It has been widely recognised that Australia needs to adopt a more coordinated, cross-jurisdictional approach to allow for more efficient and effective research and development. The jurisdictions across Northern Australia (NT, Qld and WA) would benefit from this approach as they often share tropical wild stocks, research priorities and occupy similar markets. Collaboration amongst these jurisdictions would deliver better science outcomes by consolidating capability, coordinating the development of new capability, improving networks and stimulating innovation. Social and economic benefits would be realised through more effective resource management and each jurisdiction’s ability to attract investment in business, infrastructure and research would be strengthened. Apart from setting in place a shared vision of tropical fisheries and aquaculture R&D a partnership would facilitate a coordinated approach to significant social R&D.

This proposal directly addresses the National RD&E Strategy for Fishing and Aquaculture that aims to improve the focus, efficiency and effectiveness of RD&E by adopting a more national and co-ordinated approach.

Interest in artificial reefs is growing in Australia, with recently initiated programs in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria. These have been mostly pilot projects using available basic designs and materials for research purposes, or the dumping of materials of opportunity (junk).

However, the progression to dedicated and effective fisheries enhancement programs using artificial reefs has proved difficult. While environmental impact assessment has been extremely costly and time consuming for some jurisdictions, the more fundamental problem of lack of demonstrably effective and appropriate reef designs remains.

In many countries the use of materials of opportunity is now discouraged or even banned, and many require all artificial reef modules to be purpose designed and built to prescribed engineering standards. Korea requires all new artificial reef modules to be tested and monitored for two years before government assessment determines whether they can be deployed in public waters.

At this time in Australia there are no standards or guidelines to assist in determining appropriate designs or materials for artificial reefs, and no agreed basic research and monitoring requirements to allow their effectiveness to be determined. Without these basic tools we run the risk of duplicating the years of trial and error, sub-optimal performance and possibly failure that plagued some countries, and drove others to introduce their present regulatory schemes.