Fish Jenga: metapopulation management for coastal river fish. This project aims to address the escalating threats to coastal freshwater fish from drought, fire, and other disturbances. The project expects to generate new knowledge on contemporary distributions of NSW coastal freshwater fishes, and will develop models of population dynamics to explore the consequences of alternative water management and disturbance scenarios. The expected outcome of the project is to revolutionise management by r ....Fish Jenga: metapopulation management for coastal river fish. This project aims to address the escalating threats to coastal freshwater fish from drought, fire, and other disturbances. The project expects to generate new knowledge on contemporary distributions of NSW coastal freshwater fishes, and will develop models of population dynamics to explore the consequences of alternative water management and disturbance scenarios. The expected outcome of the project is to revolutionise management by replacing the current practice of managing river basins separately, with a framework that accounts for among-basin linkages that are essential for the long-term persistence of fish populations. Significant benefits include more efficient use of water resources and improved conservation outcomes for native fish.Read moreRead less
Integrating Indigenous Fishing: Extending Adoption Pathways To Policy And Management
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$140,000.00
Summary
See Opportunities section Objectives: 1. Document the impediments and opportunities for Indigenous engagement and adoption of IRG project outputs across fisheries management jurisdictions in Australia. 2. Identify the priorities for Indigenous fishing in jurisdictions with a focus on the 5 IRG RD&E priorities. 3. Develop a report synthesizing the impediments, opportunities and priorities for Indigenous fishing engagement and adoption to guide future IRG investm .... See Opportunities section Objectives: 1. Document the impediments and opportunities for Indigenous engagement and adoption of IRG project outputs across fisheries management jurisdictions in Australia. 2. Identify the priorities for Indigenous fishing in jurisdictions with a focus on the 5 IRG RD&E priorities. 3. Develop a report synthesizing the impediments, opportunities and priorities for Indigenous fishing engagement and adoption to guide future IRG investment. 4. Develop a template for future IRG projects that will ensure engagement and adoption are maximized. 5. Professional development and capacity building of the Indigenous Principal Investigator and grow cultural awareness in wider participants. Read moreRead less
Integrating Indigenous Fishing: Extending Adoption Pathways To Policy And Management
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$140,000.00
Summary
See Opportunities section Objectives: 1. Document the impediments and opportunities for Indigenous engagement and adoption of IRG project outputs across fisheries management jurisdictions in Australia. 2. Identify the priorities for Indigenous fishing in jurisdictions with a focus on the 5 IRG RD&E priorities. 3. Develop a report synthesizing the impediments, opportunities and priorities for Indigenous fishing engagement and adoption to guide future IRG investm .... See Opportunities section Objectives: 1. Document the impediments and opportunities for Indigenous engagement and adoption of IRG project outputs across fisheries management jurisdictions in Australia. 2. Identify the priorities for Indigenous fishing in jurisdictions with a focus on the 5 IRG RD&E priorities. 3. Develop a report synthesizing the impediments, opportunities and priorities for Indigenous fishing engagement and adoption to guide future IRG investment. 4. Develop a template for future IRG projects that will ensure engagement and adoption are maximized. 5. Professional development and capacity building of the Indigenous Principal Investigator and grow cultural awareness in wider participants. Read moreRead less
The WRL industry needs to adopt new digital technology to benefit from the digital economy and ensure industry is efficient, highly productive and world-leading in all its management practices and policies. This is fundamental to achieving the WRL Strategic Plan objectives and aims to develop the western rock lobster industry’s competitiveness in digital technologies and ensure that the industry can draw the full benefits from digital innovation.
Discussions on 2017/18 research prioriti ....The WRL industry needs to adopt new digital technology to benefit from the digital economy and ensure industry is efficient, highly productive and world-leading in all its management practices and policies. This is fundamental to achieving the WRL Strategic Plan objectives and aims to develop the western rock lobster industry’s competitiveness in digital technologies and ensure that the industry can draw the full benefits from digital innovation.
Discussions on 2017/18 research priorities and potential areas for collaboration were discussed extensively at the FRDC Annual Stakeholder Workshop in August 2017 with digital technology a commonality across all groups, including scoping data collecting and analysis innovations for policy, management and operations; New apps for commercial recreational catch, management, markets and effort; and Monitoring and sensor (environment to consumers).
There is a need for the WRL to seek expertise to create a new digital platform that will be capable of adding new modules and applications in to the future as required as well as interoperability with other systems. Industry wants to generate and manage its own data (noting that it will make every effort to be compatible with a national industry data management project) and supply the requested data to government when it is required and in the appropriate form. This will require trust but industry needs to accept this responsibility if it wants to act fast and make the most of opportunities in the digital economy. Industry can't rely on government to achieve this.
The WRL needs to identify and implement new digital applications that will improve process efficiency and assist fishers, managers, scientists, regulators and key stakeholders to make more informed and better decisions.
The WRL needs to scope what other fisheries and non-fishing industries are doing nationally and internationally with collecting data and using it in new and innovative ways to improve operations, management, policy, science and decision making.
This program needs to make provision for extension areas such as a new on-line OH&S standards and automatic reporting, digitised traceability from catch to plate, new auto entry catch application, and new monitoring and sensor technologies. Objectives: 1. Scope national and international data collection and analysis innovation to assist policy development and fisheries management 2. Develop and extend a fully digitised database to achieve at least three management objectives 3. Expand database to meet non-managment objectives. Read moreRead less
Measuring Non-commercial Fishing Catches (traditional Subsistence Fishing) In The Torres Strait In Order To Improve Fisheries Management And Promote Sustainable Livelihoods
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$250,288.00
Summary
Following the initial groundwork to assess community support and approaches for a non-commercial fishery monitoring program in the Torres Strait (Bedford et al 2021 - https://www.pzja.gov.au/sites/default/files/final_report_-_monitoring_the_non-commercial_catch_in_torres_strait_update_06042021.pdf ), the following five steps were proposed: 1. Community consultation and sign on (engaging community re support for the suggested monitoring method). 2. Assess self-reporting web-based tool/AP ....Following the initial groundwork to assess community support and approaches for a non-commercial fishery monitoring program in the Torres Strait (Bedford et al 2021 - https://www.pzja.gov.au/sites/default/files/final_report_-_monitoring_the_non-commercial_catch_in_torres_strait_update_06042021.pdf ), the following five steps were proposed: 1. Community consultation and sign on (engaging community re support for the suggested monitoring method). 2. Assess self-reporting web-based tool/APP platform design and development options (including data collection and storage options), through co-design with communities and Government to meet stakeholder needs. 3. Develop self-reporting web-based tool/APP platform, database and data flow infrastructure. 4. Community rollout – pilot (in some communities). 5. Community rollout – full-scale (to all communities).
The Torres Strait Scientific Advisory Committee (TSSAC) recommended that steps 1 and 2 (above) be undertaken first and they form the scope of this proposal.
As also noted in the TSSAC committee meeting of June 2021, the project was an initiative of the quota working group subcommittee of the Torres Strait Regional Authority Board, and identified as a priority by the Traditional Inhabitants (https://www.pzja.gov.au/sites/default/files/tssac_79_meeting_record_final.pdf). In particular, by ‘improving estimates of non-commercial catch of commercial species to inform stock assessment and set sustainable catch levels, as well as determine the catch sharing between the sunset sector, and how much to allocate for community consumption, in order to protect Traditional non-commercial catches and help ensure sustainable management.’
As noted in the ‘Opportunity’ section of this proposal, this project help fill a range of needs for Torres Strait communities, including: • More accurate assessment of the Recommended Biological Catches of commercial species from all sources of fishing in the Torres Strait • Reliable assessments of ongoing catches from the substantial non-commercial sectors in the Torres Strait, including knowledge of future change in catches that may be due to pressures from fishing, coastal industry, climate change, other ecosystem regime change • Stronger ownership of marine resource management by Torres Strait communities, including ownership of non-commercial catch information, and supported by improved knowledge of the temporal and spatial dynamics of non-commercial catches.
The previous project also concluded that a non-commercial fishery monitoring program would have the best chance of success by gaining broad and committed acceptance by local communities and their leaders, with a strong co-design component. The need for this level of consultation was re-iterated by Traditional Inhabitants in several PZJA fishery management fora, including the TSSAC. This project is designed to meet that need.
The proposed project aligns strongly with the Torres Strait Fisheries Strategic Research Plan (https://www.pzja.gov.au/sites/default/files/tssac_srp_2018-2022_post_tssac_final.pdf). In particular: • Theme 1: Protecting the Torres Strait marine environment for the benefit of Traditional Inhabitants; which is based on improving effective management of fishery stocks in order to support Traditional Inhabitant social and economic needs; which is an expectation of the improved fishery data outputs from the project. • Theme 2: Social and Economic Benefits; which promotes social and economic benefits for Traditional Inhabitants from Torres Strait fisheries; for example, through increased capacity required to manage the program and increased knowledge of any future changes in catches through space and time in the Torres Strait. • Theme 3: Technology and Innovation; which promotes the development of technology to support the economic, environmental and social benefits from the fishing sector.
This research project is co funded by the Australian Fisheries Management Authority of the Australian Government. Project co- investigators are Kenny Bedford, David Brewer and Timothy Skewes. Objectives: 1. Collate and review existing and new information about the potential options for a non-commercial fishery monitoring program as recommended by Bedford et al. (2021) 2. Assess the level of community need and support (or otherwise) for a non-commercial fishery monitoring program through a comprehensive and equitable community consultation and participation process throughout Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area communities 3. Develop cost and performance options for a non-commercial fishery monitoring program and its components (e.g. self-reporting web-based tool/APP platform; data management, storage and access; complimented surveys) to allow for an assessment of value (e.g. meeting needs, ease of use, maintenance and data use in stock assessments) Read moreRead less
Indigenous Fishing Subprogram: Ensuring That Fishing And Seafood Industry Focused RD&E Delivers Improved Economic, Environmental And Social Benefits To Australia’s Indigenous People – IRG And Indigenous Subprogram Support
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$1,293,252.62
Summary
There is still ongoing need for planning and implementation of targeted, effective RD&E activities that address Indigenous sector priorities. The FRDC assist addressing this by supporting and resourcing the IRG through projects, and an Indigenous RD&E SubProgram.
There has been remarkable progress since the inception of the IRG, but identified market failures still exist as most agencies, researchers and other stakeholders still have limited capacity to interact and engage with the I ....There is still ongoing need for planning and implementation of targeted, effective RD&E activities that address Indigenous sector priorities. The FRDC assist addressing this by supporting and resourcing the IRG through projects, and an Indigenous RD&E SubProgram.
There has been remarkable progress since the inception of the IRG, but identified market failures still exist as most agencies, researchers and other stakeholders still have limited capacity to interact and engage with the Indigenous sector, and fully reap the opportunities and benefits.
The pool of Indigenous people who have the expertise and/or wish to be involved in the process is growing, but is still inadequate to address identified needs. This is a key focal area for the IRG for the future, including supporting a formalised capacity building program that improves understanding and knowledge of research, management, governance, and agency processes. Opportunities exist to:
• Increase the pool of Indigenous people with expertise and desire to engage in RD&E and associated policy process • Build two-way capacity by enhancing non-Indigenous stakeholders’ knowledge and capability • Improve culturally appropriate knowledge/data for the Indigenous fishing sector to address Indigenous Australians, researchers and managers’ needs • Transition research to policy • Enhance Indigenous focussed projects at a jurisdictional level through improved connectivity between IRG and RAC/IPA • Manage expectations that the IRG is a one-stop shop for all Indigenous issues related to the industry by developing processes to expand networks and engagement.
The IRG is different to other programs as it provides a service that covers a number of additional areas. An aim is to break the need of the FRDC and RACs in seeing the IRG as the sole conveyer of Indigenous input. In the interim this necessary service is subsidised by FRDC as we seek to develop an alternate mechanism.
Objectives: 1. Work with Indigenous people and other stakeholders, to facilitate the identification of Indigenous RD&E priorities annually, and develop projects to address those priorities. 2. Assist FRDC with management of the Indigenous Subprogram and the portfolio of projects with significant benefit to, or impact on, the Indigenous fishing sector. 3. Facilitate dissemination of R&D outputs 4. Encourage coordination and co-investment in RD&E which benefits the Indigenous fishing community. Read moreRead less
Developing And Validating Novel Methods To Estimate Age- And Size-at-maturity In South Eastern Australian Fisheries
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$348,420.00
Summary
We submit this EOI to the priority ‘Biological parameters for stock assessments in South Eastern Australia – a information and capacity uplift’
Empirical observations from around the world have shown that intense fisheries harvest and oceanic warming can both lead to individuals reaching sexual maturity at younger ages and smaller sizes (Waples and Audzijonyte 2016). We know that younger and smaller mothers produce fewer eggs that may be of poorer quality than those from older and lar ....We submit this EOI to the priority ‘Biological parameters for stock assessments in South Eastern Australia – a information and capacity uplift’
Empirical observations from around the world have shown that intense fisheries harvest and oceanic warming can both lead to individuals reaching sexual maturity at younger ages and smaller sizes (Waples and Audzijonyte 2016). We know that younger and smaller mothers produce fewer eggs that may be of poorer quality than those from older and larger mothers (Barneche et al. 2018). Further, young mothers often need to build up their energy reserves before spawning each year, meaning that they experience a constrained spawning season. A shorter spawning window reduces the likelihood that their offspring will encounter an environment favourable for growth and survival (Wright and Gibb 2005). Harvest-induced declines in age and size at maturity have, for example, been implicated as one of the main drivers underpinning the collapse of Canadian Atlantic cod stocks (Hutchings and Rangeley 2011).
Environmental stress can also lead to poorer conditioned fish that lack the resources to spawn at all. The prevalence of ‘skip spawning’, as it is known, is hard to ascertain in wild populations but could be as high as 30% of the sexually mature biomass in some years (Rideout and Tomkiewicz 2011). Earlier maturity and skip spawning both have the potential to significantly impact on the biomass of sexually mature individuals in a stock and overall levels of recruitment success. Failure to properly account for these reproductive phenomena can lead to significant under- or over-estimation of SSB, which in turn leads to ineffective management advice that may heighten the risk of stock decline, unnecessarily limit catches, or impede stock recovery.
The rapid warming of southeast Australian waters has already been implicated in driving significant increases in the juvenile growth rates of harvested species, including tiger flathead, redfish and jackass morwong (Thresher et al. 2007, Morrongiello and Thresher 2015). It is plausible that these growth changes (predicted by eco-physiological theory, Atkinson 1994) are linked to commensurate, yet unknown, declines in age and size at maturity. Further, warmer waters may be stressing spawning adults (Portner and Farrell 2008), leading to an increased prevalence of skip spawning in southeast Australian fishes. Importantly, in recent times the biomass of several SESSF species has failed to recover despite significant management intervention. There is a real and pressing need to update the maturity parameters used in assessment models to reduce uncertainty in stock projections.
Our two-part project will refine and validate novel otolith-based methods to estimate an individual’s age at maturity and spawning dynamics from information naturally recorded in its otolith, and then apply this to existing otolith collections. AFMA already invests significant resources into the routine collection of otoliths for ageing purposes. In Part One of our project, we propose to value-add to these existing monitoring programs by developing new maturity and spawning assays that can be readily integrated into stock assessments to reduce model uncertainty and improve harvest strategies (FRDC strategic outcome 2 & 4), in turn bolstering community trust in projections (FRDC strategic outcome 5). In Part Two of our project, we will develop unprecedented insight into the reproductive history of SESSF stocks by recreating time series of maturity using archived otoliths that are currently sitting idle in storage.
Postgraduate students and early career researchers will play a central role in the development and delivery of our project. This experience will help provide a clear pathway for graduates into fisheries science. Our project will bolster the capacity and capability of fish ageing laboratories across Australia to deliver improved monitoring services to fisheries managers (FRDC enabling strategy IV).
More generally, we believe that our novel maturity and spawning assays have the potential to impact on fisheries assessment in other jurisdictions across the world that experience the same time and cost impediments we face here in Australia. Perhaps most excitingly, our assays have the potential to provide much needed maturity information to data poor and emerging fisheries across the Info-Pacific region using information in already collected otoliths.
References Atkinson, D. 1994. Temperature and organism size: a biological law for ectotherms? Advances in ecological research 25:1-58. Barneche, D. R., D. R. Robertson, C. R. White, and D. J. Marshall. 2018. Fish reproductive-energy output increases disproportionately with body size. Science 360:642-645. Hutchings, J. A., and R. W. Rangeley. 2011. Correlates of recovery for Canadian Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). Canadian Journal of Zoology 89:386-400. Morrongiello, J. R., and R. E. Thresher. 2015. A statistical framework to explore ontogenetic growth variation among individuals and populations: a marine fish example. Ecological Monographs 85:93-115. Portner, H. O., and A. P. Farrell. 2008. Physiology and climate change. Science 322:690-692. Rideout, R. M., and J. Tomkiewicz. 2011. Skipped spawning in fishes: more common than you might think. Marine and Coastal Fisheries 3:176-189. Thresher, R. E., J. A. Koslow, A. K. Morison, and D. C. Smith. 2007. Depth-mediated reversal of the effects of climate change on long-term growth rates of exploited marine fish. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 104:7461-7465. Waples, R. S., and A. Audzijonyte. 2016. Fishery-induced evolution provides insights into adaptive responses of marine species to climate change. Front. Ecol. Environ. 14:217-224. Wright, P. J., and F. M. Gibb. 2005. Selection for birth date in North Sea haddock and its relation to maternal age. Journal of Animal Ecology 74:303-312.
Objectives: 1. Refinement and validation of three methods to estimate the maturity and spawning history of SESSF species, using information naturally archived in fish otoliths 2. Identification of an accurate and cost-effective method to estimate fish age at maturity and spawning history from their otoliths 3. Recreation of the maturity and spawning history of a SESSF species using one of our three novel assays 4. Quantification of how rapid ocean warming and harvest have affected the expression of age at maturity and the propensity of a SESSF species to skip spawn Read moreRead less
Fisheries Management: From Science To Sustainable Practices (program Development)
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$134,589.09
Summary
Developing the capability and capacity relating to fisheries management is crucial to enable a sustainable fishing industry and a viable fishing and aquaculture community.
Current global, national and jurisdictional workforce challenges are impacting on attracting and retaining capable fisheries managers, with a growing need to build entry level capability with new entrants and those transitioning into fisheries management. Additionally, the need to inform and educate stakeholders abou ....Developing the capability and capacity relating to fisheries management is crucial to enable a sustainable fishing industry and a viable fishing and aquaculture community.
Current global, national and jurisdictional workforce challenges are impacting on attracting and retaining capable fisheries managers, with a growing need to build entry level capability with new entrants and those transitioning into fisheries management. Additionally, the need to inform and educate stakeholders about fisheries science and fisheries management continues to increase as changes to regulations and operations occur, impacting on license to operate, undertake strategic business planning and necessitating capabilities enabling negotiation, collaboration and stakeholder engagement.
In collaboration with Ian Knuckey, FRDC and end users, this project will design and develop a road map to build and pilot a Fisheries Management: From Science to Sustainable Practices program. This approach will increase access and reach in terms of stakeholder engagement/end users, building capability and capacity in fishing and aquaculture community beyond current learning opportunities. Learning will be accessible to a range of cohorts and via industry structures requesting access to fisheries management training and development, specifically harvest strategies and stock assessment. The project will enable different approaches to learning to be explored by FRDC and available stakeholders including self-directed (on demand), hybrid and face to face workshops via extension.
This project provides an opportunity to ensure DAWE/DAFF investment is leveraged, to think differently on utilising resources to build fisheries management capability and move towards a learning hub approach to build capability and capacity. The project will provide a flexible learning journey pathway for a variety of end users which is clear, can be personalised and aligned to enabling continuous capability and capacity development, providing a structured approach capable of future growth.
Objectives: 1. Transition and enhance learning resources to improve awareness, access and applicability to enable capability development 2. Develop clear learning and development pathways with and for diverse, identified audiences 3. Build individual and collective capability and capacity within the fisheries community 4. Enable effective learning and knowledge transfer through varied modalities, catering to different learning styles that foster engagement Read moreRead less