47 results
Environment
PROJECT NUMBER • 2018-120
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

NCCP: Population dynamics and Carp biomass estimates

This study was undertaken by the Arthur Rylah Institute for the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning. Carp (Cyprinus carpio) is Australia’s most invasive pest fish. To facilitate more effective management, the Australian Government is considering release of a Carp herpesvirus...
ORGANISATION:
Department of Environment Land Water and Planning (DELWP)
TAGS
Reproduction
Population Dynamics
Modelling
Invasive Species
Habitat
SPECIES
European Carp

Whale entanglement mitigation program – understanding whale population dynamics, entanglement dynamics and gear modifications to reduce entanglements in WRL gear

Project number: 2021-091
Project Status:
Current
Budget expenditure: $750,000.00
Principal Investigator: Jason How
Organisation: Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) Hillarys
Project start/end date: 31 Mar 2022 - 31 Mar 2025
Contact:
FRDC
SPECIES
Western Rock Lobster

Need

Whale entanglement in fishing gear has posed a major threat to the Western Rock Lobster (WRL) industry over the last decade. Adverse media attention has to date been avoided, but 2020 saw the first entangled whale appear dead on a WA beach entangled with gear from the state's fisheries. Similarly, several "public" rescues were undertaken of entangled whales which is extremely dangerous. Attempts to disentangle whales has led to the death of responders previously in both Canada and New Zealand. Such events have the capacity to provide a significant threat to the activities of the WRL industry through erosion of their social license.
A program to direct entanglement mitigation research over the next four years will increase the strategic focus of research and increase the efficiency of the application and granting process, thus leading to a more rapid implementation of outcomes into the management of the fishery. Critically, broad dissemination of the outcomes of these project will assist in creating a more resilient social license. This will be important when adverse media attention is focused on the industry as the result of either the death of a whale or responder attempting to disentangle the whale.

Objectives

1. Understand the inter-annual shifts in the humpback whale migration along the WA coast
2. Determine the dynamics and WRL gear involved in humpback whale entanglements
3. Determine the population size of the Western Australian (Stock D) humpback whale population.
4. Investigate novel mitigation measures to minimise entanglements in WRL gear.
5. Support WRL gear disentanglement operators through provision of equipment and new technologies.
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PROJECT NUMBER • 2018-070
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

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

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...
ORGANISATION:
University of Tasmania
TAGS
Stakeholder
Reproduction
Recreational Fishing
Rac Tas
Population Dynamics
Environment
Environment
Environment
Environment
Environment
Environment

Compilation of information for the US Marine Mammal Protection Act Comparability Finding process

Project number: 2019-212
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $77,840.00
Principal Investigator: Alice I. Mackay
Organisation: Alice Ilona Mackay
Project start/end date: 11 Oct 2020 - 18 Feb 2021
Contact:
FRDC
TAGS
Resource Rehabilitation
Population Dynamics
Mortality
Market Opportunities
Fisheries Management

Need

The Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment require relevant information be collated on marine mammal populations that interact with fisheries classified as 'export' under the provisions of the US Marine Mammal Proection Act.

The Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment have listed several marine mammal species for which mortalities have been recorded in Australian fisheries and require an estimate of Nmin, Rmax and Fr for each of these species in order to determine for which a PBR approach is currently feasible. Data deficiencies that prevent PBR being calculated for a given species need to be determined and potential approaches to obtain relevant information identified.

If PBR is not a feasible approach to be undertaken for any of the marine mammal species identified, other relevant data for each species and 'export' fishery will need to collated in order for NOAA to be able to determine if a comparability finding for that fishery can be granted. This could include information on the level of monitoring in that fishery, temporal or spatial overlap with the marine mammals species and existing management of interactions such as fishery specific bycatch management strategies.

Objectives

1. Where possible provide estimates of maximum potential population growth rate (Rmax), minimum estimate of abundance (Nmin) and recovery factor (FR) for each species of marine mammal listed by the Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment.
2. For each marine mammal species compile requested information on listed status under Australian and US legislation, including temporal and spatial overlap with relevant fisheries or jurisdictions, information on population structure and behavioural traits of that species that make it more or less likely to interact with fishing operations, and existing bycatch management strategies.
3. Given existing data, determine the ability to calculate PBR for marine mammal species as a means of applying bycatch limits in Australian fisheries, and, if PBR cannot be calculated, investigate specific fisheries management arrangements, including bycatch monitoring regimes, and other information available for each ‘export’ fishery where interactions with marine mammals have been recorded, and provide an assessment of the potential level of impact of interactions for each species and / or population. Where appropriate, identify additional information that could be collected, for each marine mammal species and ‘export’ fishery, that in lieu of PBR, could assist the US in determining a ‘comparability rating’ for that fishery.

Final report

Author: Alice I. Mackay
Final Report • 2021-09-01 • 5.73 MB
2019-212-DLD.pdf

Summary

Recent changes to legislation in the United States (US) requires that nations importing seafood must demonstrate that they have a regulatory program for reducing marine mammal bycatch that is comparable in effectiveness to the US standards under the ‘Fish and Fish Product Import Provisions’ of the Marine Mammal Protection Act 1972 (MMPA). A comparability finding means the marine mammal protection provisions in the relevant fishery are recognised to be equivalent to that of the United States.
Several Australian commercial fisheries have received an ‘exempt’ classification under the MMPA import provisions which means they have been determined to have a remote likelihood, or no known incidental mortality of marine mammals. The remaining fisheries that are seeking a comparability finding have been classified as ‘export’ fisheries as they were determined to have more than a likelihood of incidental mortality to marine mammals. For each of these fisheries, the US requires information on monitoring programs in the fishery, levels of marine mammal bycatch, the species and ‘stocks’ (populations) involved, and the management strategies in place to mitigate bycatch.
This report synthesises the required information for 15 Australian Commonwealth managed commercial fisheries or fishery subsectors, and 29 Australian State and Territory commercial fisheries that are seeking a comparability finding under the US MMPA. Reports and / or observations of marine mammal interactions in Australian commercial fisheries that are not seeking export approval are also synthesised as this information is also required as part of the comparability finding process.
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