Aquatic Animal Health and Biosecurity Coordination Program: strategic planning, project management and adoption
Australia’s aquatic animals are free from many diseases that occur overseas, providing us with a competitive advantage in both production and trade. Australian aquaculture has grown from an industry valued at AU$260 million in 1993 to an industry valued at AU$1.6 billion in 2020 (ABARES, 2021). This dramatic growth has been accompanied by the emergence of new diseases/infectious agents, e.g., NNV since 1989, Bonamia since 1992, OOD since 2006, OsHV since 2010, POMV since 2012, new YHV genotypes since 2013, PMMS since 2015 and WSD since 2016, all of which threaten the sustainability of major aquaculture enterprises. Consequently, the need for health research to support this expanding sector is also growing. The wild-harvest, recreational, Indigenous and ornamental sectors are also under threat; e.g., crayfish plague, Edwardsiella ictaluri in catfish, Perkinsus in oysters, WSD in crustacea and gourami iridovirus in a range of finfish species pose significant risks.
Thus, identification and prioritisation of aquatic animal health and biosecurity research and capacity building needs to be coordinated across all aquatic sectors to ensure synergy while avoiding duplication. FRDC, through AAHBRCP, plays a major role in addressing research needs and training in aquatic animal health and biosecurity and is able to direct funding priorities to the most pressing areas. AAHBRCP provides a cohesive national approach to FRDC-supported R&D by providing leadership, direction and focus for health R&D and other related non-R&D activities. According to an external review of AAHBRCP undertaken in 2015 the consensus among major stakeholders was that AAHBRCP provides an essential service for the aquatic animal sector. Given the success of the AAHBRCP there is a need to continue it as a means of providing the service with consideration given to adjustments (reflected in this proposal) to enhance the service it provides for the evolving needs of Australia’s seafood industry, public policy and program needs
Tackle Box - Fishing at home during Covid 19
The ARFF Tackle Box project is funded through the ‘our marine parks’ grants funded by Parks Australia. The project aims to develop a recreational fishing app to collect data from scheduled recreational fishing competitions around Australia with the aim of being able to provide data on the interactions of recreational fishers with Australia’s Commonwealth Marine Parks. So far, the application has 1049 unique users, used for 9 fishing events, and has had data input for 1905 fish and 85 Photo only competition entries.
A real and meaningful opportunity exists for ARFF to lead the national recreational fishing community by introducing some simple retooling of the ARFF Tackle Box app and get on the front foot. There will be a push from some groups to keep people fishing but the reality is we need to be responsible right now. At this point, I think this is a moment FRDC can shine as well by supporting with funding as I am told there is considerable funds still available with the Rec Fish Research budget. Also, the government has subtly announced fiscal stimulus packages for sports and arts soon to keep the population engaged and there maybe potential to tap into both sporting/recreation and mental health funding. We have received offers of help to apply for these funding opportunities by professionals in these fields when they become available.
The proposal is to revise the current model and focus on the stash of data that exists already on people’s phones and keeping people engaged at home so that when the crisis passes, they are ready to go on our network. Capitalising on the low hanging fruit without fishers actively fishing and easily reach a user target of ten thousand people in a matter of weeks and potentially One hundred thousand users within 6 months without leaving home. This consists of 5 key elements:
• Fantasy/Photo only competition where people submit what they have on their phones from previous fishing trips before ARFF’s “quarantine at home/fish within the rules” policy came into effect.
• Community voting, engagement rather than “scoreboards”. It actively engages the community without the need to leave home.
• Keeping people connected with regular briefings and interactions with the states and regio
Final report
Recreational fishing and human wellbeing: insights from existing data and development of best practice approaches to future measurement
This project is needed as there are knowledge gaps about the effect of recreational fishing on the health and wellbeing of recreational fishers. Recent years have seen many claims about the health and wellbeing benefits of recreational fishing, as well as growing interest in nature connection and outdoor recreation as wellbeing interventions more generally. Measuring and valuing the wellbeing benefits of recreational fishing is not currently possible due to a lack of evidence, and limited methods for monitoring, measuring and reporting wellbeing effects. The FRDC’s RD&E Plan 2015-20 aims by 2020 to have robust community net benefit metrics that enable measurement of the benefits of fishing. This project will develop robust metrics related to health and wellbeing benefits of recreational fishing. Achieving this requires better understanding both (i) whether and under what circumstances engaging in recreational fishing has measurable impacts on health and wellbeing, and (ii) how to measure these benefits to produce readily accessible and understandable metrics. This will help achieve the FRDC’s national research strategy deliverable ‘Social contribution is supported by the fishing and aquaculture sector so it can capture the non-monetary value of activities across sectors.’ This work will also contribute to national science and research priorities in the health field, specifically the priority ‘Build healthy and resilient communities throughout Australia by developing … preventative strategies to improve physical and mental well-being’ (http://www.science.gov.au/scienceGov/ScienceAndResearchPriorities/Pages/Health.aspx). Nationally, this research priority aims to develop strategies for supporting wellbeing. This project contributes by identifying the role recreational fishing can play in building healthy and resilient communities through supporting physical and mental wellbeing. This research will also contribute to the overarching aims of Australia’s rural research, development and extension strategy, which include ‘develop a range of technologies and knowledge to contribute to healthy Australian lifestyles’ (http://www.agriculture.gov.au/SiteCollectionDocuments/ag-food/innovation2/nsrrdip-investment-plan1.pdf)
Bursary to attend the 2022 Microplastics and Seafood: Human Health Symposium in the United Kingdom - Erik Poole
Bursary to attend the 2022 Microplastics and Seafood: Human Health Symposium in the United Kingdom - Nina Wootton
Indigenous fishing subprogram: mapping livelihood values of Indigenous customary fishing
The need for this project was identified at the National Forum (Cairns 2011) (see Principles 1,2,3,5,6,7,8,10 - FRDC 2010/401). While commercial and recreational fisher values are fairly well understood, Indigenous values remain elusive to the development of fishing management strategies and policies. Similarly, Indigenous engagement in contemporary fisheries remains limited. These gaps result from a paucity of documented information in a format accessible to fisheries managers, and a shortage of Indigenous leaders and practitioners seeking to engage in fisheries and fisheries management.
These challenges are recognised in national R&DE plans and by the national FRDC IRG in calls for research to facilitate greater Indigenous engagement in fisheries, as well as more effective inclusion of Indigenous livelihood values in fisheries planning. Livelihood values include social, cultural and economic components. Achieving the longer term national goal of a comprehensive assessment of Indigenous fishing effort and development of catch allocation models will require lead up investment in Indigenous capacity to engage, as well as in documenting Indigenous livelihood values in fishing.
Significant progress has been achieved in mapping Indigenous values and building Indigenous engagement in related areas of natural resource management - particularly in water planning and land and sea management. The Indigenous capacity and expertise from these endeavours are relevant to the challenge of improving engagement of Indigenous people and knowledge in contemporary fisheries. In short, this project brings together Indigenous and non-Indigenous expertise from successful Indigenous natural and cultural resource management endeavours to map Indigenous values of aquatic biological resources and build capacity for greater Indigenous participation in fisheries. Further changes to regulations regarding Indigenous access to fisheries have been foreshadowed in two of the jurisdictions during the timeframe of the study. As such the study may allow investigation of the impacts of these changes to Indigenous satisfaction with their level of engagement in fisheries management and fishing activity.
Final report
- the Far West Coast Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC (Far West Coast SA),
- the Crocodile Islands Rangers of the Milingimbi and Outstations Progress Resource Association (Northeast Arnhem Land, NT), and
- the NSW Aboriginal Fishing Rights Group (South Coast NSW)
The research team interviewed 169 Aboriginal people from these three regions between October 2015 and July 2017, collecting qualitative data on the perceived cultural, social, economic and health significance and benefits of customary fishing practices (activities related to the use of fish and aquatic invertebrates). Data was also collected on perceived barriers to customary fishing practices and the aspirations people held for marine resource use and management in their communities’ futures.
The results show that for many Aboriginal peoples, customary fishing practices are of immense value and multi-faceted importance; being able or unable to access customary fisheries can have profound repercussions for the cultural, social, economic, physical and mental health of individuals, families and communities. Recognising and facilitating the values and aspirations of Aboriginal peoples in the management and use of their sea countries has the potential to generate substantial positive flow-on effects for overall health, wealth and wellbeing.
Around the world Indigenous peoples see aquatic resource use as part of their identities and crucial to their political, cultural and economic self-determination. Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples continue to seek greater engagement in fisheries and fisheries management in order to meet their cultural and socio-economic needs and long term objectives.
Consistent with previous research, this project found that the Aboriginal people who were interviewed valued fishing and related practices greatly, and for a wide range of reasons. These varied both between and within regions, but general findings that were consistent across all three case study regions included:
- Fishing is governed by widely recognised cultural laws and norms.
- Fishing is one of the primary ways of living and practising culture, maintaining a connection with country and passing on cultural knowledge.
- Sharing catch is a strong norm; often a small number of regular fishers provide for many people.
- Sharing catch strengthens and maintains social ties within and between families and communities.
- Sharing catch creates a social safety net that supports vulnerable members of the community.
- Fishing is an important social and leisure activity.
- Subsistence fishing and the trade and barter of catch increase discretionary incomes by substituting purchased goods.
- Certain marine and coastal species are used medicinally.
- Fishing improves diets, through regular access to healthy foods which are otherwise unavailable or unaffordable.
- Fishing keeps people physically active.
- Fishing helps people to relax and deal with stress.
- Practising culture and providing for their families in this way gives people a sense of pride.
- Fishing is part of people’s individual and cultural identities, and thus their sense of self-worth.
The converse of these extensive benefits is that restrictions and barriers to customary fishing practices can have far-reaching negative consequences for the health, wealth and wellbeing of Aboriginal people and communities. The nature and scale of the barriers and restrictions nominated by interviewees varied considerably between regions, but many stemmed from fisheries management and environmental protection legislation, regulations and enforcement decisions. These included regulations not properly accommodating the unique aspects of Aboriginal ways of fishing (leading in some cases to their effective criminalisation), unfair targeting and harassment of Aboriginal fishers by enforcement officers, inadequate respect for and understanding of the rights of native title holders, and apparent long term declines in local fish stocks attributed to overfishing by commercial operators.
Across all case study regions there was significant interest in greater Aboriginal involvement in commercial fishing, aquaculture and other on-water industries. Jobs created by these industries were seen as highly desirable, because in addition to an income source they potentially entailed working out on sea country, using and passing on cultural knowledge and skills, and reduced the need for people to move off country. Most existing opportunities in commercial fishing and aquaculture were said to be in practice inaccessible to most Aboriginal people. Existing Aboriginal-owned commercial ventures were highly regarded partially because many were seen as directly incorporating local non-economic values. This was also the case for many of the aspirational commercial ventures which interviewees proposed.
Aboriginal people interviewed in all case study regions strongly desired greater involvement in the management of local seas and fisheries. This included at the decision making level, and through more Aboriginal fisheries enforcement officers and Indigenous land and sea management rangers, the latter potentially with enforcement powers.
Additional research by or with Indigenous communities, particularly freshwater and Torres Strait Islander, to collate more detailed local fishing values sets and to add to and verify the broad baseline set established here, should be a priority. This would in turn allow research to quantify the total catch and effort of Indigenous fisheries and the estimated monetary value of both economic and non-economic fishing values. Better appreciation of the total value of Indigenous fisheries would inform negotiations over recognition and support for Indigenous fishing values and aspirations in management.