During the initial conceptual steering committee meeting of the Tuna Champions program it was identified, and supported by marketing specialists, to focus on a single species, in this case the SBT. If this was done well, it would minimise dilution of the messaging and improve the uptake and momentum of increased stewardship in that particular fishery. It was noted however that the messages would likely ‘spill over’ into other species, particularly other tuna species as the practices being promoted were applicable to them. Then further, that the messaging and recognition of the value of stewardship as it relates to recreational fishing practices would spill over more broadly to other species. This effect has now been realised with fishers that target other tuna species already organically sharing and promoting the message of tuna champions and more broadly, several other recreational stewardship programs have been developed or are currently in the funding or conceptual phases including Shark Mates, Snapper Stewards and a program in Tasmania promoting stewardship in the recreational fishery targeting Sand Flathead.

The recent recognition by the Federal Government of the success of the Tuna Champions program was highlighted in the commitment to fund an extension of the program announced with the launch of the 2021 Federal budget.

This funding will facilitate the need to broaden the program to the next level by increasing the scope of the project to now focus on more key tuna species in Australia, including Yellowfin Tuna and Longtail Tuna. The geographic distribution of these species and the recreational fisheries that target them will increase the breadth of the program across Australia with both these species commonly caught on the east and west coasts and Longtail Tuna caught along the top-end of Australia, including the Northern Territory.

As specified in the FRDC call for proposals, there is a need for AFMA, its advisory committees and the ETBF industry to gain a much stronger understanding of past, current and potential future oceanographic and environmental impacts upon (i) the spatial and temporal distribution and level of ETBF catches, catch rates, fishing effort and fish sizes (particularly those indicators used in the ETBF harvest strategy), and (ii) the interactions between focal species in the ETBF with domestic (e.g. recreational) and international fisheries. We have established relationships with regional partners, and pending endorsement, which will allow comprehensive collation of catch and tracking data for the focal species, such that habitat models for the whole region can be developed. This will permit hypotheses about movement of fish cohorts into the Australian region, and movements of these fish within the Australian EEZ to be tested.

This proposed research is needed to ensure the effectiveness (note, the ETBF already has a developed HS) and further development of appropriate management arrangements, including harvest strategies and resource sharing arrangements. It will complement current genetic research into stock structure and connectivity, with implications for harvest strategies and potentially Australia’s position on key management issues and approaches being considered or developed in the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC). By collating data from the countries in the south-west Pacific Ocean and New Zealand regions, we will seek to understand patterns in regional abundance. Importantly, this project will provide insights into potential long term changes in the ETBF that may result from climate change, and deliver forecasting capability on seasonal and decadal time scales. We will identify the influence of any large scale oceanographic drivers on availability of these key species in Australian waters, such as the strength of the East Australia Current, or the teleconnections resulting from ENSO events.