This project addresses an issue which has been debated for some time in the Tasmanian abalone fishery and is discussed at most industry and management meetings. It is an issue that affects the size of the harvest, the price of product and the productivity of the stock. Thus there is a need to resolve this management debate and there is also a need to explore these ideas for higher production.

The project will be of greatest value for the regions of the state where growth information is limited as production is low (to put this in context, this component of the Tasmanian fishery accounts for around 1600 t of production, which is more than total production in any other state). Management issues in these locations are often hard to resolve because of lack of biological information. This project may allow management to proceed with a second-tier level of data derived from shell condition, which is far more readily obtained than tag-recapture data.

The project also addresses the need for information on density dependent growth in abalone - put simply, can production be increased by "thinning out" the stock. This is a fundamental question that is of interest for abalone stocks around Tasmania and also interstate.

This project addresses the significant need identified in the NARP to review agility of conservation governance and management. The likely effects of human-induced climate change on marine biodiversity raise questions about adaptive capacity of current governance and management systems and their ability to support the resilience of marine biota. Governance directly influences whether resilience is undermined, preserved or strengthened (McCook et al. 2007). As noted in a 2009 House of Representatives Standing Committee report: “Given the projected severe impacts on the coastal zone from climate change … and the urgent need for adaptation strategies and resilience building, any hesitation in addressing the issues concerning governance arrangements for the coastal zone could have severe consequences”.

Furthermore, the “cornerstone of future success is an adaptive governance structure in which ecosystem management understanding is operationalized in day-to-day activities” (Barnes & McFadden 2008, p. 391). These conclusions point to a need for coherent and adaptive systems of marine biodiversity governance, planning and management. By providing understandings and strategies for this ‘future success’, we will answer the following high and medium priority NARP questions:

1. How should conservation managers and planners adapt their practices to ameliorate climate change risks and enhance adaptation?

2. What intervention strategies addressing nature conservation outcomes will increase system resilience?

3. How will governance for the conservation of marine biodiversity need to change to adapt to climate change impacts?

4. What are the barriers to implementing adaptation and effective policy responses?

The project will engage with conservation planning instituted under the National Oceans Policy, examining institutional governance, decision-making processes and types of instruments being deployed. Our research also addresses priorities established in state strategies – in NSW for example, the discussion paper on a new biodiversity strategy identified a need to refine adaptation planning and integrated management of marine reserves.

The need for increasing fisheries economic research nationally was recently highlighted at the AFMF - SSR annual workshop, a workshop held by AFMA to discuss fisheries economic research needs (AFMA, 2007), and in the FRDC Research and Development Plan (2005-10). Building capacity in fisheries economics within industry (e.g. RAGs, MACs) and government was also considered necessary to facilitate uptake of management tools that would enhance economic performance of the industry (AFMA, 2007).

Research needs vary at the State and Commonwealth level. For example, priority economic research projects in South Australia have been identified as the contribution of recreational fishing to regional communities; and a comparative study of the effects of quota management regimes on productivity and sustainability. In Tasmania, specific identified research needs include the development of performance indicators, resource allocation, economic efficiency of alternative management strategies, and market and industry analysis. In Queensland, the impact of marine conservation on both recreational and commercial fishing is a significant issue in the South East, as is resource allocation between recreational and commercial fishers in the East Coast inshore fin-fish fishery. Improved efficiency in the prawn farming industry is also a recent priority given the increased exchange rate and growth in prawn imports. At the Commonwealth level, economic performance measurement and management strategy evaluations that incorporate economic considerations and the impact of marine reserves on the fishing industry are priority research areas (AFMA, 2007).

Research projects undertaken by the PhD students enroled under this project will target these identified priority needs. Hence, both capacity building and research needs will be jointly satisfied.

AFMA (2007). Economics in Commonwealth fisheries management - Workshop final report, 2 March 2007, Canberra. R2006/1127l 7/3/2007