Identifying population connectivity of shark bycatch species in NT waters
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.
Final report
Implementation of dynamic reference points and harvest strategies to account for environmentally-driven changes in productivity in Australian fisheries
To develop a national marine safety extension resource toolkit and to trial with all fisheries jurisdictions
There have been significant resources (financial and physical) allocated to workplace health and safety (including mental health, training and systems for data collection) over the last 15 years in the commercial fishing industry .However the majority have been “stand alone" and there has been limited extension for the wider industry to adopt. Although there have been some positive moves in the area of health and safety such as the SRL Clean Green program and the Spencer Gulf Prawn fishery, there has largely been a “silo” approach to the various initiatives across the commercial fishing industry and a real lack of coordination that can lead to a lack of communication, adoption and the lack of visibility of tools to those that need it. This is due in part to the nature of the industry that tends (overall) not to have the willingness to adopt something that another fishery has implemented, fragmentation of industry in some states and within a fishery. Additionally, the absence of a peak national body until June 2017 also created a gap for driving nationwide issues including workplace safety and health initiatives. Through the building of these networks and the establishment of on the ground champion in each state to influence industry including the building of capacity/ resources within the peak bodies to embrace workplace health and safety on behalf of their members, improved awareness and adoption of safety programs should occur. To do this State peak bodies require support to enable them to add value for their members and therefore utilise existing and currently funded research and develop extension processes.It is unknown to what level industry uptake of the current AMSA requirements for a safety management system (SMS) has occurred. It is not well understood by industry that the existence of a SMS to meet AMSA requirements only goes half way for legal compliance. Each states Worksafe body also has legislation that requires compliance with safe work practices. It is desirable to produce a SMS that meets both sets of legislation and develop a tool that can be used to assess the uptake of the initiatives through the peak bodies as well as developing a robust set of statistics to benchmark the performance.