Seafood CRC: optimising quality and value in domestic prawn value chains
Assessment of broad-scale exploitation rates and biomass estimates for the Tasmanian southern rock lobster fishery
Traditionally, catch per unit of effort (CPUE) is used to monitor the health of the fishery and indicate the success or otherwise of management practices. Under current input controls CPUE is based on fishers maximising their total catch. In contrast, under output controls where catch is predetermined fishers will alter their catching scenarios to maximise the return (dollars per kilogram) from their catch. In southern rock lobster fisheries there is significant potential to alter fishing patterns to maximise economic return, especially through seasonal shifts in effort. As this change occurs, the value of using CPUE data to continue monitoring the fishery will be eroded. As such, both fisheries independant means of monitoring the fishery and new monitoring methods will become increasing important.
Both exploitation rates and biomass estimates are important stock assessment parameters and biological reference points in sustainable management of fisheries resources.
This project will evaluate fishery independant means of deriving these estimates and by determining the precision of derived estimates, demonstrate their suitability as biological reference points.
In a report to the Department of Industry, Technology and Commerce titled "Oceans of Wealth?", the Review Committee on Marine Industries, Science and Technology stated in their conclusion, 'The knowledge gained from scientific research into fish stocks and the impacts of the environmental and harvesting factors is a necessary but not sufficient element in the conservation of productive fish stocks. A vital element in both scientific assessments is the availability of reliable information about exploitation levels'. This project is aimed at addressing this need for southern rock lobster.
Final report
Exploitation rate is an important fishery assessment parameter linking catch to legal-sized biomass, the portion of the stock available for harvest. Relative change in legal-sized biomass is a crucial performance indicator for the fishery as it measures the success of management outcomes. Under the recently introduced Individual Transferable Quota Management System (ITQMS) in the Tasmanian rock lobster fishery, rebuilding of legal-sized biomass is a key management objective. The assessment model that produces biomass estimates for this fishery is primarily dependent on commercial catch and effort data.
The use of commercial catch and effort data for stock assessment relies on its de facto relationship with stock abundance. However, the relationship between catch and effort data and abundance is not always constant or linear. Improvements in fishing gear and technology can result in greater catch for a given amount of effort, unrelated to changes in the biomass. Management changes and fishers’ behaviour can also affect the relationship between catch rates and biomass. Under the new ITQMS introduced in 1998, catch is fixed and improved profits can be made by improving the return per unit of fish caught rather than by increasing the amount of catch through increased effort. Thus fishing during periods when catch rates are low but price is high can change the catch effort relationship independent of biomass change.
Fishery independent surveys, using established sampling protocols and standardised fishing gear are a way in which catch rates can be standardised irrespective of gear efficiencies or fisher’s behaviour. If these surveys can also produce accurate estimates of exploitation rate then accurate estimates of biomass can be achieved, provided the exploitation rate estimates are representative of the fishing grounds. Fishery independent estimates of exploitation rate are thus a valuable way of validating model biomass estimates especially with the introduction of an ITQMS where the relationship between catch rates and legal-sized biomass was likely to change pre- and post-quota.
This project aimed to trial change-in-ratio (CIR) and index-removal (IR) techniques to obtain estimates of exploitation rate and biomass from broad scale regions in the fishery.
Keywords: southern rock lobster, change-in-ratio, index-removal, exploitation rates, tagging.
National Strategy for the Survival Of Released Line Caught Fish: planning, project management and communications Phase 2
Seafood CRC: new opportunities for seafood processing waste
Tactical Research Fund: using industry expertise to build a national standard for grading of live mud crabs
People Development Program: Nuffield Scholarship for an Aquaculture and/or Fish producer
The long-term capacity of Australia's aquaculture and fishing industry to compete and succeed internationally will be determined by the ability of Australian producers to recognise changing consumer preferences, adopt new technologies and production practices and maintain the sustainability of their operations by protecting their production environment.
To do this they need to be knowledgeable about the forces shaping international trade policy in key markets, the issues behind consumer sentiment and the technological advances being made by producers in other countries. They need to be able to digest this information and then use it to make rational management decisions, which position their enterprises to benefit from international opportunities as they arise. All of this lies at the heart of the Nuffield Australia Farming Scholarship program.
Each year, Nuffield Australia awards Scholarships to selected primary producers throughout Australia. The objective of these scholarships is to increase practical farming knowledge, improve management skills and encourage the use of new and innovative production techniques. These scholarships give Australian citizens the opportunity to study farming practices in New Zealand, Europe, Asia and the Americas and countries relevant to the Scholar's interests.
This project addresses the goal of the FRDC’s People Development Program (the Program) which is to develop the capabilities of the people to whom the industry entrusts its future by investing in research and development activities that:
1. enhance industry leadership within all sectors;
2. build industry capacity to drive change to achieve goals;
3. encourage knowledge transfer and R&D adoption;
4. build workforce capability; and
5. recognise and promote achievements.
Particular focus is given to the outcomes sought under objective 3 - encourage knowledge transfer and R&D adoption.
Report
A changing culture, education and a robust supply chain are three very important roles in Australia’s oyster industry. The Australian oyster culture is changing with the help of international chefs and one particular oyster finisher, Steve Feletti; who has been leading the way in changing the oyster culture in the way he sells and markets his oysters.
In the past, Australian oyster farmers sold live oysters in bulk to processors who would shuck the oyster and rinse the oyster meat under a fresh water shower. This method is becoming less respected and is seen as a lower profit way of selling oysters from the farm gate.
The majority of the worlds’ oyster supply will see oysters being sold live and oysters will be shucked, either to order at restaurants and markets, or taken home and shucked in household kitchens. The reason behind this is the oyster remains alive until it has been shucked and then it will be served in its own natural juice. In fact, in some countries it is against the law to serve or handle oysters the same way Australians do. Educating the consumer is about teaching them how to handle, shuck and serve live oysters. The future opportunities for farmers are to sell live oysters with higher value or profit margins.
Re-modelling the supply chain is the aim of the study. The supply chain needs to be robust and add value. This needs to start at government and policy level; fed through to farmers, transport, restaurants; and finish at the consumers. The lack of communication between government, oyster associations, oyster committees and farmers is becoming an increasing issue.
The recommendations of this report show how a stronger supply chain could add value. The winners will be farmers changing their supply chain to the value chain, restaurants/markets selling higher quality, and the consumers getting value for money.
Project products
What’s stopping you from protecting yourself and your mates? Identifying barriers to the adoption of safe work practises in the small-scale wild catch commercial fishing industry
High rates of work related injury and illness exist within Australia's commercial fishing industry, compared to other primary industries. A large proportion of current WHS approaches appear to be either underutilised or ineffective in reducing work related injury and illness frequency rates. The wild catch sector has identified a need to explore how to affect cultural shifts that increase the adoption of behaviours that create safe work environments and improve outcomes for the industry. Opportunities exist to learn from fisheries that are in the process of, or have adopted improved and positive WHS attitudes and behaviours, and to identify how they may be successfully shared with other fisheries.
Fishing industry representatives identify the desirability of simultaneously generating positive WHS outcomes while undertaking research. It is clearly recognised that the industry is averse to strengthening regulatory and compliance requirements, but seek the identification of behaviours and psychological factors that underpin established, or potential improvements in safety culture and behaviours, with a view to improving WHS outcomes. Given sensitivities to WHS regulatory recriminations, it is also a clear requirement and undertaking of this research to respect the anonymity of research participants in the data, and to protect them from any direct negative regulatory actions as a result of their participation in the research.
A need has also been identified to develop a set of principles, that may be promulgated nationally and utilised by industry to improve WHS outcomes, with the benefit of potentially minimising regulatory impositions.
It is also acknowledged that opportunities exit to improve WHS outcomes in the aquaculture and retail sectors. While the wild catch is the focus of this project, it will seek to identify any knowledge that may also by applicable to and utilised by these other sectors.