Dealing with bycatch is a high priority for industry, government and many interested stakeholders. It may not be necessary to research and develop new solutions in every fishery if existing approaches can be adapted by fishers (Refer Objectives 1 & 2 Section B4). This project will provide information to fishers in non-trawl fisheries on the options for handling bycatch problems used by fishers in comparable fisheries in Australia and overseas (Refer Objective 3 Section B9).

Further bycatch reduction work is needed for non trawl-net based fisheries, trap fisheries and various line fisheries. In the case of the Commonwealth fisheries there is now a policy driver for the preparation of bycatch plans. Many of the state managed fisheries are facing similar issues and bycatch control will have to be addressed through fishery management plans (Refer Objectives 4 & 5 Section B4).

Some of the solutions documented may be adaptable with few changes. Others may require more substantial changes, either to gear or to management arrangements. In the case of the latter, the identification of specific assessments needed will assist the prioritisation of future research and development funds (Refer Objective 6 Section B6).

The handbook we have proposed will bring together in an easy-to-use form all the existing available information on bycatch reduction methods in non trawl fisheries. Access to information and ideas in the handbook will asist in increasing the rate of progress towards ecologcally sustainable fisheries

Section 19 of PIRD Act requires R&D corporations to prepare R&D Plans for each consecutive 5-year period. Each plan is to include (at a minimum):
· a statement of the Corporation’s objectives and priorities for the period to which the plan is expressed to relate; and
· an outline of the strategies that the Corporation intends to adopt in order to achieve those objectives.
Under section 10 of the Funding Agreement between FRDC and the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (DAWR), FRDC is required to develop a consultation plan, which seeks to:
• explain the purpose and objectives of consultation to inform the 2020-2025 RD&E Plan;
• describe who will be consulted;
• outline methods proposed; and,
• explain how input provided will be used.

FRDC is to obtain DAWR approval for the consultation plan prior to commencement of activities.
In order to develop an RD&E Plan which accurately interprets and responds to RD&E needs for Australia’s fishing and aquaculture community it is important to understand the aspirations, pain points, risks and opportunities of each sector over the intended life of the plan through undertaking broad consultation. It is also important to understand the current situation of the fishing and aquaculture (F&A) community (including indigenous, wild catch, aquaculture and recreational, and post-harvest sectors). The situational analysis should provide an updated understanding of what fishing and aquaculture looks like in Australia today, who is involved, what drives them, how they are performing, how the product (if retained) is used, what are the main dominant risks and trends. An earlier situational analysis delivered as an output of FRDC Project 2014/503.20 provides a useful template.
Finally, it is for any RD&E plan to be informed by an understanding of likely future trends, risks and opportunities facing Australia’s F&A community in the future. This requires:
· compilation of evidence to enable consideration of likely future geopolitical, social, economic, environmental and/or technical changes likely to occur in the future, and drivers of those changes;
· generation of projections relating to supply and demand for seafood products as well as cultural and/or recreational time use

Develop priority plan for Priority 1