Targeting Behavioural Change In Fisheries And Aquaculture
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$99,359.00
Summary
The uptake of best practice approaches in fisheries and aquaculture is influenced by factors that inhibit or enable behaviour change, including psycho-sociological factors (i.e. how change or approaches are framed). Previous FRDC research has indicated a need to identify how and where behavioural insights/interventions – which draw on psycho-sociological factors such as cognitive biases, social norms, and emotions – can be used to steer behaviour change towards preferred outcomes (e.g. stewa ....The uptake of best practice approaches in fisheries and aquaculture is influenced by factors that inhibit or enable behaviour change, including psycho-sociological factors (i.e. how change or approaches are framed). Previous FRDC research has indicated a need to identify how and where behavioural insights/interventions – which draw on psycho-sociological factors such as cognitive biases, social norms, and emotions – can be used to steer behaviour change towards preferred outcomes (e.g. stewardship, safety) in marine sectors. This project builds on current and emerging research on behaviour change in fisheries and aquaculture to consolidate a review of published literature and available grey literature and R&D (from academic and industry domains, including recent FRDC projects relating to behaviour change) that has identified psycho-sociological factors influencing behavioural change. The aim of this literature review is to identify the types of behavioural interventions that can (or potentially, cannot) achieve preferred outcomes for fishing and aquaculture sectors in Australia. Specifically, the review seeks to explore i) which kinds of behavioural interventions can be effective in achieving positive change, ii) where (and just as importantly, where not) these interventions may be applied in fisheries and aquaculture sectors, iii) identify (potential) limitations of interventions, and to iii) bring these findings together to inform and underpin development of two relevant and engaging training webinars and associated resource materials, and iv) make recommendations for further focused trials/intervention research which could be undertaken to further support and expedite desired outcomes in Australian fisheries and aquaculture.
There is rapidly growing interest in the development, application and evaluation of behavioural interventions and they show great potential, however, they are also complex to design, test, and implement. Individuals are more likely to change their behaviours if they have the necessary skills and perceive they can do so (capability), if their environment (physical as well as social) provides an opportunity to do so (opportunity), and if they are motivated to achieve a particular endpoint through this behaviour (motivation), either through conscious decision-making or automatic processes, such as momentary cues. Further, the use of behavioural interventions has not been without critique, with concerns about ethics, manipulation, or risk to human agency. There are also concerns about the effectiveness of behavioural interventions, which may derive from several reasons: for example, due to misunderstanding the behaviour that is intended to be changed and the expected response by the audience. A behavioural intervention will be ineffective if the messaging or delivery causes confusion or if it only has a short-term effect. Some interventions can cause unintended consequences or compensating behaviours resulting in no net effect. These reasons highlight the importance of appropriate contextual understanding and well-defined outcomes for the design of effective behavioural interventions.
There are also different avenues for intervention beyond cognitive biases: education, persuasion, incentivisation, coercion, training, restriction, environmental restructuring, modelling and enablement, and the framing and implementation of these can differ depending on who the intervention is targeted at and under what context. Targeting behaviours in fisheries and aquaculture may enhance engagement and sustainable changes in the longer term (e.g. via development of new social norms), but to achieve this, changes in the determinants of behaviour are required. Actions (e.g. citizen science projects, local management practices), feelings, values (e.g. connectedness to oceans, the realisation of links between ocean health and human health) and social norms are embedded in and influenced by, local environments and social spheres that can transcend geographical boundaries. Our project will explore these nuances and convey concise summaries of behaviour change interventions for end-users via webinars, fact sheets, a simple decision tree tool (described below) and several short videos. The project intentionally has a broad focus (across fisheries and aquaculture sectors) in its review and outputs, as it is designed to equip potential developers and implementers of behavioural interventions with the skills and knowledge to do so in their own unique context. However, we will engage with industry partners (including FRDC extension officers and the industry advisory groups) to specifically ensure that the knowledge and tools produced (i.e. extension products) will be accessible and adaptable to the diversity of relevant contexts across these sectors - and useful for end-users seeking to motivate behaviour change whilst still retaining industry trust and engagement.
The project brings together necessary interdisciplinary research expertise (details outlined below) in the fields of behavioural economics, resource and fisheries economics, socio-ecology, fisheries ecology, science communication and cognitive psychology. In addition, the transdisciplinary potential of this project will be achieved via collaboration with a research advisory panel (to ensure rigorous research outcomes) and an industry level advisory panel (to ensure that the results and suggested interventions/activities are fit-for-purpose and accessible to the sector). Working with these panels (which would ideally include FRDC partners), we will ensure that the research is co-designed – and thus, project outputs are fit-for-purpose/context. Our team’s existing collective research on adoption and uptake of interventions clearly shows that engaging and involving end-user at creation stages increases uptake of results – hence, the value of our industry advisory panel. In addition, by engaging with industry leaders, we will create industry champions for the project who may assist with the dissemination of outputs. Together, the advisory groups will help to further define/adapt the scope of the project to achieve impact.
Overall, these collaborations and contributions will ensure that this project will deliver a comprehensive and industry-relevant overview of current understanding of behaviour change interventions, that addresses end-users’ identified needs, and that inspires community trust, in formats that are palatable and accessible to them and the fisheries and aquaculture sectors more broadly.. Objectives: 1. Conduct a systematic review of behavioural interventions for positive outcomes in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors. 2. Develop a two-part webinar series targeted at the FRDC community that aims to provide accessible and implementable knowledge on the theory and practice of behavioural interventions in fisheries. 3. Provide open-access knowledge about behavioural interventions with/to stakeholders via supporting materials (including a decision tree tool), fact-sheets, visual aids, and video. 4. Identify areas for future focused work and interventions that can be implemented to support the fisheries and aquaculture sectors Read moreRead less
Adapt Or Fail: Risk Management And Business Resilience In Queensland Commercial Fisheries
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$350,000.00
Summary
Change is inevitable, whether it be management, environmental, or economic change. Improving how industries cope with and adapt to change becomes increasingly important as rates and cumulative impacts of change escalate. Some commercial fishing operators are better able to cope with, and adapt to change than others. In part this is due to the inherent capabilities of some individuals to cope with change, learn, plan, and manage risk – elements we can measure through resilience frameworks (Marsha ....Change is inevitable, whether it be management, environmental, or economic change. Improving how industries cope with and adapt to change becomes increasingly important as rates and cumulative impacts of change escalate. Some commercial fishing operators are better able to cope with, and adapt to change than others. In part this is due to the inherent capabilities of some individuals to cope with change, learn, plan, and manage risk – elements we can measure through resilience frameworks (Marshall and Marshall, 2007). Other differences relate to access to adaptation options, which may rely on factors such as business structure, diversity of operation, access to information and financial capacity. We do not yet know the specific role such factors play in improving adaption options and hence resilience.
What we do know is that more resilient operators are better able to cope with change and adapt to it, and that these operators are less likely to seek compensation when change occurs (Sutton and Tobin 2012). Given these findings, it is vital that we identify factors that improve access to and uptake of adaption options, and that factors constraining uptake of these options are identified. We need to develop appropriate communication tools that relate to the nature of risks faced by fishing operations depending on their current behaviour and business structure, options for change, and access to / uptake of information. We also need to assess possible management options which could reduce some constraints on adaptation and hence increase resilience.
This proposal meets QFRAB priority #2 (business models in relation to resilience), and FRDC’s “Resilient and supportive communities” Strategic Challenge.
Objectives: 1. Document the current diversity and develop typologies of business models and operation types employed across all commercial fisheries on Queensland's east coast 2. Explore the current adaptation options for different business model types regarding risks associated with economic, management and environmental changes 3. Document the common constraints affecting uptake of adaptation options between and across business model types 4. Provide information tools regarding adaptation options for different business model types to fishers and managers, to enable the improvement of adaptive capacity and hence resilience Read moreRead less
Understanding The Risks Associated With Climate Change On Infectious Diseases Affecting The Seafood Industry
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$519,631.00
Summary
Fish and aquatic species play a vital role in global food security by providing nearly 17% of animal protein eaten by people. However, freshwater and marine aquatic ecosystems that sustain aquaculture and fisheries are undergoing significant changes as a result of global warming of our atmosphere and oceans with projections suggesting that these changes will be heightened in the future (Bahri et al., 2018). It is estimated that global marine primary production (ie phytoplankton) which underpins ....Fish and aquatic species play a vital role in global food security by providing nearly 17% of animal protein eaten by people. However, freshwater and marine aquatic ecosystems that sustain aquaculture and fisheries are undergoing significant changes as a result of global warming of our atmosphere and oceans with projections suggesting that these changes will be heightened in the future (Bahri et al., 2018). It is estimated that global marine primary production (ie phytoplankton) which underpins the health and sustainability of all marine ecosystems will decline by 6 +/- 3% by 2100 (Bahri et al., 2018). This decline in primary productivity will result in key vulnerabilities in aquatic food production that contribute to global food security. Climate-driven changes in temperature, precipitation, ocean acidification, incidence and extent of hypoxia and sea level rise, amongst others, are expected to have long-term impacts in the aquaculture and fisheries sectors at multiple scales (Bahri et al., 2018, Fulton et al., 2020).
Australia’s marine environment is changing faster than at any other period in recorded history (Fulton et al., 2020). In the last 100 years, Australia's oceans have warmed by 1C and there are identified hotspots located in southeast and southwest Australia which have warmed by 2C (Hobday et al., 2018). The surface sea temperatures around Australia are expected to increase by another 1 to 2C in the north and 2 to 5C in the south over the next 100 years (Hobday et al., 2018). While the warming is predicted to continue, the specific mixes of atmospheric and ocean current patterns around Australia mean the magnitude of climate change will differ place-to-place, and different aquaculture and fisheries and sectors will face different challenges (Fulton et al., 2020).
Biological and ecological impacts of climate change on aquatic ecosystems include shifts in food resources, habitat availability and fluctuations in species distributions (Bahri et al., 2018, Fulton et al., 2020). The FAO (Bahri et al., 2018) have identified that climate change may also bring increased risks for aquatic animal health (e.g., by changing the abundance and virulence of pathogens or the susceptibility of the host to pathogens and infections) and food safety concerns (e.g., faster growth rates of pathogenic marine bacteria, or the incidence of parasites and food-borne viruses).
The project proposed will use a risk analysis framework applied at the sector-level to address the change in the risks of infectious diseases in Australian aquaculture and fisheries industries due to climate change. The project outcomes will identify and prioritize the risks from infectious diseases under the future climate scenarios. This project falls under the research priority to address sector-level mitigation strategies to support strategies for disease preparedness, biosecurity, and border protection. The project outcomes will assist industries in preparing risk mitigation strategies to build resilience and sustain productivity in Australia’s aquaculture and fishery industries.
References Bahri, T., Barange, M., Moustahfid, H. 2018. Chapter 1: Climate change and aquatic systems. In Barange, M., Bahri, T., Beveridge, M.C.M., Cochrane, K.L., Funge-Smith, S., Poulain, F. (Eds), Impacts of climate change on fisheries and aquaculture: synthesis of current knowledge, adaptation and mitigation options. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper No. 627. Rome, FAO, pp. 1-18.
Fulton EA, van Putten EI, Dutra LXC, Melbourne-Thomas J, Ogier E, Thomas L, Murphy RP, Butler I, Ghebrezgabhier D, Hobday AJ, Rayns N (2020) Adaptation of fisheries management to climate change Handbook, CSIRO, Australia.
Hobday, A.J., Pecl, G.T., Fulton, B., Pethybridge, H., Bulman, C., Villanueva, C. 2018. Chapter 16: Climate change impacts, vulnerabilities and adaptions: Australian marine fisheries. In Barange, M., Bahri, T., Beveridge, M.C.M., Cochrane, K.L., Funge-Smith, S., Poulain, F. (Eds), Impacts of climate change on fisheries and aquaculture: synthesis of current knowledge, adaptation and mitigation options. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper No. 627. Rome, FAO, pp. 347-362. Objectives: 1. Confirmation and agreement of the 3 industry sectors for the risk assessment and establish the project steering committee 2. Determine the future climate scenarios for the key production areas for each industry sector. 3. Complete the systematic reviews, hazard identification and risk assessment for each industry sector under the future climate scenarios. 4. In collaboration with stakeholders from each sector, the project team will describe options for mitigation of risks identified under the climate change scenarios developed. 5. Deliver a workshop for each industry sector to inform and discuss project outcomes including potential mitigation strategies for Australian conditions. 6. Production of the non-technical project outputs (e.g. infographics and technical guide). Read moreRead less
ARDC: Food Security Data Challenges: Increasing Food Security Through Liberation Of Fishing And Aquaculture Data
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$1,001,708.12
Summary
The development of digital and data systems (DSS) across fisheries & aquaculture, as well as the agriculture sector more broadly is disparate. How data is collected, how it is stored, and how it can subsequently be used is greatly influenced by factors such as sector digital maturity, or available funding to develop (or upgrade) DSS.
This project seeks to develop a national fisheries and aquaculture data ingestion and storage system (Activity 1), ensuring that information derived from f ....The development of digital and data systems (DSS) across fisheries & aquaculture, as well as the agriculture sector more broadly is disparate. How data is collected, how it is stored, and how it can subsequently be used is greatly influenced by factors such as sector digital maturity, or available funding to develop (or upgrade) DSS.
This project seeks to develop a national fisheries and aquaculture data ingestion and storage system (Activity 1), ensuring that information derived from fisheries and aquaculture activities is findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable (FAIR). The ingestion and storage system will be bolstered by a complementary data catalogue (detailing the data sets available on the platform) (Activity 2) and analytical tools (able to gain insights without moving data outside the storage platform) (Activity 6). The platform will be underpinned by metadata (Activity 3) and a robust governance framework (Activity 4). Use of the system will be tested through 3 case studies, supporting capacity and capability improvement of the sector (Activity 5).
The production of and use of data cuts across industry and government, and covers activities throughout the fisheries supply chain (from pre-fishing quota management, to post-fishing processing and subsequent traceability). Consequently there is no one organisation across fishing and aquaculture that is best placed to co-ordinate and trial this technology. FRDC is capable to the leadership required to ensure a fit for purpose product for end users, additionally the leverage of Australia Research Data Commons investment will contribute to the development of a nationally coherent eResearch infrastructure
This project received investment from the Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC). The ARDC is funded by the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS). Objectives: 1. Develop a new cloud-based fisheries data storage platform to enable ingestion, management, and sharing of datasets 2. Develop a CKAN-based data catalogue, a searchable fisheries data source allowing users to browse, combine, share, and access exchangeable data assets 3. Create best practice metadata standards that will be identified, documented, and then operationalised through the data catalogue and storage platform 4. Develop and operationalise a fisheries-focused data governance framework 5. Enhance capacity and capacity to use the platform through demonstration of 3 unique case studies 6. Develop use-case relevant suite of reporting and analysis tools to allow researchers to gain insights without moving data outside the storage platform Read moreRead less