Towards Healthy And Sustainable Freshwater Fish Populations – Assessing Genetic Health Of Priority Fish Species To Inform Management
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$793,355.00
Summary
There are at least four clear needs supporting the proposal, and these are separated below.
1) Genetic health is important for healthy fisheries. A genetically healthy population has good natural recruitment, connectivity to adjacent populations to promote gene flow, sufficient genetic diversity (this relates directly to adaptive potential) and low inbreeding. If genetic health is eroded, populations are less resilient to anthropogenic and natural impacts, affecting their persistence o ....There are at least four clear needs supporting the proposal, and these are separated below.
1) Genetic health is important for healthy fisheries. A genetically healthy population has good natural recruitment, connectivity to adjacent populations to promote gene flow, sufficient genetic diversity (this relates directly to adaptive potential) and low inbreeding. If genetic health is eroded, populations are less resilient to anthropogenic and natural impacts, affecting their persistence over the long term.
2) Public investment to support healthy fisheries is significant. There is continuing extensive investment in native fish protection and enhancement, including more than $13B to the MDB under the Basin Plan to restore populations and recover ecosystem function. The relative outcomes of these efforts need to be evaluated to ensure the greatest benefits from public investment.
3) Fish stocking is a key component of recovery efforts. Millions of hatchery fish have been stocked throughout Australian waterways in the last two decades. There are limited data on the impacts of stocked fish on the genetic health of wild populations, but our recent FishGen research indicates issues with using closely related and inbred broodfish within hatcheries.
4) The project will help maintain and improve the genetic health of Australia’s fisheries assets. By providing hatcheries with information to maximise the genetic health of stocked fish, the work will minimise negative impacts on wild populations. This includes (i) informing on minimum population size and geographic location for broodfish sampling to capture appropriate wild genetic diversity, and (ii) identifying the best broodfish combinations within and across hatcheries to avoid inbreeding and promote health of stocked fish. This will help to build natural genetic resilience so that populations can adapt to rapidly changing environments under climate change.
The work will promote the long-term sustainability of wild fish populations in freshwater ecosystems by protecting the genetic integrity of wild populations. This will contribute to realised economic benefits for recreational and commercial fishing, tourism, cultural and mental-health in communities in regional Australia.
Objectives: 1. Advance and improve hatchery practices to ensure high quality broodfish are stocked to maintain the genetic health and persistence of wild fish populations. 2. Use genomic and other existing complimentary datasets (stocking records, otolith microchemistry, telemetry) and advanced analytical approaches to track the movements of stocked golden perch, Murray cod and silver perch from their released locations and to inform the Status of Australian Fish Stocks (SAFS). Read moreRead less
Status Of Australian Fish Stocks (SAFS) Sixth Edition
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$1,236,740.00
Summary
The proposal is for the production of the sixth edition of the SAFS reports. SAFS is Australia's only coordinated, national-scale stock-status reporting framework, and as such is a critical driver of jurisdictional collaboration and strategic processes. The current application is to produce the SAFS reports in 2023 and address strategic issues outlined above. In order to ensure the continuation of SAFS beyond 2023, it is essential for jurisdictions to develop ownership of the reports and to embe ....The proposal is for the production of the sixth edition of the SAFS reports. SAFS is Australia's only coordinated, national-scale stock-status reporting framework, and as such is a critical driver of jurisdictional collaboration and strategic processes. The current application is to produce the SAFS reports in 2023 and address strategic issues outlined above. In order to ensure the continuation of SAFS beyond 2023, it is essential for jurisdictions to develop ownership of the reports and to embed SAFS processes in core business, and for efficiencies in production and report management to continue to progress. A parallel project to develop jurisdictional reporting services is also underway to assist jurisdictions develop their jurisdictional chapters. As documented in the independent audit of SAFS 2016 (FRDC project 2016-143), the process of compiling SAFS on a co-operative basis between FRDC, Australian government agencies and all fisheries jurisdictions has led to greater joint collaboration, as well as transfers of methodologies and processes, to deliver higher quality and more credible stock status reporting which can be accessed nationally and internationally, as well as assisting in policy decisions regarding changes to particular fisheries management arrangements and in research priorities. Primary drivers for National reporting of the SAFS include: (i) the State of the Environment Report 2011, i.e., ‘lack of a nationally integrated approach inhibits effective marine management’; (ii) a recommendation of the House of Representatives Inquiry into the Role of Science for Fisheries and Aquaculture (Netting the Benefits Report 2012), i.e., ‘producing national status report regularly’; (iii) the Australian Fisheries Management Forum national statement of intent, i.e. a key outcome of ‘Goal 1’ is the National Status of Australian Fish Stocks Report; (iv) the National Fishing and Aquaculture Strategy 2015–20, i.e., ‘Goal 1’ of this strategy will be partially measured by an increased number of fisheries assessed as environmentally sustainable in the Status of Australian Fish Stocks Reports (this includes reducing the number of stocks assessed as uncertain); (v) the FRDC RD&E Plan 2020–25, enabling strategy V (tracking and reporting on sustainability of fish stocks and performance of fisheries). Objectives: 1. To produce a sixth edition of the SAFS reports in 2023. 2. Reduce the number (percentage) of stocks classified as "Undefined" where possible, using data-poor or other acceptable methods. 3. To increase the capacity of FRDC and all participating jurisdictions to recognise equivalence between SAFS and other jurisdictional stock-status reporting schemes and streamline reporting accordingly. 4. To expand the SAFS stock-classification framework to include enhanced stocks. 5. Review methods and processes to move the criteria for sustainable from the limit reference point to the target reference point Read moreRead less
Research To Support The Development Of A Tasmanian Sardine Fishery
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$447,000.00
Summary
This project is needed to facilitate the development of a Tasmanian Sardine Fishery. To date, information available on the South-eastern Sardine stock has been cobbled together from surveys targeting other species (i.e., Jack Mackerel) that did not cover the entire spawning area of Sardine. This project will address this knowledge gap by providing robust information about the size, distribution and potential productivity of the South-eastern Sardine stock that is needed by NRE Tas to develop man ....This project is needed to facilitate the development of a Tasmanian Sardine Fishery. To date, information available on the South-eastern Sardine stock has been cobbled together from surveys targeting other species (i.e., Jack Mackerel) that did not cover the entire spawning area of Sardine. This project will address this knowledge gap by providing robust information about the size, distribution and potential productivity of the South-eastern Sardine stock that is needed by NRE Tas to develop management arrangements for the new fishery. The FRDC-funded component of this project (Attachment 1, Figure 1) is designed to complement and utilize data from a concurrent AFMA-funded survey of Jack Mackerel that covers the eastern component of the South-eastern Sardine stock (Attachment 2). This proposal was developed at the request of NRE Tas and has been endorsed by SPF RAG (Attachment 1). The methods that will be used in the project are consistent with those that have been used to underpin the development and management of the SASF (Ward et al. 2021a; Grammer and Ivey 2022; Grammer et al. 2021) and SPF (e.g. Grammer et al 2022a, b; Ward et al. 2020, 2021c). Objectives: 1. To investigate the size, distribution and potential productivity of the South-eastern stock of Australian Sardine. 2. To provide advice to the Department of Natural Resources & Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas) to inform the establishment of management arrangements for the new Tasmanian Sardine Fishery. Read moreRead less
Industry Travel Bursary To Attend The Thirteenth Meeting Of The Conference Of The Parties To The Convention On The Conservation Of Migratory Species Of Wild Animals (CMS COP13)
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$10,000.00
Summary
Australia will be sending a delegation to the conference, yet there will be no industry representation. The Department of Environment have strongly encouraged industry to attend, given the dynamics of the meeting and the manner in which decision making is influenced and conducted. Specifically, the influence of non-government organisations and the strict conservation and protection agendas that are promoted and promulgated.
The potential listing of School Shark as a migratory species is ....Australia will be sending a delegation to the conference, yet there will be no industry representation. The Department of Environment have strongly encouraged industry to attend, given the dynamics of the meeting and the manner in which decision making is influenced and conducted. Specifically, the influence of non-government organisations and the strict conservation and protection agendas that are promoted and promulgated.
The potential listing of School Shark as a migratory species is the topic of greatest concern for industry, given the impact of listing at an international level and the consequences for the Commonwealth EPBC Act. Should this listing be ratified there will be significant impacts on the commercial and recreational fishing sectors. This is extremely concerning given our body of scientific work on School Shark and the current and historical management actions taken to recover the stocks.
In addition to the importance of the topic of discussion, this bursary will provide a significant capacity building opportunity for an industry representative. An experience that will provide benefits throughout a range aspects of industry representation.
Objectives: 1. Attend the CMS COP in India, February 2020 2. Bring back learnings for dissemination to interested industry parties Read moreRead less
Can Spatial Fishery-dependent Data Be Used To Determine Abalone Stock Status In A Spatially Structured Fishery?
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$562,128.00
Summary
With the advent of the Status of Australian Fish Stocks (SAFS) process, there is now a requirement to provide a stock ‘status’ determination in addition to the annual TACC determination. The ‘status’ reflects changes in the overall biomass, the fishing mortality, or in their proxies. This has led to disagreements among researchers, managers and industry, largely due to uncertainty around how best to derive a meaningful overall stock status indicator to meet the requirements of the SAFS reporting ....With the advent of the Status of Australian Fish Stocks (SAFS) process, there is now a requirement to provide a stock ‘status’ determination in addition to the annual TACC determination. The ‘status’ reflects changes in the overall biomass, the fishing mortality, or in their proxies. This has led to disagreements among researchers, managers and industry, largely due to uncertainty around how best to derive a meaningful overall stock status indicator to meet the requirements of the SAFS reporting process. These higher-level reporting processes are an important demonstration of sustainable management of Australian fisheries, but only if stock status determinations are accurate and defensible.
Australian abalone fisheries primarily use harvest control rules based around CPUE (Kg/Hr) to set TACC. However, with abalone, stable catch-rates may not indicate stable biomass and/or stable density. Catch-rates are frequently criticised because the effort needed to take a quantity of catch may be influenced by density but also by density independent factors such as conditions at the time of fishing, experience, and the ability of fishers to adjust their fishing strategy to maintain catch rates (diver behaviour driven hyper-stability). While there are many issues with the assumption that CPUE is a reliable proxy for abundance, it is assumed to be so despite the absence of robust data to validate use of CPUE in this way. In some jurisdictions CPUE is supplemented by sparse fishery-dependent size and density data. There is an urgent need to review common assumptions, methods and interpretations of CPUE as a primary indicator, and to determine whether inclusion of spatial fishery data could provide a ‘global’ indicator of stock status for abalone fisheries.
Objectives: 1. Characterise the statistical properties, coherence, interpretability and assumptions of spatial and classic indicators of fishery performance 2. Develop methods for inclusion of fine-scale spatial data in CPUE standardisations 3. Identify methods for detecting hyper-stability in CPUE 4. Determine feasibility of spatial data based stock status determination in spatially structured fisheries Read moreRead less
Assessing The Benefits Of Sea Urchin Processing Waste As An Agricultural Fertiliser And Soil Ameliorant
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$199,996.00
Summary
The primary need of this project is to facilitate a profitable Longspined Sea Urchin fishery to move the industry away from subsidies. A large-scale sustainable fishery is seen as the most feasible and sustainable way to apply downward pressure on the rapidly expanding Sea Urchin population in Tasmania. Longspined Sea Urchin populations have grown to some 20 million (5,500 tonnes) and have resulted in 15% of the Tasmania East Coast reefs becoming unproductive urchin barren, up from 3% 15 years ....The primary need of this project is to facilitate a profitable Longspined Sea Urchin fishery to move the industry away from subsidies. A large-scale sustainable fishery is seen as the most feasible and sustainable way to apply downward pressure on the rapidly expanding Sea Urchin population in Tasmania. Longspined Sea Urchin populations have grown to some 20 million (5,500 tonnes) and have resulted in 15% of the Tasmania East Coast reefs becoming unproductive urchin barren, up from 3% 15 years ago.
Subsides for the Longspined Sea Urchin harvest commenced in 2016 and in the last 3 years some $500,000 has been spent. This initiated significant investment in the industry to facilitate export market establishment and resulted the 2019 harvest reaching an excess of 550 tonnes, now Tasmania’s 3rd largest wild fishery by weight. However, the industry needs to move away from subsides and waste utilisation is seen a viable option to turn a current financial cost (estimated at $80,000 in 2019 to dump 400 tonnes of waste generated) into an income stream.
FRDC 2016-208 highlighted the significant potential of sea urchin waste utilisation in the agricultural industry and called for commercial upscaling of trials. This project is designed to meet that need. Based on this, the Abalone Industry Reinvestment Fund (AIRF) has committed to providing $538,686 in kind to initiate the project. This whole of project application is to allow multi-season agricultural trials of waste products to obtain scientifically and industry meaningful results, allow testing on perennial crops (such as cherries) and to employ a dedicated post-doctoral researcher on the project.
In the push for sustainably produced food, agricultural industries are demanding alternative nutritional sources to synthetic fertilisers. Urchin waste is comprised of two major parts: gut waste - a nitrogenous rich liquid which can be converted in a stable drench or spray and; shell waste – a calcium and boron rich solid which can be dried and powdered for use as a soil ameliorant. As such this fisheries enhancement project will additionally for fill this agricultural need.
Objectives: 1. To develop commercial scale processing equipment of sea urchin waste. 2. Determine the nutrient composition and plant bioavailability of nutrients from two high throughput waste streams: liquid gut waste and dried powdered shell waste 3. Evaluate the agronomic benefits of liquid gut waste as a frost retardant in perennial tree cropping (cherries) 4. Evaluate the agronomic benefits of powdered shell waste as a soil ameliorant in a wide range of annual and perennial cropping systems 5. Undertake a cost benefit analysis comparing fertiliser products (foliar sprays and/or soil conditioners) from this work to other products on the market to assess if the products are commercially viable Read moreRead less
Industrial Transformation Training Centres - Grant ID: IC210100023
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$4,943,949.00
Summary
ARC Training Centre in Bioplastics and Biocomposites. There is unprecedented growth in demand for bioderived and biodegradable materials. This Training Centre in Bioplastics and Biocomposites will capitalise on Australia’s abundance of the requisite natural bioresources to drive advances in technology for the development of bioplastic and biocomposite products for the new bioeconomy. The aim is to deliver leading edge research with a holistic focus on technical, social, policy and end of life so ....ARC Training Centre in Bioplastics and Biocomposites. There is unprecedented growth in demand for bioderived and biodegradable materials. This Training Centre in Bioplastics and Biocomposites will capitalise on Australia’s abundance of the requisite natural bioresources to drive advances in technology for the development of bioplastic and biocomposite products for the new bioeconomy. The aim is to deliver leading edge research with a holistic focus on technical, social, policy and end of life solutions, training a cohort of industry ready research specialists to underpin Australia’s transition to a globally significant bioplastics and biocomposites industry, while at the same time laying the foundations for accelerated growth in this space.Read moreRead less
Understanding Population Structure And Dynamics Of Victoria’s Developing Octopus Fishery
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$561,140.00
Summary
In Victoria, Octopus spp. are predominantly a byproduct species caught across various fisheries. Pale Octopus is not differentiated from other octopus species in catch and effort reporting in Victoria, making it difficult to apply stock assessment methods or catch rate indicators. Maori Octopus (Octopus maorum) are likely caught in the Victorian Rock Lobster Fishery (VRLF); whereas Pale Octopus and Gloomy Octopus (Octopus tetricus) are caught within the Inshore Trawl Fishery, Ocean Access Fisher ....In Victoria, Octopus spp. are predominantly a byproduct species caught across various fisheries. Pale Octopus is not differentiated from other octopus species in catch and effort reporting in Victoria, making it difficult to apply stock assessment methods or catch rate indicators. Maori Octopus (Octopus maorum) are likely caught in the Victorian Rock Lobster Fishery (VRLF); whereas Pale Octopus and Gloomy Octopus (Octopus tetricus) are caught within the Inshore Trawl Fishery, Ocean Access Fishery (OAF), Corner Inlet Fishery (CIF) and Port Phillip and Westernport Bay Fishery (PPWPBF). Targeting octopus using 'shelter traps' within the OAF off Lakes Entrance has significantly increased in 2016 and 2017. The average catch during this period was ten times greater compared with the average catch taken from 2006–2015. With the potential for a developing fishery, management is lacking fundamental information to assist in guiding and building a sustainable fishery. For example, there is no requirement to identify and report quantities of species caught. This makes any sort of assessment impossible. Presently, two license holders actively fish for octopus with a capacity to have many more within the OAF. Objectives: 1. Species identification: * Develop identification keys to ensure octopus are identified to at least the three main species and to ensure collection of accurate catch and effort data. 2. Biological characteristics:* Determination of age, growth and reproduction information.* Determine population structure to inform appropriate spatial scale for management. 3. Development of appropriate biomass indicators and analysis for assessment:* Implement pot sampling regime to enhance the understanding of fishery impact particularly at relatively small spatial scales.* Development and assessment of performance indicators to monitor biomass and stock status. 4. Development of fisheries management tools: * Identify appropriate spatial management tools based on stock structure defined in objective 2a. * Identify an objective approach for setting limit and target reference points for the indicators developed in objective 3. * Provide an overview of possible management tools and their suitability for the Victorian octopus fishery given the identified biological characteristics in objectives 1 and 2.* Using a process identified by VFA develop one or more harvest strategy proposals. Read moreRead less
Industrial Transformation Research Hubs - Grant ID: IH230100006
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$4,933,330.00
Summary
ARC Research Hub for Engineering Plants to Replace Fossil Carbon . This Hub aims to develop new plant varieties that enable sustainable production of sugars from crop ‘waste’ (plant biomass) as a base for renewable carbon products. Only now possible through emerging technologies, the Hub expects to translate extensive foundational research and world-leading expertise into cost-effective sustainable aviation fuel. Anticipated outcomes include diversified cropping opportunities for agricultural pr ....ARC Research Hub for Engineering Plants to Replace Fossil Carbon . This Hub aims to develop new plant varieties that enable sustainable production of sugars from crop ‘waste’ (plant biomass) as a base for renewable carbon products. Only now possible through emerging technologies, the Hub expects to translate extensive foundational research and world-leading expertise into cost-effective sustainable aviation fuel. Anticipated outcomes include diversified cropping opportunities for agricultural producers and new industries to convert the biomass to high-volume renewable products. The expected benefits include a decarbonised pathway for Australia’s critical flight, freight and defence connections to world and the substantial economic returns and job creation from new manufacturing capacity in Australia.Read moreRead less
Addressing Uncertainties In The Assessment And Management Of Queensland East Coast Spanish Mackerel
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$1,026,558.00
Summary
As one of the most prominent species sold in northern Queensland fish shops, Spanish mackerel is iconic to seafood consumers as well as commercial, recreational, and charter fishers. However, a recent assessment of the Queensland East Coast stock raised significant concern about its sustainability, with a spawning biomass estimate below 20% of unfished levels (Tanimoto et al. 2021). Historical analyses indicate a substantial contraction of the spawning aggregations of Spanish mackerel in North Q ....As one of the most prominent species sold in northern Queensland fish shops, Spanish mackerel is iconic to seafood consumers as well as commercial, recreational, and charter fishers. However, a recent assessment of the Queensland East Coast stock raised significant concern about its sustainability, with a spawning biomass estimate below 20% of unfished levels (Tanimoto et al. 2021). Historical analyses indicate a substantial contraction of the spawning aggregations of Spanish mackerel in North Queensland, with those off Cairns being extirpated in the 1990s (Buckley et al. 2017). Previous stock assessments have also shown a trend of declining abundance over the last 20+ years (Welch et al. 2002, Campbell et al. 2012, O'Neill et al. 2018). This historical sustained decline, combined with the recent low biomass estimates, raise substantial uncertainty over the continued viability of the fishery.
This stock assessment result indicates the need to rebuild the stock in line with State and National policy objectives to reduce the number of overfished stocks. The high social and economic importance of Spanish mackerel in Queensland has led to significant public debate around uncertainty in the stock assessment, and the issue being debated in Queensland State Parliament.
As a result, key research gaps need to be addressed to increase the precision of future assessments and reaffirm stakeholder confidence in the stock assessment process. This project aims to address the following research gaps highlighted by the stock assessment: (1) determine the feasibility of using a CKMR method for estimating abundance of Spanish mackerel, (2) quantify cryptic mortality from shark depredation and post release survival, (3) improve catch and effort standardisation by better adjusting for potential hyperstability occurring at spawning aggregations and make the catch rate robust against potential management change, (4) assess the influence of key environmental variables on abundance and recruitment variability. This project will inform more accurate Spanish mackerel stock assessment, thereby increasing stakeholder confidence in line with Outcomes 4 and 5 of the FRDC R&D Plan (‘optimising benefits for the Australian community through fair resource sharing based on evidence-based management’ and ‘transparent decision-making tools that demonstrate best practice in fisheries management’). The project will also directly address the high priority research needs identified by the Queensland Spanish Mackerel Fishery Working Group. Objectives: 1. Determine the feasibility of a fisheries-independent CKMR-based approach to estimate absolute abundance of the Queensland East Coast Spanish mackerel stock 2. Quantify shark depredation rates (percentage of catch lost) across the fishery and provide an estimate of post-release survival 3. Improve the fisheries-dependent index of abundance through the application of Effort Signature techniques and increase its robustness to future management changes 4. Identify and quantify the effect of key environmental conditions on recruitment rates, year class strength, and abundance of Spanish mackerel in Queensland East Coast waters Read moreRead less