Title

Research Advisory Committee Post-graduate student funding

Need

Several State and Territory based Research Advisory Committees (RACs) are offering funding for post-graduate (Honours, Masters, and PhD) student projects. This initiative seeks to attract high performing post-graduate students to address a range of priority fisheries projects.

Funding is available for the following project:

• Western Australian RAC: Developing the science base to support the management and potential expansion of the West Australian Rock Octopus Fishery

  This project will address biological and ecological knowledge gaps to support management of the West Australian Rock Octopus Fishery and to assist in informing the potential offshore expansion of the fishery. This project would:

• • Characterise the species composition of Octopus catches in WA.
  • Define species’ distribution and population structure for Octopus djinda.
  • Estimate reproductive parameters and age/size-structures for Octopus djinda in WA and any spatial variation therein.

Deliverables

The funding available for each student will be $25,000 per year, for up to 3 years, comprised of an annual $10,000 top-up stipend for living expenses and $15,000 for project operating expenses.

Timing

APPLICATIONS CLOSE 30 JULY 2023

End user

Various – dependent on project 

Jurisdictions

Various – as named against each project title

FRDC R&D Plan Outcome(s)

Outcome 1: Growth for enduring prosperity

Outcome 2: Best practices and production systems

Enabling Strategy IV: Building capacity and capability

Other

The student will gain direct applied research and industry experience by being co-supervised by a scientist from a relevant State and Territory based agency, while researching an industry relevant project and be registered at a university to undertake their post-graduate research.

Title

Developing stock assessment approaches and management frameworks for enhanced and environmentally driven stocks: an inland fisheries case study

Need

• Healthy and diverse populations of inland native fish and crustaceans provide significant cultural, social, recreational, and economic values.
• Development of assessment models need to be consistent with future challenges associated with the inclusion of “triple bottom line” parameters that feed into the development of associated initiatives such as harvest strategies.
• Traditional stock assessment approaches have been developed to assess commercially harvested fish populations in marine and estuarine environments. There is a need to develop frameworks which build on existing approaches but suitable to inform condition of fish populations in inland waterways.
• The productivity of inland fisheries is strongly influenced by environmental drivers, including large-scale climate and anthropogenic disturbance (e.g. drought, regulation of river flows). While there is considerable recreational and traditional harvest of some species, fishing mortality is not considered the primary driver of inland fishery condition.
• Inland fish populations can also be subject to considerable enhancement activities that need to be factored into stock assessments.
• Evaluating the applicability of different approaches to stock assessment and management frameworks in the context of inland fisheries (i.e. enhancement activities, environmental drivers, data availability) will produce transferable methods of assessing fish populations to support transparent stock assessment and sustainable management.

Deliverables

• Using existing data, trialling alternative stock assessment approaches that incorporate environmental data and stock enhancement activities using an inland case study fishery.
• Prioritisation of data requirements for framework development to guide future monitoring design.

Timing

APPLICATIONS CLOSE 30 JULY 2023

Jurisdictions

New South Wales; Victoria; Queensland; South Australia; Commonwealth

End user

Fisheries and water managers; Stock assessment scientists; Commonwealth agencies (DAFF, ABARES, DCCEEW [Murray Darling Basin Authority]); Commercial, Indigenous, and Recreational fishers; SAFS Advisory Group

FRDC R&D Plan Outcome(s)

Outcome 1. Growth for enduring prosperity

Outcome 2. Best practices in production systems

Outcome 3. A culture that is inclusive and forward thinking

Outcome 4. Fair and secure access to aquatic resources

Outcome 5. Community trust, respect, and value

Other

This project is linked to previous and current FRDC funded activities – including:

• 2013-022 Integrating fisher-derived and fishery-independent survey data to better understand and manage the Murray Cod fishery in the Murray-Darling Basin
• 2015-013 Developing triple bottom line harvest strategies that include all environmental aspects for multi-sector fisheries
• 2018-148 A Stock Assessment Toolbox for Australian Fisheries
• 2019-021 Integrating recreational fishing information into harvest strategies for multi-sector fisheries

Title

Understanding land-based fishing platforms

Need

• For land-based recreational anglers and commercial fishers land-based platforms (i.e. jetties, wharves, and fishing platforms) are an institution, providing critical services as well as fishing opportunities.
• In instances of large-scale maintenance and repairs of platforms (including replacement or rebuilding) costs can be prohibitive for most local governments who invariably end up with the responsibility to maintain these structures.
• There have been several technological improvements that can reduce the cost of constructing and installing a platform or allow retrofitting of existing structures such as groynes to improve fishing access.
• Unfortunately, most local governments are unfamiliar with these new technologies and attempts to restore fishing structures generally stall once the indicative cost of replacement on a like-for-like basis are received.
• There is a need for local and state governments to understand the types of structures that are available for establishing platforms and the suitability of each structure to different environments (including their environmental footprints).
• To address these issues there is a need for a project to:
  • Review existing activities and process in other jurisdiction that are active in the establishment, maintenance, and repairs of infrastructure (e.g. in NSW & Victoria)
  • Identify existing materials, structures, and designs and access their suitability for different environments
  • Case study on the social value of a jetty (such as the Esperance or Busselton jetty) to allow an appreciation for the important role these structures play in the community
• Understanding the above elements will provide governments with a greater understanding of the options available and improve chance of success for new jetty and platform proposals. It will also ensure proposals that do proceed meet the needs of the community

Deliverables

• A guide to assist organisations to develop proposals for land-based fishing platforms by detailing the process from start to finish and identifying the major steps and considerations that are needed to deliver these structures. Similar to the guide to developing Aquatic Habitat enhancement Structures.
• A case study understanding the social value of jetties can assist towns construct a business case for infrastructure investment.

Timing

APPLICATIONS CLOSE 30 JULY 2023

End user

Local and state governments; Commercial, Indigenous, and Recreational fishers; Community; Development proponents

Jurisdictions

Western Australia – with likely applications in other jurisdictions

FRDC R&D Plan Outcome(s)

Outcome 1: Growth for enduring prosperity

Outcome 3: A culture that is inclusive and forward thinking

Outcome 4. Fair and secure access to aquatic resources

Outcome 5: Community Trust, Respect and Value

Other

This project is linked to previous and current FRDC funded activities – including:

• 2014-005 The application, needs, costs and benefits of Habitat Enhancement Structures in Western Australia and cost effective monitoring methods

Title

Quantifying Indigenous and recreational (including charter) catch of key commercial species in the Southern Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery: A workshop approach

Need

• Indigenous and recreational catches are largely unknown for several Southern Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery (SESSF) species: Jackass Morwong, Redfish, Silver Trevally, Blue Eye Trevalla, Blue Warehou, and John Dory. This presents a challenge for the assessment and potential re-building of these species given these data limitations.
• Understanding Indigenous and recreational (and charter) catches of key commercial species is important to quantifying the total catch of these species and relative contributions of fisheries to changes in local abundance and availability.
• Improved Indigenous and recreational catch data for these species can provide additional valuable information regarding the level of interaction between fisheries. This information can also inform decision making and resource sharing arrangements.
• Exploring and better understanding all user groups’ needs and current knowledge of stocks, pressures, and opportunities to improve data collection is a common goal across all users and jurisdictions. Making the time and space (through facilitated workshop) to allow these discussions and information to be exchanged will allow the development of new approaches and deliver for multiple jurisdictions and stakeholder needs.
• Understanding and accommodating all key stakeholders needs and expectations in such a discussion is challenging. Developing an appropriate and effective framework to facilitate these discussions will be of great benefit to multiple jurisdictions and stakeholders in the future.
• Using the SESSF as a multi-jurisdiction case study, this project will provide the opportunity to explore and develop best practice approach to such workshops.

Deliverables

A facilitated workshop to bring together all relevant South East Australian stakeholders to:

1. Understand what current data sources are available for Indigenous and recreational catch including the frequency of collection.
2. Based on (1), what impact could these catches have on stock trends using the SESSF as a case study. This could include a collation of readily available data sources to compare against current stock assessment assumptions to improve the understanding of the potential catch on abundance/availability of relevant species.
3. Review gaps in information and how these data gaps could be filled efficiently, effectively, and accurately.
4. Obtain an understanding of each jurisdictions/sectors needs and expectations about future management of key shared resources to share with the AFMF.
5. Provide recommendations on how Indigenous, recreational and charter catch data might be collected, standardised, and integrated into assessment and subsequent decision-making.

Timing

APPLICATIONS CLOSE 30 JULY 2023

Jurisdictions

Commonwealth, Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania

End user

Managers, Researchers, Modelers, Indigenous, Recreational, Commercial fishers

FRDC R&D Plan Outcome(s)

Outcome 1. Growth for Enduring Prosperity

Outcome 2. Best Practices and Productions Systems

Outcome 4. Fair and Equitable Access to Aquatic Resources

Outcome 5. Community Trust, Respect and Value

Other

AFMA is supportive of this work and can offer in kind support through steering group/ data /access to consultive forums etc.

This project is linked to previous and current FRDC funded activities – including:

• 2011-036 RFIDS: a coordinated national data collection for recreational fishing in Australia
• 2017-198 Assess new technologies and techniques that could improve the cost-effectiveness and robustness of recreational fishing surveys
• 2018-016 Improving data on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander marine resource use to inform decision-making

Title

Stock Structure of Crimson Snapper in northern Australia

Need

• Traditional management of key fisheries species is often performed at the Jurisdictional level. However, biological stock structure is often finer and more complex than state and territory boundaries. Different biological stocks within a jurisdiction may experience vastly different levels of exploitation, while stocks that span jurisdictional boundaries can experience different management regimes in addition to varying exploitation rates.
• These complications can result in management units/practices that are not biologically relevant to the species and its stock structure.
• Crimson Snapper (Lutjanus erythropterus) is assessed based on an assumed stock structure, which is modelled on a closely related species (Saddletail Snapper, L. malabaricus). Annual Crimson Snapper harvests in the NT can be >1000t, while the species is also targeted inter-state. For a species of such high economic value to have such poorly defined stock structure creates uncertainty with stock assessment results. Management of species to the level of biological stocks is key to ensuring the sustainability of fishing practices and guiding coordinated and evidence-based strategies for growth in aquatic resource industries.
• Previous molecular research demonstrated limited structuring of Crimson Snapper (Salini et al. 2006). However, recent methodological advances and the application of phenotypic markers (such as otolith chemistry and parasites) has the potential to elucidate more complex patterns of stock structuring and (re)define appropriate spatial scales on which to base assessments (e.g. Saunders et al. 2021).

Deliverables

• Review historic information on Crimson Snapper stock structure.
• Assess patterns of biological stock structuring across the species’ distribution using multiple approaches.
• Provide advice to improve sustainability assessments that are undertaken at biologically relevant scales.

Timing

APPLICATIONS CLOSE 30 JULY 2023

End user

Fisheries scientists and managers; Commercial sector

Jurisdictions

Northern Territory

FRDC R&D Plan Outcome(s)

Outcome 1: Growth for enduring prosperity

Outcome 4: Fair and secure access to aquatic resources

Outcome 5: Community trust, respect, and value

Other

Title

Fishery independent abundance methods as an alternative to catch rates for Chondrichthyans in Northern Australia

Need

• Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) from commercial logbooks is often used as an index of abundance in stock assessments.
• CPUE is often challenged as a true representation of abundance for species, as commercial logbook data can be error prone and fisher behaviour can influence catch rates in a manner that is independent of abundance. For example, gillnet operations in what was once the Northern Territory’s Shark Fishery now almost exclusively target Grey Mackerel. This change in practice has resulted in an index that is losing its relevance in assessing shark species.
• There is a strong need for independent survey methods to gain a better understanding of the abundance patterns of shark species over time that can contribute to the development of appropriate management of these species that meets environmental, fisheries, and conservation needs.
• Surveying Northern Australia using longlining methods would provide a fishery independent estimate of relative abundance for sharks that would improve economic security and public confidence in sustainability. However, to make an informed decision of the feasibility of a survey a full understanding of the scope of work and cost required is needed.
• There is a need to look at existing long line surveys undertaken worldwide (e.g. in the USA and Bahamas), to understanding the methods undertaken and the time period required to develop accurate abundance estimates.

Deliverables

• Cost effective, scientifically valid and fishery independent longline survey design for Northern Territory waters. This includes consideration of potential bycatch, depredation, and TEPS interactions.
• Estimated cost for undertaking said survey.

Timing

APPLICATIONS CLOSE 30 JULY 2023

Jurisdictions

Northern Territory

End user

Offshore Net and Line Fishery; NT Fisheries

FRDC R&D Plan Outcome(s)

Outcome 1. Growth for enduring prosperity

Outcome 4. Fair and secure access to aquatic resources

Outcome 5. Community trust, respect, and value

Other

Title

Optimising the catching selectivity of the South Australian Prawn Fisheries through trawl gear modification

Need

• Improving trawl fishery selectivity addresses several sustainability, ecosystem health, and social licence issues that challenge trawl fisheries.
• Australian Prawn Fisheries have a history of adopting bycatch reduction devices to mitigate environmental impacts.
• Gear modifications may be further refined to improve the fishery’s selectivity by reducing unwanted bycatch (finfish) and byproduct (small prawns).
• In South Australia, the exclusion of finfish and small prawns has been identified as a high priority for the Gulf St Vincent Prawn Fishery and the Spencer Gulf & West Coast Prawn Fishery as it reduces the occurrence of low value / unmarketable prawns, improves catch efficiencies, as well as delivering positive sustainability outcomes.
• This project will undertake at sea evaluation of trawl gear modifications – either in combination or separately – to achieve these outcomes:
  • Square and T90 oriented panels and cod-ends as well as changes in mesh size in the body of the net, and the testing of 4 seam nets to keep meshes opened (beyond those already trialled by the fishery)
  • Underwater lights, in different configurations and operating arrangements
  • In consultation with ACPF, explore alternative technologies from other prawn fisheries that could be trialled with the Gulf St Vincent Prawn Fishery and the Spencer Gulf & West Coast Prawn Fishery to reduce the incidence of bycatch
• Combinations of gear modifications (informed by initial industry trials) will be evaluated for their effect on catch composition and quantity.

Deliverables

• Co-design and co-delivery of gear trials with industry.
• At sea evaluation and assessment of combinations of trawl gear modifications on catch composition and quantity using paired trawls, cameras etc.
• Consideration of discard survivorship.
• Cost benefit analysis to inform adoption of gear configurations.
• Extension of outputs to the Gulf St Vincent Prawn Fishery, Spencer Gulf & West Coast Prawn Fishery as well as other Australian prawn trawl fisheries.

Timing

APPLICATIONS CLOSE 30 JULY 2023

Jurisdictions

South Australia; Australian Council of Prawn Fishers (national)

End user

Gulf St Vincent Prawn Fishery; Spencer Gulf & West Coast Prawn Fishery; Australian Council of Prawn Fishers

FRDC R&D Plan Outcome(s)

Outcome 1. Growth for enduring prosperity

Outcome 2. Best practices in production systems

Outcome 3. A culture that is inclusive and forward thinking

Outcome 4. Fair and secure access to aquatic resources

Outcome 5. Community trust, respect, and value

Other

This project would build upon:

• 2007-063 Trials of T90 mesh configuration for bycatch reduction and more efficient fishing in the Great Australian Bight Trawl Fishery
• 2009-069 A collaborative approach to novel by-catch research for rapid development, extension and adoption into a commercial trawl fishery
• 2011-010 Reducing the environmental impacts and improving the profitability of prawn trawling through a structured framework of anterior gear modifications
• 2017-065 Disseminating existing bycatch reduction and fuel efficiency technologies throughout Australia's prawn fisheries

Title

Aquaculture growth through integrated multitrophic aquaculture: Incorporating nutrient modelling into regulatory frameworks

Need

• In Australia, aquaculture is the fastest growing primary industry to meet the ever-increasing global seafood demand. Growth is occurring through expansion of current sectors, value added products, and new species.
• Integrated Multitrophic Aquaculture (IMTA) provides for both new species culture (e.g. seaweed, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, polychaetes) and nutrient offset capacity (e.g. dissolved nutrients and biosolids) for current sectors (finfish, abalone, oysters and mussels) to support further growth.
• There is currently limited examples or policy guidance on how this can be supported from a regulatory perspective.
• In South Australia, PIRSA and SARDI are exploring how oceanographic modelling, underpinned by field observations, could be used to predict nutrient concentrations and offset capacity when seaweed culture is located near Yellowtail Kingfish or Southern Bluefin Tuna farms.
• The recent review of the Lower Eyre Peninsula aquaculture zone policy included biomass limits based on modelled nutrient inputs, and importantly incorporated a flexible approach to support future amendments to biomass limits if nutrient offsets are documented and realised. This has supported social licence as evidenced during recent public and stakeholder consultation on the zone policy.
• The details of nutrient offset capacity across species and environments, what data and changes to current oceanographic models are needed and guidance on how these can be considered in regulatory frameworks (e.g. what constitutes IMTA vs. poly-culture, temporo-spatial variabilities in nutrients and their relationship with growth and harvest of the species in culture, nutrient assimilation potential, maximum distance between the various IMTA production systems, multi-species licences, meet ANZECC water quality guidelines etc.) are yet to be determined.

Deliverables

• Review current literature on nutrient budgets for various aquaculture species of interest.
• Determine biophysical modelling methods and data needs to support IMTA policy and regulatory amendments in consideration of those models already developed in the jurisdiction and elsewhere.
• Contextualise/inform modelling with baseline measurements of current finfish farm carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus outputs.
• Develop a national policy guideline to inform regulatory frameworks that supports IMTA and growth in Australian aquaculture in consideration of other developments such as being undertaken through the Seaweed Working group of AFMF and the Australian Sustainable Seaweed Association.

Timing

APPLICATIONS CLOSE 30 JULY 2023

Jurisdictions

South Australia (with potential national benefits)

End user

Aquaculture industry; Government regulators

FRDC R&D Plan Outcome(s)

Outcome 1. Growth for enduring prosperity

Outcome 2. Best practices in production systems

Outcome 5. Community trust, respect, and value

Other

This project is linked to previous and current FRDC funded activities – including:

• 2003-222 Innovative Solutions for Aquaculture: spatial impacts and carrying capacity - further developing, refining and validating existing models of environmental effects of finfish farming 2003-223
• 2010-201 Feasibility study for integrated multitrophic aquaculture in southern Australia
• 2011-205 Spencer Gulf Research Initiative: development of an ecosystem model for fisheries and aquaculture

 Title

Development of in situ detection methods Kudoa parasite for Kingfish and Mahi Mahi

Need

•  In the warmer waters of the mid-north coast of New South Wales, Yellowtail Kingfish (Seriola lalandi) and Mahi Mahi (Coryphaena hippurus) can experience loss of flesh quality when cooked because of infection of the myxosporean parasite – Kudoa.
• Unfortunately, Kudoa infection cannot be visually identified. Therefore, fishers receive lower prices for the Kingfish and Mahi Mahi caught in the more northern waters in comparison to those from cooler southern waters with a lower Kudoa infection risk – impacting the economic return for commercial fishers.
• Kudoa does not infect humans, rather enzymes produced by these parasites can make fish flesh soft or even gel-like, a condition commonly referred to as ‘soft flesh’, with negatively impacts the consumer experience.
• Reliable and cost-effective methods to identify fish that are infected by Kudoa either in situ and/or when harvested are required.

Deliverables

• Assessment of potential Kudoa identification methods and their suitability noting that currently PCR tests are available to detect the parasite.
• Development of practical and cost-effective protocols and/or tools for the identification of fish infected by Kudoa either in situ and/or when harvested.

Timing

APPLICATIONS CLOSE 30 JULY 2023

End user

NSW commercial fishers; NSW fishers cooperatives; Fish markets

Jurisdictions

New South Wales

FRDC R&D Plan Outcome

Outcome 2. Best practices in production systems

Other

This project is linked to previous and current FRDC funded activities – including:

• 2002-235 Improving post harvest swordfish quality
• 2003-216 Aquatic Animal Health Subprogram: detection and management of yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi) health issues
• 2017-020 Identification of muscle parasite in Yellowtail Kingfish (Seriola lalandi) and Mahi Mahi (Coryphaena hippurus), and determination as to the efficacy of non-invasive screening technology for the purpose of identifying infected fish in a commercial fish processing environment

Title

Understanding drivers of Jellyfish blooms in the Hawkesbury

Need

• Hawkesbury river trawlers are suffering significant impacts to their fishing activities due to major increases in the densities of small jellyfish.
• Despite high fleet using bycatch reduction devices (BRDs), fishers are often forced to cease fishing as there is no way to avoid the jellyfish while retaining valuable larger species.
• Fishers also note extensive changes to water quality conditions in the upper Hawkesbury catchment in NW and SW Sydney region and are concerned this may also be contributing to jellyfish blooms and declining estuary health.
• Exploring this may help bolster industry confidence in the Hawkesbury estuary system by informing a broader update of the health the catchment.

Deliverables

1. Review global literature on the drivers of jellyfish blooms.
2. Work with fishers, local councils, and other relevant stakeholders to collate and review existing datasets to investigate potential drivers of jellyfish blooms (identified in (1)) in the Hawkesbury.
3. Use the finding from (2) to work with stakeholders to:
   • identify potential management options
   • assist fishers to predict and avoid jellyfish blooms

Timing

APPLICATIONS CLOSE 30 JULY 2023

Jurisdictions

New South Wales

End user

Hawkesbury commercial fishers; Local councils; Water managers; Community

FRDC R&D Plan Outcome(s)

Outcome 2. Best practices in production systems

Outcome 3. A culture that is inclusive and forward thinking

Outcome 4. Fair and secure access to aquatic resources

Outcome 5. Community trust, respect, and value

Other

Working with the commercial sector on this project is essential, and opportunities to utilise fisher expertise should be a priority.

Title

Cost effective benchmarking of bait use, sourcing, and costs

Need

• Locally sourced bait makes an important economic contribution and underpins production in some of Australia’s biggest fisheries and aquaculture industries.
• Fishers have noted that availability of local bait has become scarcer. This difficulty has increased commercial market demand and price for bait, with imported bait helping to fill much of this demand.
• While bait is an integral part of fisheries, there information gaps regarding the use of bait – i.e. what fisheries use which species, and where the bait comes from (including imports, and movements of bait between states).
• Understanding this information can help assess biosecurity and economic risks, as well as enable local fishers to consider opportunities develop alternative bait markets (i.e. for underutilised bait species).

Deliverables

• Establish the importance of bait in the supply chain by:
  1. Reviewing and identifying pathways for practical and feasible bait use data gathering for continual monitoring, including the identification of readily available data sources (and potential data proxies).
  2. Using NSW and/or WA as case studies, estimate bait species volume, source, and price using outputs from (1).

Timing

APPLICATIONS CLOSE 30 JULY 2023

Jurisdictions

New South Wales; Western Australia (as case studies – with potential national benefits)

End user

Commercial, Indigenous, and Recreational fishers; Fishing co-operatives and bait shops; Community

FRDC R&D Plan Outcome(s)

Outcome 2. Best practices in production systems

Outcome 5. Community trust, respect, and value

Other

Title

Establishment of minimum standards for biosecurity plans across Australian Barramundi Farmers' Association member farms

Need

• The FRDC has invested in the development of resources to support on farm biosecurity plan development for the Barramundi farming sector. A recent survey of industry has established that there is a high level of support for further development.
• There is a need to understand biosecurity risks on farms and provide support to develop and operationalise biosecurity plans and provide biosecurity training that is tailored to each farm.
• There will be a need to review/assess plan implementation and adoption and consider ongoing risk mitigation measures for farms.
• The project will tailor activities to each farm, and the project team will need to maintain confidentiality and IP of farms.
• The project needs to:
  • Review biosecurity risks on Australian Barramundi Farmers' Association (ABFA) member farms
  • Upskill/train ABFA members farms on biosecurity and farm risks
  • Review biosecurity plan implementation/adoption after one year
• There is also a need to provide biosecurity resources to non-ABFA member farms.
• The project is intended to ensure that farms will have a high level of awareness of farm specific biosecurity risks and have established tailored biosecurity plans that achieve minimum standards. Follow up reviews at one year will demonstrate effective implementation and currency of plans.
• Successful applicants will be required to demonstrate formal biosecurity training and understanding appropriate to the task. Experience with barramundi or similar aquaculture systems is essential.

Deliverable

• Biosecurity plan tailored for each ABFA member farm.
• Training of ABFA members on management of biosecurity risks.
• Biosecurity resources provided to non-member farms.

Timing

APPLICATIONS CLOSE 30 JULY 2023

End user

ABFA member farms (each geographic farm site); ABFA; Industry veterinarians

Jurisdictions

All mainland States

FRDC R&D Plan Outcome

Outcome 2. Best practices in production systems

Other

• A steering committee should be formed that includes ABFA and Government representation (those who provide advice to Chief Veterinary Officers (CVOs)) to ensure that the farm plans developed and implemented are: (1) in line with the national guidelines for farm biosecurity; and (2) are to the satisfaction of CVO’s which is the ultimate end point (CVO approved audits and / or certified biosecurity plans).
• In year one, it is suggested that the project provides for one to two days on each farm site with one day of online farm training. It is anticipated that each farm would require two-three days of desktop time to develop/optimise plans would be needed. In year two, it is suggested that one-two days will be needed at each farm site to audit biosecurity plans and provide further training.
• Participating member farms will be required to assist in the development of plans and participate in training. All farm IP to be confidential.
• The ABFA can assist by securing commitment of farms to participate and providing locations of these farms.

This would link to and complement FRDC projects – including:

• • 2015-040 ABFA IPA: an assessment of the risk of exotic disease introduction and spread among Australian Barramundi farms from the importation of Barramundi products
  • 2019-126 Assessing the biosecurity risk of uncooked whole and eviscerated barramundi and grouper in relation to exotic viruses

Title

How have harvest strategies implemented social and economic reference points?

Need

• Harvest strategies are being implemented or planned to be implemented in all jurisdictions.
• Many fisheries have economic and social objectives as part of their strategic objectives and during harvest strategy development there is often a desire to also include economic and social operational objectives, incorporated in the setting of target and limit reference points and the selection of performance indicators.
• The recently funded FRDC project 2021-135 (Review of national guidelines to develop fishery harvest strategies) is undertaking a desktop review which includes investigating changes or improvement to the integration of social, cultural, and economic aspects in harvest strategies. However, this review is outcome focused – i.e. have these aspects been integrated? 
• Further support to this review would be to conduct a deeper dive as to whether existing harvest strategies have implicitly incorporated economic and social operational objectives in the setting of reference points, the adequacy and relevance of any economic and social indicators and whether current reference points have sufficiently considered any unintended consequences (or have no effect at all) on higher level economic and social strategic objectives.
• To support the current review of the National Harvest Strategy Guidelines, an in-depth review of how economic and social reference points have been incorporated in existing harvest strategies within Australian jurisdictions and overseas jurisdictions either implicitly or explicitly to inform future harvest strategy development. 
• The scope would include the policies, drafting and engagement processes as well as information sources. It would also include examining how these harvest strategy settings interact with resource allocation policies.

Deliverable

• A succinct guidance document, complementing the national harvest strategy guidelines, identifying the different ways economic and social objectives, reference points and performance indicators have been incorporated into harvest strategies and recommendations for suitable social and economic indicators which could be incorporated into any revision of the National Guidelines.

Timing

APPLICATIONS CLOSE 30 JULY 2023

End user

Fisheries management agencies; harvest strategy working group/committee members; Indigenous, recreational, and commercial fishers operating in fisheries with planned harvest strategies.

Jurisdictions

National (Human Dimensions Research Coordination program)

FRDC R&D Plan Outcome(s)

Outcome 2. Best practices in production systems

Outcome 3: A culture that is inclusive and forward thinking

Outcome 4: Fair and secure access to aquatic resources

Other

Project team should liaise closely with the PI of the current update of the National Harvest Strategy Guidelines and the Australian Fisheries Management Forum (AFMF) Fisheries Management Sub-Committee.

This would link to and complement FRDC projects – including:

• 2010-061 National Guidelines to develop fishery harvest strategies
• 2015-013 Developing triple bottom line harvest strategies that include all environmental aspects for multi-sector fisheries
• 2019-021 Integrating recreational fishing information into harvest strategies for multi-sector fisheries
• 2019-127 Developing a traditional fishing harvest strategy to support the sustainable harvest of Quampie (Pinctada albina) in Moreton Bay
• 2021-135 Review of national guidelines to develop fishery harvest strategies

Title

Biosecurity threats and vulnerabilities of the Southern Rock Lobster Fishery

Need

• Commercial Southern Rock Lobster (SRL) fisheries across South Australia, Victoria, and Tasmania contribute around $250 million in landed seafood value to the Australian economy every year (SRL, 2023). In recent years, SRL supply chains have been disrupted, demonstrating a need to future-proof the industry.
• Biosecurity threats, both endemic and introduced, and market disruptors that are associated with animal health and harvest operations are not well understood and leave the industry vulnerable.
• For SRL to develop a biosecurity plan for industry, investment is needed to identify potential risks and knowledge gaps/research needs.
• By doing so, the SRL industry will develop biosecurity practices to reduce market disruption risk and provide resilience and capability to detect, manage or reduce risk of future threats, ensuring a sustainable and profitable industry for years to come.

Deliverables

· Review of the industry and policy landscape: Consolidate information on the species, fishing practices, and regulations or policies relating to biosecurity and market access for SRL commercial harvest.

• Identification of threats and vulnerabilities: Identify the biosecurity threats, both in Australia and elsewhere, that could disrupt SRL commercial harvest or market access, and how these might be introduced, spread, and detected. Consideration will be given to vulnerabilities relating to fishing practices, lobster biology, and the environment (e.g., change, species introductions, or range extensions).
• Assess risk and strategy: Assess the risk associated with the threats and vulnerabilities to determine if capability exists to adequately manage current and emerging threats. Recommendations will be developed that address the knowledge gaps and research needs, barriers to implement effective biosecurity plans, and list the key stakeholders.

Timing

APPLICATIONS CLOSE 20 JULY 2023

End user

Fisheries scientists and managers; Commercial, recreational, and charter sectors; Seafood processors and retail sector; Southern Rocklobster Limited IPA

Jurisdictions

Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania

FRDC Outcome(s)

Outcome 1. Growth for enduring prosperity

Outcome 2. Best practices in production systems

Outcome 3. A culture that is inclusive and forward thinking

Outcome 4. Fair and secure access to aquatic resources

Outcome 5. Community trust, respect, and value

Other