26 results
Industry
Industry
PROJECT NUMBER • 2015-205
PROJECT STATUS:
CURRENT

Indigenous fishing subprogram: mapping livelihood values of Indigenous customary fishing

This report contains the results of the largest research project into Indigenous fishing values to date, documenting how and why use and management of marine resources is valued by and benefits Indigenous peoples and communities in three very different parts of Australia. The Indigenous Reference...
ORGANISATION:
Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS)

Two-Eyed Seeing – a framework for cultural fishery assessments supporting equitable and sustainable access to shared resources in NSW Inland Rivers

Project number: 2021-107
Project Status:
Current
Budget expenditure: $1,460,500.00
Principal Investigator: Katherine J. Cheshire
Organisation: NSW Department Of Primary Industries Port Stephens
Project start/end date: 2 Jul 2023 - 31 Aug 2028
Contact:
FRDC

Need

Fish are totemic and a primary food source; and so are part of the deep cultural, spiritual and economic connections Aboriginal communities have to their waterways that are part of ‘Country’. Cultural knowledge tells us that when there’s more water availability cultural fishers experience increased total catches and greater diversity of target species, and they fish more (e.g. increase in recreational and subsistence fishing). These narratives also suggest that as a result of these improved cultural fishing opportunities, there are flow on socio-economic benefits to household budgets, diets of communities, social behaviours and mental health and well-being.

Water is sacred and living; and central to the cultural, social and spiritual identity of Aboriginal people, as well as to their livelihoods. Conceptual models underpinning western water management frameworks and decision making do not incorporate Aboriginal/First Nations socio-cultural complexity, local knowledge and governance arrangements. These are critical – Aboriginal/First Nations people have strong connections with fish, water, rivers and knowledge to contribute to planning, as well as a fundamental right to participate. Water and fish are central to the way of life, two-way knowledge and planning frameworks will support reciprocity in engagement and participation.

Two-Eyed Seeing Frameworks (Ganma, Yolgnu for two-ways) provide a way forward for cultural fishery assessments supporting equitable and sustainable access to shared resources. In this framework, knowledge systems (western and cultural) contribute in parallel, on an equal footing, and both serve as evidence bases to produce an enriched picture of mutual understanding. Application of this framework can empower Aboriginal communities to participate more equitably and negotiate by using their science and values and providing a method for inclusion.

The overall objective of this proposed project is to empower Aboriginal communities through application of a “Two-Eyed seeing framework” (Reid et al. 2020) to participate more equitably and negotiate for cultural fishing practices and water allocation and management. This project will define the cultural fishery and quantify the socio-economic value of cultural fishing in two NSW river regions, and assist communities to identify water management needs for key cultural fish species to support ongoing planning and negotiations. It will improve our current fishery and water management by providing a pathway for cultural fisheries and cultural science to be included. Overall, it will increase our current knowledge of fish and fisheries, by bridging the gap between cultural science and western science practitioners and knowledge holders to share understandings, insights and skills. The application and extension of this framework to a national project will be considered for future use in addressing cultural fishery allocations and management.

Objectives

1. Identify suitable NSW riverine cultural fisheries, engage with Aboriginal Communities, Traditional Owners, codesign the project and confirm move to phase 2.
2. Define and quanitfy the cultural fishery and associated totemic, cultura and social values
3. Identify and describe fish objectives and water management needs for cultural fish species using the Fish and Flows Framework.
4. Determine if changes in (2) are related to changes in water availability, policy and operations and/or river restoration activities (e.g. fish passage restoration, cold water passage, screening), if possible.
5. Objectively assess the efficacy and utility of the “Two-Eyed Seeing framework” in assessing the totemic, culutal and social fishing values and linking them to the fish and flows framework, including consideration of National applicability.

A global review on implications of plastic in seafood

Project number: 2021-117
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $60,513.00
Principal Investigator: Bronwyn M. Gillanders
Organisation: University of Adelaide
Project start/end date: 31 May 2022 - 30 Jul 2023
Contact:
FRDC

Need

The project will review and synthesise available global data on the potential effects and implications that plastic is causing in seafood species in the context of the impacts they generate to fishing and aquaculture sectors. Concurrently, using published literature on sources of marine pollution, the abundance of plastic entering aquatic systems from seafood related sources will be quantified, with particular focus to the Australian context. Ultimately, this will give the fisheries sector, particularly in an Australian setting, the knowledge to evaluate where appropriate mitigation strategies are necessary and reduce the presence and impacts of microplastics in seafood.

This project aligns with FRDC R&D Plan Outcome 1: Growth and Enduring prosperity; In particular, it targets the priorities of:
- Improving the understanding of the cause and extent of impacts to aquatic systems and what is needed to improve them
- Promote a circular economy to remove waste from the processing system, keep products and materials in use and promote the repair of natural systems

Providing information on how marine pollution may affect the seafood industry and seafood species fished will guide the urgency of future research and allow management and mitigation strategies that support the seafood sector to be developed. Ultimately, quantifying the amount of plastic contributed by the seafood sector to marine plastics will allow us to advance with solutions and uncover where plastic alternatives are most needed.

Objectives

1. Undertake a systematic review, collating, synthesising and analysing global data on the effects and implications of plastic pollution in seafood species and the seafood industry
2. Identify potential sources of plastic in marine environments, including the percentage coming through fishing and aquaculture
3. Highlight key knowledge gaps, opportunities and threats of plastic in the seafood sector
4. Disseminate findings and information on effects and implications of plastic pollution on seafood species to fishers and managers

Final report

Authors: Nina Wootton Patrick Reis-Santos and Bronwyn M Gillanders
Final Report • 2023-09-27 • 3.65 MB
2021-117-DLD.pdf

Summary

Microplastics are commonly consumed by seafood species however, there is still limited understanding of the effects and implications that microplastics may have on the fishing and aquaculture industry. This project summarises research on the effects that microplastic may be having on seafood species and the contribution that the seafood industry is having to marine plastic pollution. Global literature on microplastic effects in seafood species revealed 1) that 93% of all species were negatively affected by plastics, although many studies used increased levels of microplastic contamination that are not environmentally relevant (i.e., generally do not reflect environmental conditions); and 2) 23% of plastic pollution in the marine and coastal environment originates from fishing and aquaculture sources. This
report provides clear-sighted recommendations on the threats and opportunities that plastics hold for the seafood sector, as well as avenues for potential mitigation and reduction.