PROJECT NUMBER
•
2021-122
PROJECT STATUS:
CURRENT
ORGANISATION:
NSW Department Of Primary Industries Port Stephens
TAGS
SPECIES
6 results
Two-Eyed Seeing – a framework for cultural fishery assessments supporting equitable and sustainable access to shared resources in NSW Inland Rivers
Project number:
2021-107
Project Status:
Current
Budget expenditure:
$1,460,500.00
Principal Investigator:
Katherine J. Cheshire
Organisation:
NSW Department Of Primary Industries Port Stephens
Project start/end date:
2 Jul 2023
-
31 Aug 2028
Contact:
FRDC
Fish are totemic and a primary food source; and so are part of the deep cultural, spiritual and economic connections Aboriginal communities have to their waterways that are part of ‘Country’. Cultural knowledge tells us that when there’s more water availability cultural fishers experience increased total catches and greater diversity of target species, and they fish more (e.g. increase in recreational and subsistence fishing). These narratives also suggest that as a result of these improved cultural fishing opportunities, there are flow on socio-economic benefits to household budgets, diets of communities, social behaviours and mental health and well-being.
Water is sacred and living; and central to the cultural, social and spiritual identity of Aboriginal people, as well as to their livelihoods. Conceptual models underpinning western water management frameworks and decision making do not incorporate Aboriginal/First Nations socio-cultural complexity, local knowledge and governance arrangements. These are critical – Aboriginal/First Nations people have strong connections with fish, water, rivers and knowledge to contribute to planning, as well as a fundamental right to participate. Water and fish are central to the way of life, two-way knowledge and planning frameworks will support reciprocity in engagement and participation.
Two-Eyed Seeing Frameworks (Ganma, Yolgnu for two-ways) provide a way forward for cultural fishery assessments supporting equitable and sustainable access to shared resources. In this framework, knowledge systems (western and cultural) contribute in parallel, on an equal footing, and both serve as evidence bases to produce an enriched picture of mutual understanding. Application of this framework can empower Aboriginal communities to participate more equitably and negotiate by using their science and values and providing a method for inclusion.
The overall objective of this proposed project is to empower Aboriginal communities through application of a “Two-Eyed seeing framework” (Reid et al. 2020) to participate more equitably and negotiate for cultural fishing practices and water allocation and management. This project will define the cultural fishery and quantify the socio-economic value of cultural fishing in two NSW river regions, and assist communities to identify water management needs for key cultural fish species to support ongoing planning and negotiations. It will improve our current fishery and water management by providing a pathway for cultural fisheries and cultural science to be included. Overall, it will increase our current knowledge of fish and fisheries, by bridging the gap between cultural science and western science practitioners and knowledge holders to share understandings, insights and skills. The application and extension of this framework to a national project will be considered for future use in addressing cultural fishery allocations and management.
1. Identify suitable NSW riverine cultural fisheries, engage with Aboriginal Communities, Traditional Owners, codesign the project and confirm move to phase 2.
2. Define and quanitfy the cultural fishery and associated totemic, cultura and social values
3. Identify and describe fish objectives and water management needs for cultural fish species using the Fish and Flows Framework.
4. Determine if changes in (2) are related to changes in water availability, policy and operations and/or river restoration activities (e.g. fish passage restoration, cold water passage, screening), if possible.
5. Objectively assess the efficacy and utility of the “Two-Eyed Seeing framework” in assessing the totemic, culutal and social fishing values and linking them to the fish and flows framework, including consideration of National applicability.
Maintaining productivity and access to Estuary Cockle across sectors through improved science-based decision making
Project number:
2021-003
Project Status:
Current
Budget expenditure:
$685,927.00
Principal Investigator:
Matt D. Taylor
Organisation:
NSW Department Of Primary Industries Port Stephens
Project start/end date:
2 Oct 2022
-
29 Mar 2026
Contact:
FRDC
TAGS
SPECIES
The lack of knowledge on fundamental fisheries biology, uncertainty in stock structure, population dynamics, and cross-sectoral harvest levels, means that current stock assessments are unequipped to reliably determine stock status or inform recommended biological catches (RBCs), and that management of the resource occurs within a high degree of uncertainty. These EXCEPTIONAL INCREASES IN HARVEST and UNCERTAINTY SURROUNDING SUITABLE RBCs create an URGENT NEED TO DEAL WITH THE SUBSTANTIAL KNOWLEDGE VACUUM FOR THIS RESOURCE. Without this improved knowledge, the reasonable assessment of the status of the resource, estimation of appropriate harvest levels, harvest strategy development, implementation of appropriate management, and informed decision making on how best to utilise the resource, will continue not to be possible. Furthermore, environmental variability and species-habitat-fishery interactions are likely to impact stock dynamics and biomass, which in turn affects the magnitude, profitability, and social outcomes derived from the resource. Thus, efficient exploitation and effective management of the resource within a harvest strategy framework cannot occur without: 1) spatial definition of likely management units (stock structure); 2) estimates of stock biomass within those units; 3) estimates of basal population parameters and some appreciation of the influence of environmental stochasticity on resource productivity; and, 4) an appreciation of resource access across sectors. There is likely potential for further development in this fishery, to satisfy growing markets for the species both locally and abroad, but this will never be realised until these information needs are met.
1. Identify stock structure for Estuary Cockle across NSW
2. Design appropriate fishery-independent survey methodologies to support both priority research objectives, and ongoing monitoring of stock biomass
3. Characterise basal population parameters and spatial and temporal patterns in biomass and recruitment, within a broader context of environmental drivers and species-habitat interactions
4. Improve knowledge on recreational, aboriginal and IUU harvest of the resource
5. Integrate information on biology, ecology, harvest, stressors, impacts, and current/future management arrangements into an Ecological Risk Assessment framework, to define future management, compliance, and communication priorities
SCRC: SCRC RTG : 8th Annual Workshop on Physiology and Aquaculture of Pelagics with Emphasis on Reproduction and Early Developmental Stages of Yellowfin Tuna, Achotines Laboratory, Panama (Pollyamna Hilder)
Project number:
2010-735
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure:
$0.00
Principal Investigator:
Polly A. Hilder
Organisation:
NSW Department Of Primary Industries Port Stephens
Project start/end date:
31 May 2010
-
31 Jul 2010
Contact:
FRDC
Final report
ISBN:
978-1-925982-68-8
Author:
Pollyanna Hilder
Final Report
•
2010-08-01
•
2.33 MB
2010-735-DLD-RTG.pdf
Southern Bluefin Tuna (SBT) is a major contributor to the Australian aquaculture industry, however at the moment it is reliant on the on-growing of wild-caught juveniles to market size. The recent captive-spawning of SBT by Clean Seas Tuna Ltd. (CST) has opened up the potential for the aquaculture of this high market species. Early attempts at production of SBT have identified a number of culture bottlenecks, predominantly associated with larval culture. Elucidation of the visual system and factors that promote first feeding success in SBT are critical to gain a thorough understanding of culture strategies that will work for this species. Due to the novelty and the limited spawning season of SBT one of the most effective tools to use to rapidly develop culture methods is to gain knowledge of successful strategies with comparative animals. This is the case with Yellowfin Tuna (YFT).
This research travel grant allowed travel to the 8th annual workshop on physiology and aquaculture of pelagics with emphasis on reproduction and early developmental stages of Yellowfin Tuna, Thunnus albacares held at the Achotines Laboratory, Republic of Panama, Central America, 7-19 June 2010. A large amount of knowledge is available due to the Achotines Laboratory having a domesticated spawning population of YFT releasing viable gametes every day of the year. Attendance of this workshop provided invaluable exposure to leading researchers and professionals in the tuna field and exposed the author to the latest trends in tuna aquaculture which may be directly applied to the PhD research program as well as to larval rearing at CST.
PROJECT NUMBER
•
2010-721
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED
SCRC: Visiting Expert Application: Professor Gavin Burnell
This Visiting Expert Grant was designed to allow Professor Gavin Burnell to visit a representative cross section of CRC members and advise on how other models for communication among aquaculture stakeholders have been successfully developed.
Professor Burnell was instrumental in establishing the...
ORGANISATION:
NSW Department Of Primary Industries Port Stephens
SCRC: Understanding Yellowtail Kingfish
Project number:
2008-903.10
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure:
$0.00
Principal Investigator:
Trent D'Antignana
Organisation:
NSW Department Of Primary Industries Port Stephens
Project start/end date:
31 Mar 2009
-
31 Aug 2011
Contact:
FRDC
Through existing farming practices it is apparent that there are several factors which may be limiting production and ultimately revenue.
Firstly, there is a need to identify an “ideal production strategy” to achieve forecast production levels. As temperature significantly affects YTK growth, feed conversion ratios and health, it is essential that the relationship between growth and temperature is investigated in fish of various sizes. This information will enable CST to make informed decisions on size and time of stocking YTK into sea cages. It is anticipated that this will improve production through shortening the production cycle and will reduce the standing biomass in the water, ultimately increasing farm profitability.
Secondly, maturation may be a constraining factor in YTK production, reducing somatic growth. There are also flesh quality concerns which threaten sales of YTK harvested in November-December, a period when males exhibit maturation. However preliminary analysis of work carried out in Seafood CRC project 2008/901 suggests that male maturity did not have a significant deleterious effect on the flesh quality at that time. Though there are numerous strategies to manage maturation it is initially necessary to characterise the occurrence of maturation and the factors controlling it. With this information, appropriate mitigation strategies can be introduced resulting in economic benefits to the YTK industry.
Lastly, as production is poised to increase, it is imperative that substantial markets are developed for YTK product. One way of increasing sales is to ensure product sold is consistently of the highest possible quality. By attaining knowledge on the quality attributes, shelf-life and nutritional content of the product, producers will be able to tailor a product to specific market requirements. Likewise, as processing techniques and cold chain supply routes are diverse, it is imperative that information is attained on how these influence the quality of the product.
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