Sustainable fishing is based in part on management strategies that deliver an equitable share of the total catch to all users including indigenous fishers. Historically fisheries management agencies have ignored indigenous fishing rights which has resulted in restrictions on cultural practices which have contributed not only to a loss of access to traditional target species but a loss of traditional fisheries knowledge (TFK). In some cases indigenous people have been made to feel like criminals when accessing traditional target species for food or cultural purposes. Restrictions preventing cultural fishing can result in conflict, potential ‘non-compliance’ and a loss of TFK. There is strong international and national support for the protection of TFK (see UN Convention on Biological Diversity Article 8(j) and 10 (c), and the EPBC Act 1999.) The N.S.W. Indigenous Fisheries Strategy clearly articulates the need for research into indigenous fisheries as does the N.S.W. DPI.

The establishment of marine protected areas has often proceeded in N.S.W. without knowledge of customary fishing areas nor necessarily a willingness to accommodate cultural fishing. This will build a better picture of where and how much is being taken. Access to traditional foods is essential in insuring a healthier life style. Aboriginal people still assert a desire to procure a regular supply of fresh fish for personal and community consumption yet management regimes put in place to deal with ‘overfishing’ and/or dwindling stock sizes have yet to accommodate the need of indigenous communities to have access to traditional target species for food.

There are large information gaps in relation to;
(i) the size and location of the indigenous take of aquatic organisms in N.S.W.,
(ii) present day cultural associations with various target species (particularly freshwater species) and
(iii) the status of traditional fishing knowledge.

This project will begin to address these information gaps.

Reduction of wastage in fisheries has been a priority of management and research worldwide in recent years. Because of the public perceptions that estuarine gill netting is impacting on fish stocks, in particular causing mortality to sub-legal fish of recreational importance, and for industry to adopt the principles of ecologically sustainable development in the estuarine commercial finfish fishery, there is a clear need to (1) determine the real (as opposed to the perceived) level of discarding in the gill net fishery and how this varies spatially and temporally, and (2) determine the selectivities of the gill nets currently used by commercial fishers. If the anecdotal reports of large quantities of discards prove correct, and the selectivities of the current gears used are found to be not particularly good, then it would be highly beneficial to all users of the resource that more selective nets be developed. This would greatly assist EGMAC in developing a responsible management plan for the fishery. This in turn would help the commercial fishing industry in promoting itself as being responsible harvesters of the resource and would go along way to ameliorating the large amount of conflict among interest groups, as well as having long-term benefits to the resource and to all users of the resource.

Australian fisheries production has been declining in recent years, and there appears to be little potential to significantly increase this production in the medium term. Most of Australia's commercial fisheries are operating at their maximum (available) capacity, and the commercial imperative now is for these groups to maximise the value of production from the limited and in some cases, declining resources.

The future of the industry shall be largely related to how well the industry is able to adjust to new market conditions under such environmental and resource constraints.

At present, large amounts of fish waste occur in the industry due to either waste material such as fish frames or low commercial value species and ‘incidental' bycatch material.

There is a need for the industry to maximise its yields and commercial returns for the limited industry resource. Industry profitability and sustainability depends upon key issues such as maximising commercial yields, value-adding and product development.

Similarly, recent industry reports (eg, Retail World, BIS Shrapnel) have confirmed that while retail fresh seafood sales are growing, canned and frozen seafood products account for the majority of sales with $360 million in retail sales in Australia.

The frozen segment is dominated by frozen fillets and fish fingers which is primarily sourced from imported frozen fish. Indeed it has been reported that Simplot and I&J which control over 50% of the Australian market by volume and value, are about to commence aggressive expansion plans for their frozen products. Similarly Sealord which is Simplot's brand for fillet product is rebuilding its market with new species and product development.

These sources confirm that the Australian food service and retail market are major growth areas for value-added, ‘reformed' food products.

This proposal for ‘product development' however is not aimed to develop 'another fish finger' or to be a 'me too' product. Rather it aims to be a new differentiated product using low value resource material to capitalise on defined market opportunities and international market experience. Clearly market research for these product opportunities shall be a key part of the proposal.

The focus shall be on identifying market opportunities and available resources of Australian fish waste to capitalise upon existing international product development experience .