PROJECT NUMBER
•
2023-163
PROJECT STATUS:
CURRENT
ORGANISATION:
University of Tasmania (UTAS)
29 results
PROJECT NUMBER
•
2023-125
PROJECT STATUS:
CURRENT
ORGANISATION:
Cawthron Institute
TAGS
Postgraduate funding - Stock structure and connectivity of Black Bream including implications for management
Project number:
2019-012
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure:
$75,000.00
Principal Investigator:
Bronwyn M. Gillanders
Organisation:
University of Adelaide
Project start/end date:
2 Feb 2020
-
7 Aug 2023
Contact:
FRDC
SPECIES
Understanding the demographic characteristics, connectivity and stock structure of a fish species is crucial for identifying the appropriate scale and strategy for management.
Black bream is a slow growing and long-lived finfish species with reproduction confined to estuarine habitats. It is distributed in the estuaries and inshore marine waters of southern Australia, from central NSW to central west coast WA, including Tasmania. Throughout its broad distribution, black bream is thought to be composed of a number of isolated spawning stocks, with limited evidence of movements between estuaries.
In SA, black bream supports important commercial fisheries, and is highly sought-after by recreational anglers. Most of the State-wide commercial catch is taken by the Lakes and Coorong Fishery (LCF) in the Coorong estuary, with smaller contributions taken by the Marine Scalefish Fishery. In 2016, the LCF for black bream, which was historically one of Australia’s most productive black bream fisheries, was classified as ‘overfished’. It is unknown whether this status is reflective of the broader population in SA waters, or if current management arrangements for the Coorong population, which are aimed to promote stock recovery, are adequate in terms of the spatial scale that they apply.
There is a need to understand the demography, connectivity and stock structure of black bream populations across southern Australia (SA, VIC and WA). This information will assist in identifying appropriate scales and strategies for management.
‘People development’ is one of several priorities identified in the FRDC’s RD&E Plan 2015-20. The proposed project will be undertaken by a high-performing student as a PhD project. The student will undertake applied research relevant to FRDC stakeholders (scientists, fishery managers, commercial, recreational and indigenous fishers) in SA, and gain industry experience by being co-supervised by scientists from SARDI. The project will increase fisheries science capacity in SA through training of the next generation of researchers.
1. Define the stock structure of black bream in southern Australia using a multi-methods approach incorporating genetics/genomics and otolith-based techniques
2. Review information on and determine how black bream respond to changing environmental conditions
3. Provide recommendations for fishery managers based on results of stock structure analyses
4. Increase fisheries science capacity in South Australia through training of the next generation of researchers
Final report
Authors:
Koster Sarakinis
Patrick Reis Santos
Qifeng Ye
Jason Earl
Stephen Donnellan
Bronwyn M Gillanders
Final Report
•
2025-01-06
•
25.96 MB
2019-012-DLD.pdf
The research in this report was undertaken as part of Koster Sarakinis’s PhD project at the University of Adelaide supervised by Professor Bronwyn Gillanders (University of Adelaide), Dr Patrick Reis Santos (University of Adelaide), Dr Qifeng Ye (SARDI Aquatic Sciences), and Dr Jason Earl (SARDI Aquatic Sciences). The project investigated stock structure of black bream and how they were responding to changing environmental conditions for fish collected across southern Australia (stock structure) with additional work
focused on south-eastern Australia. Outcomes contributed to better understanding of stock structure of black bream across southern Australia, and research training of a fisheries scientist now employed at SARDI Aquatic Sciences. Background – The SA RAC identified defining stock structure for black bream in southern Australia, and implications for management as one of three post-graduate student projects to address a range of priority fisheries research. The aim was for the student to undertake direct applied research and gain industry experience by being co-supervised by scientists from the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), while researching an industry relevant project and be registered at a South Australian university in order to undertake their post-graduate studies. The application was there developed according to this call and after consultation with government researchers, industry and representatives from the recreational sector.
focused on south-eastern Australia. Outcomes contributed to better understanding of stock structure of black bream across southern Australia, and research training of a fisheries scientist now employed at SARDI Aquatic Sciences. Background – The SA RAC identified defining stock structure for black bream in southern Australia, and implications for management as one of three post-graduate student projects to address a range of priority fisheries research. The aim was for the student to undertake direct applied research and gain industry experience by being co-supervised by scientists from the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), while researching an industry relevant project and be registered at a South Australian university in order to undertake their post-graduate studies. The application was there developed according to this call and after consultation with government researchers, industry and representatives from the recreational sector.
PROJECT NUMBER
•
2018-181
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED
The End of an Era: Acknowledging the socio-cultural history and contribution of Australian small-scale fisheries
With little fanfare or attention, commercial fishing in the Gippsland Lakes in eastern Victoria ceased on 1 April 2020. The small-scale commercial fishery, which was crucial to the establishment of the town of Lakes Entrance roughly 150 years ago, was closed by the Victorian State...
ORGANISATION:
A Twigg
PROJECT NUMBER
•
2018-091
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED
Assessment of national-scale tracking of commercially important fish species
In this FRDC project, a team from Integrated Marine Observing System Animal Tracking Facility (IMOS ATF), in coordination with state and federal agencies and the Fisheries and Aquaculture Research Providers Network (RPN) met. They systematically reconfigured the IMOS ATF national network to...
ORGANISATION:
Sydney Institute of Marine Science (SIMS)
PROJECT NUMBER
•
2018-016
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED
ORGANISATION:
Department of Primary Industries and Regions South Australia (PIRSA)
PROJECT NUMBER
•
2017-199
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED
ORGANISATION:
University of Adelaide
PROJECT NUMBER
•
2017-100
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED
ORGANISATION:
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC)
PROJECT NUMBER
•
2017-012
PROJECT STATUS:
COMPLETED
Investigating social acceptance for the wild catch commercial fishing industry of Southeast Queensland
This research project aimed to develop an engagement strategy that would assist the Southeast Queensland (SEQ) wild catch commercial fishing industry to gain social acceptance, or a Social Licence to Operate (SLO). SLO is needed to maintain access to the resource and market confidence.
A scan of...
ORGANISATION:
University of the Sunshine Coast (USC)
Golden fish: evaluating and optimising the biological, social and economic returns of small-scale fisheries
Project number:
2016-034
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure:
$378,994.00
Principal Investigator:
James Tweedley
Organisation:
Murdoch University
Project start/end date:
30 Sep 2016
-
29 Sep 2019
Contact:
FRDC
SPECIES
Fish and crustacean stocks are under pressure from a range of sources, such as a growing population, increased fishing pressure and anthropogenic changes. These pressures, and the small-scale nature of many fisheries in terms of their economic return, highlight the need to develop cost-effective tools for assessing and valuing these fisheries. Such tools should be able to estimate the social and economic contribution of commercial and recreational fisheries to communities (FRDC 2014/008). However, FRDC 2012/214 has highlighted that ‘poor quality data’ on the economic value of recreational and indigenous fishing limits the development of optimal policies for these fisheries. Advances in aquaculture provide ‘new’ options for managers and the ability to restore or enhance target populations by releasing cultured individuals. Increasing interest from recreational fishers in enhancing fishing experiences and the development of government policies for release programs in WA, NSW and Victoria, combined with the creation of Recreational Fishing Initiatives Funds (RFIF), have focussed attention on restocking/stock enhancement as a potential management option. To maximise the likelihood for success, tools are needed to evaluate the potential effectiveness of any release program in increasing target populations. Combining the results of release program bioeconomic models with social and economic data, such as the increased catch (revenue) generation for commercial fishers and the economic returns and social values of recreational fishing, provides managers with improved decision making abilities based on an understanding of the social and economic implications of those decisions. The ability to assess the social values and economic contributions of fisheries to communities also provides much needed information, particularly on the catch, effort and motivations of recreational fishers, which are currently lacking in WA and can be used in the harvest strategy component of the Marine Stewardship Council certification process and to develop social and economic performance indicators for fisheries (FRDC 2014/008). Recfishwest has committed $100,000 from the WA RFIF to this proposal in recognition of the need for this research.
1. Determine the motivations for using a fishery and the beliefs, attitudes and perceived benefits of release programs and other management options.
2. Determine the total economic value of the recreational and commercial sectors of each selected fishery.
3. Investigate the benefits of release programs in contributing to the optimisation of biological, social and economic objectives for those fisheries
4. Training for the next generation of fisheries and social scientists and fishery economists (Honours, PhD students and early-career researchers) and community engagement and education.
Final report
ISBN:
978-0-646-87654-2
Authors:
James Tweedley
Clara Obregón
Michael Hughes
Neil Loneragan
Alan Cottingham
Denis Abagna
Malcolm Tull
Sarah Beukes
and Anne Garnett
Final Report
•
12.73 MB
2016-034-DLD.pdf
This project investigates recreational and commercial fisher motivations for using a fishery and the beliefs, attitudes and perceived benefits of aquaculture-based enhancement programs and other management options. It also determines the total economic value for recreational fishing for Blue Swimmer Crabs (Portunus armatus) and Black Bream (Acanthopagrus butcheri) in a range of estuaries in south-western Australia and investigates the benefits of release programs in contributing to the optimisation of biological, social and economic objectives for those fisheries. Finally, it provides training for the next generation of fisheries and social scientists and fishery economists and project members engaged in community engagement and education.
Work was focused on two iconic small-scale estuarine fisheries in south-western Australia, i.e. those for Blue Swimmer Crabs and Black Bream. A two-phase approach to elicit common recreational fisher beliefs using semi-structured interviews (phase 1) and then sample a broader pool of respondents using closed-question online surveys (phase 2). Analyses demonstrated that motivations for recreational fishing were markedly different for the two fisheries, even when operating in the same system. Aquaculture-based enhancement was universally supported by the recreational sector as a fishery management approach as they believed it would enhance stocks and catches, and, although it may cause negative impacts, they were considered unlikely. Commercial fishers were less supportive of this management intervention. Enhancement of stocks was estimated to increase the economic value of recreational fishing through increased visitation. Biological modelling highlights that stocking could provide substantial benefits to the biomass of the target stocks, particularly Black Bream, but the parameters of any future stocking the need to carefully considered to ensure maximum benefits and the mitigation of density-dependent effects on wild stocks. Advice on the numbers and size-at-release for Blue Swimmer Crabs in the Peel-Harvey and Black Bream in the Blackwood River Estuary are provided to optimise the biological, social and economic dimensions of these fisheries.
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