18 results

Environment Social Governance (ESG) framework plan for fisheries and aquaculture

Project number: 2023-126
Project Status:
Current
Budget expenditure: $100,000.00
Principal Investigator: Amy White
Organisation: ERM Australia Consultants Pty Ltd
Project start/end date: 30 Sep 2024 - 9 Mar 2025
Contact:
FRDC

Need

The Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) is seeking support to plan and develop an Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) framework for fisheries and aquaculture to address the requirements of several stakeholders (government, investor, consumers) and be a leader addressing key current and emerging ESG trends and expectations. The ESG Framework would cover all fisheries and aquaculture sectors (Indigenous, commercial, wild catch, and recreational).

The proposal sets our suggested approach to developing an ESG framework development plan for Australian fisheries and aquaculture. It includes our proposed methodology, budget and work plan, as well as information on our team and experience.
The overarching objectives of this engagement are as follows:
- Identify the unifying purpose of an ESG framework for Australian fisheries and aquaculture, the drivers that will shape it and the intended audience.
- Review relevant frameworks, standards and agreements to identify existing requirements and best practice related to ESG for Australian fisheries and aquaculture.
- Provide options for how the Australian fisheries and aquaculture sector could design and structure an ESG framework aligned to existing frameworks and systems, and reflecting monitoring and evaluation aspirations and the unique needs of fisheries and aquaculture.
- Prepare an ESG framework development plan which clearly outlines and prioritises the steps that need to be taken to establish and build a mature framework for Australian fisheries and aquaculture.

Please refer to the attached file (Our Recommended Approach Section, pages 14 - 22) for our detailed approach based on our understanding of your needs (P0710649 Fisheries and aquaculture ESG Framework_V2_STC).

Objectives

1. To develop an ESG Framework Plan for fisheries and aquaculture covering all sectors (Indigenous, commercial wild catch, recreational fishing, aquaculture).

Indigenous fishing subprogram: Business Nous - Indigenous business development opportunities and impediments in the fishing and seafood industry

Project number: 2016-206
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $225,000.00
Principal Investigator: Jill Briggs
Organisation: Affectus Pty Ltd
Project start/end date: 6 Mar 2016 - 28 Jun 2018
Contact:
FRDC

Need

Fisheries Research Development Corporation Indigenous Reference Group (FRDC-IRG) has identified the following need:-
Indigenous business development opportunities and impediments in the fishing and seafood industry, the components that have been detailed by the FRDC-IRG include understanding opportunities and impediments for business development, identify the supply chain and research business structures to build enterprise development.

The indigenous fishing sector have commenced the important work of building businesses that can provide product needed by the market and communities; develop employment opportunities for indigenous people; community development through economic development and; recognition of the value of indigenous people and their knowledge and skills.

Additionally this project will address needs developed through the FRDC Indigenous Reference Group principles developed in Cairns in 2012. This project address Principle 4 RD&E - Leads to Improved Capacity That Empowers Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.

Against the IRG document the project will also address the following identified concepts:-
• Provide Resourcing Options in a User Friendly and Culturally Appropriate Manner to Encourage Greater Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Involvement
• Leads to Agencies Developing Capacity to Recognise and Utilise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Expertise, Processes and Knowledge
• Leads To an Increased Value for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders (Economic, Social, Cultural, Trade, Health, Environmental)
• Leads To Benefit Sharing

This project will also address a number of key areas in the Federal Governments ‘Our North, Our Future – White Paper.’ Specifically it will move some way to addressing these areas:-
• Making it easier to use natural assets, in close consultation with, and the support of,
• Indigenous communities
• Investing in infrastructure to lower business and household costs
• Reducing barriers to employing people
• Improving governance.

Objectives

1. An analysis tool to assess the success elements of indigenous fishing businesses and non-fishing indigenous businesses
2. A gap analysis of skills available and skills needed to develop and/or enhance the skills of people involved in indigenous fishing businesses.
3. Draft and finalise a Business template with conversation and workshop materials to enhance the indigenous communities connected to indigenous fishing
4. Enhance the business skills of indigenous fishing communities through the delivery of workshops, community conversations and virtual information sharing sessions

Final report

ISBN: 978-0-9872781-6-6
Author: Jill Briggs
Final Report • 2020-07-06 • 3.28 MB
2016-206-DLD.pdf

Summary

The Business Nous Project (BN) research and outputs have been finalised in November 2019 with the completion of the website and workshop outputs and the project evaluation. The project delivered successfully on three of the four objectives with the workshop component of the project is being held in abeyance until specific groups and/or communities are identified.

Twenty-two individuals from twenty-one existing, closed or about to commence businesses were interviewed. These twenty-two people were drawn from a range of locations but were from Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales and Tasmania.

Interviewees were drawn from many age groups, but the highest percentage were from the 55+ age group. Both males and females were interviewed the gender bias was skewed to males. Interviewees were from both fishing and non-fishing businesses and most were sole traders.

The interviewees were generous with their information and were able to provide insight into the skills and knowledge they had used to build and grow their businesses. The interviewees were also able to detail the areas of knowledge that all business owners should have been commencing or running a business.

The findings from twenty-one interviews were the base for developing the information presented on the Business Nous website. However, it should be noted that this output was modified from a decision-making tree. The working group presented the decision-making tree to the Indigenous Reference Group (IRG) and the consensus was that the decision-making tree would either be too complex or too simplistic in assisting Indigenous fishers with relevant fishing business nous.

The key findings suggest that to manage and/or own an Indigenous fishing business, standard principles need to be followed and structures implemented. Business concepts that most business owners understand such as:

Payroll
Book-keeping
Regulations
Cash-flow
Staff Management
Planning and marketing

All of the interviewees indicated that they understood and adopted many of the above and one business embraced all standard business practices covered by the questionnaire.

Additionally, the Indigenous business owners interviewed highlighted a second layer of expectations that were regularly considered when planning for and opening a business. This additional layer of requirements included consideration for:

Community expectations.
Cultural obligations.
Guidance from Elders. 
Consideration of Traditional Knowledge.

The above and other expectations highlighted one of the fundamental questions the working group considered - Is it different for Indigenous people to plan and operate a successful fishing business?

The BN project has developed materials that will assist people think through the essential elements when operating a fishing business.

The three main outputs for Indigenous fishing businesses are:

Business Nous Website – https://www.irgbusinessnous.com.au/ 
Business Nous promotional videos – https://www.irgbusinessnous.com.au/about-business-nous-project
Business Nous workshop materials – found in Appendix 9

There are key project materials that have been managed to ensure the above outputs were delivered.
Adoption
PROJECT NUMBER • 2022-111
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

External review of the FRDC's Indigenous fishing and aquaculture coordination program

Since its inception as part of the Cairns Forums, the Indigenous Reference Group (‘IRG’) to the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (‘FRDC’) has served as the principal method by which the FRDC seeks to engage with Australia’s First Nations and First Peoples...
ORGANISATION:
Australian Venture Consultants Pty Ltd
Blank
PROJECT NUMBER • 2021-038
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Shark depredation in Australian fisheries: understanding the scope of the issue and identify potential mitigation options

To guide the workshops, FRDC commissioned Dr Jonathan Mitchell (Qld DAF) to draft a discussion paper exploring key issues in Australian shark depredation research. Given that at least one substantial global review on shark depredation had been published recently (Mitchell et al. 2018;...
ORGANISATION:
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC)
Communities
PROJECT NUMBER • 2017-098
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Southern Bluefin Tuna: Changing The Trajectory

Life on the Line is the true story of the Southern Bluefin Tuna, its biological traits and its history of exploitation and most recently its recovery. This documentary covers how research, managers and the fishing industry - commercial and recreational have contributed to the recovering status of...
ORGANISATION:
Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA)
Communities
PROJECT NUMBER • 2018-115
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

National tropical oyster aquaculture workshop - Darwin 2018

The first national workshop on tropical oyster aquaculture was held in Darwin on 22 to 23 October, 2018 at the Waterfront Campus of Charles Darwin University (CDU). The workshop brought together representatives from Aboriginal communities, industry, government agencies, and Australian and...
ORGANISATION:
Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (NT)
SPECIES
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PROJECT NUMBER • 2018-070
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Opportunities and impacts of range extending scalefish species: understanding population dynamics, ecosystem impacts and management needs

This work set out to quantify the biology and diet of three key range-shifting species in Tasmania with both recreational and commercial fishery value. The project was heavily reliant on engagement from the recreational fishing community and multiple citizen science initiatives, as well as...
ORGANISATION:
University of Tasmania
Adoption