PROJECT NUMBER
•
2022-104
PROJECT STATUS:
CURRENT
ORGANISATION:
Western Australian Fishing Industry Council Inc (WAFIC)
TAGS
17 results
PROJECT NUMBER
•
2023-206
PROJECT STATUS:
CURRENT
ORGANISATION:
Blue Economy Cooperative Research Centre Co-Ltd
TAGS
SPECIES
PROJECT NUMBER
•
2021-017
PROJECT STATUS:
CURRENT
ORGANISATION:
Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (NT)
SPECIES
PROJECT NUMBER
•
2018-035
PROJECT STATUS:
CURRENT
ORGANISATION:
University of Adelaide
SPECIES
PROJECT NUMBER
•
2019-104
PROJECT STATUS:
CURRENT
ORGANISATION:
University of Adelaide
SPECIES
Identifying population connectivity of shark bycatch species in NT waters
Project number:
2020-036
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure:
$66,430.00
Principal Investigator:
Sam Banks
Organisation:
Charles Darwin University (CDU)
Project start/end date:
3 Dec 2020
-
9 Dec 2021
Contact:
FRDC
This project is needed for three main reasons:
1. It directly addresses a NT RAC priority in the 2019 call for funding applications relating to improving sustainable yield estimates to inform stock assessment programs for undefined target species and protected species in the Offshore Net and Line Fishery. The project will support sustainable fishing practices for important commercial fisheries in the NT and the development of new commercial opportunities within these fisheries: The impacts of fishery activities on these species, either through bycatch or targeted harvest, are difficult to assess in the absence of information on population connectivity and stock structure.
2. The project will develop capacity for fisheries research and monitoring in NT waters. Genetics methods are widely applied to fisheries research and monitoring and training of an early career fisheries scientist in the application and interpretation of genetic data will be a key outcome of this project.
3. The project will provide key information to support the transition of these species from bycatch to a harvested byproduct species, including an evaluation of leading-edge genetic techniques in fisheries assessment and monitoring.
1. To develop population connectivity model for Whitecheek and Milk Shark
2. To develop capacity for research and monitoring of shark species within the Northern Territory
3. To evaluate the utility of genetic techniques in fisheries monitoring
Final report
ISBN:
978-1-922684-78-3 (Print), 978-1-922684-79-0 (Web)
Authors:
Sam Banks
Amy Kirke
Fernanda Alves
Grant Johnson and David Crook
Final Report
•
2024-10-01
•
1.08 MB
2020-036-DLD.pdf
Charles Darwin University and the Northern Territory (NT) Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade (DITT) Fisheries Division used genetic data to investigate the population structure of two small tropical shark species (Milk Shark [Rhizoprionodon acutus] and Australian Blackspot Shark [Carcharhinus coatesi]), which are caught as bycatch from commercial fisheries in the NT.
The aim of this study was to gain information on the genetic stock structure to inform the future management of these two species in the NT. This project was conducted in parallel with a PhD project investigating the biology and ecology of both species for applications to fisheries management. There is motivation by the NT Government to develop these two shark species into a commercial product. This project used genetic analysis to understand the patterns of connectivity of populations of these two shark species in NT waters and adjacent regions, including northern Western Australia and Papua New Guinea.
These two shark species that are captured as bycatch in the NT Demersal Fishery have the potential to be developed into a byproduct to add value to that fishery. A sustainable commercial harvest of these two species could greatly reduce the waste from fisheries, where they are currently abundant and caught in relatively large numbers. We address current knowledge gaps in biological information about populations of R. acutus and C. coatesi to inform the potential development of a byproduct fishery for these two species in the NT.
Genetic data from R. acutus and C. coatesi strongly suggest that each species exists as a single, highly connected population in the NT. Genetic differentiation among the sampling locations for each species was low, and genetic clustering analyses provided strong support for a single population of each species in the region. Sharks of both species captured within a single location (within 50 km of one another) were more genetically related than those further apart; however, this does not constitute evidence for multiple, spatially discrete populations of either species in NT waters. Preliminary applications of effective population size estimators were used, but further work is needed to determine if these can be used to indicate trends in abundance.
The immediate implications of our research are for fisheries scientists and managers. Our results indicate that these two shark species can be monitored and managed in the NT under the assumption that each species occurs as a single population in this region. Parasite and vertebral chemistry data collected as part of a PhD project conducted in parallel with this project suggest that, for C. coatesi, individuals may be resident within certain regions (eastern versus western NT waters) but the genetic data collected here suggest that, on a generational timescale, both species occur as highly-connected populations across in the NT region.
Our research has potential implications for commercial fishers, particularly from the NT Demersal Fishery. The information from our research will flow through to the industry by contributing to the information required to develop a byproduct fishery for the two species, by utilising bycatch and increasing economic return.
Enhancing the understanding of the value provided to fisheries by man-made aquatic structures
Project number:
2018-053
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure:
$376,840.06
Principal Investigator:
Euan S. Harvey
Organisation:
Curtin University
Project start/end date:
29 Apr 2019
-
19 Mar 2020
Contact:
FRDC
The north west of Western Australia has productive commercial and recreational fisheries and extensive offshore oil and gas (O&G) infrastructure. These man-made structures support a range of demersal and pelagic fishes which are targeted by recreational and commercial fishers. As this O&G infrastructure reaches the end of its productive life, decisions on the best practice option for decommissioning must be made. The current policy for decommissioning requires complete removal. Regulators may support alternative strategies, such as leaving infrastructure in place, if risks and impacts are minimised and there are clear environmental, social and economic benefits to do so. It is thought that removal of infrastructure will decrease catch rates and have negative ecological, economic (direct and downstream) and social consequences.
At the same time as the discussion is occurring about removing O&G infrastructure, there have been large investments in constructing and installing purpose built man-made aquatic structures on the seafloor for the express purpose of enhancing the experience of recreational fishers and SCUBA divers.
There is a need to deliver critical information on: 1) the ecological, economic and social value of these man-made structures to recreational and commercial fishers and other stakeholders; 2) the attitudes of stakeholders to man-made structures; and 3) the opportunities and risks of decommissioning strategies to fishers and other groups (e.g. tourism).
Policy regarding the removal of decommissioned structures will benefit from the increased clarity that this project will provide in regards to data requirements for socio-economic models and stakeholder consultation methods. Comparative assessments of decommissioning options rely on the existence of appropriate socio-economic data, a knowledge gap this project aims to fill. An understanding of the impact of man-made aquatic structures on recreational and commercial fisheries is a global priority, and as such this project has strong international importance and relevance.
1. To develop conceptual qualitative, semi-quantitative and quantitative models for describing the socio-economic values and decide what information is needed to give stakeholders an understanding of the value of manmade aquatic structures in the marine environment.
2. To collate a list and description of the manmade aquatic structures in the marine environment in Western Australian and the associated social, economic and biodiversity data.
3. To collect and collate data on four manmade aquatic structures in the marine environment and develop and compare the costs and benefits of qualitative, semi-quantitative and quantitative models.
4. To develop a decision support system or framework for undertaking socio-economic evaluations of manmade aquatic structures which can be used throughout Australia and guide end users on how to develop qualitative, semi-quantitative and quantitative models depending on their information requirements.
Final report
ISBN:
978-0-646-84171-7
Author:
Euan Harvey
Final Report
•
20.59 MB
2018-053-DLD.pdf
In 2018, the state’s recreational and commercial fishers (represented by the peak bodies Recfishwest and WAFIC) commissioned a program of research as part of a Fisheries Research Development Corporation project aimed at documenting the social and economic values and benefits that stakeholders obtain from MMS in Western Australia. These structures include shipwrecks, artificial reefs, break walls, structures associated with harbours, jetties, marine navigation markers, and O&G infrastructure such as platforms, wells, and pipelines.
During 2019 and 2020 the researchers undertook seven online surveys which focussed on understanding the social and economic benefits and values that recreational and commercial fishers, divers and other users gained from using MMS in Western Australia. This was complemented by eleven focus groups which included representatives from the commercial and recreational fishers, but also the Oil and Gas (O&G) sector, regulators (state and federal), conservation, non-government organisations (NGOs), scientific sectors, and the general community. The researchers used data to develop five case studies representing a range of different structures and end users. These case studies focussed on inshore Thevenard Island subsea O&G infrastructure (incorporating recreational fishing), Woodside’s Echo Yodel offshore subsea O&G infrastructure (incorporating commercial fishing), the Exmouth Integrated Artificial Reef (recreational fishing), the Exmouth Navy Pier (diving tourism), and the iconic Busselton Jetty in Southwestern Australia, which is used for tourism, by recreational fishers, divers, swimmers and many other stakeholders. A guidebook was produced outlining the different methods of identifying social and economic values, along with the types of data required, and the approaches to collecting this data. The guidebook also outlines the advantages, disadvantages and resource needs for each method. A database of the MMS in Western Australia was also compiled and made accessible online.
Oil and Gas: National coordination - seismic and other issues
Project number:
2017-186
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure:
$426,973.59
Principal Investigator:
Carli Telfer
Organisation:
Western Australian Fishing Industry Council Inc (WAFIC)
Project start/end date:
30 Apr 2018
-
29 Jun 2021
Contact:
FRDC
The commercial fishing industry is under intense pressure from the O&G sector (exploration, seismic surveys, deployment of gear and now decommissioning of gear), jeopardising commercial fishing access rights, commercial fishing sustainability and potential commercial fishing resource impacts (such as Bass Strait scallop mortality) and overarching impacts on the broader marine environment (such as plankton mortality) for many fisheries.
The O&G industry also seeks relevant science to use within their environment plan submissions to offer the best ALARP practices regarding their interactions with the commercial fishing sector and the commercial fishing resource.
There is an urgent need for a national role coordinating O&G / commercial fishing specific R&D needs, seeking and updating available material and identifying gaps in the science with all materials to be available via a publicly accessible portal. Benefits for commercial fishers, O&G, eNGOs, students and the broader community.
Primary focus seismic activities plus other relevant science.
Current O&G / commercial fishing industry engagement is done in isolation with an inconsistent use of research (relevant or otherwise), inconsistent process, lack of uniformity of overarching messaging, lack of access to current and appropriate research and the duplication of work across all states.
1. Deliver a publicly accessible portal - a "one stop shop" for seismic research bibliographies, case studies and other relevant commercial fishing O&G information etc.
2. Deliver ongoing identification and qualification of relevant research papers and reference cases including annotated summaries to ensure relevance for ready and easy access by the commercial fishing sector, O&G and the broader community.
3. Deliver a set number of supported research applications relevant to the effects of oil and gas activities on commercial fishing / commercial fishing stocks etc, i.e. gap analysis and prioritisation.
4. Deliver a "best practice" document for commercial fishing representative bodies to use as a strong base for environment plan submissions.
5. Deliver a "best practice" document for commercial fishing representative bodies to use as a strong base and consistent process for fee-for-service environment plan consultation.
Final report
ISBN:
978-0-9806948-2-6
Author:
Western Australian Fishing Industry Council
Final Report
•
2022-12-22
•
2.44 MB
2017-186-DLD.pdf
Commercial fishing industry throughout Australia is under continued pressure on its operation due to activities relating to the oil and gas sector such as seismic surveys, drilling, construction of sub-sea infrastructure and commissioning. Generally, the commercial fishing sector throughout Australia is the largest and only group of relevant stakeholders affected. The activities are firmly regulated by National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) in Commonwealth waters. This project examines and develops a national approach for the commercial fishing industry and offshore oil and gas sector to ensure both parties can work together. The principles present in this project will inform governance framework on how to manage consultation and expectations between commercial fishers and the oil and gas sector. It was found that impacts varied according to species and habitat type, key gaps in the results were effects of noise disturbance to aquatic resources, impacts to larval stages of commercially important species, and the difference between lab experiment compared to natural operating environment. Recommendations from this project are to undertake an Ecological Risk Assessment, explore the benefits in developing a National interactive digital platform, regulate sharing of data between titleholders, engagement, compensation and/or financial adjustment practices need to be considered and the concept and outcomes of this project is applied to oil and gas decommissioning and renewable energy activities.
PROJECT NUMBER
•
2022-007
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED
ORGANISATION:
Fishwell Consulting Pty Ltd
SIA early mover micro project - integrated wave energy microgrid design
Project number:
2022-141
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure:
$346,448.00
Principal Investigator:
Stephanie Thornton
Organisation:
Climate KIC Australia (for Australian Ocean Energy Group)
Project start/end date:
15 Oct 2023
-
29 Dec 2024
Contact:
FRDC
Our project is an “early mover micro project” within SIA’s overarching industry decarbonisation program, where the deliverable is the needs analysis and design for a wave energy microgrid system for Southern Ocean Mariculture, an abalone aquaculture company located in Port Fairy, Victoria.
Throughout this past year, Southern Ocean Mariculture (SOM), AZURA Ocean Technologies (AZURA) and Deloitte Emissions Solutions (DES) have been in early discussion about development of an ocean energy solution to help SOM achieve their decarbonisation goals, reduce their cost of energy and reduce dependency on grid-supplied electricity. These parties have identified the need to analyse SOM’s future energy requirements and develop a novel approach to help them decarbonise through a multi-modal renewable ocean energy microgrid.
Upon learning about AOEG’s proposal to develop an ocean energy/aquaculture program, the leaders of SOM, AZURA and DES enthusiastically offered their participation to co-design a suitable ocean energy microgrid system to meet their needs, under an FRDC funded project. This group of visionary leaders is excited to join the AOEG team in showcasing the work of this proof-of-concept project within the context of the larger SIA Decarbonisation Program, with learnings and application to the broader aquaculture sector.
This project will result in the design for an ocean energy microgrid system that will produce electricity to supplement SOM’s existing grid and/or fossil fuel based energy supply. SOM will help to assess which element of their operation will be used as the basis for initial microgrid design. As a pilot project, this approach enables SOM to evaluate a wide range of issues without high risks and will be considered an incremental step toward building a full-scale off-grid clean energy system for the future.
As an early-mover project within SIA’s decarbonisation program, the following knowledge will be generated for learning and dissemination to the industry.
- Showcase what an ocean energy microgrid system is and its required elements.
- Document the items and factors required to design a suitable microgrid energy system.
- Document the process by which the design is developed.
- Showcase how other offshore or near shore industries could leverage ocean energy microgrids to provide clean electricity for their operations and to help meet decarbonisation targets
- Demonstrate the potential for ocean energy playing a significant role in Australia’s future renewable energy mix
AOEG will collaborate with SIA and the Blue Economy CRC to co-implement industry outreach, communications and other complementary activities within the limits of this first mover energy transition ‘micro-project’.
1. The interconnectivity between an ocean energy device, other energy generation components and a land-based microgrid system will be evaluated and documented.
2. The design for an integrated wave energy microgrid system for Southern Ocean Mariculture will be produced.
Final report
Author:
Christopher Lee
Stephanie Thornton
Final Report
•
2024-12-12
•
9.60 MB
2022-141-DLD.pdf
Aquaculture operators are predominately reliant on diesel generation for their ocean-based operations, while shore-based facilities like hatchery production and processing use grid supply electricity, typically with diesel backup power. The growing pressures on the industry necessitates a transition to perpetual, reliable clean energy sources to sustain growth and meet global sustainability expectations. The Project was designed to address the reliance on diesel generation, rising operational costs, and the limitations of grid power through ocean energy. This is particularly relevant as the aquaculture industry considers renewable energy options as part of their de-carbonisation strategy. As aquaculture considers expansion into offshore environments away from shoreline facilities, or remote areas, ocean energy, including wave, tidal, current flow energy can be options to replace fuel, gas or battery energy where grid-supplied electricity is not available. While solar, wind, and battery systems are common and proven in land-based microgrids, the addition of ocean (wave and/or tidal) energy generation offers a promising solution, though information and data for decision-making capital investment is scarce.
The Project tested the hypothesis that integrating wave energy with other renewables and storage can yield a more reliable, cost-effective and sustainable energy solution than a traditional solar-battery setup.
The Project validated that ocean energy integration enhances microgrid reliability while reducing emissions. Using Southern Ocean Mariculture (SOM) as a case study in Southwest Victoria, the project documented emissions impacts and developed an optimized wave energy microgrid design using wave energy data collected at the site as inputs. The research included energy modelling with HomerPro software, examining various scenarios to create a practical, replicable solution tailored to SOM’s requirements.
The Project Outcomes were a delivered methodology for preparing a business case for commercial evaluation; engagement of a commercial aquaculture industry with a commercial wave energy technology; the establishment of a de-carbonised scenario comparison pilot study test case for promotion and public interest; and a documentation of learnings and limitations. The modelling predicted that the commercial wave energy technology could replace all grid power when used in combination with SOM's existing 250kW solar array, and reduce carbon emissions by 94%, assuming that a small amount of diesel would still be required by the genset as a backup for emergencies.
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