42 results
Environment
PROJECT NUMBER • 2014-019
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Developing a fishery independent estimate of biomass for snapper

This study was undertaken by the South Australia Research and Development Institute (SARDI). Through overcoming considerable technical challenges, this study was the first to successfully develop a relatively non-destructive molecular probe that can reliably identify Snapper (Chrysophrys auratus)...
ORGANISATION:
SARDI Food Safety and Innovation
SPECIES

Assessment of the impacts of seal populations on the seafood industry in South Australia

Project number: 2013-011
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $380,000.00
Principal Investigator: Simon D. Goldsworthy
Organisation: SARDI Food Safety and Innovation
Project start/end date: 30 Jun 2013 - 31 May 2016
Contact:
FRDC

Need

The last 25 years have seen a 3.5 fold increase in the population size of New Zealand fur seals (NZFS) in SA, which now number over 85,000 individuals. This recovery may continue for a further 15-30 years, and the level at which populations may stabilise is unknown. New haul-out sites and breeding colonies are establishing across the State, some in close proximity to finfish aquaculture, and major commercial and recreational fishing areas. In addition, an Australian fur seal population has recently established in SA and has more than doubled in the last five years. There is also growing concern from the seafood and ecotourism (little penguins, giant cuttlefish) industries and the community that fur seals are overabundant and that their populations and impacts need to be managed. As a consequence of this broad industry and public concern, this project was listed as one of the priority areas for investment by the SAFRAB.

Most of the seals that interact with fisheries, aquaculture and ecotourism are juvenile and sub-adult males that restrict their feeding the shelf waters; however the diet and foraging behaviour of this part of the population is poorly understood. Little is also understood about the potential competitive interactions between the three species of seals that may be limiting the recovery of the threatened Australian sea lion. The project aims to investigate the diets and foraging distributions of seals in SA’s gulf and shelf waters to assess the importance of commercial fish and finfish aquaculture species in their diet. Trophic modelling will be used to assess the impact of consumption on current and future seafood production, and industry questionnaires and consultation will be used to assess the economic impact and the degree and nature of interactions between seals and finfish aquaculture, fisheries and marine ecotourism industries.

Objectives

1. Determine the importance of commercial and recreational fish and fin-fish aquaculture species in diets of seals
2. Determine the spatial distribution of foraging and consumption effort of fur seals relative to important fin-fish aquaculture and commercial and recreational fishing areas
3. Estimate the impacts of consumption by seals, and the implications of increasing populations on the future biomass of commercially and recreationally important marine taxa on seafood and marine ecotourism industries
4. Estimate the costs to the fin-fish aquaculture industry from stock losses, deterrent methods and maintenance requirements associated with seal interactions
5. Assess perceptions of the economic impacts of operational and trophic interactions with seals on seafood and on other species such as little penguin, giant cuttlefish and the potential ecological displacement of Australian sea lions from increasing fur seal populations

Final report

ISBN: 978-1-876007-16-4
Author: Simon Goldsworthy
Final Report • 2019-06-20 • 11.75 MB
2013-011-DLD.pdf

Summary

This report provides the most comprehensive assessment of the impact of seals on the seafood industry in South Australia, where management of both the real and perceived impacts of seals has become a very complex socio-ecological economic issue. 
The objectives of the project where to:
1. Determine the importance of commercial and recreational fish and fin-fish aquaculture species in diets of seals
2. Determine the spatial distribution of foraging and consumption effort of fur seals relative to important fin-fish aquaculture and commercial and recreational fishing areas
3. Estimate the impacts of consumption by seals, and the implications of increasing populations on the future biomass of commercially and recreationally important marine taxa on seafood and marine ecotourism industries
4. Estimate the costs to the fin-fish aquaculture industry from stock losses, deterrent methods and maintenance requirements associated with seal interactions
5. Assess perceptions of the economic impacts of operational and trophic interactions with seals on seafood and on other species such as little penguin, giant cuttlefish and the potential ecological displacement of Australian sea lions from increasing fur seal populations
The social perception surveys confirmed that concerns about the impacts of recovering populations of seals on seafood industries, marine communities and coastal ecosystems of South Australia have clearly intensified in recent years - thus becoming a very complex socio-ecological economic issues.
Environment
PROJECT NUMBER • 2015-018
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Do commercial fishery data reflect stock status in South Australia's Southern Garfish fisheries?

During the early 2000s, stock assessments highlighted considerable issues with the status of South Australia’s stocks of Southern Garfish (Hyporhamphus melanochir). This led to significant management changes that were implemented in 2005, which included the introduction of new...
ORGANISATION:
SARDI Food Safety and Innovation
Environment
PROJECT NUMBER • 2012-020
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

The influence of fish movement on regional fishery production and stock structure for South Australia's Snapper (Chrysophrys auratus) fishery

From 2007 onwards, South Australia’s snapper (Chrysophrys auratus) fishery underwent significant and unprecedented changes that impacted on the management of the fishery. This ultimately reflected our poor understanding of the movement behaviour of snapper and its consequences for...
ORGANISATION:
SARDI Food Safety and Innovation
SPECIES

Socio-ecological assessment of the ecosystems, industries and communities of Spencer Gulf

Project number: 2016-104
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $150,000.00
Principal Investigator: Timothy M. Ward
Organisation: SARDI Food Safety and Innovation
Project start/end date: 31 Jul 2017 - 29 Apr 2019
Contact:
FRDC

Need

This project is a case study that addresses science needs identified in the National Marine Science Plan 2015, relating to:

i) systematic collection of environmental, social and economic baseline data;
ii) establishing a monitoring program to support effective management and conservation;
iii) incorporating social, economic and cultural data into marine assessments.

This socio-ecological assessment of Spencer Gulf is needed to evaluate and support future management of the gulfs ecosystems, industries and communities.

It will: i) improve current understanding of the web of interactions that drive patterns and trends in the Gulfs key ecological, economic and social feature and ii) help ensure that ecological, economic and social benefits from future use of the Gulf’s assets are balanced and maximised.

This assessment of Spencer Gulf is needed to build on progress towards 1) ecosystem-based management of the fishing and aquaculture sectors achieved through previous FRDC projects (see references in Goyder application attached) and 2) ecosystem-based management of the gulfs ecosystems, industries and communities (especially stakeholder engagement) achieved as part of the $2.5M industry-funded SGEDI.

Funding provided by FRDC and the Goyder Institute for Water Research are needed to ensure that momentum towards ecosystem-based management achieved through SGEDI previous projects is maintained during a period where the availability of additional industry funds is limited.

Objectives

1. Establish a time series of key indicators for monitoring the social, economic and ecological status of Spencer Gulf.
2. Establish online interactive maps of the environmental conditions, ecological assets, human activities and socio-ecological values of the gulf.
3. Undertake an integrated assessment of the status of the gulf’s socio-ecological systems.

Final report

Authors: Tanner J.E. Bailleul F. Bryars S. Doubell M. Foster N. Gaylard S. Gillanders B.M. Goldsworthy S. Huveneers C. James C. Jones A.R. Maher J. Nursey-Bray M. van Ruth P. and Ward T.M.
Final Report • 2020-12-04 • 3.63 MB
2016-104-DLD.pdf

Summary

Traditionally, management of marine activities has occurred on a sector-by-sector basis, with limited consideration of the interactions between different activities and users, or their cumulative impacts. There is increasing global recognition of the need for Integrated Management (IM) of the complex array of commercial and recreational activities that occur in marine environments, and their impacts on the socio-ecological assets that comprise these systems. An integrated monitoring program that includes social, economic and ecological indicators is an essential element of IM. 
This report collates existing information on the threats to the ecosystems of Spencer Gulf and its industries and communities.  Datasets that may provide a useful indicator for one or more assets or threats are collated.  The focus is on datasets for which there are available time-series data. Most existing monitoring programs are designed to assess the impacts of and/or manage individual activities, or to monitor particular species.  While we have identified a broad range of valuable data sets for Spencer Gulf (~170), we have also identified many gaps, and a number of data sets that are only collected sporadically, and for which there is no guarantee of continuation.
Overall, we have identified around 170 different data time-series that could be used as the basis for a suite of indicators of the overall social, economic and ecological status of Spencer Gulf, as well as numerous data gaps.  One challenge identified by this work is that a number of potentially important data sets are collected and reported at spatial scales that are not useful for examining the status of Spencer Gulf.  This data is either collected/reported at a statewide scale, or for terrestrially-based natural resources management regions.  The next step is be to consolidate the datasets collated here into a smaller subset that provide a useful and amenable set of actual indictors that can be utilised to monitor the status of the gulf and assess the impacts of the range of activities undertaken in it, going forward.  The collation of information undertaken in this report is an important steps towards undertaking an Integrated Ecosystem Assessment of Spencer Gulf.

Project products

Article • 3.49 MB
2016-104-SPG Task 2 Industries & Communities Report.pdf

Summary

This report describes a new software platform - named 'Gulfview' - that was developed to allow stakeholders to efficiently access spatially-explicit information about the environmental characteristics, ecological assets, human activities, management arrangements and socio-economic values of Spencer Gulf. 
Map • 408.16 KB
2016-104-Spencer Gulf socio-ecological status.pdf

Summary

This map depicts the socio-ecological Status of Spencer Gulf 2019
Presentation • 2019-04-01 • 1.58 MB
2016-104-Goyder Presentation Gulfview.pdf

Summary

This presentation highlights the interactive software platform called Gulfview, which allows stakeholders to access spatially-explicit information about the environmental characteristics, ecological assets, human activities, management arrangements and socio-economic values of Spencer Gulf 
Presentation • 2019-04-01 • 3.33 MB
2016-104-Goyder Presentation SG socio-ecological status and recommendations.pdf

Summary

This presentation reports the socio-ecological assessment of the industries, communities and ecosystems of Spencer Gulf by:
• Collating existing data-sets
• Developing potential social, ecological and economic indicators
• Assessing status of the Spencer Gulf
• Identifying key knowledge gaps and other data limitations
• Recommending next steps
Presentation • 2019-04-01 • 2.47 MB
2016-104-Goyder Presentation SG Integrated Management.pdf

Summary

Why Spencer Gulf?
• increasingly crowded marine space
• gateway for SA’s agriculture, mining and energy sectors
• produces approximately half of SA’s seafood
• recreational hotspot and growing ecotourism
• important conservation values
• nationally recognised case-study for integrated management
• process needed to resolve conflict among user groups (fishers, conservation, miners, desalination plants)
• need a more efficient and transparent decision-making process
Industry
PROJECT NUMBER • 2017-014
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Informing the structural reform of South Australia's Marine Scalefish Fishery

This study was undertaken by the South Australia Research and Development Institute (SARDI) in collaboration with PIRSA Fisheries and Aquaculture, BDO EconSearch, the Marine Fishers Association (MFA), Fishwell Consulting and University of Canberra. This project guided the reform of South...
ORGANISATION:
SARDI Food Safety and Innovation
Industry
PROJECT NUMBER • 2015-037
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Oysters Australia IPA: the use of FRNA bacteriophages for rapid re-opening of growing areas after sewage spills

The South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) Food Safety and Innovation (FSI) group with the support of the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC), TasWater, Central Coast Council, Port Macquarie-Hastings Council, Shoalhaven Council, New South Wales Food Authority...
ORGANISATION:
SARDI Food Safety and Innovation
Industry
PROJECT NUMBER • 2007-700
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Seafood CRC: a critical evaluation of supply-chain temperature profiles to optimise food safety and quality of Australian oysters

The majority of Australian oyster production occurs in New South Wales, Tasmania and South Australia. New South Wales industry produces both the Sydney Rock Oyster and the Pacific Oyster. The Tasmanian and South Australian industries produce the Pacific Oyster. Temperature requirements in the Export...
ORGANISATION:
SARDI Food Safety and Innovation
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