7 results

Tactical Research Fund: Recreational fishing industry bursary and study tour to United States

Project number: 2008-319
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $54,000.00
Principal Investigator: Frank B. Prokop
Organisation: Recfishwest
Project start/end date: 31 May 2008 - 14 Mar 2009
:
TAGS
Training
Stock Assessment
Stakeholder
Recreational Fishing
Leadership

Need

The recreational fishing industry in Australia is extremely important, with more than $2 billion in economic activity and participation rates of 20 - 30% of the adult population. Recreational fisheries management and the industry itself is struggling to establish its identity in a local, national and international context.

Australian recreational fisheries management is highly regarded throughout the world. This conference provides a unique and important opportunity for Australia to learn where it sits in a world context. This project seeks to replicate the initiative of the commercial fishing industry for study tours following the European Seafood Exposition.

The opportunity exists following the the World Recreational Fishing Conference in Florida to put together a program that adds value to bursary winners and provides significantly better outcomes beyond conference attendance. As with the ESE industry tour, the project will broaden the project's impact through invitations to other Australian delegates who are attending the conference, to be a part of the study tour. This aspect of the project encourages wide participation and will add significantly to the outcomes of not only this project, but the investment made by others in attending the conference in Florida.

The United States has a long history of more intensive and well funded recreational fisheries management and administration. There are important advantages in being able to see programs and intitiatives in operation or administration. The group will be able to critique the American projects and seek to adopt relevant components in Australia.

Australian recreational fisheries management stands at the threshold of important changes. As integrated or co-management systems are being implemented, it is important to have a variety of experienced and new people able to meet new challenges.

Objectives

1. Empower young recreational fishing industry leaders through a study tour of United States recreational fisheries management and peak body initiatives
2. Educate recreational fishers in Australia of relevant recreational fisheries management initiatives for inclusion in stategic and operational plans
3. Report on Australian recreational fisheries management and peak body governance against benchmark United States initiatives

Final report

Author: Frank Prokop
Final Report • 2011-11-24 • 1.42 MB
2008-319-DLD.pdf

Recfishwest attendance at the World Recreational Fishing Conference in July 2017

Project number: 2016-140
Project Status:
Current
Budget expenditure: $10,000.00
Principal Investigator: Andrew Rowland
Organisation: Recfishwest
Project start/end date: 9 Oct 2017 - 29 Oct 2017
:

Need

With an estimated 740,000 people enjoying recreational fishing in Western Australia every year the recreational fishing industry in WA is extremely important social and economic contributor to Western Australia.

The World Recreational Fishing Conference is being held in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada from July 16-20 2017. The conference unites the global recreational fishing community providing an essential forum to discuss current research. Held every three years, this is the only international conference focused solely on recreational fisheries.

The conference theme this year is : Balancing Values - The Future of Recreational Fishing around the World and key issues that will be addressed include:

1. Use and challenges of catch & release fisheries
2. Understanding angler behavior through human dimensions and economics research
3. Fishers driving fish habitat outcomes
4. Genetic and genomic applications towards improved management practices
5. Management strategies, policy development and governance
6. Integrating social-ecological systems for sustaining fisheries
7. Monitoring and assessment of fisheries
8. Social and economic values of fisheries
9. Citizen science
10. Adaptive environmental management of fisheries
11. Reconciling stocking, management and conservation
12. Engagement of fishers in the management process
13. Recreational fisheries as complex adaptive systems
14. The role of recreation in global fisheries
15. Managing wild stock fisheries under uncertainty
16. Expanding fisheries in economies in transition
17. Allocation issues in fisheries: recreational, commercial, aboriginal, subsistence, artisanal

Western Australia faces many of these issues and learning's from the conference will be directly transferable to Western Australia. This project supports the People Development Drivers, Challenges and opportunities outlined in section 2.2 of the WA Research Advisory Committee RD&E Plan. The objectives of this project also address every one of the FRDC's People Development Program priorities.

more information about the conference can be found at http://www. http:/wrfc8.com/

Objectives

1. Provide opportunities for knowledge transfer and R&D adoption, and best practice for WA fisheries.
2. Enhance industry leadership within, and across the recreational sector through exposing participants to international experts and through networking opportunities.
3. Build recreational sector capacity to drive change to achieve goals in WA
4. Build capability within the recreational sector workforce and further outcomes from previous FRDC investments in people development.

People development program: 2012 FRDC emerging leader governance scholarship - Andrew Rowland

Project number: 2008-322.14
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $6,000.00
Principal Investigator: Andrew Rowland
Organisation: Recfishwest
Project start/end date: 30 Jun 2012 - 29 Jun 2013
:
TAGS
Training
Fisheries Management
Efficiency
Education
Community

Need

Industry organisations need to build their capacity to meet future challenges and opportunities. Building the skills and confidence for industry to influence is one aspect of capacity that the people development program aims to address through this project, providing opportunity to influence is another.

There is a need for coordinated delivery of opportunities to develop governance capability in the fishing
industry and and to promote opportunitites to foster diversity through succession planning within industry committees and boards. n.

Objectives

1. To provide one annual scholarship for an emerging leader to the AICD company directors course
People
Communities
PROJECT NUMBER • 2014-005
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

RAC WA: The application, needs, costs and benefits of Habitat Enhancement Structures in Western Australia and cost effective monitoring methods

Habitat Enhancement Structures (HES) developments are increasing in Australia and worldwide providing many benefits to the environment and different user groups. With this rapid growth there are still large knowledge gaps evident in relation to HES. This project investigated the application, needs,...
ORGANISATION:
Recfishwest
TAGS
Survey

RFIDS: future leaders in recreational fishing

Project number: 2011-403
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $231,000.00
Principal Investigator: Andrew Rowland
Organisation: Recfishwest
Project start/end date: 28 Feb 2011 - 29 Jun 2012
:
TAGS
Tourism
Stakeholder
Remote Sensing
Recreational Fishing
Education

Need

The recreational fishing industry is facing a shortage of people willing and able to assume positions in advocacy and representation for the increasingly complex environment for which the industry impacts and is impacted upon. This shortage of people is hindering the advancement of the goals and needs of the recreational fishing community.

This program will assist in growing the capacity within the recreational fishing community for the future and to provide a preferred pathway for succession planning and capacity building for the recreational fishing sector.

Similar successful programs have been run by Recfishwest (2008), The Recreational Fishing Alliance of NSW (2009) and Recfish Australia (2007). Participants from these initial courses are currently filling important roles in recreational fishing advocacy; including the National RFAC, Recfishing Research, Recfish Australia and state peak bodies.

The current situation relies upon a small group of people to do an ever expanding range of tasks, projects and strategic issues at the national state and local levels. The issues include Bioregional Marine Planning, Marine Protected Areas, Animal Welfare, Resource Allocation and Reallocation, Extension and Communication, Research and promotion of best practices, etc…

The project proposes to construct a consistent model for Future Leaders programs that can be implemented across the nation. Continuity in programs being delivered will be of great benefit to participants and the wider recreational fishing community. The Future Leaders program will be a stepping stone for further leadership development opportunites such as the National Seafood Leadership Program.

Objectives

1. Develop a national framework for future leadership development in recreational fishing at the regional level (Western, North East & South East).
2. Bring together the next generation of recreational fishing leaders in a series of regional forums where they will be educated and mentored by a group of experienced and recognised leaders in recreational fishing advocacy and management.
3. Develop a pathway for further leadership development in the recreational fishing industry, providing linkages into the National Seafood Leadership Program.

Final report

ISBN: 978-0-646-92503-5
Final Report • 2015-01-07 • 1.07 MB
2011-403-DLD.pdf

Artificial Reefs: Suitability of recycled materials for integration into purpose built artificial reefs for enhancing marine productivity, biodiversity and social outcomes

Project number: 2021-055
Project Status:
Current
Budget expenditure: $280,505.20
Principal Investigator: Andrew Rowland
Organisation: Recfishwest
Project start/end date: 14 Jun 2022 - 14 Feb 2024
:
TAGS
Rac Wa
Habitat

Need

Traditionally, reef projects around Australia have been funded by public money through government agencies, in particular regional development, research or fisheries grants. More recently in WA, new reefs such as Exmouth’s King Reef, have been brought to life through funding partnerships between government, not for profit & other private/industry sectors. Creating new pathways & processes to unlock & utilise alternative materials to create habitat enhancement structures is critical in ensuring the benefits artificial reefs create for our oceans & communities are maximised. Integrating appropriate recycled materials into reef developments provides opportunities from a scalability & financially sustainable perspective for all sectors of the Australian seafood industry, paving the way for more reefs to be deployed for social, economic and environmental benefit.

Playing a leading role in artificial reef development, Recfishwest often receives offers of materials for new reef projects. Examples include concrete in the form of railway sleepers, roadway culverts & bridge beams or steel in the form of storage tanks, structural frameworks & pipelines. Understanding what structures are suitable & acceptable for repurposing into reefs needs to be determined before these opportunities (current & future) are lost. This will unlock new reef options with alternative partners & funders to build more productive marine habitats for the benefit of local communities & the environment. This project is an extension to the previously FRDC funded habitat enhancement project: https://www.frdc.com.au/Archived-Reports/FRDC%20Projects/2014-005-DLD.pdf

Current Commonwealth & State legislation & policies limit the exploration of new reefing opportunities and there is a need to support change within these regulatory agencies.

We regularly consult with stakeholders who also have a need to understand the outcomes of this project including: DPIRD, NERA, WAFIC, NOPSEMA, DAWE, other Regulators, Resources Sector (including operators), Research agencies and the WA fishing community as end users. NERA and DAWE have also provided Letters of Support for this project as critical project partners to help achieve the outcomes and desired benefits.

Objectives

1. Explore existing literature on structures and materials that have been successfully repurposed into artificial reefs globally
2. Create a framework to assess the habitat and fishing suitability of structures for use in artificial reef projects
3. Create a guidelines and a substantial list of structures available for potential use in integrated artificial reefs from multiple industries
4. Develop a pathway with targeted regulators to assist in the development of a better regulatory environment that supports science-based habitat enhancement projects
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