Minimising Plastic In The Western Rock Lobster Industry (Phase 1 – Scope And Identify)
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$72,525.00
Summary
It was recently noted (in FISH Magazine Volume 27-1) that:
“Recent studies have estimated that approximately eight million tonnes of plastic end up in the world’s oceans every year. This contributes to the deaths of the marine animals that become entangled. Plastic can also find its way into the stomachs of seabirds, sea mammals, fish and other marine life, affecting the entire food chain. The attributes of plastic that make it so attractive as a material, including its durability, ....It was recently noted (in FISH Magazine Volume 27-1) that:
“Recent studies have estimated that approximately eight million tonnes of plastic end up in the world’s oceans every year. This contributes to the deaths of the marine animals that become entangled. Plastic can also find its way into the stomachs of seabirds, sea mammals, fish and other marine life, affecting the entire food chain. The attributes of plastic that make it so attractive as a material, including its durability, are also the attributes that make it so dangerous and long-lived. Products might break down, but the plastic itself remains in the environment. Greenpeace researchers have found plastics in water and snow samples in areas as remote as Antarctica.
CSIRO research has identified that almost three-quarters of the rubbish on Australia’s coastline is plastic, and that it comes from Australian sources. Research from the Australian Institute of Marine Science has also reported widespread microplastic contamination of waters in north-western Australia. More recently, a study of juvenile Coral Trout from the Great Barrier Reef has identified that tropical fish are ingesting both plastic and non-plastic marine microdebris (particles of less than five millimetres).”
WRL’s vision (as noted in its Strategic Plan 2018-2021) is to be “an iconic global leader in sustainable fisheries management, with one of its strategic objectives to “ensure long term access to the sustainable resource”. WRL continually strives to improve its sustainability practices for the western rock lobster industry, with practices with the ability to transfer to and assist other fisheries being particularly attractive. The research developed through this project will allow greater knowledge and understanding of:
(1) how and where plastic is used within the western rock lobster industry; and (2) viable and environmentally friendly alternatives to the plastic currently in use. This will form the basis for Phase 2 of this project, which will allow for the development, trial and implementation of plastic alternatives to combat and reduce the harm to the marine environment, and ultimately lead to a more sustainable fishery.
Objectives: 1. Identify where and why plastic is used in the western rock lobster industry. 2. Identify viable environmentally friendly plastic alternatives. Read moreRead less
Circular Economy Opportunities For Fisheries And Aquaculture In Australia
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$158,000.00
Summary
Current resource use challenges sustainability and resilience of industries. Circular value chains allow management of waste losses and maximise resource recovery. A circular economy (CE) mimics the cycles in nature in which there is no waste. Maximum value and utility of products and materials is maintained in CE through a combination of extending product lifetimes, increasing resource use intensity, and end-of-life material recycling. CE includes the idea of regenerative development, i.e. as ....Current resource use challenges sustainability and resilience of industries. Circular value chains allow management of waste losses and maximise resource recovery. A circular economy (CE) mimics the cycles in nature in which there is no waste. Maximum value and utility of products and materials is maintained in CE through a combination of extending product lifetimes, increasing resource use intensity, and end-of-life material recycling. CE includes the idea of regenerative development, i.e. as the earth’s resources cycle as materials through the economy they restore and enhance, rather than deplete, natural capital.
Economic opportunities of circularity are well identified, the World Economic Forum estimates global adoption of CE principles would deliver cost savings of US$1trillion dollars per annum by 2025. A recent UTS:ISF study estimated an Australian CE could be worth AU$2 billion by 2025. However, current knowledge gaps constrain how CE may develop, at what scale it makes sense to close loops, and the strategies, policy mix and incentives needed to promote circularity.
For fisheries and aquaculture, CE adoption addresses waste challenges through the creation of new value chains for fish/shell waste and substitution or recycling plastics and provides co-benefits of resource efficiency, contributions to healthy aquatic eco-systems and creation of added value and new employment. Frameworks to guide ‘CE thinking’ exist e.g. Ellen Macarthur Foundation’s 10R’s and ReSOLVE (see Supplementary Material), but have not been explored, are often omitted in food innovation debates (Pagotto and Halog 2015), and opportunities for implementation within the sector are still emerging (e.g., replacement of fish-feed for abalone with wine production waste or repurposing mussel shells as high-nutrient fertiliser). The need to understand the context, opportunity and benefit of CE innovations and to identify strategic approaches to sectoral circularity at scale are apparent.
Objectives: 1. 1. Develop increased knowledge of how the concept of circular economy relates to fishing and aquaculture, including downstream activities such as post-harvest processing and packaging. 2. 2. Develop increased knowledge of how circular practices being applied in other sectors and industries relate to the fishing and aquaculture sectors and could be adopted by fishing and aquaculture businesses. This includes opportunities for fisheries/aquaculture industries to develop circular linkages with other marine and land based sectors. 3. 3. Identify opportunities that are available and areas for exploration in the short, medium and longer term to progress a circular economy for fisheries and aquaculture. 4. 4. Identify barriers to adopting circularity within the fisheries/aquaculture sector, and known strategies for addressing those barriers. Read moreRead less
A Global Review On Implications Of Plastic In Seafood
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$60,513.00
Summary
The project will review and synthesise available global data on the potential effects and implications that plastic is causing in seafood species in the context of the impacts they generate to fishing and aquaculture sectors. Concurrently, using published literature on sources of marine pollution, the abundance of plastic entering aquatic systems from seafood related sources will be quantified, with particular focus to the Australian context. Ultimately, this will give the fisheries sector, part ....The project will review and synthesise available global data on the potential effects and implications that plastic is causing in seafood species in the context of the impacts they generate to fishing and aquaculture sectors. Concurrently, using published literature on sources of marine pollution, the abundance of plastic entering aquatic systems from seafood related sources will be quantified, with particular focus to the Australian context. Ultimately, this will give the fisheries sector, particularly in an Australian setting, the knowledge to evaluate where appropriate mitigation strategies are necessary and reduce the presence and impacts of microplastics in seafood.
This project aligns with FRDC R&D Plan Outcome 1: Growth and Enduring prosperity; In particular, it targets the priorities of: - Improving the understanding of the cause and extent of impacts to aquatic systems and what is needed to improve them - Promote a circular economy to remove waste from the processing system, keep products and materials in use and promote the repair of natural systems
Providing information on how marine pollution may affect the seafood industry and seafood species fished will guide the urgency of future research and allow management and mitigation strategies that support the seafood sector to be developed. Ultimately, quantifying the amount of plastic contributed by the seafood sector to marine plastics will allow us to advance with solutions and uncover where plastic alternatives are most needed.
Objectives: 1. Undertake a systematic review, collating, synthesising and analysing global data on the effects and implications of plastic pollution in seafood species and the seafood industry 2. Identify potential sources of plastic in marine environments, including the percentage coming through fishing and aquaculture 3. Highlight key knowledge gaps, opportunities and threats of plastic in the seafood sector 4. Disseminate findings and information on effects and implications of plastic pollution on seafood species to fishers and managers Read moreRead less
Evaluating Re-usable Containerised Systems For Airfreighting Live Fish Using Bottled Oxygen
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$26,000.00
Summary
Objectives: 1. To monitor changes in water quality when fish are transporsted in an existing fish transport system 2. To monitor changes in water quality when fish are transporsted in an existing fish transport system 3. To reduce the amount of bottled oxygen required to meet the respiratory needs of fish without compromising water quality
Rural R And D For Profit: Easy-Open Oyster Automation
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$458,814.84
Summary
Almost all of the 500 oyster farms in Australia are family farm operations. The annual GVP of the industry is not growing consistently and the number of farms is declining due to the devastation caused by the disease POMS in NSW estuaries. Research by the Seafood CRC showed that only 44% of Australians ever eat oysters and less than 4% eat them regularly. The days when oysters were an expensive delicacy are gone. Oysters are now a loss leader in many seafood outlets. To combat this decline many ....Almost all of the 500 oyster farms in Australia are family farm operations. The annual GVP of the industry is not growing consistently and the number of farms is declining due to the devastation caused by the disease POMS in NSW estuaries. Research by the Seafood CRC showed that only 44% of Australians ever eat oysters and less than 4% eat them regularly. The days when oysters were an expensive delicacy are gone. Oysters are now a loss leader in many seafood outlets. To combat this decline many oyster growers are forming alliances to market their oysters direct to restaurants in Australia and Asia. These offerings are based on freshness and provenance. To deliver on both these promises, the oyster must be delivered to the restaurant live and unopened. Shucking must then be undertaken by an experienced person.
The difficulty in shucking oysters experienced by many people limits the demand for oysters. Most oysters are shucked by staff employed by wholesalers and sold in the half shell. All wholesalers report difficulty in maintaining shucking staff. Also, the eating experience of half shell oysters is inferior to that of freshly shucked oysters.
The easy-open oyster concept was designed to overcome these issues and to lift consumer demand for oysters, thereby enabling the industry to grow. This project aims to deliver at least a 15% premium on the price received by farmers for provenance-guaranteed Easy-Open oysters. In the longer term the desired outcome for oyster farmers is to increase both the volume and annual GVP of oyster sales in Australia.
Objectives: 1. To investigate the use of robotic and laser vision guidance technology to design an automatic system for the Easy-Open process that meets the required performance characteristics of speed, quality and cost effectiveness. 2. To manufacture and commission “Easy Open” Oyster processing machine, for evaluation by three oyster wholesalers. 3. T o have the system commercially manufactured and adopted by the industry. Read moreRead less
New Biomimetic Nanostructured Coatings for Hip Implants. Over 30,000 hip implants operations take place in Australia each year, due largely to a significant and growing proportion of the population suffering from conditions such as osteoporosis. The coating on the implants, required to cause good bone ingrowth and adhesion between bone and implant, is far from perfect. We propose to spray coatings which mimic the structure of bone, and thus offer improved mechanical properties such as appropriat ....New Biomimetic Nanostructured Coatings for Hip Implants. Over 30,000 hip implants operations take place in Australia each year, due largely to a significant and growing proportion of the population suffering from conditions such as osteoporosis. The coating on the implants, required to cause good bone ingrowth and adhesion between bone and implant, is far from perfect. We propose to spray coatings which mimic the structure of bone, and thus offer improved mechanical properties such as appropriate rigidity and toughness, and stimulate better bone growth at the interface. In this way the implant should be much longer lasting and the need for undesirable revision surgery reduced. The processing technique proposed could also be a useful platform coating technology in a number of other industries.Read moreRead less
A Preliminary Assessment Of The Prevalence Of Marine Micro Plastics In Australian Fish, Crustaceans And Molluscs
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$145,666.00
Summary
Plastic pollution has become a significant environmental issue worldwide. World plastics production has increased from around 1.9 million tons in 1950 to more than 330 million tons in 2013 (Worm et al. 2017). Although governments are looking to reduce use of plastics, it is still appearing in marine environments. Besides plastic objects entering the ocean and being broken down into smaller pieces, waste water and runoff also carry microplastics (plastics <5mm) into the ocean. These plastics have ....Plastic pollution has become a significant environmental issue worldwide. World plastics production has increased from around 1.9 million tons in 1950 to more than 330 million tons in 2013 (Worm et al. 2017). Although governments are looking to reduce use of plastics, it is still appearing in marine environments. Besides plastic objects entering the ocean and being broken down into smaller pieces, waste water and runoff also carry microplastics (plastics <5mm) into the ocean. These plastics have the ability to take up toxic compounds from within seawater and are often mistaken for food by marine organisms. Constituents in the plastics ingested may then leach into tissues of organisms, and transfer through the food chain. Recently, concerns have been raised about how anthropogenic debris (including plastics) ingested by animals may impact human health. These concerns have led to governments and Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) such as Greenpeace (particularly in Europe and the USA) investing in research and virtually all have concluded that further research is required. Here in Australia we know that microplastics are found in coastal seafloor sediments, and a recent study suggests plastics are found in some Australian fish from Sydney Harbour. First, we will determine whether plastics are present in Australian fish and shellfish caught and sold for human consumption across Australia, then place this information in the context of international studies identifying which species, habitats or trophic groups are most likely to contain plastics. This study will be an initial investigation to ascertain if plastics are found in seafood in Australia – depending on the outcome of this research subsequent work may be required to investigate linkages between plastics in seafood and human health, identifying the main sources/types of plastic contamination entering the marine environment, as well as considering plastic contamination in seafood risk assessments. Objectives: 1. Determine how widespread the presence of plastics in Australian seafood sold for human consumption is and how this varies across the country including from metropolitan and non-metropolitan markets 2. Place the presence/absence of plastics in Australian seafood into the international context Read moreRead less
Reducing Plastics In The Australian Seafood Industry - Phase 1
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$5,000.00
Summary
Given the current trend by groups such as Planet Ark, local councils, DEH and other industries it is important that the seafood industry is aware of the options/alternatives available for reducing plastics and is seen to be operating as a responsible industry. Internationally, particularly in the EU, there is also a drive to reduce plastics and other non-recyclable materials such as polystyrene. There is no forward planning in the Seafood industry to cover this issue and because ....Given the current trend by groups such as Planet Ark, local councils, DEH and other industries it is important that the seafood industry is aware of the options/alternatives available for reducing plastics and is seen to be operating as a responsible industry. Internationally, particularly in the EU, there is also a drive to reduce plastics and other non-recyclable materials such as polystyrene. There is no forward planning in the Seafood industry to cover this issue and because of the environmental damage that can be caused by plastics it is essential that some background work be done to assess the current position and to create some viable alternatives. Objectives: 1. To undertake a desktop study to review where plastics are used within the Australian Seafood Industry (post harvest) and whether potential alternatives/substitutes are available. Read moreRead less
Enhancing the performance of thin-film photovoltaic cells via the application of luminescent down-shifting layers. Photovoltaic (PV) devices convert sunlight directly into electricity. For decades, the dominant PV technology has been based on thick, costly silicon wafers. However, due to higher energy conversion efficiencies and manufacturing processes, thin film PV cells can provide lower price than of the conventional wafer-based technologies. This project takes one of the leading thin film ....Enhancing the performance of thin-film photovoltaic cells via the application of luminescent down-shifting layers. Photovoltaic (PV) devices convert sunlight directly into electricity. For decades, the dominant PV technology has been based on thick, costly silicon wafers. However, due to higher energy conversion efficiencies and manufacturing processes, thin film PV cells can provide lower price than of the conventional wafer-based technologies. This project takes one of the leading thin film technologies and couples it with a passive optical layer, which will result in a 30% performance enhancement by overcoming internal absorption losses. It is anticipated that the increased performance will enable the thin film PV technology to be far more commercially viable and attractive for future commercialisation, and hence reduce the cost of solar power.Read moreRead less