Benchmarking Australia's small pelagic fisheries science against world's best practice
This project is needed to address concerns expressed by stakeholder groups and the broader Australian community during the recent "super-trawler debate" that the current assessment and management framework for the SPF may have technical deficiencies and not be consistent with world's best practice.
This project is also needed because these concerns have the potential to undermine stakeholder and community confidence in other Australian fisheries for small pelagic fishes, such as the SASF.
A technical workshop is needed because it will provide an efficient and transparent process by which to benchmark the research and management frameworks of Australia's fisheries for small pelagic species against world's best practice and to identify opportunities for improving current approaches.
A stakeholder forum is needed to provide key stakeholders and the broader community with the opportunity and information required to objectively assess how Australia's fisheries for small pelagic species compare to other fisheries worldwide. This forum is a critical first step towards re-establishing stakeholder and public confidence in the assessment and management framework for the SPF. It is also needed to help maintain a social license to operate for other Australian fisheries for small pelagic species, such as the SASF.
Issues that have been identified as matters of particular stakeholder and public concern and that need to be addressed in both the technical workshop and stakeholder forum include:
1) options for increasing the reliability of estimates of spawning biomass obtained using the Daily Egg Production Method (DEPM);
2) opportunities to further reduce operational interactions with threatened, endangered and protected species;
3) potential for improving current approaches to assessment and mitigation of potential trophic effects on other components of the ecosystem;
4) innovative methods for reducing possible impacts of localised depletion on predatory species and other (especially recreational) fisheries that target small pelagic fishes.
Final report
2024 Fishing & Farming for the Future - DAF Hermitage Research Facility Schools Plant Science Competition
Should the FRDC be happy to provide sponsorship at a 'gold' level, as requested, the following benefits will be offered:
- FRDC invited to sponsor a specific competition prize/award.
- FRDC logo to be included in the competition coordinator's signature block in all competition email correspondence.
- FRDC logo to be included in all official 2024 competition publications (eg, competition instructions/guidelines resource, event invitations, event programs, certificates, etc).
- FRDC logo/banner displayed at promotional events including on stage at the Awards Day & Ag Science Expo (13 August 2024).
- FRDC representative(s) Invited to attend and present awards during the Awards Day & Ag Science Expo.
- FRDC acknowledged verbally during the welcome address at the Awards Day & Ag Science Expo.
- FRDC representative invited to give a 5-10min speech at the Awards Day & Ag Science Expo.
- FRDC invited to set up a trade display at the Awards Day & Ag Science Expo.
- FRDC's website linked to the DAF competition website.
- FRDC acknowledged in all DAF competition media releases. The competition attracts widespread media coverage throughout the year.
- FRDC's social media handles included in competition social media posts.
- FRDC promotional materials can be distributed to students and guests at the Awards Day & Ag Science Expo and/or in prize packs mailed to schools.
The 'Sponsorship Proposal' document outlines all details of the sponsorship opportunity and alternative arrangements may be discussed.
NCCP: Building community support for carp control: understanding community and stakeholder attitudes and assessing social effects
Fishing for change: A social marketing approach to reduce the recreational harvest of Snapper and Pearl Perch in Queensland
National fisheries and aquaculture industry social and economic contributions study: Phase 1
Social and economic evaluation of NSW coastal commercial wild-catch fisheries
The contributions of commercial fisheries to coastal communities in NSW is not well understood. Current methods for estimating the economic contribution of fisheries calculate only the landed value of the catch and numbers of people directly employed in commercial fishing. This gives inadequate information about commercial fisheries’ position in economic networks within coastal communities – they require a range of goods and services provided from the local community and from larger centres in NSW, all with associated employment. A small percentage of the population is directly engaged in commercial fishing, however, existing evidence indicates that when commercial fishing declines the negative impacts may spread throughout the supply chain, as well as on the ‘glue’ holding towns together through social contributions of fishing families. In the prevailing policy environment the importance of ecological protection and the contributions of recreational fishers are well recognized, while commercial fishers are often seen as ‘the bad guys’ and bear the brunt of the trade-offs made in resource management decisions.
The project generates knowledge that can be used both to demonstrate the value of commercial industries to improve their position as stakeholders in resource management decisions, and to improve public attitudes about commercial fisheries. Sound evidence about the contributions of commercial fisheries will enable triple bottom line policies for sustainability in coastal NSW, by adding social and economic knowledge to the ecological knowledge already developed. For example, it will help identify the costs of adjustment and the resilience of communities with economically challenged fisheries, and indicate how restructuring may be made less difficult. It will also remedy the lack of understanding about contributions from particular sections of commercial fishing, such as the special contributions Indigenous commercial fishers make to their local communities - both Indigenous and non-Indigenous - related to cultural obligations.