Climate change is now a major issue for the Fishing Industry and an area in which the FRDC has become more focused in the past two years. FRDC is now starting to develop a network of researchers and experts to undertaken activities in this field.

Climate change will have many impacts on marine ecosystems, and on human uses of them. Improved scientific support for policy and management decision-making in the face of these potential impacts is essential. In response to this need, interdisciplinary research teams have been formed around the world to analyze data and develop models to explore the likelihood and nature of future ecosystem states and strategies for sustainable use in these future states. To facilitate the advancement of this critical research, ICES, PICES and FAO are holding an international symposium. This symposium will provide a forum for scientists and policymakers to discuss the potential impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems and our uses of these ecosystems, and to consider the strategies that society can take to be prepared for anticipated impacts. Quantitative studies of the potential impact of climate change on fish and fisheries throughout the world will be featured.

It is important that the information form this conference is extended and made available for the fishing industry in Australia.

There is increasing evidence that global warming has contributed to recent changes in the distribution and abundance of numerous marine species (e.g. Hiddink and Hofstede 2008, Poloczanska et al., 2008). Changes often manifest as poleward extensions of species ranges, resulting in geographically extensive invasions and displacements (Walther et al. 2002). How these will impact fisheries and fisher behaviour is relatively unknown, but will likely require rapid, broad-scale solutions to adapt fishing and management practises.

Recreational fishers, >5 million Australians (DAFF, 2009), are often the largest group impacted by fisheries policy (Li et al. 2010) and therefore instrumental to successful management (Granek et al. 2008). Recreational fishers have become increasingly engaged, from the grass roots to the political level, and will likely be alienated by rapidly applied, poorly consulted measures, delaying positive adaptation. Engaging fishers in the development of adaptation strategies, and policy decisions, is essential to ensuring timely and adequate response to the changes already occurring in the marine biota.

The project addresses priority questions 1, 6, 7 and 8 for the Commercial and Recreational Fishing sector within the NARP by determining sensitivity of target species to environmental change, and by engaging fishers in determining adaptation strategies. A number of research priorities identified by Recfishing Research (2008), particularly those relating to engagement, and understanding and adapting to impacts of climate change, are also addressed.

Spearfishers, as a well organised, discrete group of recreational fishers, are ideal to engage in developing adaptation options. Changes in the distributions of large rocky-reef fishes on Australia’s eastern seaboard will be assessed by examining datasets collected during spearfishing competitions held over the last four decades. A “process model” be developed for engagement of the representative group, it will also be assessed for its suitability for engagement with other recreational fishers.