Port Phillip Bay is an important and complex fishery that is utilised by both commercial and recreational sectors. Snapper and King George Whiting are key species taken by both the commercial and recreational sectors within the Bay, but there are many other shared stocks as well. As a result, there has been conflict between these fishers in Port Phillip Bay for a number of decades, but this has recently culminated in campaigns to ban all commercial net fishing in the region. Although loosely based on claims about the environmental impact of commercial fishing, there are also complex social drivers that underpin these campaigns.

Simply understanding the catch of these species by the two sectors does not portray the potential issues that need to be addressed for shared access to the fishery. Fisheries management has transitioned from a species-based to an ecosystem-based framework that requires the implementation of ecological risk assessments (ERAs) to fully understand the impact of the fishing activities on the target species as well as the broader environment. To date there has been no ERA of commercial and recreational fishing in the Bay, but the results of an ERA alone do not address the important social issues underpinning the conflict. Overall, there is a need to provide scientifically defensible information on all these issues, if fisheries management of Port Philip Bay is going to encompass shared access to its resources by the commercial and recreational sectors and other stakeholders.

Participation of Industry and recreational members in the stock assessment process is vital and there is a real need for succession planning in MACs and RAGs. Their input provides important observations and anecdotal information that can help to interpret trends in the data, improving the quality and completeness of stock assessments and recommendations made. Furthermore, it can foster a better understanding of the science behind stock assessments, and create more support for buy-in of subsequent management policies. Without Industry and recreational sector participation, catch and effort data would be used with only a limited understanding of the factors that influence these data, beyond what is collected in logbooks and by observer programs. Participation, however, is more effective if they have a working knowledge of the data collected and processes and models used to assess fish stocks. This will lead to more efficient, beneficial, informative participation in the stock assessment process, and overall, better stock assessment and management of the fishery. Industry and recreational understanding of harvest strategies and stock assessment processes will also improve the level of co-management that can be achieved in a fishery.

Despite improvements in the assessment and harvest strategy process over the last decade, their remains a great deal of industry frustration / misunderstanding about how this translates into management decisions. Having spoken to many industry members during this time, we know that much (but not all) of this frustration is a direct result of lack of knowledge about assessment techniques and assumptions and how these interplay with the harvest strategy. Once they ahve acquired this knowledge, Industry members, with their extensive experience on the water, become extremely valuable members of RAGs / MACs and can help improve the assessment and management process and the understanding of other members.

As outlined in the consultation section there is qualitative evidence of support for such a project and there has been an indication that Industry would relish the opportunity to develop their R&D ideas into projects. This would empower their members and associations to conduct relevant R&D and champion the need to take more responsibility for R&D directions.

This project seeks to achieve outcomes identified in all the programs in the FRDC 2005-10 R&D Plan. In addition, all proposals will need to link in with existing industry specific R&D plans so it will allow stakeholders to develop research projects that will assist in achieving the outcomes identified in relevant stakeholder R&D plans

Currently some industries and individuals are paying hundreds of thousands dollars for R&D. They are often unaware, or do not have the knowledge to use their financial and human resources to value add to their research dollars by leveraging further assistance. This project will provide a means for this to occur, leading to improved projects and more wide ranging outcomes.

There is a general lack of expertise amongst stakeholders including commercial, recreational associations and indigenous groups to develop their own R&D projects. As such they often merely tag onto research agencies’ projects which may not really provide desired stakeholder outcomes.

A significant proportion of R&D funding is directed towards agency overheads and oncosts, as well as directly towards projects. It is envisaged that proposals that are developed under this project will seek to minimise oncosts apportioned towards such externally funded projects.

The process used in this project will allow stakeholders to develop a range of skills so as to be able to participate in research programs that focus on good management, maximising economic, environmental and social benefits for the whole community through stakeholder specific research.