Spencer Gulf represents an area of significant economic significance to the fisheries and aquaculture sectors of South Australia. The region is also experiencing considerable industrial growth. This year alone in Spencer Gulf, there has been the release of BHP-Billiton’s supplementary Environmental Impact Statement for the massive Olympic Dam expansion including a coastal desalination plant, the State government has recently revived plans for a deep water port at Port Bonython (in Upper Spencer Gulf) which is predicted to be a major hub for the export of mineral resources, and IronClad mining has announced plans for a floating harbor south of Port Bonython. Given this level of proposed development it is imperative that the fisheries and aquaculture sectors have a better understanding of how future developments may impact their industries.

This project is needed to provide a whole of Spencer Gulf ecosystem model to the fisheries and aquaculture sectors with the capability to address “what if” scenarios. A suite of linked habitat, biophysical, trophodynamic and economic models will be developed that can be used to assess and optimize the future ecological and economic performance of the seafood industry in Spencer Gulf.

A Spencer Gulf Ecosystem model is needed for various scenario studies to provide fisheries and aquaculture managers with sound, evidenced-based information on the impacts of current and future developments in Spencer Gulf.

There is a growing need to establish fishing industries as environmentally sustainable within Australia and internationally. The needs stems from both an economic marketing aspect and a growing community expectation. It is also important for fishing industries to understand that they contribute to marine impacts on a broader ecological scale. Whilst the principles of Ecosystem Based Fishery Management (EBFM) have been established for over a decade, it is only in recent years that EBFM frameworks have begun to be developed and applied by Government agencies (e.g. Fletcher et al 2010, West Coast Bioregion of Western Australia).

The environmental impacts of benthic trawl fisheries require greater attention than most other fishing methodologies, primarily due to their impact on the benthic environment, by-catch species and associated communities. As a critical impactor on marine bioregions, it is important that future ecological research for benthic trawl fisheries is prioritised and conducted in a manner that fits within a broader EBFM framework.

Concomitantly, there is an increasing interest from fishing industries to seek third-party certification of environmental sustainability for eco-labelling of their products and subsequent market advantage. These Program's require fisheries to meet standards that are often higher than the levels required by the Commonwealth Government to meet conditions of the EPBC Act. Although such accreditations are accompanied by substantial documentation of management practices, it is difficult for non-accrediated fisheries to benchmark themselves against accredited "best practice" industries.

This project aims to develop a reporting framework for environmental assessment of prawn trawl fisheries in Australia. By using the Marine Stewardship Certification accredited Spencer Gulf Prawn Trawl Fishery as a case study, the report will provide other Australian prawn trawl fisheries 1) a benchmark of third party accredited environmental management, and 2) a tool for prioritising and conducting their own ecological research within an EBFM framework.