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Industry
PROJECT NUMBER • 2019-107
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Attendance at the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations, Tenure and User Rights Conference in Yeosu, Korea 10 to 14 September 2018

The present project, which was undertaken by Primary Industries and Regions South Australia, was developed to provide the opportunity to showcase the management arrangements in the Spencer Gulf Prawn Fishery (SGPF) and expand the knowledge base in relation to contemporary management arrangements in...
ORGANISATION:
Department of Primary Industries and Regions South Australia (PIRSA)
People

Opportunities and impacts of range extending scalefish species: understanding population dynamics, ecosystem impacts and management needs

Project number: 2018-070
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $249,587.00
Principal Investigator: Sean Tracey
Organisation: University of Tasmania
Project start/end date: 31 May 2019 - 30 Nov 2020
Contact:
FRDC

Need

Species-level responses to ocean warming is a priority research area as they underpin the structure and function of marine ecosystems and the productivity of fisheries that operate within them.
There are a number of range extending species that have become increasingly abundant in Tasmanian waters, providing new fishing opportunities for recreational and, to a lesser extent, commercial fishers. Species in this group include Pink Snapper, King George Whiting and Yellowtail Kingfish. While King George Whiting are known to spawn off the north coast it is unclear as to whether the other species have or are likely to become established as self-sustaining populations in Tasmanian waters or simply persist as spill-over from populations that are centered off mainland Australia. If the former is the case, it will be especially important to consider population attributes such as growth, mortality and reproductive dynamics relevant to the Tasmanian populations when developing and refining management arrangements to maximise the opportunities these 'new' species bring.

In addition, the broader ecosystem impacts of such range extending species, including competition with resident species at similar trophic levels, are unknown but could have consequences for other recreationally and commercially important species. Understanding these relationships will have benefits for the assessment and management of the Tasmanian recreational fishery more generally.

Objectives

1. Develop a program for ongoing collection of biological samples and data of key range-shifting fish species using citizen science initiatives engaging with the recreational fishing community.
2. Develop geographically discrete life-history parameters for key range-shifting fish species in Tasmania to inform management decisions.
3. Determine the diet composition of key range-shifting fish species to refine parameterisation of an ecosystem model.
4. Utilise the Atlantis ecosystem model framework to predict ecological impacts of increasing abundance of key range-shifting fish species in Tasmania.
5. Develop species distribution models that utilise oceanographic climate change projections to predict the future presence and persistence of the key target species in Tasmania.

Final report

ISBN: 978-1-922708-28-1
Author: Alexia Graba-Landry
Final Report • 2022-05-12 • 13.57 MB
2018-070-DLD.pdf

Summary

This work set out to quantify the biology and diet of three key range-shifting species in Tasmania with both recreational and commercial fishery value. The project was heavily reliant on engagement from the recreational fishing community and multiple citizen science initiatives, as well as historical data.

The information collected was used in modelling to predict how suitable habitats for each species may shift under future climate change projections. The work also indicated the potential changes to the ecosystem (such as food web) if these species’ ranges were to move.

SafeFish 2018-2021

Project number: 2018-004
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $812,452.02
Principal Investigator: Natalie R. Dowsett
Organisation: SARDI Food Safety and Innovation
Project start/end date: 30 Jun 2018 - 29 Jun 2021
Contact:
FRDC

Need

Maintaining and enhancing market access for Australian seafood is critical for future industry growth. SafeFish makes a significant contribution to this by carrying out three types of projects:
1. Food safety incident responses. The SafeFish partners come together during each incident to provide industry and government with immediate technical information required to respond to the incident. Subsequently, technical input is provided to update policies for prevention of similar incidents and respond to them should they recur. Appropriate technical responses reduce the impact of food safety incidents and ensure better outcomes for future management.
2. Technical input to inter-government consultations on food regulations and market access. It is essential for the Australian seafood industry to participate in consultations such as Codex to ensure that proposed new, or modified, regulations are pragmatic and cost-effective for the Australian seafood industry. It is far easier to influence standards under development than after they have been finalised. Similarly, it is essential for the seafood industry to stay in close contact with Food Safety Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) when domestic food safety regulations are reviewed.
3. Proactive research, risk analyses and training. The safety of Australian seafood is not negotiable in domestic and international markets. Over recent years SafeFish has conducted many activities to assist the industry anticipate and minimize food safety risks. The objective of the activities has always been to identify and mitigate risks before they cause a problem, or to grow knowledge to enable us to improve our risk management in a cost effective manner.

Objectives

1. To deliver robust food safety research and advice to industry and regulators that underpins Australia's reputation as a producer of safe seafood.
2. To maintain and enhance the capabilities in Australia to provide that research and advice in a cost effective, efficient and timely manner.

Report

ISBN: 978-1-876007-37-9
Authors: Natalie Dowsett Stephen Pahl Navreet Malhi Andreas Seger and Alison Turnbull
Report • 2021-06-30 • 828.13 KB
2018-004-DLD.pdf

Summary

SafeFish is an initiative that was developed by the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) in 2010 (Project 2010-752-10: SafeFish - Seafood Trade Expert Panel funded by the Australian Seafood CRC until 2015). Following this, the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) and several industry bodies provided funding under two separate grants: Project 2015-212 which ran from 2015-2018 and the current grant Project 2018-004 which ran from 2018-2021. Since its inception, SafeFish has successfully enabled seafood industry sectors to respond in a coordinated and professional manner to technical trade and market access impediments that arise, especially in relation to food safety and hygiene. It provides industry and government departments with access to technical and scientific capability to manage known risks and assists to identify and address new risks and market access barriers that emerge. 
 
Over the past three years (2018-2021) SafeFish has delivered robust food safety research and advice to industry and regulators to underpin Australia’s reputation as a producer of safe seafood, and by maintaining and enhancing the capabilities of SafeFish to provide that research and advice in a cost effective, efficient and timely manner. The increased support from the seafood industry to continue to fund SafeFish for a further three years is testament to the success of this project, and the need for such work in Australia. 
 
Industry
PROJECT NUMBER • 2019-060
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

The Detection of Ciguatera Toxins in NSW Spanish Mackerel

Ciguatera Poisoning (CP) is an illness through the consumption of fish containing naturally occurring toxins, and is considered a high risk for Australian seafood safety. Ciguatoxins (CTXs) are produced by benthic microalgae (Gambierdiscus spp). In Australia, CP cases are related to fish caught in...
ORGANISATION:
University of Technology Sydney (UTS)

Media messages about sustainable seafood: how do media influencers affect consumer attitudes?

Project number: 2017-131
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $85,550.36
Principal Investigator: Michelle Phillipov
Organisation: University of Adelaide
Project start/end date: 31 Dec 2017 - 30 Dec 2019
Contact:
FRDC

Need

From television cooking shows to social media, an intensified media focus on food has increased public visibility of issues of food provenance and sustainability in recent years. This has profoundly changed the communications landscape in which Australian food industries operate. There is now increased scrutiny and criticism of food industry activities not just from the ‘usual suspects’ (such as environmental activists), but also from a range of new players: celebrity chefs, food bloggers, social media ‘clicktivists’, and other media influencers. On the issue of sustainable seafood, these influencers have often been successful in securing a greater share of media ‘voice’ than industry itself. This is concerning because influencers’ messages are not always aligned with industry claims or with Government sustainability assessments. We know from international research that food celebrities and food media can either encourage or deter seafood consumption depending on the message (Bowman & Stewart 2013), but we don’t yet know what the impact is of Australian media, and media influencers, on consumer purchasing intentions, their attitudes and beliefs regarding the sustainability of Australian seafood, and the social acceptability of the industry. Aligning with National Priority 1 and its focus on industry communications strategy, this project will examine media coverage of Australian domestic fisheries sectors to identify: the messages about sustainable seafood prominent in Australian media; the media influencers, strategies, and professional networks underpinning their circulation; and how these messages are understood and interpreted by consumers. This knowledge will be used to inform communication strategies that will ensure clearer sustainability messages, reduce consumer confusion, and improve consumer trust in the Australian seafood industry.

Objectives

1. To identify the role and preferred mechanisms of media influencers in shaping media messages about the sustainability of Australian produced seafood and the Australian domestic seafood industry that are successful in achieving the greatest share of media ‘voice’, and to evaluate the impacts of this on consumer perceptions.
2. Contribute to the ongoing development of National Priority 1 Communications Strategy.
3. Offer best-practice strategies for dealing with the divergent messages from industry, and media influencers, and in doing so, boost the profile of the Australian seafood industry achievements in relation to sustainability initiatives.

Article

Author: Michelle Phillipov
Article • 2018-08-27 • 218.11 KB
Media Messages about Sustainable Seafood_Update 1.pdf

Summary

We have conducted a comprehensive media survey of key media texts across all major genres and platforms for the past 3 years (2015-2018) to identify: the major reported issues affecting seafood sustainability; the role of celebrity chefs and media influencers in this media coverage; and the effects of different media and communications strategies in contributing to ‘share of voice’ in key issues.

Project products

Report • 2020-04-01 • 2.80 MB
2017-131-DLD Media Survey.pdf

Summary

This report outlines results from a preliminary analysis of media (news, social, and lifestyle media) over a 4-year period of 2015–2018, focusing on media examples that have the potential to shape consumer attitudes about the sustainability of Australian seafood. The effectiveness of these messages will be tested in interviews with chefs and media influencers, and in focus groups with seafood consumers.
Report • 2020-04-01 • 4.92 MB
2017-131-DLD Best Practices for Media Engagement.pdf

Summary

This guide includes best practice principles, strategies and practical advice that will enable the Australian seafood industry to plan, carry out, and evaluate communication activities. In today’s hyper-mediated world, effective media engagement is essential. Even if media engagement feels like just ‘one more thing’ on an ever-expanding list of tasks, this guide will help to make best use of the time and resources available to ensure the best return possible.
Final Report • 2020-04-01 • 12.52 MB
2017-131-DLD.pdf

Summary

Influential individuals, such as chefs, industry figures and media content producers, are increasingly important to how food and sustainability issues are publicly framed, and to how these issues and industries may be perceived by consumers. This research has identified best practices for media engagement when communicating sustainability messages by analysing the media messages circulating about the sustainability of Australian seafood, the roles and attitudes of media influencers in circulating these messages, and the perceptions of seafood consumers when engaging with these messages.

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