Given the general decline in GVP for the Australian wild capture prawn industry (from $364 million to $232 million in the last 15 years), and particularly the loss of traditional export markets, the industry needs to focus on optimising value in the domestic market. However it has become apparent that the current and established business models being pursued by many wild harvest prawn companies are not set up to optimize the domestic market opportunities. The change from an export focused to a domestic focused business requires companies to have a better understanding of the competitive landscape and of the customer and distribution channel requirements (for both quality and service) in domestic markets in order to identify and exploit new market opportunities. However, it appears this knowledge is currently not available or, in the case of a number of completed CRC consumer surveys, not being well extended to the Australian prawn industry to faciliate changing business models to increase profitability.

This project aims to work with committed prawn industry leaders to extend current results from previous CRC and other consumer/market studies, identify gaps and if necessary commission further research to identify new domestic market opportunities. Subsequently industry leaders will be empowered to work with all chain participants resulting in identification of supply chain innovations (in service and quality) and promotionional strategies required to meet the identified opportunity. Subsequently all chain participants will agree collectively to co-invest to implement the required strategies. The participatory action nature of the research, with identification, commitment and active involvement of industry champions and all chain participants being mandatory to the process, represents an innovation in CRC research and should ensure commercial outcomes.

Stock assessment of the EKP fishery, and the subsequent advice to management and industry, could be improved by addressing a number of issues.

The recruitment dynamics of EKPs in the northern (i.e., North Reef to the Swain Reefs) parts of the fishery need to be clarified. Fishers report that the size of the prawns from these areas when they recruit to the fishing grounds is resulting in sub-optimal sizes/ages at first capture, and therefore localised growth overfishing.

There is a need to assess alternative harvest strategies of the EKP fishery, via computer simulations, particularly seasonal and monthly or lunar-based closures to identify scenarios that improve the value of the catch, decrease costs and reduce the risk of overfishing, prior to implementing new management measures.

The project is highly relevant to FRDC priorities and directly addresses the FRDC R&D 2005-2010 Plan, namely Program 1 Natural Resources Sustainability, Challenge 1 – Natural Resource Sustainability “Maintain and improve the management and use of aquatic natural resources to ensure their sustainability”.

The proposal directly addresses the QFIRAC 2007 R&D priorities for Trawl Fisheries which specifically refer to “Undertaking management strategy evaluations for the Eastern King Prawn fishery, particularly the potential for seasonal closures…”.

It also addresses the Queensland TrawlMAC “high” research priorities in relation to improving our understanding of the stock-recruitment relationships and undertaking management strategy evaluations.

In summary, there is a strong need for this project, which addresses the high research priorities identified by FRDC, QFIRAC and the Queensland TrawlMAC. It is focused on Queensland’s most valuable fished stock, eastern king prawns.

Fisheries management across Australia relies on maximising the benefits to the community from a limited seafood resource. A range of stakeholders all have an interest in sustainable fisheries management. Up until now, the focus of fisheries management has been on ensuring sustainability of the marine resources and on legislative and other regulatory controls to support this.

However, a gap remains between fishers creating effective business outcomes for the wider community and the legislative management framework adopted by government. For sustainable environmental outcomes to be really driven by participants in a fishery, there is a need to consider sustainability within a context of industry’s business needs.

The Spencer Gulf Prawn Fishery currently participates within a co-management framework and are taking stronger ownership over the day-to-day management of the resource on which they rely. More and more industry management processes are being based on business concepts, rather than legislative controls. The implementation of environmental management systems that address fisheries risks on the environment, the welfare of its people and the welfare of customers, is an example.

“Self-management” has become a vision for the Spencer Gulf Prawn Fishery as a way of promoting more effective, efficient and equitable management regimes for dealing with the plethora of issues relating to harvesting a public resource. However, there is a need to describe and assess alternative management models.

This project aims to explore the best management option for the fishery in the future as well as provide insight into models for alternative management arrangements that other fisheries may wish to consider.

This proposal directly addresses QFIRAC priority 2.2b. "Development of case studies for co-management options in Queensland fisheries". The pre-proposal was ranked high by QFIRAC and the PI was invited to submit a full proposal to the FRAB. The FRAB reviewed a draft of the full proposal at its October meeting and the proposal was ranked the second highest of all draft full proposals submitted to the FRAB this year.

The need for co-management has also been identified by the Queensland Department of Primary Industries & Fisheries as a key to the future economic prosperity of the Queensland commercial fishing industry. It has the potential to build-on, and progress further, cultural change in industry sectors. It also has the potential to reduce cost of production for industry and administrative costs for Government. It can also lead to real time monitoring and management, allowing for fisheries to respond to natural environmental variability through adaptive management that adds to, rather than compromises economic viability.

The need for greater co-management, particularly for small scale fisheries, was also a central theme of Seafood Directions 2005 recently held in Sydney. In particular, the presentation by Martin Smallridge on the Spencer Gulf Prawn Fishery highlighted what could be achieved by a co-management approach. Further, the AFMF have identified co-managament as a medium-high priority.