59 results
Industry
PROJECT NUMBER • 2018-059
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

World Fisheries Congress 2020 - Sharing our Oceans and Rivers: a 2020 vision for the world’s fisheries

The World Fisheries Congress is the premier international fisheries congress, bringing together research, industry and management to discuss the latest advances in fisheries world-wide. The 8th World Fisheries Congress, hosted from Adelaide, Australia from 20 to 24 September 2021, was...
ORGANISATION:
University of Adelaide
TAGS
Wild Catch
Sustainability
Stakeholder
Responsible Fishing
Marketing

Futures of Seafood. Wild. Aquaculture. Recreational. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders

Project number: 2023-092
Project Status:
Current
Budget expenditure: $2,750,000.00
Principal Investigator: Angela Williamson
Organisation: Blue Economy Cooperative Research Centre Co-Ltd
Project start/end date: 30 Nov 2023 - 27 Nov 2025
Contact:
FRDC
TAGS
Resource Access And Allocation
Renewable Energy
Marine Park
Energy
Energy

Need

“Futures of Seafood” is an 18th month multi-disciplinary study co-designed with industry and government. It will draw from existing data, complementary work underway or concluded, and importantly will involve a suite our outputs that can be used by a variety of stakeholders in formats that are fit for purpose.

The study will provide a contemporary description on the state of play of Australia’s seafood system, the supply chain, markets and its reach into communities. It will identify and report on trends, insights, forecasts and cumulative impacts that are impacting (positive and negative) the industry. It will include the first in-depth spatial and descriptive profile of the seafood industry by sector and jurisdiction through spatial mapping and productivity reporting since Marine Matters in 2003. Beyond seafood, it will also identify, describe and map other ocean uses (new, emerging and transitioning), including assumptions about current growth plans / policies / rights completed / taken up, looking towards 2040.

Drawing from information collated, the study will include scenario modelling to model and scrutinise the cumulative impacts of these trends and produce associated impact reporting against productivity and sustainability (social, economic, environmental and governance) metrics for a series of ten scenarios.

It will synthesise the study findings, as well as curate across other studies underway or completed, to develop a series of industry-specific assets (reports, tools, frameworks and systems) that aim to improve knowledge and support ongoing participation in the ocean estate policy conversation. This includes supporting priority contemporary frameworks to support transitions to future states and de-risking industry/sectors.

‘Futures of Seafood’ will support a shared understanding of the potential pathways and opportunities that lie ahead for Australia’s seafood stakeholders during this time of rapid change and transformation. It will furthermore provide a foundation for industry, Government and policy makers to make better decisions, navigate changes, and ensure industry and stakeholders are well-equipped to adapt and hopefully flourish in a dynamic environment.

This study and its intended outputs are consistent with and seeks to promote action against local, national, and global strategic initiatives, including those of the High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, the Biodiversity Framework within the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Paris Declaration, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and associated Forward Faster Initiative.

WORK PACKAGE SUMMARY

In short, this is a novel study that describes, maps and models the spatial, economic and social impacts of Government targets and decisions, provides evidence-based insights and charts a course for Australia’s futures of seafood alongside other ocean uses for the coming 10-15 years.

It will be delivered through a series of four work packages. These are founded on an enduring data collation platform, undertaken by a series of expert commissions and overseen and supported by a strong and inclusive governance framework.

Work Package 1: State of Play
• Identify data system to support mapping and describing the current state of the industries/sectors – i.e. locations, GVP, employment, production, jurisdiction input/output.
• Identify social and economic values i.e. contribution to regional communities, nutrition + value of supply chain.
• Deliver a contemporary description on the building blocks and state of play of Australia's ocean food system, its supply chain and markets alongside the other uses of the ocean estate.
• Investigate and report the trends, forecasts and cumulative impacts (positive and negative) on Australia's seafood industry. i.e. Nutritional security; spatial squeeze; working in a changing climate i.e. resilience, adaptation, emergency response; Industry transitions i.e. decarbonisation; Jurisdiction i.e. policy/strategy, production v consumption; Workforce + training; Nature based solutions & investment, sustainable food systems i.e. ESG and sustainability

Work Package 2: Future Estate
• Map and overlay impacts of new and emerging transitioning industries in the ocean estate.
• Identify and describe the trends, forecasts and cumulative impacts affecting the seafood industry.
• Map/measure/describe the implications of trends, forecasts and cumulative impacts of these industries and impacts (positive and negative) on Australia's seafood industry.
• Describe other uses of the ocean estate.

Work Package 3: Scenario Modelling
• Design and develop tool to test future state scenarios for commercial, recreational and indigenous fishing.
• Undertake a series of impact scenario examples: i.e. spatial squeeze/crowded ocean, a changing climate, a regulatory reset, sector case studies and cumulative pressures.
• Use the scenarios to deliver impact reporting on productivity, nutrition and sustainability metrics to include: spatial mapping, heat maps, regulatory options, socio-economic attributes, community sentiment, nutrition, consumer and market impacts and opportunities.

Work Package 4: Synthesis
• Synthesis of research from WPs into a complete report and communications assets.
• Develop a Futures of Seafood Roadmap to navigate the likely impacts of the futures scenarios.

Governance Framework
• This collaboration will bring together leaders from industry sectors and government portfolios of agriculture, energy and environment.
• A strong and inclusive governance model is proposed to capture the breadth of stakeholders and ensure oversight of the study, strategic relevance and timely input from data and information contributors.
• Oversight Committee
• Industry + Community Advisory Committee
• Government Advisory Committee
• WP Technical Teams + Data Management & Communications Teams
• Terms of Reference for each committee with be established.

Project Management
• This will be supported by a mature project administration system, drawing from the Blue Economy project management system, a governance model and also an independent project evaluator to undertake assurance and integrity of program logic and models.

Objectives

1. Provide a contemporary description on the state of play of Australia’s seafood system, the supply chain, markets and its reach into communities.
2. Identify the trends, insights, forecasts and cumulative impacts that are impacting (positive and negative) Australia's seafood industry.
3. Provide an in-depth spatial and descriptive profile of the seafood industry by sector and jurisdiction through spatial mapping and productivity reporting.
4. Identify, describe and map other ocean uses (new, emerging and transitioning), including assumptions about current growth plans / policies / rights completed / taken up, looking towards 2040.
5. Develop scenario modelling tools to model these trends and produce associated impact reporting against productivity and sustainability (social, economic, environmental and governance) metrics.
6. Synthesise the research and available to develop industry-specific assets (tools, frameworks and systems) that improve knowledge and support ongoing participation in the ocean estate policy conversation.
7. Progress priority contemporary frameworks to support transitions to future states and de-risking industry/sectors.
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People
PROJECT NUMBER • 2022-153
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Fishing and Aquaculture Workforce Capability Framework

In 2023 RM Consulting Group (RMCG) was contracted by FRDC to develop a Fisheries and Aquaculture (F&A) Workforce Capability Framework (hereafter referred to as the Framework) that would be used as a high-level, standardised tool across all F&A sectors. The FRDC and other groups in leadership...
ORGANISATION:
RM Consulting Group (RMCG)
TAGS
Workforce
Leadership
Capacity Building
Blank
PROJECT NUMBER • 2018-197
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Developing FRDC’s 2020-2025 RD&E Plan

This report covers the second of two CSIRO contributions to the project FRDC 2018-197. This project was reviewing FRDC research objectives through a process that developed alternative scenarios of possible futures relevant to Australian fisheries. Discussed here is the development of a...
ORGANISATION:
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC)
TAGS
Stakeholder
Fisheries Management
Aquaculture

National Recreational Fishing Conference bursary 2019

Project number: 2019-146
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $31,796.17
Principal Investigator: Owen Li
Organisation: Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC)
Project start/end date: 20 Oct 2019 - 19 Dec 2019
Contact:
FRDC
TAGS
Recreational Fishing
Education
Conference
Community

Need

This bursary will deliver against one of Recreational Fishing Research’s RD&E priorities this year: “Upskilling current and emerging leaders within the recreational fishing community”. The bursary will also deliver against the FRDC nominated RD&E priority of “People development”. The National Conference is an excellent opportunity to bring young leaders together to learn about and discuss topical issues and the applications of citizen science to the future of recreational fishing.

Engagements with the Australian Recreational Fishing Foundation, and representatives from several state peak bodies have indicated there is a real need to create more learning and development opportunities for current and emerging leaders in the community. This proposal will outline how state peak bodies and the recreational fishing community will be engaged with the aim of sending 2 representatives from each state to the National Conference. This project will give bursary recipients a forum to share their goals and visions for recreational fishing with other leaders before the conference, mentorship during the conference itself, and a platform to share their learning and intentions after the conference.

Objectives

1. Proactively work with the state peak bodies and recreational fishing community to identify current and emerging leaders worthy of receiving the bursary
2. Provide a platform for bursary recipients to share experiences, vision, and learnings
3. Provide bursary recipients opportunities to form collaborative relationships with leaders from other states

Final report

Author: Recfishing Research
Final Report

Summary

Introduction
Over the 10th and 11th of December 2019, the Australian Recreational Fishing Federation held their biannual National recreational Fishing Conference in Hobart, Tasmania. The theme of this conference was “Our Fishing. Our Research. Our Recreational Future”.

In response to the ARFF’s request, the FRDC commissioned a bursary program for 16 individuals from around the country (2 from NT, QLD, TAS, VIC and WA, 3 from NSW, 1 from SA, and 2 Indigenous representatives). 5 leaders from the Victorian Fishing Authority’s Women in Recreational Fishing (WIRF) network were also invited to join activities organised for the bursary winner, and 2 members of Recfish West, whose expenses were paid by Recfish West were also allowed to join the activities.

Program participants attended a half-day introductory workshop the day before the conference, had full access to all conference activities for the 10th -11th of December including the gala dinner, and attended a half-day consolidation workshop on the 12th when feedback was gathered before returning home.

Bursary recipients
Upon application, the bursary winners provided answers to the following:
  • Why do you wish to attend this specific conference?
  • What do you intend to do for the recreational fishing community upon your return from the conference?
The following are the bursary recipients and their affiliations:
  • Howard Jones (TAS) - Executive member of Anglers Alliance Tasmania.
  • Gary France (TAS) - Anglers Alliance Tasmania.
  • Mitchell McMaster (VIC) - Geelong and Bellarine Facilitator for Fishcare.
  • Tom Clayson (VIC) - Member of Fishcare.
  • Laura Schroder (SA) - Marine Scientist
  • Melita McKinnon (NT) - Amateur Fishermen’s Association Northern Territory, Darwin Game Fishing Club
  • Kurt Davis (QLD) - Marine Scientist
  • Robbie Porter (QLD) - Central Moreton Bay Chapter for OzFish Unlimited
  • Adam Martin (NSW) - Australian Recreational Fishing Foundation
  • Eric Burns (NSW) - Jindabyne Branch of the Monaro Acclimatization Society
  • David Harris (NSW) - Team leader Inland Waterways OsFish Unlimited
  • Alanna Hubbard (WA) - Recfishwests
  • Steph Watts (WA) - Recfishwest, 

Resource Sharing in Australian Fisheries Workshop - Progress to Date, Lessons Learnt and Next Steps towards a harmonised approach

Project number: 2019-142
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $11,750.00
Principal Investigator: Nick D. Rayns
Organisation: FutureCatch Consulting
Project start/end date: 13 Nov 2019 - 30 Dec 2019
Contact:
FRDC
TAGS
Workshop
Stock Assessment
Stakeholder
Resource Sharing
Resource Sharing

Need

There is an urgent need to reflect on the current state of fisheries resource sharing in Australia and how it can meet future demands. Over the past 20 years individual Australian jurisdictions have developed and implemented resource sharing arrangements. These generally apply to commercial and recreational fisheries, and in some cases indigenous cultural fishers. The resource sharing arrangements stem from the objectives of fisheries legislation in Australia which is based on the principles of ESD that include consideration of all fishery resource users in the management of fisheries. Understandably when management resources are limited the focus is on those having the greatest impact on fish stock which for most species is the commercial sector, and sometimes the recreational sector. The use of OCS provisions in fisheries legislation was both an effort to simplify commercial fisheries management and reduce the need to have resource sharing arrangements. While this was largely successful it has run its course due to the value of commercial rights ($billions) that have now accrued under current OCS agreements making it almost impossible to make further significant changes. Alongside these developments a component of the recreational fishing sector has been increasing its range and capacity to catch fish using larger boats and technology similar to that employed by some commercial fishers. This has led to traditionally commercial species being accessed by recreational fishers with growing concerns from the former sector about their fishing future. Various policies and statutes have been implemented by the states/NT in an effort to allocate the shares of a fish stock. This has become easier as a growing number of fish stocks are subject to TACs with the commercial fishers subject to ITQs and recreational fishers to increasingly stock-specific possession limits. Despite this those states/NT who have implemented resource sharing have experienced its contentious, costly and drawn out nature, and are only starting to confront stocks which cross both jurisdictions and fishing sectors. It is time to reflect on experience to date and find the best way to manage fisheries resource sharing in the future.

Objectives

1. To find common ground on resource sharing across Australian jurisdictions and consider the benefits of working towards a harmonised approach.
2. If objective 1 achieved, hold conversations with AFMF and leaders in various fishery stakeholder groups to determine the next steps

Workshop

ISBN: 978-0-6487824-0-7
Author: Dr Nick Rayns
Workshop • 2020-01-01 • 829.13 KB
2019-142-DLD.pdf

Summary

Resource sharing is a high priority for the Australian Fisheries Managers Forum (AFMF) with all Australian jurisdictions in the process of developing or having developed policies associated with this issue. Some have gone further and implemented resource sharing with limited success. It has been many years since fisheries managers collectively discussed the status of these policies and their experiences implementing them. As a first step towards a more harmonised approach for fishery resource sharing in Australia FRDC funded this workshop to develop a preferred pathway(s) to doing so. AFMF considered the workshop outcomes and has provided its advice on the next steps which will centre around a fisheries managers’ toolkit that is developed in association with the AFMF Fisheries Management Committee using a development process like that of the National Harvest Strategy Guidelines and Co-Management Report. This will involve a further application for FRDC funding and engagement with key fishery stakeholders.
People
PROJECT NUMBER • 2018-149
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

2019 review of the FRDC investment in People Development

FRDC has a significant and long-term commitment to supporting the development of people in fisheries and aquaculture. The current guide for investment is the People Development Program Plan 2013-2015. This review has been undertaken to consider progress against that Plan and to provide advice about...
ORGANISATION:
Anwen Lovett Consulting
Industry
PROJECT NUMBER • 2018-177
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

'If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else' - Future proofing the Australian Mud Crab Industry through improved strategic direction

BACKGROUND Australian mud crab fisheries extend from northern Western Australia (WA) across the Northern Territory (NT) and Queensland (Qld) through to northern New South Wales (NSW) and are managed across the four jurisdictions. The product from each jurisdiction is sold into a...
ORGANISATION:
C-AID Consultants
TAGS
Rac Wa
Rac Vic
Rac Qld
Rac Nt
Rac Nsw
SPECIES
Mud Crabs

Informing the structural reform of South Australia's Marine Scalefish Fishery

Project number: 2017-014
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $496,836.00
Principal Investigator: Jonathan Smart
Organisation: SARDI Food Safety and Innovation
Project start/end date: 30 Jun 2017 - 29 Jun 2020
Contact:
FRDC
TAGS
Wild Catch
Sustainability
Resource Access And Allocation
Recreational Fishing
Rac Sa

Need

South Australia’s Marine Scalefish Fishery (MSF) is currently undergoing a strategic review with the principal aim of restructuring the fishery in order to ensure its long-term sustainability and economic viability. The heterogeneous mixture of participants, fishing devices, licence conditions and regulations associated with this fishery makes the tasks of administering and managing it extremely challenging. These complexities intertwined within a highly dynamic fleet that is capable of shifting fishing effort amongst species and regions often alters the emphasis of its overarching management. Industry and Government are working collaboratively to address the inherent complexities of the fishery through firstly developing a mechanism to rationalise the fleet, then reforming its overall structure, and ultimately refining its future management. In order to optimise this structural reform, it is necessary to disentangle and understand the fleet dynamics of this extremely complex fishery. This project aims to explore the implications of strategic management options (e.g. regionalisation, licensing, ITQ’s and ITE’s) on the future structure and viability of the MSF, from resource sustainability, economic and social perspectives.

Objectives

1. To review the structure and function of multi-species, multi-gear fisheries around the world.
2. To disentangle the complexities of the South Australian commercial Marine Scalefish Fishery to describe long-term spatio-temporal trends in the composition, dynamics and socio-economic performance of the fishing fleet
3. To evaluate the possible strategic management options such as regionalisation, licensing, ITQs and ITEs on the future structure and viability of South Australia’s MSF
4. To determine the biological, economic and social 'carrying capacity' of the MSF across key regions of the fishery.

Final report

ISBN: 978-1-876007-43-0
Authors: Jonathan Smart Mike Steer Fred Bailleul David Hall Ian Knuckey Anders Magnusson Julian Morison Jon Presser and Jacki Schirmer
Final Report • 2022-09-27 • 29.96 MB
2017-014-DLD.pdf

Summary

This study was undertaken by the South Australia Research and Development Institute (SARDI) in collaboration with PIRSA Fisheries and Aquaculture, BDO EconSearch, the Marine Fishers Association (MFA), Fishwell Consulting and University of Canberra. This project guided the reform of South Australia’s commercial Marine Scalefish Fishery (MSF) by providing scientific advice and analyses to underpin its implementation. The MSF is a multi-sector, multi-gear and multi-species fishery, making any management reform a complex and difficult process. Both the sustainability of key stocks and commercial fishery’s economic performance have been deteriorating over a 20-year period; significantly influenced by fishery overcapitalisation. Simply put, there were too many fishers and not enough fish to support a vibrant and sustainable commercial fishery. This was addressed through the three ‘pillars’ of the reform: regionalisation, unitisation and rationalisation. These pillars were reflected in the reform with: 1) the creation of four new zones of management; 2) implementation of individual transferable quotas (ITQs) for appropriate ‘Tier 1’ stocks; and 3) rationalisation of the commercial MSF fleet by removing one third of licences through a voluntary licence surrender program (VLSP). These pillars were supported by research on the biological, economic and social carrying capacity of the fishery. The reform was implemented on 1 July 2021 resulting in a fishery that has regional management with appropriate output controls and a reduced fleet size.

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