Community perceptions of fishing: implications for industry image, marketing and sustainability
Final report
(survey percentages were 58% of males and 29% of females participating over the year prior to the survey). Very few members of either the focus groups or telephone sample (collectively referred to as ‘respondents’) had direct experience with the commercial wild-catch sector or traditional fishing, but many focus group members knew about or had visited local aquaculture ventures. Respondents generally viewed recreational and traditional fishing and aquaculture positively, but not commercial wild-catch fishing. The telephone sample rated the sustainability of the different sectors in the order wild-catch (25% said it was sustainable); recreational (56%); traditional (64%), and aquaculture (77%). Respondents’ most important source of information about the industry was the mass media, particularly television. Recreational fishers relied more on books, magazines and fishing clubs than non-recreational fishers. Government and industry were very minor sources of information for most respondents and were not viewed as highly credible sources. Poor perceptions of the wild-catch sector suggest that much mass media information about this sector is negative, and there could be advantages in industry taking a more proactive media stance and trying to achieve better coverage of ‘good news’ stories.
‘interested’), providing encouragement to those working to improve public understanding and knowledge of the industry. However, like similar surveys, the study concludes that unless they have a special interest, members of the public are unlikely to actively seek information about the industry nor to make much use of the sources they regard as most credible. Specific options for addressing poor public perceptions of the wild-catch sector include developing media campaigns in consultation with professional communicators; enlisting the support of media personalities to deliver messages; developing and disseminating popular material giving basic facts and figures about the sector and making it available in locations the public regularly uses; supporting production of television documentaries that provide a balanced perspective on wild-catch fishing and its contributions; and developing more integrated fisheries websites, preferably managed and maintained by community-based organisations that the public regards as credible. The industry could also develop more ‘on the wharf’ links to the public, for example by establishing fishing industry information sources within commercial precincts.
Australian fisheries statistics
The development of statistics on Australian fisheries production and gross value of production (GVP) is required to meet a wide range of demands.
First: The data are extensively used by the fishing industry and by providers of services to the fishing industry in making investment decisions and in longer term planning of marketing strategies. The importance of the information provided by this project was highlighted at the 1997 FRDC Australian Fisheries Economics Statistics Workshop and the Seafood Directions Conference in 1999. Also the information is used extensively in FRDC's publication "From Antarctica to the tropics: a snapshot of the Australian fishing industry".
Second: The existence of these data in a readily accessible form provides the basis for a range of other activities, including the setting of research priorities by fisheries managers, industry and research organisations and the selection of a research portfolio by funding agencies. The Commonwealth government through ABARE, contributes to a number of international databases including databases managed by FAO and OECD. Information at the international level can be important in relation to international negotiations on issues such as transboundary fisheries, in analysing trade opportunities and threats and is essential for participating in fora such as APEC and WTO.
Third: The gross value of production for specific fisheries are used for determining research and development levies for Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) and for determining industry contributions to research. Because the estimates form the basis for research levies for each fishery, it is important for the system to be independent from those involved in the management and marketing processes to ensure the neutrality and integrity of the estimates.
Fourth: There are significant economies in centralising the collection, collation and dissemination of the gross value of production data. In the absence of this project the workload of a range of organsations involved with fisheries management would be substantially increased.