13 results

RFIDS: identifying the health and well-being benefits of recreational fishing

Project number: 2011-217
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $29,459.89
Principal Investigator: Alexandra McManus
Organisation: Curtin University
Project start/end date: 30 Jun 2011 - 30 Dec 2011
Contact:
FRDC
TAGS
Wellbeing
Stakeholder
Mental Health
Media
Health Benefits

Need

Recreational fishing is a form of outdoor recreation providing physiological, psychological and social benefits to the community. These benefits, while widely recognised, are inherently difficult to identify and quantify. This project will collate research efforts, initiatives and programs currently underway in Australia around the topic of recreational fishing, health and well-being. This investigation will increase understanding of the health and well-being benefits derived from recreational fishing for different community sectors and stages of life.
Determination of the health and well-being benefits to communities from recreational fishing will allow for consideration of these factors in allocation of resources. As an outdoor pursuit that can be enjoyed throughout life, it is important that the recreational fishing sector is recognised for promotion of well-being. Factors requiring consideration include a positive impact on mental health, perceived well-being, prevention of chronic disease and associated reductions in health care burden. These and other factors need to be considered for the true value of recreational fishing to be recognised. Recreational fishing is one of the few outdoor recreational activites that can be enjoyed at almost any age regrardless of skill, experieince or disability. Outcomes of Australian Institute of Criminology research investigating sport, physical activity and antisocial behaviour in youth, as well as international efforts such as the UK 'Get Hooked on Fishing' initiative aimed at providing diversions for youth from antisocial behaviour, will be included in the final analysis. This project represents a first step in consolidating the value of recreational fishing across Australia.

Objectives

1. Identify current research activities and programs in Australia relating to recreational fishing and health or well-being.
2. Investigate the impact of recreational fishing on the health and well-being of Australian Society

Final report

ISBN: 978-0-9872086-1-3
Author: Alexandra McManus
Final Report • 2012-03-29 • 1.63 MB
2011-217-DLD.pdf
Environment
Industry
Blank
People
PROJECT NUMBER • 2016-129
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Recfishing Research Subprogram: Travel bursaries for attendance at the 8th World Recreational Fisheries Conference - Vancouver Canada 2017

The 8th World Recreational Fishing Conference, held in Vancouver Canada in July 2017 was seen as an opportunity to build on previous educational and leadership opportunities associated with the 5th and 7th conferences, and to hopefully develop a new tranche of young leaders for the recreational...
ORGANISATION:
Curtin University
TAGS
Recreational Fishing
Fisheries Management
Education
Conference
Community

Enhancing the understanding of the value provided to fisheries by man-made aquatic structures

Project number: 2018-053
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $376,840.06
Principal Investigator: Euan S. Harvey
Organisation: Curtin University
Project start/end date: 29 Apr 2019 - 19 Mar 2020
Contact:
FRDC
TAGS
Social Science
Social Science
Recreational Fishing
Rac Wa
Policy

Need

The north west of Western Australia has productive commercial and recreational fisheries and extensive offshore oil and gas (O&G) infrastructure. These man-made structures support a range of demersal and pelagic fishes which are targeted by recreational and commercial fishers. As this O&G infrastructure reaches the end of its productive life, decisions on the best practice option for decommissioning must be made. The current policy for decommissioning requires complete removal. Regulators may support alternative strategies, such as leaving infrastructure in place, if risks and impacts are minimised and there are clear environmental, social and economic benefits to do so. It is thought that removal of infrastructure will decrease catch rates and have negative ecological, economic (direct and downstream) and social consequences.

At the same time as the discussion is occurring about removing O&G infrastructure, there have been large investments in constructing and installing purpose built man-made aquatic structures on the seafloor for the express purpose of enhancing the experience of recreational fishers and SCUBA divers.

There is a need to deliver critical information on: 1) the ecological, economic and social value of these man-made structures to recreational and commercial fishers and other stakeholders; 2) the attitudes of stakeholders to man-made structures; and 3) the opportunities and risks of decommissioning strategies to fishers and other groups (e.g. tourism).

Policy regarding the removal of decommissioned structures will benefit from the increased clarity that this project will provide in regards to data requirements for socio-economic models and stakeholder consultation methods. Comparative assessments of decommissioning options rely on the existence of appropriate socio-economic data, a knowledge gap this project aims to fill. An understanding of the impact of man-made aquatic structures on recreational and commercial fisheries is a global priority, and as such this project has strong international importance and relevance.

Objectives

1. To develop conceptual qualitative, semi-quantitative and quantitative models for describing the socio-economic values and decide what information is needed to give stakeholders an understanding of the value of manmade aquatic structures in the marine environment.
2. To collate a list and description of the manmade aquatic structures in the marine environment in Western Australian and the associated social, economic and biodiversity data.
3. To collect and collate data on four manmade aquatic structures in the marine environment and develop and compare the costs and benefits of qualitative, semi-quantitative and quantitative models.
4. To develop a decision support system or framework for undertaking socio-economic evaluations of manmade aquatic structures which can be used throughout Australia and guide end users on how to develop qualitative, semi-quantitative and quantitative models depending on their information requirements.

Final report

ISBN: 978-0-646-84171-7
Author: Euan Harvey
Final Report • 20.59 MB
2018-053-DLD.pdf

Summary

In 2018, the state’s recreational and commercial fishers (represented by the peak bodies Recfishwest and WAFIC) commissioned a program of research as part of a Fisheries Research Development Corporation project aimed at documenting the social and economic values and benefits that stakeholders obtain from MMS in Western Australia. These structures include shipwrecks, artificial reefs, break walls, structures associated with harbours, jetties, marine navigation markers, and O&G infrastructure such as platforms, wells, and pipelines.
During 2019 and 2020 the researchers undertook seven online surveys which focussed on understanding the social and economic benefits and values that recreational and commercial fishers, divers and other users gained from using MMS in Western Australia. This was complemented by eleven focus groups which included representatives from the commercial and recreational fishers, but also the Oil and Gas (O&G) sector, regulators (state and federal), conservation, non-government organisations (NGOs), scientific sectors, and the general community. The researchers used data to develop five case studies representing a range of different structures and end users. These case studies focussed on inshore Thevenard Island subsea O&G infrastructure (incorporating recreational fishing), Woodside’s Echo Yodel offshore subsea O&G infrastructure (incorporating commercial fishing), the Exmouth Integrated Artificial Reef (recreational fishing), the Exmouth Navy Pier (diving tourism), and the iconic Busselton Jetty in Southwestern Australia, which is used for tourism, by recreational fishers, divers, swimmers and many other stakeholders. A guidebook was produced outlining the different methods of identifying social and economic values, along with the types of data required, and the approaches to collecting this data. The guidebook also outlines the advantages, disadvantages and resource needs for each method. A database of the MMS in Western Australia was also compiled and made accessible online.
Industry
PROJECT NUMBER • 1978-048
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Improve echo sounder and sonar performance in Australian prawn fisheries

This report deals with the operation of the twin sounder installation, referred to in earlier project reports, during 1979. For the period 1978/79 a grant of $2,750 was recommended for building and testing the prototype device. In order to meet construction deadlines on the vessel "Territory Chief"...
ORGANISATION:
Curtin University
TAGS
Stakeholder
Remote Sensing
Innovation
Fishing Technology
Automation
Environment
PROJECT NUMBER • 2010-004
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Passive acoustic techniques to monitor aggregations of sound producing fish species

The need to optimise spawning success and survival of offspring by fishes has resulted in the evolution of a vast array of reproductive strategies, such as spawning aggregations. A spawning aggregation is defined by Domeier and Colin (1997) as, “a group of con-specific fish gathered for the...
ORGANISATION:
Curtin University
TAGS
Reproduction
Rac Wa
Modelling
Marine Sound
Health And Safety
SPECIES
Mulloway
Black Bream
Snapper
West Australian Dhufish
Industry
PROJECT NUMBER • 2016-121
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Workshop to implement a National Approach to Australian Salmon Market Development and Supply

Australian Salmon fishers, seafood processors and traders in the hospitality, retail and export markets have committed to work together to improve the profile of this undervalued fish species. Participants at the first national Australian Salmon workshop held in Melbourne in February 2019...
ORGANISATION:
Curtin University
TAGS
Workshop
Recreational Fishing
Rac Wa
Rac Vic
Rac Tas
SPECIES
Australian Salmons
Industry
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