This project responds to an FRDC identified opportunity to review and build on previous experiences aimed towards encouraging recreational fishers to voluntarily diversify their target species.

This project targets three outcomes in the FRDC R&D Plan 2020-25:
-Outcome 1. Growth for enduring prosperity
-Outcome 2. Best practices and production systems
-Outcome 4. Fair and secure access to aquatic resources

Our project consists of two phases, each addressing a discrete need identified through conversations with stakeholders.

Phase 1 – Developing a knowledge base and roadmap:
A robust knowledge base, including data on the the magnitude of behaviour changes achieved by previous initiatives, is required to support the use of voluntary behaviour change interventions for diversifying target species as alternatives to direct regulations. Phase 1 will consist of a backwards looking scan of past-experience to construct this knowledge base from case studies that have implemented an initiative to promote voluntary diversification of recreational target species. This will include a global literature scan, and interviews with stakeholders and managers in Australia to document case studies, identify their successes or failures and compile data on the magnitude of behaviour change achieved. The knowledge base will then be used to identify key knowledge gaps and develop a roadmap of research and information needed to support voluntary behaviour change strategies aimed at diversifying target species as genuine alternatives to direct regulations.

Phase 2 – Improving effectiveness:
Effective behavioural change interventions require careful targeting to ensure they are appropriate and acceptable within a specific context. Phase 2 will look forward with a focus on the future implementation of voluntary approaches that can confidently be applied to promote the voluntary diversification of target species for recreational fishers. This will include a forward-looking test of approaches identified through Phase 1 through interviews, focus groups and a survey of recreational fishers to delve deeply into which approaches are acceptable, where they are acceptable and which approaches are most likely to influence change. The outputs of Phase 2 will include clear advice on which strategies are likely to work in different situations relevant to Australian recreational fisheries.

A project evaluation will take place at the end of phase 1 to evaluate the feasibility of the remaining components, and guide case study selection and strategy for phase 2. This will be based on the interim short report based on phase 1 submitted to the FRDC in the milestone schedule below, as well as progress report 1.

To facilitate co-design and research impact, the research team have engaged with the Australian Fisheries Management Forum (AFMF), the AFSB Fisheries Management Committee (on advice from the AFMF), and the Australian Recreational Fishing Foundation (ARFF). Input from recreational fishing stakeholders into the project will be facilitated through an ARFF advisory panel, with representatives from different jurisdictions across Australia. The advisory panel plan to meet with the research team on 5 occasions across the project (front loaded to facilitate co-design). The model for input from fisheries managers is an on-going discussion but will likely take a similar advisory panel across jurisdictions.

Project risks:
The project relies heavily on the inputs of recreational fishing stakeholders and managers, with potential risks around a lack of availability to participate as well as lack of interest. To manage this risk the project team will work closely with the ARFF advisory group to identify and manage relationships with participants. A secondary project risk is the potential for sharing and disclosure of sensitive information from interviews and focus groups. To manage this risk, the research protocol will be subject to a human ethics review against the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research. Through this process, issues of anonymity, data management and retention and data sharing will be addressed in-line with national standards and carried throughout the project.

The uptake of best practice approaches in fisheries and aquaculture is influenced by factors that inhibit or enable behaviour change, including psycho-sociological factors (i.e. how change or approaches are framed).
Previous FRDC research has indicated a need to identify how and where behavioural insights/interventions – which draw on psycho-sociological factors such as cognitive biases, social norms, and emotions – can be used to steer behaviour change towards preferred outcomes (e.g. stewardship, safety) in marine sectors. This project builds on current and emerging research on behaviour change in fisheries and aquaculture to consolidate a review of published literature and available grey literature and R&D (from academic and industry domains, including recent FRDC projects relating to behaviour change) that has identified psycho-sociological factors influencing behavioural change. The aim of this literature review is to identify the types of behavioural interventions that can (or potentially, cannot) achieve preferred outcomes for fishing and aquaculture sectors in Australia. Specifically, the review seeks to explore i) which kinds of behavioural interventions can be effective in achieving positive change, ii) where (and just as importantly, where not) these interventions may be applied in fisheries and aquaculture sectors, iii) identify (potential) limitations of interventions, and to iii) bring these findings together to inform and underpin development of two relevant and engaging training webinars and associated resource materials, and iv) make recommendations for further focused trials/intervention research which could be undertaken to further support and expedite desired outcomes in Australian fisheries and aquaculture.

There is rapidly growing interest in the development, application and evaluation of behavioural interventions and they show great potential, however, they are also complex to design, test, and implement. Individuals are more likely to change their behaviours if they have the necessary skills and perceive they can do so (capability), if their environment (physical as well as social) provides an opportunity to do so (opportunity), and if they are motivated to achieve a particular endpoint through this behaviour (motivation), either through conscious decision-making or automatic processes, such as momentary cues. Further, the use of behavioural interventions has not been without critique, with concerns about ethics, manipulation, or risk to human agency. There are also concerns about the effectiveness of behavioural interventions, which may derive from several reasons: for example, due to misunderstanding the behaviour that is intended to be changed and the expected response by the audience. A behavioural intervention will be ineffective if the messaging or delivery causes confusion or if it only has a short-term effect. Some interventions can cause unintended consequences or compensating behaviours resulting in no net effect. These reasons highlight the importance of appropriate contextual understanding and well-defined outcomes for the design of effective behavioural interventions.

There are also different avenues for intervention beyond cognitive biases: education, persuasion, incentivisation, coercion, training, restriction, environmental restructuring, modelling and enablement, and the framing and implementation of these can differ depending on who the intervention is targeted at and under what context. Targeting behaviours in fisheries and aquaculture may enhance engagement and sustainable changes in the longer term (e.g. via development of new social norms), but to achieve this, changes in the determinants of behaviour are required. Actions (e.g. citizen science projects, local management practices), feelings, values (e.g. connectedness to oceans, the realisation of links between ocean health and human health) and social norms are embedded in and influenced by, local environments and social spheres that can transcend geographical boundaries. Our project will explore these nuances and convey concise summaries of behaviour change interventions for end-users via webinars, fact sheets, a simple decision tree tool (described below) and several short videos. The project intentionally has a broad focus (across fisheries and aquaculture sectors) in its review and outputs, as it is designed to equip potential developers and implementers of behavioural interventions with the skills and knowledge to do so in their own unique context. However, we will engage with industry partners (including FRDC extension officers and the industry advisory groups) to specifically ensure that the knowledge and tools produced (i.e. extension products) will be accessible and adaptable to the diversity of relevant contexts across these sectors - and useful for end-users seeking to motivate behaviour change whilst still retaining industry trust and engagement.

The project brings together necessary interdisciplinary research expertise (details outlined below) in the fields of behavioural economics, resource and fisheries economics, socio-ecology, fisheries ecology, science communication and cognitive psychology. In addition, the transdisciplinary potential of this project will be achieved via collaboration with a research advisory panel (to ensure rigorous research outcomes) and an industry level advisory panel (to ensure that the results and suggested interventions/activities are fit-for-purpose and accessible to the sector). Working with these panels (which would ideally include FRDC partners), we will ensure that the research is co-designed – and thus, project outputs are fit-for-purpose/context. Our team’s existing collective research on adoption and uptake of interventions clearly shows that engaging and involving end-user at creation stages increases uptake of results – hence, the value of our industry advisory panel. In addition, by engaging with industry leaders, we will create industry champions for the project who may assist with the dissemination of outputs. Together, the advisory groups will help to further define/adapt the scope of the project to achieve impact.

Overall, these collaborations and contributions will ensure that this project will deliver a comprehensive and industry-relevant overview of current understanding of behaviour change interventions, that addresses end-users’ identified needs, and that inspires community trust, in formats that are palatable and accessible to them and the fisheries and aquaculture sectors more broadly..

Coastal lagoon systems in Tasmania form a fundamental part of coastal ecosystems. Healthy lagoons support local biodiversity, and play a key role in nutrient cycling and flood protection. They provide opportunities for sustainable aquaculture, fishing and tourism, while also being appreciated for their recreational amenity and cultural values. Sustainable management of coastal lagoons is essential to environmental and socioeconomic development.

There is limited information about the ecosystem drivers that are influencing the changes being observed in Pipe Clay Lagoon, leading to knowledge gaps in decision making tools and monitoring strategies required to identify and mitigate these changes. The proposed application is a multifaceted approach to investigate the environmental drivers of change in Pipe Clay Lagoon. The findings can then be used to provide valuable guidance for the management and conservation of other coastal lagoons in Tasmania facing similar challenges, providing a model for proactive monitoring and ongoing sustainability.

The FRDC has a responsibility to ensure that research is undertaken to assist in the management of fisheries and aquaculture resources for ongoing sustainability. The changes being experienced in Pipe Clay Lagoon will have implications on the availability and suitability of the lagoon as a sustainable aquaculture site. The planned approach and objectives of the application align with the FRDC’s R&D Plan for 2020-2025 through:

- Building people's capacity and capability
- Ensuring that resulting knowledge and innovation is adopted for impact through awareness of the needs of the ‘adopter’, local context and effective networking
- Continual improvement and collaboration of industry and community to deliver competitive advantage, healthier ecosystems and community support
- Provision of foundational information

Equally and importantly the application aligns with the NRM Strategy for Southern Tasmania 2030 for Pipe Clay Lagoon and similar systems in that wetland health is improved for socio-economically important systems by working with key partners and encouraging investment in monitoring, land and water management practices and on-ground works.
The enthusiasm of those engaged in the stakeholder consultation process was a strong indication of the need, interest and urgency of the application.