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Development of an agent-based model to communicate implications of recruitment variability of finfish to recreational fishers

Project number: 2008-033
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $75,000.00
Principal Investigator: Alex Hesp
Organisation: Murdoch University
Project start/end date: 31 Dec 2008 - 28 Apr 2010
Contact:
FRDC

Need

Fisheries management is becoming increasingly complex with increasing numbers of recreational fishers targeting multiple species and switching targets in response to changes in abundance of stocks, and the need to sustain stocks within an ecosystem framework. For fisheries scientists, the changes require training in quantitative skills and the development of experience in computer modelling, while, for fishery managers, the issues of fisheries management are now extended to understanding the social and economic consequences of fishing regulations for recreational fisheries, the behavioural responses of recreational fishers to regulations, and the implications of the spatial distribution and movements of fish and fishers. In particular, RecFishWest has identified a need to communicate better to fishers the implications of recruitment variability, and to understand the effectiveness of alternative fisheries regulations that are proposed to ensure the sustainability of those stocks with high variability in inter-annual recruitment levels.

In common with other countries, fisheries agencies find it difficult to recruit scientists with strong quantitative skills, even from overseas. Development of quantitative skills during postgraduate or postdoctoral studies has been identified as one approach to improving the supply of quantitative scientists, which is a need that must be addressed if Australia is to provide the high-quality research advice that will be needed in the future. The need to develop a simulation tool that will aid communication with recreational fishers and allow exploration of the social and behavioural implications of fishing, recruitment variability and fishing regulations has been identified by RecFishWest. Agent-based models allow investigation of aspects of fisheries at the scale at which individual fishers operate, thereby providing analytical tools assisting in assessing the implications of fishers’ responses to new fishing regulations, a need that will increase as the share of the catch taken by recreational fishers continues to grow.

Objectives

1. Provide a simulation tool to communicate to fishers the implications of recruitment variability for a fish stock and for the catches of individual recreational fishers.
2. Explore how individual recreational fishers are likely to respond to changes in fish abundance and to changes in commonly-used fisheries regulations.
3. Develop the computer simulation and modelling skills of an early-career fisheries scientist.

Final report

ISBN: 978-0-86905-918-0
Author: Alex Hesp
Environment
PROJECT NUMBER • 2008-102
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Tactical Research Fund: Assessing alternative fishing seasons for red-legged banana prawns in the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf and future directions for collaborative research for NPF Industry Pty Ltd

To enhance its profitability, NPF Industry Pty Ltd needs to develop its capacity to gather key stock status data for each of its stocks so that simple bio-economic models can be developed and used to assess and potentially optimize the value of component NPF stocks. The NPF Industry Pty Ltd needs...
ORGANISATION:
Murdoch University
Adoption
Communities
PROJECT NUMBER • 2016-034
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Golden fish: evaluating and optimising the biological, social and economic returns of small-scale fisheries

This project investigates recreational and commercial fisher motivations for using a fishery and the beliefs, attitudes and perceived benefits of aquaculture-based enhancement programs and other management options. It also determines the total economic value for recreational fishing for Blue Swimmer...
ORGANISATION:
Murdoch University
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