By developing an evidence-based health and safety training program for Australian fishing communities, this project meets the needs of the commercial wild-catch and aquaculture industry identified in FRDC’s RD&E Program 3, ‘Communities’ and particularly theme 10, which promotes resilient and supportive communities who are able to adapt to the social impacts of change in industry business environments.

The project will address a national need, identified by VicFRAB, to better understand the social and economic contribution of commercial fisheries, by identifying and addressing potential losses incurred through the poor health and wellbeing of the industry’s human capital.

Fishers tend to work in rural and remote communities, which means they have higher rates of mortality, disease and health risk factors than urban dwellers, further impacted by reduced access to primary health care services. Fishers are at particular risk of certain kinds of illnesses (eg. skin and diet-related), as well as injury (fatality rates are more than double those in the agricultural sector). Mental health concerns are higher than average in the fishing industry, exacerbated by uncertainties within the industry including often high debt and insecurity of tenure and licencing. While both women and men are at risk, 86.9% of fishers are male, a factor placing them at greater risk of suicide.

Fisher ‘attitudes’ also impact health, such as the culture of self-reliance, particularly among males. This may make fishers resilient, but also makes them less likely to adopt preventative health practices or to use health services, and they will usually wait longer before seeking medical assistance, particularly for issues of chronic poor mental health.

The Sustainable Fishing Families project will benefit fishing families’ health, safety and resilience by promoting a self-awareness of the value of the industry’s human capital, and building their health capacity.

There is still ongoing need for planning and implementation of targeted, effective RD&E activities that address Indigenous sector priorities. The FRDC assist addressing this by supporting and resourcing the IRG through projects, and an Indigenous RD&E SubProgram.

There has been remarkable progress since the inception of the IRG, but identified market failures still exist as most agencies, researchers and other stakeholders still have limited capacity to interact and engage with the Indigenous sector, and fully reap the opportunities and benefits.

The pool of Indigenous people who have the expertise and/or wish to be involved in the process is growing, but is still inadequate to address identified needs. This is a key focal area for the IRG for the future, including supporting a formalised capacity building program that improves understanding and knowledge of research, management, governance, and agency processes.
Opportunities exist to:

• Increase the pool of Indigenous people with expertise and desire to engage in RD&E and associated policy process
• Build two-way capacity by enhancing non-Indigenous stakeholders’ knowledge and capability
• Improve culturally appropriate knowledge/data for the Indigenous fishing sector to address Indigenous Australians, researchers and managers’ needs
• Transition research to policy
• Enhance Indigenous focussed projects at a jurisdictional level through improved connectivity between IRG and RAC/IPA
• Manage expectations that the IRG is a one-stop shop for all Indigenous issues related to the industry by developing processes to expand networks and engagement.

The IRG is different to other programs as it provides a service that covers a number of additional areas. An aim is to break the need of the FRDC and RACs in seeing the IRG as the sole conveyer of Indigenous input. In the interim this necessary service is subsidised by FRDC as we seek to develop an alternate mechanism.