As outlined in the background section, there is an economic and sustainability imperative to maximise the utilisation of the crab resources being sold through SFM. To achieve this it is felt that the following steps should be taken;

To investigate the potential for the development and introduction of a mud crab recovery step at SFM for recovering slow mud crabs.

To develop strategies to reduce the rejection / mortality of mud crabs in the SFM supply chain, especially from suppliers with greater than average rejection / mortality rates. (The rejection rate at SFM in a recent assessment ranged from 0.6% - 15.9%). This will include assessing temperature management issues and determining the most appropriate product packout methods.

To investigate whether the losses in the spanner crab supply chain can be reduced.

Recognition of the ability to redress wastage of mud crab resource was gained by QLD DPI through research within the Northern Territory fishery (FRDC project 2003-240) which identified the best practice handling method of minimising stress in mud crabs through incorporating a recovery step in the handling chain. An outcome of follow on work communicating best practice handling to the mud crab industry (FRDC 2010-302) was identification of the potential opportunity to adopt this practice at the SFM where rejected crabs incur large economic losses as outlined above.

This research is necessary to address many priorities under FRDC strategic RD&E themes. The project will: “provide information to the community to demonstrate improvements in the fishing industry’s environmental performance” (Theme 2. Habitat and ecosystem protection) and “incorporate understandings of the cumulative impacts of fishing into fisheries management plans” (Theme 4. Ecologically sustainable development) via detailed and careful evaluation of the potential and real threats of fishing to the marine environment. In addition, ’user-friendly’ versions of the publications will “better inform the community’s perceptions of the industry and to increase support for the industry”. The possibilities for better presenting Australia’s credentials as responsible fisheries managers will be enhanced.

One of the goals of AFMA as outlined in their Corporate Plan 2010-2014 is to improve the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of fisheries administration (this concept is echoed in all Australian states and territories but the actual wording differs). The research proposed here will provide an evaluation of the degree to which fishing does actually represent a threat to marine biodiversity and the cost-effectiveness of traditional fisheries management for ameliorating that threat(s) compared as far as possible with the threats to biodiversity and fisheries from other sources. This will be vital to clarifying the current confusion between fisheries management and biodiversity conservation. These assessments are critical to improving fisheries management strategies and making them more cost-effective and proportionate to environmental problems (a requirement of the Intergovernmental Agreement on the Environment). In light of national commitments to establish a comprehensive system of representative marine protected areas by 2012, peer-reviewed publications will prove an invaluable and urgently needed tool to defend the credentials of the Australian fishing industry and to more appropriately position fishing interests in the decision making process.

Ref:
AFMA (2010). Corporate Plan 2010-2014. Australian Fisheries Management Authority, Canberra