5 results
Environment
PROJECT NUMBER • 2003-077
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

Evaluation of crystal crab resource from Cape Leeuwin to the WA/SA border.

The licensed crustacean fishermen on the south coast of Western Australia recognised that a resource of Crystal Crab, Chaceon bicolor existed between Cape Leeuwin (ca 115º E) and the South Australian border (129º E). In order to develop this resource to its optimum and sustainable...
ORGANISATION:
Western Australian Fishing Industry Council Inc (WAFIC)
SPECIES
Blank
PROJECT NUMBER • 2010-748
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

SCRC: Investigating markets for Seafood in East Asia

With the Australian dollar at historic highs, the need to help industry to determine which markets can give the best return on members' investment in time to investigate them and create some demand for products from Western Australia is critical. Asia is still by far the largest market for Western...
ORGANISATION:
Western Australian Fishing Industry Council Inc (WAFIC)
Environment
People
PROJECT NUMBER • 1998-338
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED

The prevention of occupationally-related infections in western rock lobster fishermen

The Western Australian rock lobster industry is the most valuable single species fishing industry in Australia and earns $400 million annually. “Crayfish poisoning” is the common name for a painful wound infection affecting lobster fishermen and other industry workers in Western...
ORGANISATION:
Western Australian Fishing Industry Council Inc (WAFIC)

Seafood CRC: Professional Fishing Certificate - A CRC legacy - phase 1 - industry demand

Project number: 2012-700
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $53,250.00
Principal Investigator: John C. Harrison
Organisation: Western Australian Fishing Industry Council Inc (WAFIC)
Project start/end date: 31 Jul 2013 - 30 Dec 2013
Contact:
FRDC

Need

Butchers have apprenticeships, so do bakers and, for all we know, candlestickmakers do, but not the commercial fishing industry. To be a commercial fisherman all one has to do is enter the Department of Fisheries, put down $80 and that's it. You can then get on any fishing vessel, go to see for days - even months, work with winches, trawl boards, haulers, pots, nets and other gear in all weathers, process fish and even navigate the vessel, all without any qualifications at all. This MUST change if the industry is to be taken seriously. WAFIC intends the industry to be fully professional.

Objectives

1. To determine, with industry, the core competencies for a PFC

Final report

ISBN: 978-0-9756045-4-0
Author: John Harrison
Final Report • 2014-11-03 • 416.88 KB
2012-700-DLD.pdf

Summary

Three hundred fishermen across the majority of West Australian fisheries surveyed to help identify the core competencies considered appropriate for a Professional Fisherman’s Certificate.

Fishermen were interviewed in the field and then completed an online survey. Respondents were asked to rank in order of importance core units and competencies within the Certificate 2, 3, & 4 Fishing Operations and the Diploma of Marine Studies they thought were important to include in a Professional Fisherman’s Certificate. Interestingly most respondents did not value competencies that would aim to address some of the public perception issues and put more value on improving and developing vessel and deck skills, although deckhands were more likely to see the benefit of including public perception issues in the certificate. There was considerable support to including units from the current maritime training package STCW 95 course.

While there was almost unanimous in principle support for a Professional Fisherman’s Certificate, only 25% of fishermen indicated they would be willing to undertake further training or assessment to obtain certification. Most respondents felt the certificate should be aimed towards deckhands while those deckhands interviewed felt skippers would also benefit. Most skippers thought they already had experience on-the-job and did not see the value for them, unless they received the certificate through “grandfathering”.

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