The absence of reliable performance indicators (PIs) for Australian abalone fisheries has limited stock assessments to an informal, ad hoc review framework, (overly conservative management vs unrealistic optimism from Industry). Without a formal assessment framework based on effective PIs, with target (TRP) and limit reference points (LRPs) combined with clear decision rules, abalone assessment and management will continue to be exposed to decisions prejudiced by opinion rather than fact. Searching for effective PIs for assessing abalone fisheries has continued for years but they remain untested. A need remains to identify an array of informative PIs for abalone fisheries. This requires a re-consideration of PIs (both current and those being developed) and their formal testing in a Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) framework. The Tasmanian Abalone Strategic Research Plan gives high priority to research into MSE and the development of TRPs and LRPs. NSW, Victoria, and Tasmania all listed MSE of PIs, LRPs and TRPs, as a high priority at the 2006 National R&D Workshop. South Australia places a high priority on the development of a new management plan for abalone, which requires the development of informative PIs. Most recently, the Draft National Abalone Health Workplan recommends conducting a MSE to compare likely outcomes following the viral outbreak in Western Victoria. Failure to find PIs and management strategies that will operate with different Australian abalone fisheries, constitutes a significant threat to their ongoing sustainability. If ad hoc assessments and their associated risks are to be avoided the debate over PIs needs to stop and the generally accepted method of MSE, needs to be developed for abalone fisheries. Without developing this predictive capacity, stock assessments will remain ad hoc and subject to considerations other than finding the optimum trade off between maximizing the product value while minimizing the risk to sustainability.

In order to protect Australia's valuable abalone industry, there is a need to develop specific management strategies which incorporate disease monitoring, detection, response and control measures in both farm and wild stocks. These include the implementation of routine health management procedures and a system for the exclusion of virus. Health management strategies and codes of practice for both farmed and wild abalone harvest sectors and processing plants must be developed to improve productivity of farmed sector and to protect the health status of wild populations of abalone. The application of effective detection and exclusion or control methods incorporates into a workable biosecurity plan to minimise the impacts of this virus.

Fisheries recruitment is generally variable and seldom related to spawning stock size, except in the case of salmonid fishes. Environmental variability has a large effect on recruitment that can be stronger than the effect of stock size. It is difficult to understand whether fishing pressure is affecting stock sizes unless we have some understanding of how the environment affects the populations of exploited species. While the environment is known to significantly affect recruitment, the relationship is complex and multivariate. To gain insight into the relationship, we need to assemble a range of environmental variables for appropriate statistical analyses. These data are often scattered, and have varying spatial and temporal resolutions and quality. An important step along the way to elucidating relationships between environment and recruitment is to compile the datasets into a form that can be spatially matched, appropriately averaged and statistically scaled to extract the environmental signal from the background noise that could otherwise obscure a relationship with recruitment.

If environmental indices are related to fisheries recruitment of specific species (e.g. marine scale fish, rock lobsters and prawns) then management can use the indices (1) to understand the physical processes that account for variability in recruitment and fishery productivity, (2) possibly predict recruitment a year or two in advance, and (3) to speculate about the effects of global warming on our fisheries.

Pearce et al. (FRDC 94/032) compiled time series of environmental variables in Western Australia, and found that variations in the strength and path of the Leeuwin Current affected mainly the larval stages of commercial species. The magnitude and sign (positive or negative) of the effect differed by species. We will build on this study, incorporating some of their recommendations, to gain insight into the processes affecting recruitment.

Australian abalone currently enjoys a relatively strong position in the market through steady demand for its product. However, its position could be better enhanced through an industry development plan that provides strategies with which to capitalize on its position as a provider of quality abalone. Although Australia produced 50% of the world’s supply it must continue to enhance its position in the global market.

There is abundant scientific evidence that micro-management of abalone fisheries is needed (see B2) and state management plans, R&D priorities, etc. (e.g. NSW FMP, Newman & Smith 2001, Victoria’s ENRIC 2002) and FRDC’s Needs Review (MacArthur Agribusness 1999) recognize this. State financial resources are - and under cost recovery in each state will remain - insufficient to support assessment and management of individual reef-stocks. This project proposes the alternative: to empower industry stakeholders with assessment tools and processes for collaboration to achieve management outcomes. Collaboration between industry and management agencies, and tools to monitor and evaluate the industry management process are also needed. This project also addresses national R&D priorities for people development to create an innovative industry culture and for “collective industry strategic thinking and cohesion” (Needs Review)

Empowerment of industry will also address the strategic priority for more participatory co-management of the resource (e.g. SA 2002-7 R&D plan) and inclusive ownership of management decisions. Industry participation is a priority in most states (e.g. Newman & Smith 2001). Industry associations have committed to addressing reef-stock management (see B2), but we must underpin industry initiatives with the required biological information, modeling and collaboration tools, so reef-scale assessment and management processes can be accepted by state and federal management agencies as a secure basis for sustainable management, in accordance with the provisions of the EPBC Act 1999. FRDC’s Needs Review identified the “lack of spatial methodologies and modeling tools” as a substantial risk to the industry. We can build on extensive previous research (see B2) to progressively understand and model the relationship between fishing and reef-stock production. This will encourage future integration of state zonal management processes with the industry reef-scale process.

This addresses FRDC Program 1, Strategies 1, 6, 7, 9; Program 3, Strategies 1, 2; and the FRDC concern for “end-user” involvement.