46 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
:

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.
Environment
PROJECT NUMBER • 2017-215
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Storm Bay Biogeochemical Modelling & Information System Supporting sustainable aquaculture expansion in Tasmania

This project delivers a hindcast and near real time Storm Bay Modelling and Information System that is fit for the purpose of simulating water quality and characterising nutrients in Storm Bay from ocean currents, sediment resuspension, river and anthropogenic (including fish farm) inputs. The...
ORGANISATION:
CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere Hobart
Adoption
Industry
PROJECT NUMBER • 2018-157
PROJECT STATUS:
CURRENT

Evaluation of Cobia and Giant Groper production and health in multiple growout systems, as an alternative species to farm in WSSV affected areas of South East Queensland

The report details the production performance and health performance of Cobia (Rachycentron canadum) and Giant Groper (Epinephelus lanceolatus) reared in tanks, ponds and cages within a farm in the previously white spot syndrome virus affected region of the Logan River, Queensland. Findings of this...
ORGANISATION:
Rocky Point Aquaculture Company Pty Ltd
SPECIES

Status of Australian Fish Stocks (SAFS) reports 2020, and further development of the SAFS production and dissemination system

Project number: 2019-149
Project Status:
Current
Budget expenditure: $1,385,631.49
Principal Investigator: Toby P. Piddocke
Organisation: Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC)
Project start/end date: 14 Nov 2019 - 29 Jun 2021
:

Need

The current application is to produce the SAFS reports in 2020 and address strategic issues outlined above. In order to ensure the continuation of SAFS beyond 2020, it is essential for jurisdictions to develop ownership of the reports and to embed SAFS processes in core business, and for efficiencies in production and report management to continue to progress. A parallel project to develop jurisdictional reporting services is also underway to assist jurisdiction develop their jurisdictional chapters. As documented in the independent audit of SAFS 2016 (FRDC project 2016-143), the process of compiling SAFS on a co-operative basis between FRDC, Australian government agencies and all fisheries jurisdictions has led to greater joint collaboration, as well as transfers of methodologies and processes, to deliver higher quality and more credible stock status reporting which can be accessed nationally and internationally, as well as assisting in policy decisions regarding changes to particular fisheries management arrangements and in research priorities. Primary drivers for National reporting of the SAFS include: (i) the State of the Environment Report 2011, i.e., ‘lack of a nationally integrated approach inhibits effective marine management’; (ii) a recommendation of the House of Representatives Inquiry into the Role of Science for Fisheries and Aquaculture (Netting the Benefits Report 2012), i.e., ‘producing national status report regularly’; (iii) the Australian Fisheries Management Forum national statement of intent, i.e. a key outcome of ‘Goal 1’ is the National Status of Australian Fish Stocks Report; (iv) the National Fishing and Aquaculture Strategy 2015–20, i.e., ‘Goal 1’ of this strategy will be partially measured by an increased number of fisheries assessed as environmentally sustainable in the Status of Australian Fish Stocks Reports (this includes reducing the number of stocks assessed as uncertain); (v) the FRDC RD&E Plan 2015–20, i.e., key targets for deliverables against National Priority One include (i) “Increase the number of species to 200 in the national Status of Australian Fish Stocks Reports” and (ii) “Reduce the number of species classified as ‘undefined’ from the current figure of approximately

Objectives

1. Continue to develop a set of robust and consistent national stock status reports and a strong sense of report ownership by jurisdictions
2. To produce a fifth edition of the SAFS reports in 2020
3. Increase the number of species in SAFS to provide a comprehensive coverage of species of interest to stakeholder groups that will refer to the reports for information on sustainability and management success.
4. Reduction in the number (percentage) of species classified as 'undefined' where possible using data-poor assessment methodology
Environment
Adoption
PROJECT NUMBER • 2018-180
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Benchmarking for health and productivity in aquaculture

Benchmarking is a form of evaluation undertaken by comparing a measure with a standard. With its widespread adoption across many industries, benchmarking was identified as an important area for development in aquatic industries through the national strategic plan for aquatic animal health (AQUAPLAN...
ORGANISATION:
Agriculture Victoria
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Environment
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