PROJECT NUMBER
•
2004-102
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED
ORGANISATION:
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) ABARES
6 results
Australian Fisheries Statistics
Project number:
2004-246
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure:
$190,938.00
Principal Investigator:
Paul Newton
Organisation:
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) ABARES
Project start/end date:
29 Jun 2004
-
16 Dec 2007
Contact:
FRDC
The development of statistics on Australian fisheries production and gross value of production (GVP) and trade is required to meed 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 1999 Seafood Directions Conference and the FRDC Australian Fisheries Economics Statistics Workshop in 2003. 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 organizations and the selection of a research portfolio by funding agencies. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry 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 the 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 and trade data. In the absence of this project the workload of a range of organizations involved with fisheries management would be substantially increased.
1. To maintain and improve the data base of production, gross value of production and trade statistics for the Australian fishing industry.
2. To add a new section to AFS on valuing recreational fishing.
3. To expand the employment section of AFS.
4. To provide these data in an accessible form.
Final report
Author:
Paul Newton
Australian fisheries statistics
Project number:
2001-227
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure:
$117,919.00
Principal Investigator:
Graham Love
Organisation:
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) ABARES
Project start/end date:
22 Jul 2001
-
30 Oct 2004
Contact:
FRDC
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.
1. To maintain and improve the data base of production, gross value of production and trade statistics for the Australian fishing industry, including aquaculture.
2. To provide these data in an accessible form.
Final report
Author:
Graham Love
Australian Fisheries and Aquaculture Statistics 2015
Project number:
2016-246
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure:
$88,000.00
Principal Investigator:
Robert Curtotti
Organisation:
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) ABARES
Project start/end date:
25 Aug 2016
-
29 Jun 2017
Contact:
FRDC
Statistics on Australian fisheries production and trade provides a source of information for a range of purposes. The information can be used to meet the needs of the fishing and aquaculture industry, fisheries managers, policymakers and researchers. It can assist in policy decisions, industry marketing strategies and the allocation of research funding or priorities. The gross value of production for specific fisheries are used for determining the research and development levies collected by government. The neutrality and integrity of GVP estimates is therefore important due to their forming the basis for research levies for each fishery. At the international level, the Department of Agriculture through Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) contributes to a number of international databases. These include databases managed by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Information at the international level can assist in international negotiations on issues such as transboundary fisheries and analysis of trade opportunities.
1. To maintain and improve the data base of production, gross value of production and trade statistics for the Australian fishing industry, including aquaculture
2. To provide these data in an accessible form
Final report
ISBN:
978-1-74323-354-2
Author:
Robert Curtotti
Final Report
•
2017-08-01
•
1.26 MB
2016-246-DLD.pdf
Outcomes achieved to date:
- A reliable time series of economic data about Australia’s fishing and aquaculture industries provided to ensure well informed investment, management and policy decisions by governments, the fishing industry and the public in general.
- Accurate information provided to stakeholders on the value associated with the commercial fisheries and aquaculture sectors.
- Baseline information provided that is fundamental to establishing the importance of individual fisheries and trends within fisheries.
- Accurate information provided to stakeholders on exports and imports of fisheries products.
Since 1991 ABARES has annually published detailed production and trade data in Australian Fisheries Statistics (now Australian fisheries and aquaculture statistics) to meet the needs of the fishing and aquaculture industries, fisheries managers, policy makers and researchers. The research undertaken in this project (2016/246) produced data on the volume and value of production from Commonwealth, state and Northern Territory fisheries, and the volume and value of Australian fisheries trade, by destination, source and product, covering the years 2004-05 to 2014-15. The report also contained industry structure profiles of Commonwealth, state and Northern Territory fisheries.
An important aspect of this project was the requirement to implement a process of continuous improvement over the life of the project. These improvements were aimed at enhancing the coverage of fisheries so that all commercial fishing activities were included, incorporating industry employment data where available, maintaining the relevance of the data presented in both the production and trade tables, and refining fishery divisions and important species categories. Processes were also implemented so that the valuation of commercial fishing was undertaken in a consistent framework.
Developing and implementing measures of economic efficiency in Commonwealth fisheries
Project number:
2003-059
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure:
$238,924.00
Principal Investigator:
Tom Kompas
Organisation:
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) ABARES
Project start/end date:
29 Jun 2003
-
1 May 2008
Contact:
FRDC
Australian fisheries are based on a variety of private uses of resources that are communally owned. The separation of management and use from ownership means that there is a role for regular reporting of the performance of those fisheries. In this context, the use of appropriate indicators to report on how a fishery has performed is an essential part of ensuring the accountability of management. An important component of the management model that has been implemented for Commonwealth fisheries is the public accountability of AFMA.
The reporting of progress against AFMA’s economic efficiency objective has been poor. Information presented in the AFMA annual report has generally been limited to a discussion of changes in the gross value of production in Commonwealth fisheries — this provides little, if any, indication of changes in economic efficiency. The only other regularly published information relevant to the economic performance of Commonwealth fisheries is contained in the Australian Fisheries Survey Report, published annually by ABARE. For selected Commonwealth fisheries, these surveys provide information about the financial performance of the fishing fleet and estimates of the net economic returns from management. While net return estimates are a useful starting point for examining economic efficiency in a fishery, they do not account for the impact of exogenous factors such as changes in input and output prices, movements in exchange rates and variations in environmental factors.
There is a need for the development of suite of robust indicators of economic efficiency movements that can be effectively applied across Commonwealth fisheries. Once developed these indicators will provide a basis for reporting progress against the economic efficiency objective and, perhaps more importantly, provide fisheries managers with information to guide the development of economically efficient management policies. Management regimes, through controlling the total level of harvests (by whatever means) and contributing to the incentive structure that fishers operate within will determine whether a fishery is economically efficient.
This research is consistent with the Key Research Area 1.1 (b) identified in the AFMA Strategic Research Plan 1999-2004. It is also consistent with the Resources Sustainability: Status of fish stocks, environment and industry program of the Fisheries Resources Research Fund.
1. Develop a clear definition of economic efficiency in fisheries management.
2. Identify a suite of indicators that AFMA requires to report against the ‘economic efficiency’ objective.
3. Make a recommendation of, and report on, the most appropriate sub-set of indicators that provide a measure of economic efficiency in Commonwealth fisheries.
4. Comment on the likely responses of the indicators to a range of management decisions.
5. Develop a strategy for identifying and reporting against economic efficiency movements in relation to Commonwealth fisheries.
Final report
ISBN:
978-1-921448-00-3
Author:
Tom Kompas
Final Report
•
2009-09-07
•
9.41 MB
2003-059-DLD.pdf
Given the problems with open access resources and the effectiveness of modern fishing technology, there are few fisheries, if any, which will not be both biologically over-exploited and unprofitable unless they are managed effectively. For a fishery to be economically efficient requires setting correct management targets which are enforced effectively and delivered in a least-cost and incentive-compatible manner. An efficient outcome is important because it protects fish stocks and guarantees sustainability, and because it ensures resources will be correctly allocated to the fishery. That is, the cost of fishing at a given harvest level is minimised. Inefficient fisheries suffer low profits and excessive boat capital or fishing capacity, with the outcome of ‘too many boats chasing too few fish’.
Part of the solution to over-fishing and unprofitable fisheries is to adopt the right target level of effort, or catch, in the fishery. The correct target maximises profits regardless of changes in prices and the costs of fishing.
Another important part of the solution is to use an instrument that gives industry a stake in protecting the future of the fishery to achieve the target. In other words, maximising economic efficiency requires catch and effort levels to be set appropriately and industry to have an effective property right to the harvest which removes the incentive for a wasteful and inefficient ‘race to fish’.
This report is part of a Fisheries Research Development Corporation (FRDC) project on the Development of methods and information to support the assessment of economic performance in Commonwealth fisheries. The project included two workshops and a number of presentations at the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA), the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE), resource assessment groups (RAGs) and fisheries management meetings, along with specific implementation of efficiency measures in the northern prawn fishery, south east trawl fishery and the eastern tuna and billfish fishery. The northern prawn fishery has subsequently adopted maximum economic yield (MEY) as its target, and AFMA has now moved to provide economic efficiency measures, including MEY and other productivity indicators, for all of its fisheries where possible.
Community perceptions of fishing: implications for industry image, marketing and sustainability
Project number:
2001-309
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure:
$104,065.00
Principal Investigator:
Heather Aslin
Organisation:
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) ABARES
Project start/end date:
29 Aug 2001
-
30 Apr 2003
Contact:
FRDC
1. To conduct focus groups with selected sub-groups of the Australian public to serve as a basis for developing a structured survey instrument.
2. To develop the survey instrument in discussion with the advisory group, conduct a pilot test of the instrument, and administer it to a statistically representative sample of the Australian adult population (18+).
3. To identify implications of survey findings for industry communication, education and marketing activities (from answers to knowledge, perceptions, attitudes and behavioral questions).
4. To identify implications of survey findings for ESD monitoring and reporting frameworks (behavioral questions in particular).
5. In discussions with the advisory group, to develop options and strategies for addressing any negative perceptions of the industry, identifying appropriate actions, agencies to implement actions, and methods for evaluating success of implementing options.
6. To communicate overall survey results to stakeholders in a meaningful and useful form.
Final report
ISBN:
0-642-47539
Author:
Heather Aslin
Final Report
•
2004-09-09
•
660.85 KB
2001-309-DLD.pdf
A pioneering national study of Australian public perceptions, knowledge and attitudes towards the fishing industry, has been completed. It covers the commercial, recreational and traditional fishing sectors, and also examines seafood consumption and factors likely to affect future consumption. ‘Perception’ is used to refer to held beliefs or cognitions that may or may not be correct as judged by those with specialised knowledge of the industry. The traditional fishing sector, as used here, refers to subsistence fishing activities by Indigenous people. Indigenous Australians of course also participate in the commercial fishing sector.) The study involved a literature review; seven focus group discussions with a total of 63 members of the Australian public from a range of locations, ages and occupational groups; and a telephone survey of 1,004 Australian adults, 18 years and over, randomly sampled from the electronic white pages. While the final sample was reasonably representative of the general public in age distribution, it was somewhat skewed towards people with higher incomes. It is also acknowledged that voluntary telephone surveys like this one tend to have an over-representation of people who are interested in the subject matter of the survey. In this case, both recreational and commercial fishers and their views may be over-represented. These issues and their possibly influence need to be borne in mind in interpreting survey findings.
Survey findings indicate considerable community knowledge about recreational fishing and high participation, with twice as many men as women participating
(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.
(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.
Members of most of the focus groups and the majority of survey respondents rated their knowledge of the industry as relatively low but interest levels higher (only 25% of the survey respondents thought they were ‘knowledgeable’ but 53% were
‘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.
‘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.
To address low levels of public knowledge about the traditional sector, government and industry need to work with Indigenous organisations to develop communication strategies to raise public awareness of this sector and its economic and cultural contribution to Indigenous community well-being.
Study findings about community judgements of the sustainability of the different sectors, and the reasons for these judgements, could potentially be used in ESD reporting frameworks. In order to do this, ESD frameworks need to be made more meaningful to the community and less dominated by expert judgements and specialised knowledge. There may be particular problems with the meaningfulness of current fisheries’ jurisdictional and management boundaries. Better understanding of public perceptions, knowledge and behaviour obtained through social surveys could be a basis for re-working boundaries and reporting frameworks so that they relate better to community and local knowledge. In particular, high levels of participation and interest in recreational fishing justify attention to ways of making fisheries management more meaningful to the public and giving local communities a greater role in near shore fisheries management than they may have had in the past. Many community members appear to be engaged and interested but lack ways of being directly involved in management or monitoring.
In terms of seafood consumption, a high percentage of respondents ate seafood (95% of the telephone sample). For those who did not eat it, their main reason for not doing so was taste, with other factors less important. The amount of seafood respondents purchased was likely to be influenced by price reductions (70% indicated this would influence them); labelling and certification about contamination and health risks (65%); labelling about freshness (59%); and labelling about environmentally friendly production (57%). These findings suggest potential to further influence seafood consumption patterns by expanding labelling and certification schemes.
Ongoing monitoring of social aspects of the industry, based partly on surveys like the one reported here, could provide the industry with important feedback about the success of its communication and information activities, complementing existing economic information about trends in production and consumption.
