13 results

Developing novel remote camera approaches to assess and monitor the population status of Australian sea lions

Project number: 2017-119
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $184,631.00
Principal Investigator: Stephen M. Taylor
Organisation: Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) WA
Project start/end date: 31 Dec 2017 - 30 Dec 2019
Contact:
FRDC

Need

The Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea) is the only endemic species of Australian pinniped and is listed as Vulnerable under the EPBC Act due to historical reduction in numbers, declining population trends, limited biological productivity and continued bycatch in various fisheries. Measures to mitigate sea lion mortality in the Commonwealth's Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery include extensive gillnet fishing closures that have led to significant displacement of fishing effort. Despite the measures to protect South Australian sea lion colonies, pup production has been estimated to have declined at most South Australian colonies and overall by 2.9% per year or 4.4% per breeding cycle between 2004-2008 and 2014-2015 (Goldsworthy et al., 2015).

Gillnet exclusion areas have also been proposed in the Western Australian Demersal Gillnet and Demersal Longline Fisheries, however these have not yet been implemented, in part due to uncertainties in the current status of most Western Australian sea lion colonies and risk of unintended consequences from displaced fishing effort. Despite the high level of conservation concern for this species and the severity of fishery management measures aimed at reducing their bycatch mortality, abundance has not been estimated for most WA colonies since the early-1990s (Gales 1993). Contemporary assessments of colony status are therefore required to identify the WA colonies that are most at risk from depletion (either through fisheries bycatch or other natural or anthropogenic processes) and guide effective conservation decisions.

Historically, monitoring has involved a 'boots-on-the-ground' approach to count the numbers of pups being born. However, this approach is expensive, logistically difficult, hazardous and entirely dependent on accurate estimation of the timing of colony-specific pupping seasons. It is therefore proposed to evaluate the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of remote camera methods to collect alternative sea lion abundance estimates.

Objectives

1. Evaluate the feasibility of using remote cameras as a method for monitoring the status of Australian sea lion colonies
2. Collect sea lion abundance estimates from study colonies over an 18 month period (full breeding cycle) to update understanding of their conservation status
3. Provide continuous time-series of vision and ancillary in-situ data for other ecological or behavioural research into dynamics of WA sea lion colonies

Final report

ISBN: 978-1-921845-32-1
Authors: Mat Hourston Daniela Waltrick Stuart Blight Ainslie Denham Alex Hesp Stephen Taylor
Final Report • 2022-12-01 • 4.54 MB
2017-119-DLD.pdf

Summary

This project trialled the use of remote cameras to monitor the relative abundance of Australian sea lions (ASLs, Neophoca cinerea) at three Western Australian (WA) breeding colonies. The research was undertaken by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) to assess whether the analysis of camera footage could be used to estimate ASL relative abundance, providing an alternative to the traditional “boots on the ground” approach (hereon in “BoG”) of visiting colonies to count animals. This report outlines the strengths and limitations of this novel approach rather than providing an update on the population status of ASLs.
Industry

Seafood Escapes with ET

Project number: 2016-501
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $224,320.00
Principal Investigator: Andrew Ettingshausen
Organisation: Escape Productions Group
Project start/end date: 6 Oct 2016 - 27 Feb 2017
Contact:
FRDC

Need

There is a range of seafood caught in Australia that is unknown and under appreciated by consumers across the country. There are two reasons for this. First consumers do not know about the species, and second they do not know what to do with them or how to best use them - despite a simple approach, such as pan fried or steamed being perfect for them. By telling a great story and providing terrific information. Everybody has to eat and our sustainable fishing message will convince more Aussies to eat seafood.

There is a clear need to provide the Australian public via mass communications, namely TV, the wide range of species that are available, where they come from and how to cook them.

The need is also highlighted in the FRDC RD&E Plan and Annual Operating Plan both highlight under Priority 2 a need to expand the number of under-utilised species that are utilised with a particular focus on increasing the profitably.

Annual Operating Plan 2016-17
2. Improved productivity and profitability of fishing and aquaculture. Key activities this financial year include:
• progressing the development of the Easy Open Oyster,
• building on the outputs and structures in post-harvest processing established by the Seafood CRC,
• expanding the number of underutilised to utilised species,
• further improving post-harvest waste utilisation,
• scope business opportunities for indigenous Australians and
• develop techniques to empower stakeholders to enhance habitats to improve productivity.

FRDC RD&E Plan 2015-20
National Priority 2 – Improved productivity and profitability
Aim: By 2020, delivery of RD&E for fishing and aquaculture to increase productivity and profitability consistent with economic, social and environmental sustainability.
Strategy: Invest in RD&E to understand the drivers of and impediments to productivity and profitability growth in all fishing and aquaculture sectors; research means of increasing sustainable production and profitability; link these to business education; encompass the needs of Indigenous communities.
Priority area activities: RD&E that demonstrates how to use underutilised and undervalued species sustainably and more profitably

Objectives

1. To raise community awareness of six under-appreciated commercial species
2. To raise the profile and educate the community about the practices used by commercial fishermen
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PROJECT NUMBER • 2019-013
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Modelling environmental changes and effects on wild-caught species in Queensland

This project studied environmental factors which may be influencing the recruitment, catchability or productivity of Snapper, Pearl Perch, and Spanner Crab stocks in Queensland. Two environmental variables: GSLA and Chl-a were found to have strong associations with either abundance or catchability...
ORGANISATION:
University of Queensland (UQ)
Industry
Environment
PROJECT NUMBER • 2018-091
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Assessment of national-scale tracking of commercially important fish species

In this FRDC project, a team from Integrated Marine Observing System Animal Tracking Facility (IMOS ATF), in coordination with state and federal agencies and the Fisheries and Aquaculture Research Providers Network (RPN) met. They systematically reconfigured the IMOS ATF national network to...
ORGANISATION:
Sydney Institute of Marine Science (SIMS)
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