Project number: 1994-045
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $680,942.59
Principal Investigator: Vincent Lyne
Organisation: CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere Hobart
Project start/end date: 28 Jun 1995 - 16 May 2001
Contact:
FRDC

Objectives

1. To develop computational procedures for the validation, analysis and interpretation of ocean colour data, and to provide derived data sets as input to the analysis of selected fisheries
2. To determine in conjunction with key industry operators of the east Australian tuna fisheries the utility of SeaWIFS and satellite temperature data in improving the catch and efficiency for yellowfin and skipjack tuna, and to determine the economic benefit-cost of the use of satellite imagery in the operational fishery

Final report

ISBN: 0 643 06234 3
Authors: Vincent Lyne John Parslow Jock Young Alan Pearce Mervyn Lynch
Final Report • 2000-12-21 • 21.84 MB
1994-045-DLD.pdf

Summary

The genesis of this project was in 1992 when we foresaw the arrival of a range of new remote sensing systems, and the opportunity to utilize an increasing archive of sea-surface temperature images, which could be of potential benefit to fisheries operations and management. We sought to develop, evaluate and apply remote sensing data to Australian fisheries with the specific application focussed on the east coast tuna fisheries. After a number of years of delays with the construction and launch of the outsourced Sea WiFS ocean colour satellite by the commercial company OrbImage, the project eventually began in earnest in July 1996, a few months before Sea WiFS was eventually launched successfully. The repeated delays and huge cost increases (by a factor of 10!) in accessing SeaWiFS data led us to seek alternate ways of obtaining ground-truth data and to extend the utility of sea-surface temperature (SST) in fisheries applications. The end result of this perseverance is the development of a highly successful Automated Underway System, and a catch prediction system based on SST. A less obvious benefit of this project is the lessons it teaches us about the application of new technologies to old problems.

One undeniable conclusion of this work is that there are considerable synergies to be gained from involving industry in both data gathering and exchange of knowledge. Satellite sea­surface temperature data is indispensable in fisheries operations. Operators who are aware of this are capitalizing on the information and others involved in this project are also now utilizing the information. There is a clear need for an educational process to further the use of remote sensing information for the benefit of operators and managers. A subjective, but fair, assessment is that the most successful operators in the east coast tuna fisheries now actively use remote sensing data to assist their operations.

Related research

Industry
PROJECT NUMBER • 2023-082
PROJECT STATUS:
CURRENT

Australian Fisheries and Aquaculture Statistics 2022

1. To maintain and improve the data base of production, gross value of production and trade statistics for the Australian fishing industry, including aquaculture.
ORGANISATION:
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) ABARES
Adoption
Blank