Measuring non-commercial fishing catches (traditional fishing) in the Torres Strait in order to improve fisheries management and promote sustainable livelihoods
Following the initial groundwork to assess community support and approaches for a non-commercial fishery monitoring program in the Torres Strait (Bedford et al 2021 - https://www.pzja.gov.au/sites/default/files/final_report_-_monitoring_the_non-commercial_catch_in_torres_strait_update_06042021.pdf ), the following five steps were proposed:
1. Community consultation and sign on (engaging community re support for the suggested monitoring method).
2. Assess self-reporting web-based tool/APP platform design and development options (including data collection and storage options), through co-design with communities and Government to meet stakeholder needs.
3. Develop self-reporting web-based tool/APP platform, database and data flow infrastructure.
4. Community rollout – pilot (in some communities).
5. Community rollout – full-scale (to all communities).
The Torres Strait Scientific Advisory Committee (TSSAC) recommended that steps 1 and 2 (above) be undertaken first and they form the scope of this proposal.
As also noted in the TSSAC committee meeting of June 2021, the project was an initiative of the quota working group subcommittee of the Torres Strait Regional Authority Board, and identified as a priority by the Traditional Inhabitants (https://www.pzja.gov.au/sites/default/files/tssac_79_meeting_record_final.pdf). In particular, by ‘improving estimates of non-commercial catch of commercial species to inform stock assessment and set sustainable catch levels, as well as determine the catch sharing between the sunset sector, and how much to allocate for community consumption, in order to protect Traditional non-commercial catches and help ensure sustainable management.’
As noted in the ‘Opportunity’ section of this proposal, this project help fill a range of needs for Torres Strait communities, including:
• More accurate assessment of the Recommended Biological Catches of commercial species from all sources of fishing in the Torres Strait
• Reliable assessments of ongoing catches from the substantial non-commercial sectors in the Torres Strait, including knowledge of future change in catches that may be due to pressures from fishing, coastal industry, climate change, other ecosystem regime change
• Stronger ownership of marine resource management by Torres Strait communities, including ownership of non-commercial catch information, and supported by improved knowledge of the temporal and spatial dynamics of non-commercial catches.
The previous project also concluded that a non-commercial fishery monitoring program would have the best chance of success by gaining broad and committed acceptance by local communities and their leaders, with a strong co-design component. The need for this level of consultation was re-iterated by Traditional Inhabitants in several PZJA fishery management fora, including the TSSAC. This project is designed to meet that need.
The proposed project aligns strongly with the Torres Strait Fisheries Strategic Research Plan (https://www.pzja.gov.au/sites/default/files/tssac_srp_2018-2022_post_tssac_final.pdf). In particular:
• Theme 1: Protecting the Torres Strait marine environment for the benefit of Traditional Inhabitants; which is based on improving effective management of fishery stocks in order to support Traditional Inhabitant social and economic needs; which is an expectation of the improved fishery data outputs from the project.
• Theme 2: Social and Economic Benefits; which promotes social and economic benefits for Traditional Inhabitants from Torres Strait fisheries; for example, through increased capacity required to manage the program and increased knowledge of any future changes in catches through space and time in the Torres Strait.
• Theme 3: Technology and Innovation; which promotes the development of technology to support the economic, environmental and social benefits from the fishing sector.
This research project is co funded by the Australian Fisheries Management Authority of the Australian Government. Project co- investigators are Kenny Bedford, David Brewer and Timothy Skewes.
Final report
The long-term sustainability of all fisheries in the Torres Strait region requires reliable catch data from all sectors, including commercial and non-commercial (traditional and recreational). This data is not only a priority for managing key commercial species, such as Spanish Mackerel (Scomberomorus commerson), coral trout (Plectropomus spp) and Tropical (Ornate) Rock Lobster (Panulirus ornatus), also caught by traditional and recreational sectors, but also for the many other traditionally fished species that communities rely on. Commercial fisheries have management programs in place and data contributes to assessments that are central to management decisions. However, fish catches from the traditional and recreational fishery sectors are largely unquantified, except for some historic snapshot surveys and are either currently not monitored, or only in a very limited way. Torres Strait Islanders have expressed concern for their traditional fisheries and the need to protect them to ensure food security needs. Monitoring traditional fishing catches from both traditional and recreational fishing sectors has also been identified as a high priority in numerous Protected Zone Joint Authority (PZJA) fisheries committees over recent years. This project aimed to contribute knowledge to support a future monitoring program to address these data gaps.
The project presents two primary recommendations. The first applies to the development and support of a pilot program for a bespoke traditional fishing app in the Torres Strait (separate from the recreational fishery program); and the second, to support concurrent promotion of the Queensland Government recreational fishing monitoring app (currently using the Qld fishing 2.0 app) program to monitor the Torres Strait recreational fishery.
Project products
Integrated approach to improving stock assessment of Black Jewfish
Development of sponge (Spongia Spp.) farming as a viable commercial enterprise for remote Aboriginal communities
There is an urgent need for employment and income generating projects within remote communities of northern Australia.
Despite there being several excellent sites for aquaculture near indigenous communities, there is currently no significant indigenous involvement in aquaculture in Northern Australia. This is partially the result of cultural norms in communities not being compatible with the intensive and high technology farming systems now in common use. There is a need to develop small-scale projects with a level of technology that will allow the participation of indigenous groups.
Such projects will form the basis for a diversified aquaculture industry in the NT which will be inclusive of both indigenous and non-indigenous groups in remote areas. Such projects have the capacity to generate income from a comparatively low investment and collectively form a significant export for the NT.
The proposed project will:
*meet a well-defined need and contribute to the public good.
*Form the basis for the development of a viable, community based aquaculture industry that will enhance the aquaculture industry of the NT and provide employment and income to remote communities.
*Provide a basis for future research into the establishment of appropriate sponge farming systems in the NT.
*Involve members of indigenous communities in the identification of options and related research
- direct involvement of community members will be a primary method of extension
Final report
Identifying population connectivity of shark bycatch species in NT waters
Development of the East Arnhem Fisheries Network Training Framework
The National Fishing and Aquaculture RD&E Strategy makes note of the ongoing challenge in engagement with stakeholders with specific reference to Indigenous peoples and identifies gaps in capability in regional extension. In areas managed and owned by Aboriginal people, the potential for Indigenous owned and run seafood enterprises is yet to be fully realised. The NT Department of Resources, Fisheries Division has identified the need for a more coordinated and better resourced support service for Indigenous seafood-related businesses is seen as a positive step towards increased participation by Yolngu in the seafood industry. This is a pilot initiative that may be extended.
Previous work has highlighted the pivotal roles of engagement, training development and workforce skill development. The need to develop a program of coordinated education and training in seafood and small business skills has been identified as one of the objectives in this process. The research team has extensive experience in developing Indigenous training frameworks and materials that support the negotiation and implementation of training that is Indigenous led, taught or reinforced in Aboriginal languages, contextualised locally and incorporates multimedia to ensure knowledge is recorded, translated and kept in the community. The current delivery of seafood related training and materials to support enterprise development is not coordinated, the delivery methods are patchy and the areas of study relevant to the enterprise development are not contextualised and often not available in an appropriate mode.
Action on these issues would address FRDC Program 3: Communities; Theme 10 Resilient and supportive communities and the RD&E priorities focused on resilience from the perspective of Indigenous peoples located across the top-end.
The project scope of training frameworks, standards and knowledge structures would also contribute to the RD&E priorities from the perspective of Indigenous peoples as listed in FRDC Theme 12: Workforce development.