With fisheries resources under increasing pressure globally from both fishing and non-fishing activities, and the rapid expansion of aquaculture presenting both opportunities and challenges, there is a need to enhance cooperation and collaboration among fisheries professionals to ensure the world’s oceans and rivers are managed sustainably for the benefit of current and future generations.
The WFC2020 aims to attract fisheries professional worldwide by promoting an engaging program featuring internationally recognised keynote speakers that will prompt debate and discussion about new research, fisheries utilisation and access, and management implications and actions.
FRDC funding is sought to assist organisers generate successful outcomes by facilitating greater benefits and appeal to delegates. Funds will contribute to the overall Congress budget, and assist in providing dedicated resources to ensure successful planning and organisation of the event. This may include: attracting high profile international keynote speakers; world-class venue facilities; event promotion; and creating a legacy to the wider community.
This proposal addresses two of FRDC’s national priorities:
(i) Ensuring that Australian fishing and aquaculture products are sustainable and acknowledged to be so.
(ii) Improving productivity and profitability of fishing and aquaculture.
The WFC2020 provides an opportunity for the Australian and New Zealand seafood industries to demonstrate to the international fisheries community and the broader public that they are leaders in sustainable management of fisheries and aquatic systems, producing some of the highest quality sustainable seafood in the world. Furthermore, the Congress will provide the local fishing, aquaculture, recreational and indigenous sectors with unparalleled access to the latest research, technological developments and updates on global markets.
People Development is also addressed in this proposal, in encouraging knowledge transfer and R&D adoption within the international fisheries community and providing an opportunity for the Australian and New Zealand fishing industries to take a lead role in debating and discussing current and future research.
The World Fisheries Congress is the premier international fisheries congress, bringing together research, industry and management to discuss the latest advances in fisheries world-wide. The 8th World Fisheries Congress, hosted from Adelaide, Australia from 20 to 24 September 2021, was led
by the South Australian Government (Department of Primary Industries and Regions – PIRSA, including the South Australian Research and Development Institute – SARDI) in partnership with the Adelaide Convention Bureau and the Adelaide Convention Centre and the Fisheries Research and
Development Corporation (FRDC); and support from the Australian Society for Fish Biology (ASFB) and industry and government agencies from other jurisdictions in Australia and New Zealand. The World Fisheries Congress 2021 (WFC2021) was delivered as a fully virtual event allowing the
international fisheries community to come together and exchange ideas at a time when travel was restricted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In total, the Congress delivered over 800 presentations, covering a broad range of topics critical to the future of fisheries, and attracted 1,166 delegates from 60 countries.
The Congress provided an opportunity to reflect on how much has changed since the first World Fisheries Congress was held almost 30 years ago, as was evident by the developments and thought-provoking work presented and discussed over the week of the Congress. The Congress also
highlighted the many issues that remained, as well as identified new issues that have emerged. Importantly, discussions and presentations indicated that despite the persistence of some issues, we have advanced our thinking and actions and are moving forward in the right direction.
Every session and presentation were recorded and will remain available on the WFC2021 virtual portal for six months post congress. Plenary presentations and presentations of student award winners have been made publicly available on the WFC2021 website.
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.
