The negative impacts of lost fish traps ghost fishing are well documented and of concern to all parties involved with the sustainable harvest of seafood from the aquatic environment (Macfadyen et al 2009; Newman et al 2011; Vadziutsina & Rodrigo 2020). Essentially, lost fishing gears that continue to kill/harm fish represent an inefficiency in the fish production process, and in essence are a form of waste associated with the harvesting process, that ultimately reduces the yield and casts a bad light on the fishery itself. This project does not meet any specific FRDC priority in the current round, hence the lodgment under (Other), although because of what it attempts to address and minimise, it is likely to gain strong support from those concerned with appropriate management of fisheries i.e., minimising the wasteful use of renewable food resources at a time when there is a food crisis in the world, with parties including the FRDC, AFMA, ENGO's and the fishing industry.
Project number:
2022-164
Project Status:
Current
Budget expenditure:
$150,000.00
Principal Investigator:
John Wakeford
Organisation:
Austral Fisheries Pty Ltd
Project start/end date:
31 May 2023
-
31 May 2025
Contact:
FRDC
1. Quantification of fish trap (various designs) loss rates, both in the distant past and more recently, together with the main factors influencing the loss rate.
2. Quantification of how well “dumped” or unattended traps catch fish, together with the main factors affecting the performance (including the presence of trap disabling mechanisms).
3. Apply refinements* to fishing practices/gear to address loss rates and ghost fishing and assess performance (*utilising observations made in the first year of project).
4. Apply refinements to fishing activity reporting to assist with the management of effort creep, trap loss, and ascertaining appropriate harvest levels for the target species.
PROJECT NUMBER
•
2024-012
PROJECT STATUS:
CURRENT
Capturing fisher ecological knowledge of climate change: a Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery case study
Commercial in confidence
ORGANISATION:
Fishwell Pty Ltd
PROJECT NUMBER
•
2023-199
PROJECT STATUS:
CURRENT
Gulf of Carpentaria King Threadfin (Polydactylus macrochir) - addressing the knowledge gaps to support assessment, management and sustainable harvest
1. Evaluate the spatial stock structure and the connectivity and movement of King Threadfin between regions within the Gulf of Carpentaria to inform meta-population dynamics.
ORGANISATION:
Department of Primary Industries (QLD)
PROJECT NUMBER
•
2023-173
PROJECT STATUS:
CURRENT
Science to support Australia's Southern Oceans Fisheries 2024-2028
Commercial in confidence
ORGANISATION:
Australian Antarctic Division (AAD)