Integration of recreational fishing (RF) into harvest strategies (HS) is necessary for many fisheries in Australia, to account for catches that can equal or exceed commercial catch for some key species and to address biological and experiential objectives of the RF sector. Both the Productivity Commission’s report Marine Fisheries and Aquaculture (2016) and the ICES Report from the Working Group Recreational Fishing Surveys (2018) recommend formal integration of RF into stock assessments and harvest strategies. Failure to do so puts sustainable management goals and legislated state and Commonwealth fisheries requirements at risk.

Equitable and quantitative inclusion of RF in harvest strategies is rare. This stems from a traditional focus on the commercial sector and budgetary challenges involved with representatively sampling RF. It is therefore unclear: 1) what types of RF data and monitoring best service stock assessments, (2) which data also track indicators of recreational objectives (often related to the fishing experience), and (3) how to integrate harvest strategy components for multiple sectors. The need to address these knowledge gaps was highlighted by the FRDC priority research call in 2018 - “Integrating recreational fishery data into harvest strategies for multi-sector fisheries in New South Wales”. NSW provides an important test case for addressing issues around RF integration that are faced by most jurisdictions.

Harvest strategy development for multi-sector fisheries requires a transparent and defensible process due to complexities in addressing diverse objectives and apprehension among stakeholder groups. Structured workshops that use easily-understandable, interactive decision support tools and involve independent experts and stakeholder representatives are likely to provide best outcomes. ‘FishPath’ is a leading harvest strategy decision support tool and “bottom up” engagement philosophy that allows experts and stakeholders to interactively contribute to harvest strategy development in a transparent workshop setting. However, it requires additional development in recreational and multi-sector contexts.

In the face of mounting pressure on Australia’s marine and freshwater ecosystems, there is a continuing need for robust scientific information to support the sustainable development and management of our aquatic resources. The ASFB is Australasia’s premier professional association for fish and fisheries researchers. The annual science conference makes an important and tangible contribution to skill development of people involved in fish and fisheries research and management, particularly offering students and early career researchers opportunities to present their work, interact with peers and develop collaborative links. The ASFB has a strong commitment to promoting and communicating science, encouraging sustainable management practices, encouraging excellence in fisheries research, and recognizing outstanding contributions of scientists and professionals through various awards and scholarships. Additionally, the ASFB has recognised the need for increased international engagement via increased active involvement with in particular World Council of Fisheries Societies and with the American Fisheries Society.
This proposal is seeking sponsorship support for the annual science conference in 2020 (virtual conference due to COVID-19 restrictions), 2021 (WFS congress, Adelaide), 2022 (Joint congress with Indo-Pacific Conference, Auckland) and a series of conference associated awards that support student travel and recognise research excellence. The proposal addresses three people development program goals, namely (i) to encourage knowledge transfer and R&D adoption (ASFB annual science conference) and (ii) to recognise and promote achievements (ASFB awards) and (iii) to enhance industry leadership (bringing together a range of people for the annual conference). These activities will encourage participation and exchange of information and provide an opportunity to develop networks and collaborations with outside organisations. In addition, we also seek support to hold an event at the WFC in Adelaide to celebrate the Society’s 50th year and promote the achievements of Australia and New Zealand’s fish and fisheries science over the last 50 years.