257 results

Integrating indigenous fishing: extending adoption pathways to policy and management

Project number: 2019-168
Project Status:
Current
Budget expenditure: $33,000.00
Principal Investigator: Peter H. O'Brien
Organisation: Peter O'Brien Consulting
Project start/end date: 28 Feb 2020 - 18 Feb 2021
Contact:
FRDC
TAGS
Research
Policy
Management
Indigenous
Funding &Amp; Investment

Need

THE NEED

The FRDC IRG has invested in a number of research projects to advance Indigenous rights, interests, opportunities and engagement in Australia's fisheries. However, fisheries management agencies across the jurisdictions appear to have struggled to engage with or make effective use of these outputs and to make progress with Indigenous fishing interests.

IRG is seeking to commission a project to assist in dealing with this issue. The project is intended to establish effective means for Indigenous fishing R&D outputs to deliver policy and management outcomes. To do this, the project will engage with agencies to understand: their information needs; current progress, impediments and opportunities in integrating Indigenous fishing R&D outputs into their policies and management; and develop a template that can be used by all future PIs to frame IRG research outputs in a form useful to agencies.

There is also an identified need to build Indigenous leadership capacity to shape fisheries policy and management at the highest level. This project involves an Indigenous collaborator and a focus on their development through participation and professional executive coaching. The Indigenous collaborator, will also bring cultural advice and insight to the project.

In terms of IRG priorities, this project has the potential to contribute to:

Establishing the primacy of first nations in the fisheries areas
Acknowledgement of Indigenous Cultural Practices
Self-determination of Indigenous rights to use and manage cultural assets and resources
Economic development opportunities arising from Indigenous peoples cultural assets and associated rights
Capacity building opportunities for Indigenous people are enhanced.

MEASURING SUCCESS

Success for the project can be measured by:

Development through participation of an Indigenous collaborator and increased cultural awareness in wider participants
Usefulness of a report identifying agency priorities, opportunities and impediments to incorporating Indigenous R&D outputs in policy and management
Indigenous R&D outputs being more readily adopted in policy and management
Usefulness of a template to ensure ongoing adoption and engagement of IRG outputs

Objectives

1. Document the impediments and opportunities for Indigenous engagement and adoption of IRG project outputs across fisheries management jurisdictions in Australia.
2. Identify the priorities for Indigenous fishing in jurisdictions with a focus on the 5 IRG RD&E priorities.
3. Develop a report synthesizing the impediments, opportunities and priorities for Indigenous fishing engagement and adoption to guide future IRG investment.
4. Develop a template for future IRG projects that will ensure engagement and adoption are maximized.
5. Provide professional development and capacity building for an Indigenous collaborator and grow cultural awareness in wider participants.
People

Integrating indigenous fishing: extending adoption pathways to policy and management

Project number: 2022-076
Project Status:
Current
Budget expenditure: $140,000.00
Principal Investigator: Stan Lui
Organisation: Indigenous Marine Resources Consultants Australia (IMRCA)
Project start/end date: 14 Dec 2022 - 4 Jan 2024
Contact:
FRDC
TAGS
Indigenous
Fisheries Management

Need

See Opportunities section

Objectives

1. Document the impediments and opportunities for Indigenous engagement and adoption of IRG project outputs across fisheries management jurisdictions in Australia.
2. Identify the priorities for Indigenous fishing in jurisdictions with a focus on the 5 IRG RD&E priorities.
3. Develop a report synthesizing the impediments, opportunities and priorities for Indigenous fishing engagement and adoption to guide future IRG investment.
4. Develop a template for future IRG projects that will ensure engagement and adoption are maximized.
5. Professional development and capacity building of the Indigenous Principal Investigator and grow cultural awareness in wider participants.
Communities
PROJECT NUMBER • 2016-400
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Sustainable Fishing Families: Developing industry human capital through health, wellbeing, safety and resilience

This project conducted the first national survey of the health, safety and wellbeing of the Australian professional fishing industry in 2017. The results of the survey provide a baseline for the state of the wild-catch industry members across a range of indicators, including reported physical and...
ORGANISATION:
Deakin University Geelong Waterfront Campus
TAGS
Wellbeing
Sustainability
Survey
Rac Wa
Rac Vic
Environment

Indigenous Fishing Subprogram: Ensuring that fishing and seafood industry focused RD&E delivers improved economic, environmental and social benefits to Australia’s Indigenous people – IRG and Indigenous Subprogram Support

Project number: 2017-132
Project Status:
Current
Budget expenditure: $1,286,636.82
Principal Investigator: Stan Lui
Organisation: Five Cubed Environmental Indigenous Consultants Pty Ltd
Project start/end date: 14 Nov 2017 - 29 Sep 2024
Contact:
FRDC
TAGS
Indigenous
Fisheries Management
Community

Need

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.

Objectives

1. Work with Indigenous people and other stakeholders, to facilitate the identification of Indigenous RD&E priorities annually, and develop projects to address those priorities.
2. Assist FRDC with management of the Indigenous Subprogram and the portfolio of projects with significant benefit to, or impact on, the Indigenous fishing sector.
3. Facilitate dissemination of R&D outputs
4. Encourage coordination and co-investment in RD&E which benefits the Indigenous fishing community.
Environment
Industry
PROJECT NUMBER • 2018-106
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Identifying electronic platforms to increase safety at sea in the Australian commercial fishing fleet

Maintaining safety at sea requires a multi-faceted and complex system including coordinating vessel integrity and the carriage of the correct equipment, the provision of accurate information on weather and sea conditions, the training of the crew and managing their actions at sea. ...
ORGANISATION:
Diversity Sustainable Development Consultants Pty Ltd
TAGS
Software
Health And Safety
Fishing Technology
Fisheries Management
Communications
SPECIES
Prawns

Measuring non-commercial fishing catches (traditional fishing) in the Torres Strait in order to improve fisheries management and promote sustainable livelihoods

Project number: 2022-045
Project Status:
Current
Budget expenditure: $234,002.20
Principal Investigator: Natasha Stacey
Organisation: Charles Darwin University (CDU)
Project start/end date: 28 Nov 2022 - 27 Jun 2024
Contact:
FRDC
TAGS
Indigenous
Fisheries Management
Data

Need

Following the initial groundwork to assess community support and approaches for a non-commercial fishery monitoring program in the Torres Strait (Bedford et al 2021 - https://www.pzja.gov.au/sites/default/files/final_report_-_monitoring_the_non-commercial_catch_in_torres_strait_update_06042021.pdf ), the following five steps were proposed:
1. Community consultation and sign on (engaging community re support for the suggested monitoring method).
2. Assess self-reporting web-based tool/APP platform design and development options (including data collection and storage options), through co-design with communities and Government to meet stakeholder needs.
3. Develop self-reporting web-based tool/APP platform, database and data flow infrastructure.
4. Community rollout – pilot (in some communities).
5. Community rollout – full-scale (to all communities).

The Torres Strait Scientific Advisory Committee (TSSAC) recommended that steps 1 and 2 (above) be undertaken first and they form the scope of this proposal.

As also noted in the TSSAC committee meeting of June 2021, the project was an initiative of the quota working group subcommittee of the Torres Strait Regional Authority Board, and identified as a priority by the Traditional Inhabitants (https://www.pzja.gov.au/sites/default/files/tssac_79_meeting_record_final.pdf). In particular, by ‘improving estimates of non-commercial catch of commercial species to inform stock assessment and set sustainable catch levels, as well as determine the catch sharing between the sunset sector, and how much to allocate for community consumption, in order to protect Traditional non-commercial catches and help ensure sustainable management.’

As noted in the ‘Opportunity’ section of this proposal, this project help fill a range of needs for Torres Strait communities, including:
• More accurate assessment of the Recommended Biological Catches of commercial species from all sources of fishing in the Torres Strait
• Reliable assessments of ongoing catches from the substantial non-commercial sectors in the Torres Strait, including knowledge of future change in catches that may be due to pressures from fishing, coastal industry, climate change, other ecosystem regime change
• Stronger ownership of marine resource management by Torres Strait communities, including ownership of non-commercial catch information, and supported by improved knowledge of the temporal and spatial dynamics of non-commercial catches.

The previous project also concluded that a non-commercial fishery monitoring program would have the best chance of success by gaining broad and committed acceptance by local communities and their leaders, with a strong co-design component. The need for this level of consultation was re-iterated by Traditional Inhabitants in several PZJA fishery management fora, including the TSSAC. This project is designed to meet that need.

The proposed project aligns strongly with the Torres Strait Fisheries Strategic Research Plan (https://www.pzja.gov.au/sites/default/files/tssac_srp_2018-2022_post_tssac_final.pdf). In particular:
• Theme 1: Protecting the Torres Strait marine environment for the benefit of Traditional Inhabitants; which is based on improving effective management of fishery stocks in order to support Traditional Inhabitant social and economic needs; which is an expectation of the improved fishery data outputs from the project.
• Theme 2: Social and Economic Benefits; which promotes social and economic benefits for Traditional Inhabitants from Torres Strait fisheries; for example, through increased capacity required to manage the program and increased knowledge of any future changes in catches through space and time in the Torres Strait.
• Theme 3: Technology and Innovation; which promotes the development of technology to support the economic, environmental and social benefits from the fishing sector.

This research project is co funded by the Australian Fisheries Management Authority of the Australian Government. Project co- investigators are Kenny Bedford, David Brewer and Timothy Skewes.

Objectives

1. Collate and review existing and new information about the potential options for a non-commercial fishery monitoring program as recommended by Bedford et al. (2021)
2. Assess the level of community need and support (or otherwise) for a non-commercial fishery monitoring program through a comprehensive and equitable community consultation and participation process throughout Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area communities
3. Develop cost and performance options for a non-commercial fishery monitoring program and its components (e.g. self-reporting web-based tool/APP platform
data management, storage and access
complimented surveys) to allow for an assessment of value (e.g. meeting needs, ease of use, maintenance and data use in stock assessments)

Final report

Authors: Kenny Bedford David Brewer Timothy Skewes and Natasha Stacey
Final Report • 2024-12-31 • 4.61 MB
2022-045-DLD.pdf

Summary

Traditional fishing in the Torres Strait Region has, and continues to be, important for livelihood sustainability for all Torres Strait Islander communities, providing a source of kai kai or food, nutrition and other social, cultural and spiritual benefits. Protection of the marine environment and maintenance of traditional activities, such as traditional fishing, are key pillars of the Torres Strait Treaty (1985).  

The long-term sustainability of all fisheries in the Torres Strait region requires reliable catch data from all sectors, including commercial and non-commercial (traditional and recreational). This data is not only a priority for managing key commercial species, such as Spanish Mackerel (Scomberomorus commerson), coral trout (Plectropomus spp) and Tropical (Ornate) Rock Lobster (Panulirus ornatus), also caught by traditional and recreational sectors, but also for the many other traditionally fished species that communities rely on. Commercial fisheries have management programs in place and data contributes to assessments that are central to management decisions. However, fish catches from the traditional and recreational fishery sectors are largely unquantified, except for some historic snapshot surveys and are either currently not monitored, or only in a very limited way. Torres Strait Islanders have expressed concern for their traditional fisheries and the need to protect them to ensure food security needs. Monitoring traditional fishing catches from both traditional and recreational fishing sectors has also been identified as a high priority in numerous Protected Zone Joint Authority (PZJA) fisheries committees over recent years. This project aimed to contribute knowledge to support a future monitoring program to address these data gaps. 

The project presents two primary recommendations. The first applies to the development and support of a pilot program for a bespoke traditional fishing app in the Torres Strait (separate from the recreational fishery program); and the second, to support concurrent promotion of the Queensland Government recreational fishing monitoring app (currently using the Qld fishing 2.0 app) program to monitor the Torres Strait recreational fishery. 

Project products

Fact Sheet • 2024-12-31 • 7.63 MB
2022-045-Indigenous App-Torres Strait-FactSheet A4-PRINT VERSION.pdf

Summary

This Fact Sheet supplements the FRDC Final Report '2022-045 Measuring non-commercial fishing catches (traditional fishing) in the Torres Strait to improve fisheries management and promote sustainable livelihoods'. It is a summary of what the project is about; key findings; principles and best practice approaches for app development; and recommendations. There are two versions of this Fact Sheet: (i) Print version and (ii) web version.
Fact Sheet • 2024-12-31 • 2.17 MB
2022-045-FactSheet-WEB.pdf

Summary

This Fact Sheet supplements the FRDC Final Report '2022-045 Measuring non-commercial fishing catches (traditional fishing) in the Torres Strait to improve fisheries management and promote sustainable livelihoods'. It is a summary of what the project is about; key findings; principles and best practice approaches for app development; and recommendations. There are two versions of this Fact Sheet: (i) Print version and (ii) Web version.
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