17 results
Environment

Guiding development of harvest strategies for data-limited fisheries with multiple stocks, sectors, and objectives

Project number: 2023-010
Project Status:
Current
Budget expenditure: $313,895.00
Principal Investigator: Ashley Fowler
Organisation: Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (NSW)
Project start/end date: 13 Nov 2024 - 22 Oct 2026
Contact:
FRDC
TAGS
Stock Assessment
Rac Wa
Rac Sa
Rac Qld
Rac Nt

Need

There is a need for practical guidance on the formulation and articulation of DL harvest strategies that is tailored to the challenges of Australia's multi-species, -sector and -gear fisheries. Without explicit guidance as to how to: i) link HS components, ii) articulate their details and iii) formulate HS architecture, HS development for DL fisheries in Australia and elsewhere will likely be inconsistent among similar fishery types, further delayed, and potentially, with some being inappropriately specified, generate considerable risk of over-exploitation and failure to achieve objectives. Given that DL fisheries are far more numerous than data-rich fisheries in Australia, this risk extends across a broad range of stocks, stakeholders and ecosystems.

This project responds to the urgent need for guidance and directly addresses all aspects of the priority description. We will produce a Synthesis of DL fisheries characteristics, to identify the spectrum of complexities affecting HS development and outline the range of management approaches that may be used to address them (Objectives 1 and 2). From this should emerge fishery “archetypes”, defined as suites of complexities that are commonly observed together in DL fisheries, such as combinations of multi-species, sector, and gear types. Definition of these fishery “archetypes” will aid recognition of common scenarios in Australia and guide practitioners to HS design “templates” that will best address these, thereby expediting HS development.

We will produce a guide to the integration of HS components (i.e. their linkage, articulation and architecture), given the particular characteristics of a DL fishery. This will provide direct advice that will help break through the management impasse that often delays HS development and support effective and efficient development of DL HSs (Objective 3). Both the Synthesis and Guide were specified as deliverables in the priority description. The consideration of suitable target reference points for single species that are targeted by different sectors, which was also listed as a deliverable in the priority description, will be addressed in both the Synthesis and Guide. Limitations of HS development given specific DL fisheries characteristics will also be outlined, to avoid ‘over-engineering’ of HSs.

HSs that have already been successfully implemented for DL fisheries in Australia and elsewhere will be identified. These will help inform the development of HS design templates for the common fishery archetypes (Objective 4). Application of the HS development guide will be demonstrated in detail using case-study fisheries in Australia (Objective 5). Fisheries will be selected on the basis of their demonstrative value, specifically the type and range of their characteristics and the HS approaches proposed to address them. Potential characteristics include cross-jurisdictional management, which was specified for consideration in the priority description. This deliverable will link with Objective 1, whereby practitioners can identify examples of successful case studies whose fishery archetype most closely align with their own.

In addition to the deliverables specified in the priority description, we propose to undertake management strategy evaluation (MSE) of a candidate DL HS (Objective 6). An MSE model capable of incorporating the common DL fishery characteristics identified during earlier phases of the project would be used. MSE is critical for testing whether a proposed HS can meet its stated objectives, yet is notoriously difficult to execute on DL HSs because assessments are often empirical and involve relative indices rather than absolute metrics. Meaningful reference points are therefore difficult to define and may be linked to less prescriptive decision rules. MSE outputs would make a substantial contribution to the rigour of HS development and implementation for DL fisheries, improving stakeholder confidence in the outcome. MSE testing may also assist the continued improvement of DL harvest strategies by identifying key areas for investment of limited resources.

The guide, fishery archetypes, HS templates and MSE recommendations from the project will provide explicit, context-specific assistance for the development of DL HSs that acknowledges and suitably addresses both gaps in the currently available suite of tools and guidelines, and the spectrum of complexities associated with DL fisheries. In this way, the project will help operationalise the higher-level advice for DL fisheries contained within HS policies and the National Guidelines to Develop Fishery Harvest Strategies.

Objectives

1. Produce a Synthesis of data-limited (DL) fishery characteristics that are relevant to harvest strategy (HS) development, including suites of characteristics (e.g. multi-species, multi-sector) that are commonly observed together in Australian fisheries (fishery “archetypes” within a “spectrum” of characteristics).
2. Identify and define approaches suitable for addressing and integrating key characteristics of DL fisheries within HSs. Specifically, to provide advice on: i) the linking of DL HS components, ii) the articulation of those components, and iii) HS design templates that offer suitable architecture for fishery archetypes.
3. Provide a Guide for HS development for DL fishery archetypes and decision support for fine-tuning the integration of HS elements given specific fisheries characteristics. This would incorporate the findings of objective 2.
4. Provide examples of successful HSs developed for archetypal DL fisheries in Australia.
5. Demonstrate application of the Guide to case-study fisheries in Australia and produce evaluation-ready draft HSs.
6. Undertake management strategy evaluation (MSE) of a common DL fishery archetype to test its performance against standard metrics.
Environment
Environment

Review of national guidelines to develop fishery harvest strategies

Project number: 2021-135
Project Status:
Current
Budget expenditure: $443,632.00
Principal Investigator: Sean R. Sloan
Organisation: Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (NSW)
Project start/end date: 28 May 2023 - 29 Jun 2024
Contact:
FRDC
TAGS
Harvest Strategy

Need

The current National Guidelines were developed through the FRDC (Project 2010/061) with recognition of the need for a coordinated, nationally consistent approach to establishing harvest strategies for Australian fisheries. At this time, the Commonwealth Harvest Strategy Policy and Guidelines (2007, now updated) provided a foundation for harvest strategy development in Commonwealth managed fisheries, however implementation of the key elements of harvest strategies (defined objectives, indicators, assessments, reference points, trigger points and decision rules) varied across jurisdictions, and gaps remained for data limited fisheries.
Similar to the proposed project, the AFMF and FRDC recognised that support for development of harvest strategies could be improved through development of the National Guidelines that focused on less developed areas of harvest strategy policy, including cross-jurisdictional and recreational management arrangements, and incorporating quadruple bottom line (ecological, social, cultural and economic) analysis into fisheries decision making.
As harvest strategy policy and incorporation of quadruple bottom line ecologically sustainable development (ESD) principles have increased as management priorities, harvest strategies have sought to incorporate increasingly challenging issues, in many cases continuing to use disparate approaches between jurisdictions that arguably hold the same objectives and responsibilities, as well as potentially competing interests.
In many cases, harvest strategy policy and development has been held back from achieving quadruple bottom line objectives due to a lack of consistency in the outlook and approach between jurisdictions, and available guidance for dealing with the complexities associated with multi-species, multi-sector or multi-jurisdictional issues. With significant developments occurring around traditional fishing and management, progressing the inclusion of cultural fishing specific objectives is also required.
In addition, the review provides opportunity to address broader issues including the relationship and function of harvest strategies in association with shared access with competing users, cultural interests, ecological issues (e.g. habitat degradation, pollution and climate change), and marine conservation areas, as well as options, incentives and trade-offs for improving data, monitoring and assessment in data poor fisheries or sectors.
The proposed review will ensure the National Guidelines remain a prominent, independent and contemporary guide for fisheries jurisdictions, managers, researchers, fishers and stakeholders in supporting the review of harvest strategy policy frameworks and the development of harvest strategies that in many cases seek to resolve complex issues and balance competing interests.
To achieve this, the proposed project aims to:
1. Review and update the National Guidelines to Develop Fishery Harvest Strategies to ensure the National Guidelines are consistent with current harvest strategy utilisation, address contemporary fisheries challenges and the most up to date information available;
2. Take stock of harvest strategies in Australia (by jurisdiction) and internationally, including how many fisheries now have operational harvest strategies adopted and those under development; and
3. Produce a report with the updated National Guidelines coupled with a detailed communication plan and associated materials to promote and communicate the outcome of the review with all stakeholders.

Objectives

1. To review and update the National Guidelines to Develop Fishery Harvest Strategies (2014) to ensure the National Guidelines are consistent with current harvest strategy utilisation and reflect the most up to date information available
2. To take stock of harvest strategies in Australia and internationally (by jurisdiction) including how many fisheries now have operational harvest strategies adopted and those under development
3. To produce a report with the updated National Guidelines coupled with a detailed communication plan to promote the outcome of the review

Strategic Planning Workshop for Yellowtail Kingfish Stock Assessment in South-Eastern Australia

Project number: 2019-103
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $11,328.74
Principal Investigator: John Stewart
Organisation: Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (NSW)
Project start/end date: 14 Jan 2020 - 31 Jul 2020
Contact:
FRDC
TAGS
Tagging
Stock Assessment
Resource Rehabilitation
Recreational Fishing
Rac Vic
SPECIES
Yellowtail Kingfish

Need

Yellowtail Kingfish is a high priority species for recreational fishers and the basis of an important commercial fishery in NSW. The biological stock structure is reasonably well understood, with genetic analyses showing that the population in Western Australia is genetically distinct from the population along the eastern and southern Australian coasts (Commonwealth, Queensland, New South Wales, Victorian, Tasmanian and South Australian waters) and New Zealand. Tagging studies have confirmed movements between Australia and New Zealand and South Australia to NSW. Therefore Yellowtail Kingfish are assessed through the Status of Australian Fish Stocks (SAFS) initiative at the biological stock level, being two stocks - Eastern Australia and Western Australia.

The most recent (2018) SAFS assessment for the Eastern Australian biological stock of Yellowtail Kingfish was ‘Undefined’, due mainly to knowledge gaps around the degree of mixing throughout this stock which spans more than 3,000 km of coastline. Reasonable data for assessment exists only within NSW, and uncertainty around whether an assessment of that component of the stock reflected the entire stock resulted in an ‘Undefined’ status, with a recommendation that this uncertainty be resolved.

Yellowtail Kingfish within NSW has been assessed as ‘Growth Overfished’ (2003/04 to 2013/14), and current evidence indicates a Depleted stock. There are ongoing discussions within NSW about appropriate management changes that may assist recovery; however these are hampered by the ‘Undefined’ status in SAFS.

The FRDC National Priority 1 aims to reduce the percentage of ‘Undefined’ stocks within SAFS, which also has an objective of providing a roadmap to recovery for ‘Depleted’ stocks. To address both of these and to promote better and more collaborative monitoring, assessment and management across all relevant jurisdictions, there is a clear need to review existing knowledge across the entire stock and to identify areas of uncertainty that require addressing.

Objectives

1. Review the available data and management regimes for the south-eastern Australian stock of Yellowtail Kingfish from each relevant jurisdiction
2. Review the reasons for the ‘Undefined’ status in SAFS
3. Discuss appropriate spatial scales for assessment and management across the south-eastern Australian biological stock
4. Identify knowledge gaps required to be filled in order to produce a defined stock status for SAFS
5. Discuss cross-jurisdictional assessment and management options for Yellowtail Kingfish

Final report

ISBN: 978-1-76058-450-4
Authors: John Stewart Julian Hughes Holly Gunton
Final Report • 2021-06-30 • 895.32 KB
2019-103-DLD.pdf

Summary

The project facilitated cross-jurisdictional and cross-sectoral discussions on aspects of the Eastern Australia biological stock of Yellowtail Kingfish.  Several knowledge gaps relating to biological and life-history parameters, as well as reliable data on the recreational fishery across all jurisdictions, were found to be inhibiting assessment, and therefore management, of this stock.  Knowledge gaps common across jurisdictions included understanding patterns of movement and connectivity throughout the stock, and reproductive patterns such as main spawning areas and times.  It was noted that this lack of information was one reason for differing management arrangements (minimum legal lengths and bag limits) between jurisdictions.  A survey of long-term, highly experienced commercial, recreational and charter fishers in NSW was done to provide feedback on data to be used in assessing stock status.  Comments from these knowledgeable fishers resulted in several reconstructed catch history scenarios being used in the assessment, in addition to gathering observations on long-term changes to the fishery.  As a result significant progress was made on the Status of Australian Fish Stocks (SAFS) assessment for 2020.  The Eastern Australian stock of Yellowtail Kingfish for 2020 was classified as a ‘Sustainable’ stock, noting that until knowledge around population dynamics, in particular the distribution and movements of the spawning stock and the source of juveniles, is improved that the assessment will remain highly uncertain.

An updated understanding of Eastern School Whiting stock structure and improved stock assessment for cross-jurisdictional management

Project number: 2019-030
Project Status:
Current
Budget expenditure: $451,748.00
Principal Investigator: Karina C. Hall
Organisation: Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (NSW)
Project start/end date: 31 Aug 2019 - 21 Sep 2022
Contact:
FRDC
TAGS
Stock Assessment
Rac Vic
Rac Nsw
Rac Cmwth
Migration
SPECIES
School Whitings

Need

Most of the commercial catch of Eastern School Whiting is taken by the Commonwealth South East Trawl (SET) sector of the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery (SESSF) in eastern Victorian waters and Bass Strait and in the NSW Ocean Trawl Fishery in central and northern NSW waters. Smaller amounts are reported from inshore state waters of southern NSW, Victoria and Tasmania (Conran et al. 2018).

Eastern School Whiting have been managed by catch quotas in Commonwealth fisheries since 1993. A Commonwealth Tier 1 stock assessment is completed every 3–5 years to estimate the recommended biological catch (RBC) for the entire biological stock. Historically, the estimated discards and average state catches were then subtracted from the RBC to set the Commonwealth total allowable catch (TAC). The most recent stock assessment in 2017, calculated an RBC of 1,606 t and the 2019–20 Commonwealth TAC was set at 788 t.

A new basket TAC for Eastern School Whiting and Stout Whiting was introduced in NSW state waters from May 2019 (set at 1,189 t for the 2019–20 fishing year). While some of this catch is likely to comprise Stout Whiting, the combined total of the two independently determined TACs could permit total catches of Eastern School Whiting that exceed the current RBC for the shared stock. Furthermore, as part of these management reforms, the NSW Southern Fish Trawl Fishery is to transition into the Commonwealth SET, which will include allocation of Commonwealth quota to existing state operators. A review of the existing cross-jurisdictional stock assessment and management arrangements for this species is urgently needed to ensure sustainable fishing continues to occur.

Critical information gaps that are hindering this process include the uncertain stock structure of Eastern School Whiting, mixed species composition of whiting in northern NSW and representativeness of biological parameters currently used in the joint stock assessment. This collaborative project between Commonwealth and state agencies aims to fill these information gaps using state-of-the-art scientific methods to increase confidence in stock assessment outputs and help develop appropriate cross-jurisdictional management arrangements.

Objectives

1. To clarify the stock structure of Eastern School Whiting in south-eastern Australian waters using a range of modern methods.
2. Investigate the spatial and temporal variation in the main biological parameters (length and age structures, growth and reproductive biology) of Eastern School Whiting across the species’ distribution.
3. Investigate the species composition of mixed trawl whiting catches in northern NSW to improve the quality of state catch data used in stock assessments.
4. Explore the effects of the findings from the first three objectives on the outputs of an updated Tier 1 stock assessment for Eastern School Whiting.

Improving and promoting fish-trawl selectivity in the Commonwealth Trawl Sector (CTS) and Great Australian Bight Trawl Sector (GABTS) of the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery (SESSF)

Project number: 2019-027
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $776,141.00
Principal Investigator: Matt K. Broadhurst
Organisation: Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (NSW)
Project start/end date: 29 Jul 2020 - 29 Sep 2024
Contact:
FRDC
TAGS
Rac Cmwth
Innovation
Fishing Gear
Environmental Impact
Economic

Need

It is very clear that fishing-technology research to improve resource harvesting is a priority need for the future sustainability of fish trawling in Australia. The issue is quite poignant, considering that over the past 15 years, there has been a massive reduction in the total number of trawlers in Australia, and lower profits among remaining operators struggling to remain viable. Innovative modifications and refinements to existing systems that improve selectivity and reduce environmental impacts and costs are an urgent priority to ensure economic viability. Such developments are difficult to achieve by individual fishers without quality research, development and extension that is adequately resourced.

More specifically, there is a clear need to maintain progress towards developing innovative, high-priority technological modifications to fish trawls in the CTS and GABTS that mitigate sustainability issues while maintaining target catches at existing levels. Equally important, ratified designs then need to be tested across fleets to encourage adoption and refinement as a precursor to eventual legislation. Ultimately, satisfying these needs will contribute towards improving the social licence and economic return of trawl fisheries in the SESSF, while helping to ensure their ongoing sustainability and address what remains one of the most controversial issues facing bottom trawling.

Objectives

1. Review the available domestic and international literature and data, and consult with a project stakeholder committee (comprising representatives of the CTS, GABTS, NSW PFA and AFMA) to prioritise modifications to be formally assessed for their utility in minimising bycatch, while maintaining target catches among trawls used in the CTS and GABTS.
2. Based on the outcomes of 1 above, assess the utility of existing and new modifications to trawls for minimising bycatch, while maintaining target catches in the CTS and GABTS.
3. By providing strong economic incentives through improved efficiencies, and via applied extension activities, encourage the wide-scale voluntary adoption and ongoing exploration of appropriate best-practice technologies that cumulatively reduce bycatches, while maintaining target catches in the CTS and GABTS.

Final report

ISBN: 978-1-76058-820-5
Author: Matt K Broadhurst
Final Report • 2024-11-18 • 21.33 MB
2019-027-DLD.pdf

Summary

This project sought to produce the first-ever review of technical options for improving fish-trawl selectivity around the planet and then use this information to address a deficit in experimental work quantifying the utility of industry-developed and new selective-gear modifications in the Commonwealth Trawl Sector (CTS) and Great Australian Bight Trawl Sector (GABTS) of the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery (SESSF). The work was completed during a four-year collaboration (from September 2020) between the New South Wales Department of Primary industries (NSW DPI), Fishwell Consulting, the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA), Commonwealth Scientific and Industry Research Organisation (CSIRO), South East Trawl Fishing Industry Association (SETFIA) and the Great Australian Bight Industry Association (GABIA). Ultimately, by highlighting regional industry efforts and identifying and validating the benefits of new options to reduce one of the most controversial issues facing bottom trawling, the project contributes towards improving the social licence and economic return of trawl fisheries in the SESSF, and supports ongoing Australian research into technological solutions to ensure fishery sustainability.

Integrating recreational fishing information into harvest strategies for multi-sector fisheries

Project number: 2019-021
Project Status:
Current
Budget expenditure: $444,676.00
Principal Investigator: Ashley Fowler
Organisation: Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (NSW)
Project start/end date: 31 Oct 2019 - 31 Oct 2023
Contact:
FRDC
TAGS
Stock Assessment
Software
Resource Sharing
Resource Sharing
Recreational Fishing

Need

Integration of recreational fishing (RF) into harvest strategies (HS) is necessary for many fisheries in Australia, to account for catches that can equal or exceed commercial catch for some key species and to address biological and experiential objectives of the RF sector. Both the Productivity Commission’s report Marine Fisheries and Aquaculture (2016) and the ICES Report from the Working Group Recreational Fishing Surveys (2018) recommend formal integration of RF into stock assessments and harvest strategies. Failure to do so puts sustainable management goals and legislated state and Commonwealth fisheries requirements at risk.

Equitable and quantitative inclusion of RF in harvest strategies is rare. This stems from a traditional focus on the commercial sector and budgetary challenges involved with representatively sampling RF. It is therefore unclear: 1) what types of RF data and monitoring best service stock assessments, (2) which data also track indicators of recreational objectives (often related to the fishing experience), and (3) how to integrate harvest strategy components for multiple sectors. The need to address these knowledge gaps was highlighted by the FRDC priority research call in 2018 - “Integrating recreational fishery data into harvest strategies for multi-sector fisheries in New South Wales”. NSW provides an important test case for addressing issues around RF integration that are faced by most jurisdictions.

Harvest strategy development for multi-sector fisheries requires a transparent and defensible process due to complexities in addressing diverse objectives and apprehension among stakeholder groups. Structured workshops that use easily-understandable, interactive decision support tools and involve independent experts and stakeholder representatives are likely to provide best outcomes. ‘FishPath’ is a leading harvest strategy decision support tool and “bottom up” engagement philosophy that allows experts and stakeholders to interactively contribute to harvest strategy development in a transparent workshop setting. However, it requires additional development in recreational and multi-sector contexts.

Objectives

1. Obtain information on recreational fishing objectives and facilitate improved understanding among recreational fishers of the role of harvest strategies.
2. Identify types of recreational fishing data and monitoring that provide reliable measures of both the biological and experiential performance of fished populations.
3. Interrogate and extend the FishPath decision support software tool to better characterise and integrate recreational fishing information into harvest strategy development for multi-sector fisheries.
4. Develop guidelines and recommendations for the integration of recreational fishing information into harvest strategies for multi-sector fisheries.
5. Develop draft harvest strategies for key multi-sector fisheries using outcomes from Objectives 1-4.

Report

Authors: Fowler AM Chick RC Bolton P Folpp H Harnwell J Lowry M Lyle JM Lynch TP McIlgorm A Nichols R Ochwada-Doyle FA Pepperell J Dowling NA.
Report • 2021-12-15 • 990.17 KB
2019-021 NSW Recreational Fishing Workshops_FRDC interim report_final.pdf

Summary

This interim report provides an update on workshops with recreational fishers, scientists and managers to investigate recreational fishing objectives for three stocks of recreational importance in NSW – Mulloway, Yellowtail Kingfish, and Snapper. The study forms part of a broader research project investigating the integration of recreational fishing into harvest strategies for multi-sector fisheries.
Final Report • 2024-08-20 • 5.66 MB
2019-021-DLD.pdf
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