FRDC has an already developed video and image library, however, does not have the resources to keep it supplied with new and relevant images, or to produce a series of short video clips and capture professional photos to showcase the innovation and sustanability of Australia's commercial fisheries. This is planned as a Phase #1 proof of concept project focusing on fisheries in 3 states: WA, SA and Queensland.

There is a need to produce a digital campaign that encapsulates the stories of commercial fishers and the role of their seafood supply locally and outside of Australia. These fisheries, their people, their fishing techniques and their markets have changed considerably over time. This presents an opportunity to showcase these changes –the new fisheries, the innovations and the inspiring young people taking over the reins.

This project is well aligned with the FRDC’s Strategic R&D priorities, and aims to build community, trust, respect and value (FRDC R&D Plan 2020-2025: Outcome 5) by providing foundational information and support services (FRDC R&D Plan 2020-2025: Enabling Strategy V).

There is a need to increase effective engagement between fishing and aquaculture stakeholders and climate science and scientists in an ongoing strategic way, and not ‘just’ for single-project outcomes.

Improved engagement will help increase understanding of the likely implications of a changing climate in relevant contexts, and lay foundations for a shared exploration of available options for reducing risk exposure. We have worked with stakeholders and the FRDC Extension Officer Network to design a strategy that will engage fishing and aquaculture stakeholders on existing knowledge regarding risks and opportunities associated with a changing climate, to enable resource managers and researchers to better understand the ways in which many sectors are already adapting autonomously and to identify the barriers to further adaptation, and to co-design solutions that are relevant at local- and industry-levels to help build climate-ready communities and to stimulate economic resilience.

In many cases (but not all), extensive information regarding marine climate change - including key risks to fisheries and aquaculture producers (at a high level) - is already available, along with information on how to develop adaptation plans. However, despite this, progress and uptake within most sectors in terms of planned adaptation responses has been very slow – although many individual operators are already making ‘autonomous’ changes to their day-to-day operations in response to climate change drivers. If these changes are being made without access to best available knowledge, then it is very likely that substantial portions of these responses are maladaptive in the longer term, or may be countervailing to planned government adaptations (see Pecl et al 2019, Ambio, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13280-019-01186-x). This is a pattern evident within many different industries around Australia and across the rest of the world. ‘What’ needs to happen has thus been outlined in general terms in many cases, but such information is not co-developed or provided in consultation with end-users in ways that resonate or are useful to them. This project will address this need for relevance and usefulness.

The project aims to develop reflexive, ongoing, and two-way knowledge exchange between industry representatives, operators and manager, and the marine climate change impacts and adaptation research sector, so that solutions are co-designed, usable, and adoptable.