings conducted in the ‘interim year’, this process will be managed by the ME responsible for hosting the most recent (past) Trans Tasman Congress.
• PI & Co-Investigators will discuss and confirm the amount required for future initial contributions.

National Seafood Industry Leadership Program 2018 - 2021

Project number: 2017-003
Project Status:
Current
Budget expenditure: $933,988.00
Principal Investigator: Jill Briggs
Organisation: Affectus Pty Ltd
Project start/end date: 31 Dec 2017 - 30 Dec 2020
Contact:
FRDC

Need

FRDC has developed the 2015-2020 Strategic Plan. The plan details the areas of investment for the industry and provides direction regarding the leadership requirements for the Australia seafood industry. Relevant sections of that document state the following:-
“All sectors of Australian fishing and aquaculture need strong, effective, connected leadership to respond well to the challenges and opportunities before them...Having strong leadership capacity will generate strong fishing and aquaculture communities that are productive, profitable and resilient to change, therefore people development remains an important focus for RD&E...projects include the National Seafood Industry Leadership Program"

The above indicates the ongoing need and support for the NSILP 2018-2020. Additionally, although the NSILP 2015-2017 project is yet to be fully evaluated, there is data indicating a significant increase industry need for the NSILP. This data includes 70 unsuccessful applicants over the course of the project time frame; applicant nominators requesting the reason for unsuccessful application responses and; extremely high caliber applicants who should be accepted into the NSILP being ‘rejected’ over two consecutive years. However, the greatest need remains the ongoing succession of the industry and the need for ongoing opportunity to skill-up and build the knowledge of the individuals who will step into leadership roles.

The NSILP 2018-2020 will address the needs discussed above through providing skill development in key leadership areas such as inter-personal communication, team building and strategy planning. The NSILP will also build industry sector understanding through ensuring an annual diverse participant cohort and seek guests and program speakers who reflect industry breadth and deliver addresses that reflect the range of the industry. The NSILP will raise the positive profile of the industry through building professionalism amongst the participants and through the delivery of a number of participant addresses to the industry.

Objectives

1. To update the current NSILP through a review and desktop research process
2. To provide NSILP learning materials reflecting the above updated program
3. To facilitate a NSILP application and selection process that results in a diverse cohort of program participants
4. To provide a professionally facilitated nine-day industry leadership program for the seafood community
5. To manage the support and development of (a minimum) fifteen (15) NSILP participants/graduates
6. To create strong networks and succession opportunities between the seafood community and NSILP participants/graduates
7. To create strong networks and succession opportunities between the seafood community and NSILP participants/graduates
Industry
Blank

Whale entanglement mitigation program – understanding whale population dynamics, entanglement dynamics and gear modifications to reduce entanglements in WRL gear

Project number: 2021-091
Project Status:
Current
Budget expenditure: $750,000.00
Principal Investigator: Jason How
Organisation: Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) Hillarys
Project start/end date: 31 Mar 2022 - 31 Mar 2025
Contact:
FRDC

Need

Whale entanglement in fishing gear has posed a major threat to the Western Rock Lobster (WRL) industry over the last decade. Adverse media attention has to date been avoided, but 2020 saw the first entangled whale appear dead on a WA beach entangled with gear from the state's fisheries. Similarly, several "public" rescues were undertaken of entangled whales which is extremely dangerous. Attempts to disentangle whales has led to the death of responders previously in both Canada and New Zealand. Such events have the capacity to provide a significant threat to the activities of the WRL industry through erosion of their social license.
A program to direct entanglement mitigation research over the next four years will increase the strategic focus of research and increase the efficiency of the application and granting process, thus leading to a more rapid implementation of outcomes into the management of the fishery. Critically, broad dissemination of the outcomes of these project will assist in creating a more resilient social license. This will be important when adverse media attention is focused on the industry as the result of either the death of a whale or responder attempting to disentangle the whale.

Objectives

1. Understand the inter-annual shifts in the humpback whale migration along the WA coast
2. Determine the dynamics and WRL gear involved in humpback whale entanglements
3. Determine the population size of the Western Australian (Stock D) humpback whale population.
4. Investigate novel mitigation measures to minimise entanglements in WRL gear.
5. Support WRL gear disentanglement operators through provision of equipment and new technologies.
Communities
Environment