Seafood CRC: optimising business structures and fisheries management systems for key fisheries
The main causes of these major DECLINES IN FISHERY PERFORMANCE are substantial decreases in real prices (prawns, abalone), large increases in costs (all sectors) and, in a few cases, significant reductions in stock size and productivity (rock lobster).
In many fisheries major improvements in economic performance will only be achieved through MAJOR AND INTEGRATED CHANGES in operational procedures, business structures and resource management systems.
Inertia and active to resistance to change, within both government and industry, currently impede the implementation of the CULTURAL SHIFT that is required to revive the CRC’s ecologically-sustainable, but FINANCIALLY-CHALLENGED fisheries.
Major, integrated changes and cultural shifts require a clearly articulated VISION FOR THE FUTURE.
Convincing vision statements require EVIDENCE.
This project will provide the information that is needed for industry and government to develop the joint VISION STATEMENTS that are required to chart a clear pathway to a more profitable future for each selected CRC fishery.
Critical INFORMATION NEEDED TO UNDERPIN EACH VISION STATEMENT that this project will provide includes:
1. Objective assessments of the key FACTORS LIMITING FISHERY PERFORMANCE;
2. Comprehensive evaluations of the OPTIONS FOR INCREASING PROFITABILITY;
3. Clear advice about the COMPLEX AND INTER-RELATED CHANGES TO operational procedures, business structures and resource management systems that are required ACHIEVE MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS IN FISHERY PERFORMANCE;
4. A clear PATHWAY TO ADOPTION that recognises the inertia and resistance to change within government and industry that must be overcome for these MAJOR AND INTEGRATED CHANGES to be implemented.
Final report
There is currently an estimated economic gap (lost profit) in the CRC participant fisheries of approximately 40% or $200 million per annum.. If the economic gap could be halved from 40% to 20% the profitability of CRC fisheries would be improved by approximately $100 million. This project aimed to contribute to that outcome by identifying practical opportunities to improve their economic performance. This will be done by:
- Identifying key impediments to wealth creation (i.e. factors contributing to high costs and low revenue) in selected CRC fisheries.
- Describing the innovative operational procedures, business structures and fisheries management systems that have been established to improve the economic performance of successful fisheries worldwide.
- Identifying practical opportunities to improve the economic performance of CRC fisheries and outlining a pathway to adoption.
Therefore, this project aimed to:
- Assess the performance and identify impediments to wealth creation in selected CRC fisheries.
- Describe and evaluate innovative systems that have been established to improve the performance of successful fisheries worldwide.
- Identify practical opportunities for overcoming impediments to wealth creation and improving the performance of selected CRC fisheries
Development of an integrated fisheries management model for King George whiting (Sillaginodes punctata) in South Australia
Tactical Research Fund: a reporting framework for ecosystem based assessment of Australian prawn trawl fisheries
There is a growing need to establish fishing industries as environmentally sustainable within Australia and internationally. The needs stems from both an economic marketing aspect and a growing community expectation. It is also important for fishing industries to understand that they contribute to marine impacts on a broader ecological scale. Whilst the principles of Ecosystem Based Fishery Management (EBFM) have been established for over a decade, it is only in recent years that EBFM frameworks have begun to be developed and applied by Government agencies (e.g. Fletcher et al 2010, West Coast Bioregion of Western Australia).
The environmental impacts of benthic trawl fisheries require greater attention than most other fishing methodologies, primarily due to their impact on the benthic environment, by-catch species and associated communities. As a critical impactor on marine bioregions, it is important that future ecological research for benthic trawl fisheries is prioritised and conducted in a manner that fits within a broader EBFM framework.
Concomitantly, there is an increasing interest from fishing industries to seek third-party certification of environmental sustainability for eco-labelling of their products and subsequent market advantage. These Program's require fisheries to meet standards that are often higher than the levels required by the Commonwealth Government to meet conditions of the EPBC Act. Although such accreditations are accompanied by substantial documentation of management practices, it is difficult for non-accrediated fisheries to benchmark themselves against accredited "best practice" industries.
This project aims to develop a reporting framework for environmental assessment of prawn trawl fisheries in Australia. By using the Marine Stewardship Certification accredited Spencer Gulf Prawn Trawl Fishery as a case study, the report will provide other Australian prawn trawl fisheries 1) a benchmark of third party accredited environmental management, and 2) a tool for prioritising and conducting their own ecological research within an EBFM framework.