Less than 2% of State fisheries agency RD&E capacity is focused towards indigenous needs. Only the NT has an operational group focusing on indigenous fishing and aquaculture.

Indigenous input and project assessment by FRDC is limited due to the complexities and costs of engaging effectively with indigenous Australians on fishing and seafood related RD&E.

The FRDC’s IRG members do their best to provide grassroots advice and input at its regular meetings but this has its limitations due to the large geographic and often remote location of its end users. While the IRG is made of experienced members, they all undertake their role on the IRG as volunteers and maintain fulltime employment. Due to the small number of members the IRG need confidence around the type of advice that it can provide towards a national approach.

The IRG has identified that a semi-regular systematic and inclusive forum/workshop is required to ground truth its relevance and guide its RD&E investment is vital to allow it to maintain and develop endorsed identifiable Indigenous sector input to the research priorities and strategies.

It is therefore proposed to undertake a third FRDC National Indigenous Fisheries RD&E Forum which will also allow the expansion of the group’s capacity by broadening its network through the inclusion of additional people who provide expertise and links to improve FRDC’s strategic investment in indigenous focused RD&E and providing an environment conducive to building trust and securing genuine and well-considered input.

This forum will provide advice and assistance to help address the above needs of the FRDC, and to assist the Forum to enhance engagement and enhance RD&E needs for the indigenous commercial and customary sectors.