35 results

Establishing a national end of life fishing/aquaculture gear recovery system for Australia

Project number: 2023-124
Project Status:
Current
Budget expenditure: $273,080.00
Principal Investigator: Anissa Lawrence
Organisation: TierraMar Ltd trading as Ocean Earth Foundation
Project start/end date: 29 Sep 2024 - 29 Jun 2026
Contact:
FRDC
TAGS
Wild Catch
Recreational Fishing
Rac Wa
Marine Plastics
Environmental Impact

Need

Building on the circularity discussions and work being undertaken by FRDC and the industry, this project seeks to undertake the legwork required to establish a nationwide on-demand End of life (EOL) fishing gear recovery system for Australia and pilot it in key locations. The materials that many nets and ropes are made of are highly valuable and recyclable and in fact in many other countries, is already being recycled or remanufactured. Until now, having a national system has been cost prohibitive due to the large distances and need for economies of scale and limited local buyer interest. As a part of the national targets set by the Australian Government relating to plastics use and recycling, commercial fishing and aquaculture sectors have been exploring how to move to a circular economy model and reduce plastic inputs through a variety of projects run by FRDC and others. However, with fishing gear the biggest plastic polymer input, and contamination challenges, there has yet to be a suitable system established.

This project seeks to enable the opportunities that addressing EOL gear provides in Australia to the commercial fishing and aquaculture sector through the establishment of an effective EOL fishing gear recovery system for the country to reduce the landfill costs to industry. It seeks to build on the learnings from previous projects as well as the ten years of experience of our partner Bureo has in in operating an EOL fishing gear recovery program. Bureo currently have an EOL gear recovery system active in 9 countries.

The key objectives are:
● By the end of 2026 there is an effective end-of-life fishing/aquaculture gear recovery system implemented across key fishing ports, and key aquaculture centres benefiting regional communities and fisheries conservation and assisting the Australian Government to address plastic recovery/recycling targets.
● By the end of 2024, the enabling environment for an effective and fit for purpose EOL fishing/aquaculture gear recovery system is in place within Australia, with commencement of recycling underway in key pilot locations.

Objectives

1. By March 2025 the feasibility of and logistical requirements are understood to establish a national end of life recovery system for commercial fishing and aquaculture gear in Australia and an enabling pathway for roll out created.
2. By the end of 2026 there is an effective end-of-life fishing/aquaculture gear recovery system for Australia implemented across at least 5 key fishing ports, with measurable benefits being delivered to regional communities, industry, conservation, while contributing towards the Australian Government’s recycling targets.
Industry
Communities
PROJECT NUMBER • 2016-251
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Market study to assist target seafood marketing campaign to restore consumer confidence after Hunter River fishing closure due to contamination

In early September 2015 the discovery of a chemical contamination around the Williamtown RAAF base in the NSW Hunter Valley was made public The NSW Environment Protection Authority warned that chemicals perfluorooctane sulfonate ( and perfluorooctanoic acid ( had been found in surface...
ORGANISATION:
Intuitive Solutions
TAGS
Rac Nsw
Promotion
Marketing
Health And Safety
Contamination
Industry
Blank
PROJECT NUMBER • 2018-026
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

e-fish - An Integrated Data Capture and Sharing Project

The e-fish project provides an in-depth analysis of the challenges currently experienced by fisheries agencies in data integration and sharing. The project, led by the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) in consultation with Australia’s State and NT fisheries jurisdictions,...
ORGANISATION:
Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA)
TAGS
Traceability
Rac Cmwth
Market Opportunities
Data
App
SPECIES
John Dory
Environment
Industry

Valuing WA smaller commercial fisheries across the supply chain

Project number: 2022-038
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $149,681.00
Principal Investigator: Anders Magnusson
Organisation: BDO EconSearch
Project start/end date: 18 Oct 2022 - 24 Aug 2023
Contact:
FRDC
TAGS
Resource Sharing
Resource Sharing
Rac Wa
Non Market Values
Inshore

Need

The proposed study will produce information about the supply-chain economic contribution of selected small scale fisheries in Western Australia, as well as a method that can be applied to making these estimates for other fisheries.

The proposed approach includes making three separate estimates of the supply-chain contribution of selected fisheries using three different levels of information: (1 – minimal cost) published fishery production data and a regional economic model that describes inter-regional flows using published statistical data, (2 – minimum consultation) the same as 1 but also including a workshop with key stakeholders to inform the assumptions, and (3 – maximum data) the same as 2 but also collecting primary data from businesses along the supply-chain. As such, the estimates produced for the selected fisheries using approach 3 will be of high quality and the recommended method described in the guidelines will be informed by a comparison of the cost and performance of undertaking the analysis using each level of information.

Three approaches to obtain supply chain data will be utilised and compared in this project. Below summarises the set of data sources within each approach.

Minimal cost approach
Fishery production statistics: Published production statistics (State of the Fisheries 2020/21*) or data request to DPIRD
Fishery financials and employment: Published profiles (if available) or matched fisheries (as per 2017-210)
Supply-chain flows: Analysis of regional input-output tables, taken as given
Supply-chain financials and employment: Analysis of regional input-output tables

Minimal consultation approach
Fishery production statistics: Published production statistics (State of the Fisheries 2020/21*) or data request to DPIRD
Fishery financials and employment: Published profiles (if available) or matched fisheries (as per 2017-210)
Supply-chain flows: Estimated by workshop with stakeholders, starting from input-output table estimates
Supply-chain financials and employment: Analysis of regional input-output tables

Maximum data approach
Fishery production statistics: Published production statistics (State of the Fisheries 2020/21*) or data request to DPIRD
Fishery financials and employment: Primary data
Supply-chain flows: Primary data
Supply-chain financials and employment: Primary data

* Newman, S.J., Wise, B.S., Santoro, K.G. and Gaughan, D.J. (eds) 2021, Status Reports of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of Western Australia 2020/21: The State of the Fisheries, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western Australia.

Key to estimating the supply-chain flows for the low-data approaches, we will apply the direct coefficients from input-output tables within our RISE models to the value of each fishery to estimate the value of each node of the supply chain for each fishery. The input-output model tells us for each dollar of sales from the fishing sector there are sales to other sectors (i.e. processing, wholesale trade, retail trade, food services). Subsequently, those sectors also have sales to other sectors. By applying these coefficients in sequence we can estimate the value of each node of the supply chain. Data for input-output models are held by BDO and ultimately sourced from publications by ABS, RBA, ATO and other public organisations.

Under the minimal consultation approach, we will refine the supply-chain map developed under the minimal cost approach by eliciting judgement by key stakeholders. These stakeholders will have an idea of the size of the supply chain nodes and will be able to confirm or adjust the values according to their knowledge.

Under the maximum data approach, we will interview businesses along the supply chain in order to collect data to value each supply chain node. We will elicit the value of each business and the number and size of businesses at each node. Information on the number and approximate size of businesses at each supply chain node will be sought from industry participants at the workshop. Contact details for businesses willing to be involved in the interview process with also be sought at the workshop.

Objectives

1. To recommend a method to map and value the supply chain of small scale fisheries in WA and to estimate the economic contribution at each node of the supply chain, including options for addressing gaps in data availability.
2. To develop an extension to the Australian Fisheries and Aquaculture Industry 2017/18 Practitioner Guidelines, for assessing supply chains and economic contributions of small-scale fisheries.

Final report

ISBN: 978-0-6458962-0-6
Author: BDO EconSearch
Final Report • 2023-09-01 • 1.62 MB
2022-038-DLD.pdf

Summary

This study aimed to produce information about the economic contribution of the supply chain of selected small-scale fisheries in Western Australia (WA), as well as a method that can be applied to making these estimates for other fisheries. Substantial research has been completed to estimate the economic contribution of commercial fisheries to Australia and its regional communities, and to produce guidelines that practitioners can apply to update and regionalise these estimates. However, past research has largely focused on the ‘upstream’ activity (the flow-on effects from commercial fishing from expenditure on inputs to fishing and expenditure of income derived from fishing). Little work has been done to describe the ‘downstream’ activity (what happens to the seafood product throughout the supply chain after it has been landed, that is, as the product moves from the point of landing to final consumers), the focus of this study. This study makes three separate estimates of the economic contribution of a selection of case study fishery supply chains using three different levels of information. It then compares the sets of results for each case study to make conclusions about the quality versus cost of the approaches. 

Project products

Guide • 2023-09-01 • 806.77 KB
2022-038-Guide.pdf
Communities
PROJECT NUMBER • 2017-098
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Southern Bluefin Tuna: Changing The Trajectory

Life on the Line is the true story of the Southern Bluefin Tuna, its biological traits and its history of exploitation and most recently its recovery. This documentary covers how research, managers and the fishing industry - commercial and recreational have contributed to the recovering status of...
ORGANISATION:
Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA)
TAGS
Wild Catch
Sustainability
Stock Assessment
Recreational Fishing
Rac Cmwth
SPECIES
Chub Mackerel
Atlantic Mackerel
Shark Mackerel
Slender Tuna
Grey Mackerel
Industry
PROJECT NUMBER • 2017-179
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Sensory testing of seafood - fresh versus frozen - and development of frozen seafood recipes

There is a strong negative perception of frozen fish amongst consumers, with many considering that frozen product is of inferior quality compared to ‘fresh’ (chilled) fish. The resistance to purchase frozen fish continues, despite modern freezing technology and practices resulting in...
ORGANISATION:
Department of Primary Industries (QLD)
TAGS
Supply Chain
Seafood Quality
Consumer
Awareness
Adaptation
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