Abalone diver observation collection, analysis and reporting system for improved management decision making
The Victorian Diver Observation System enables divers to use their mobile phone to report observations on stock abundance, catch rates and habitat changes. These observations are stored, analysed and reported back to authorised industry personnel in a manner suitable for stock assessment meetings. This project aims to customise and make available the Diver Observations System to participating jurisdictions. Extensive industry consultation, trials and investigation will lead to a final solution being recommended for a Diver Observation System beyond the life of this project.
Feedback from industry divers on stock levels, habitat and other factors that affect fishing activity are widely used to provide context to scientific data during stock assessment and management decision making. The predominate method for obtaining this feedback is through direct representation by divers at stock assessment workshops. There are several issues with this approach. Only divers present at the meeting have an opportunity to contribute, there may be disincentives to be honest with peers and employers also in the room, and recall may be inaccurate with time passed.
Fishery management departments and industry groups in other states are keen to utilize a diver observation survey on a cost- effective electronic data capture platform that provides greater opportunity for obtaining diver feedback.
In Victoria, diver observations are included in the multiple lines of evidence approach (e.g. catch per unit effort, independent surveys of abundance and size, industry-collected data) for setting the annual Total Allowable Commercial Catch (TACC) as detailed in the Victorian Wild Harvest Abalone Fishery Management Plan (DEDJTR 2015). The value of observation by divers cannot be underestimated for abalone management, as they witness the state of the resource at a fine scale and over time. Thus, there is a strong need to develop a tailored system for anonymous collection, analysis and reporting of abalone diver observations to better inform management decision making.
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Final report
Attendance at the Annual Session of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) - 4-9 December 2018 in Honolulu, USA
Reassessment of intertidal macroalgal communities near to and distant from salmon farms and an evaluation of using drones to survey macroalgal distribution
Valuing Victoria's Wild-catch fisheries and aquaculture industries
SCRC: Seafood Success – Entrepreneurship & Innovation Program – Seafood CRC Professional Diploma
Very few ideas are turned in commercial successes. A great many of them have potential and significant investment is usually directed to overcoming any technical issues that may be encountered. The resulting innovations still need to be commercialised. It is this commercialisation process that can make the difference between an innovation succeeding or failing. The good news is that there are a number of tools and techniques that can be learned that will increased the chance that an innovation can become a commercial reality.
The Seafood Success program is designed to focus on the commercialisation process - it will comprise seminars and workshops that deal with identifying the business models that are most appropriate for the innovation, the IP arrangements that need to be put in place, the marketing, financial and human resource considerations to name a few of the topics covered.
Participants will learn the skills and apply them to their own innovations and ideas to create a robust business plan that can be used to attract investment, by the SFCRC or others. The program will be self selecting, people with an idea and the enthusiasm and resources to support the development of a business plan will be able to participate. The CRC may also make participation a condition of investment in an innovative product or process.
Final report
One of the original aims of the Seafood CRC was to create opportunities for industry (especially) and research participants to expand their knowledge and to encourage further education opportunities. To enable individuals to take innovative concepts right through to a business plan via an educational process that expanded their horizons with regards to what could be achieved would be ground breaking.
Very few ideas are turned into commercial successes. A great many of them have potential, and significant investment is usually directed to overcoming any technical issues that may be encountered. The resulting innovations still need to be commercialised. It is this commercialisation process that can make the difference between an innovation succeeding or failing. There are a number of tools and techniques that can be learned that will increase the chance that an innovation can become a commercial reality therefore a program focusing on the commercialisation process was required.
The program was delivered in two main formats, an eight month program over eight weekends (producing a business plan) and a four day program focussing more broadly on developing management and decision making skills. The eight month version attracted a smaller more narrowly focussed group of attendees but resulted in slightly higher outcomes in terms of overall satisfaction, impact and stronger ongoing networks, while the shorter version had broader appeal, attracted more attendees and still resulted in high levels of satisfaction and impact (but not as strong ongoing networks).