6 results
Environment
PROJECT NUMBER • 2018-159
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Spawning biomass of Jack Mackerel (Trachurus declivis) in the East sub-area of the Small Pelagic Fishery during summer 2019

Estimates of spawning biomass obtained using the Daily Egg Production Method (DEPM) are the primary biological performance indicator for quota species in the Small Pelagic Fishery (SPF). The objective of this study was to conduct ichthyoplankton and adult trawl surveys that underpin the DEPM in the...
ORGANISATION:
SARDI Food Safety and Innovation
SPECIES
Environment
PROJECT NUMBER • 2014-028
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Mud cockle (Katelysia spp.) stock enhancement/restoration: practical implementation and policy evaluation

This study was conducted to restore the Mud Cockle population in the Section Bank of Port River, South Australia, which had drastically decreased due to commercial fishing. Mud Cockles are important not only for commercial purposes but also for stabilizing sediment and reducing turbidity in the...
ORGANISATION:
SARDI Food Safety and Innovation
SPECIES

Informing the structural reform of South Australia's Marine Scalefish Fishery

Project number: 2017-014
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $496,836.00
Principal Investigator: Jonathan Smart
Organisation: SARDI Food Safety and Innovation
Project start/end date: 30 Jun 2017 - 29 Jun 2020
Contact:
FRDC

Need

South Australia’s Marine Scalefish Fishery (MSF) is currently undergoing a strategic review with the principal aim of restructuring the fishery in order to ensure its long-term sustainability and economic viability. The heterogeneous mixture of participants, fishing devices, licence conditions and regulations associated with this fishery makes the tasks of administering and managing it extremely challenging. These complexities intertwined within a highly dynamic fleet that is capable of shifting fishing effort amongst species and regions often alters the emphasis of its overarching management. Industry and Government are working collaboratively to address the inherent complexities of the fishery through firstly developing a mechanism to rationalise the fleet, then reforming its overall structure, and ultimately refining its future management. In order to optimise this structural reform, it is necessary to disentangle and understand the fleet dynamics of this extremely complex fishery. This project aims to explore the implications of strategic management options (e.g. regionalisation, licensing, ITQ’s and ITE’s) on the future structure and viability of the MSF, from resource sustainability, economic and social perspectives.

Objectives

1. To review the structure and function of multi-species, multi-gear fisheries around the world.
2. To disentangle the complexities of the South Australian commercial Marine Scalefish Fishery to describe long-term spatio-temporal trends in the composition, dynamics and socio-economic performance of the fishing fleet
3. To evaluate the possible strategic management options such as regionalisation, licensing, ITQs and ITEs on the future structure and viability of South Australia’s MSF
4. To determine the biological, economic and social 'carrying capacity' of the MSF across key regions of the fishery.

Final report

ISBN: 978-1-876007-43-0
Authors: Jonathan Smart Mike Steer Fred Bailleul David Hall Ian Knuckey Anders Magnusson Julian Morison Jon Presser and Jacki Schirmer
Final Report • 2022-09-27 • 29.96 MB
2017-014-DLD.pdf

Summary

This study was undertaken by the South Australia Research and Development Institute (SARDI) in collaboration with PIRSA Fisheries and Aquaculture, BDO EconSearch, the Marine Fishers Association (MFA), Fishwell Consulting and University of Canberra. This project guided the reform of South Australia’s commercial Marine Scalefish Fishery (MSF) by providing scientific advice and analyses to underpin its implementation. The MSF is a multi-sector, multi-gear and multi-species fishery, making any management reform a complex and difficult process. Both the sustainability of key stocks and commercial fishery’s economic performance have been deteriorating over a 20-year period; significantly influenced by fishery overcapitalisation. Simply put, there were too many fishers and not enough fish to support a vibrant and sustainable commercial fishery. This was addressed through the three ‘pillars’ of the reform: regionalisation, unitisation and rationalisation. These pillars were reflected in the reform with: 1) the creation of four new zones of management; 2) implementation of individual transferable quotas (ITQs) for appropriate ‘Tier 1’ stocks; and 3) rationalisation of the commercial MSF fleet by removing one third of licences through a voluntary licence surrender program (VLSP). These pillars were supported by research on the biological, economic and social carrying capacity of the fishery. The reform was implemented on 1 July 2021 resulting in a fishery that has regional management with appropriate output controls and a reduced fleet size.

Seal-fisher-ecosystem interactions in the Lower Lakes and Coorong: understanding causes and impacts to develop longer-term solutions

Project number: 2018-036
Project Status:
Current
Budget expenditure: $335,725.00
Principal Investigator: Jason Earl
Organisation: SARDI Food Safety and Innovation
Project start/end date: 28 Feb 2019 - 27 Feb 2022
Contact:
FRDC

Need

The cross-Government LNFSWG has been working with stakeholders since 2015 to address ongoing industry and community concerns over the economic impacts of fur seals on the LCF, including depredation of catches and damage to fishing gear. Despite recent mitigation initiatives, reports from industry suggest that the seal-fisher conflict and associated economic impacts have intensified in recent years. In an effort to reduce financial pressure on licence holders, the SA Government (PIRSA Fisheries and Aquaculture) has waived cost-recovered licence fees for the net sector of the fishery, as well as implemented other more flexible management arrangements, for the 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18 and 2018/19 fishing seasons. Although these measures have been welcomed by industry, it is not clear whether the current level of support for fishers is adequate or how to evaluate the costs and benefits of alternative mitigation options or management interventions.

There has also been industry and community concerns about the potential impact that seals are having on waterbirds, fish populations, and on the broader Lakes and Coorong ecosystem, with some sectors advocating for seal numbers to be managed to mitigate these perceived impacts.

There is a need for reliable, quantitative information on the nature and extent of the economic and ecological impacts of seals in Lakes and Coorong region, and the factors that attract seals to the region and drive the seasonal increase in fur seal numbers. This information will support processes to identify, prioritise and develop practicable and cost-effective long-term policy/management strategies to manage long-nosed fur seal numbers and mitigate their impacts in the Lakes and Coorong region, during and after the project.

Objectives

1. Assess the economic impact of seal interactions on Lakes and Coorong commercial gillnet fishers.
2. Assess the ecological impacts of seals on the Lower Lakes and Coorong ecosystem.
3. Assess the spatial and temporal use of the Lower Lakes and Coorong region by seals to identify key haul-outs, movement corridors, foraging areas and overlap with fishing effort.
4. Identify options to manage seal numbers and evaluate their costs and benefits to mitigate their impacts.
Industry
PROJECT NUMBER • 2016-807
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Future oysters CRC-P: Species diversification to provide alternatives for commercial production

Pacific Oyster Mortality Syndrome (POMS), the disease caused by OsHV-1 microvariant, results in high and rapid mortality in Pacific Oysters (Crassostrea gigas) and has been responsible for significant economic loss to oyster industries in Australia and around the world. The diversification of...
ORGANISATION:
SARDI Food Safety and Innovation
Environment
PROJECT NUMBER • 2017-023
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

ESD risk assessment for under-utilised species to facilitate structural reform of South Australia's commercial Marine Scalefish Fishery

South Australia’s Marine Scalefish Fishery (MSF) is facing a number of complex issues that are affecting business profitability and stock sustainability. One particular issue relates to the long-term reliance of the fishery on the three primary finfish species of King George Whiting, Snapper...
ORGANISATION:
SARDI Food Safety and Innovation
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