Project number: 2014-206
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $74,450.00
Principal Investigator: Tim Green
Organisation: Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) WA
Project start/end date: 1 Jun 2014 - 29 Jan 2015
Contact:
FRDC

Need

Compliance, research and policy are the cornerstones of the tripartite approach to fisheries management and sustainability but there is a need for regulators to demonstrate that compliance programmes are delivering efficient and effective outcomes. Past experience with government audit and third party accreditation of compliance service delivery indicates that there is a lack of a credible, reviewable framework for measuring fisheries compliance outcomes that can readily demonstrate value for money and an assessment of quality.

Delivering effective fisheries compliance is expensive and while cost minimisation is generally admirable, reduction of compliance resources beyond a certain point will certainly lead to poor outcomes for sustainability and regulator reputation (Sutinen and Kuperan 1990). An inability to pinpoint critical minimum resourcing levels to maintain compliance outcomes is highly likely to result in reduction of resource levels below that minimum level.

Stakeholders in fisheries resources (both extractive and non-extractive) need fisheries compliance outcome measures for two reasons: to be assured that compliance resources are being optimally used to deliver efficient and effective compliance programmes, and to know that the management framework is effective and trigger changes if necessary. Subjective perceptions of adequacy are insufficient.

Suitable measures of compliance outcomes must be adaptable to different fisheries and sectors, practical for jurisdictions to implement, support management objectives and recognise that the governance framework itself may not be appropriate for optimal compliance. Fisheries management is often dynamic, biologically and politically, so any outcome indicators must be able to accommodate that dynamism.

This project addresses the FRDC Strategic Priority Area objective of "Develop more cost-effective, efficient regulatory processes and co-management arrangements" from Theme 5 of the Industry Program. It is relevant to the national research and development priority of an environmentally sustainable Australia and the rural research priority of natural resource management.

Objectives

1. A desktop study of methodologies and/or assessment and reporting frameworks, both nationally and internationally, that assess the effectiveness of compliance programmes and measure compliance outcomes.
2. A workshop to review the findings of the desktop study and seek further expert input on measuring fisheries compliance effectiveness.
3. Write up of results of the desktop study and workshop with a view to documenting current best-practice, determining the way forward and possible future work.

Final report

ISBN: 978-1-877098-50-5
Author: Timothy J Green

Related research

Environment
People
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