There is general agreement between government, environment groups, researchers and various industry groups that interactions between users of the marine environment and large marine animals are already a problem, and that interactions are likely to increase as populations of marine mammals recover and industries further develop. There is considerable public concern about such interactions, both nationally and internationally, as recent incidents have demonstrated. There is a growing interest fro ....There is general agreement between government, environment groups, researchers and various industry groups that interactions between users of the marine environment and large marine animals are already a problem, and that interactions are likely to increase as populations of marine mammals recover and industries further develop. There is considerable public concern about such interactions, both nationally and internationally, as recent incidents have demonstrated. There is a growing interest from consumers in buying “clean and green” seafood, and in “ecotourism”. The problems have been well documented; however, there has been less focus on solutions. The most effective way to deal with the problems is to summarise existing information, identify the most pressing issues (including scientific, conservation and industry perspectives), and determine the status of efforts to resolve these issues. The next step is to select key issues to workshop. The workshop is needed to develop solutions and suggest policies which will prevent interactions from occurring in the first place if possible, and minimise harm. Where interactions cannot be prevented, innovative technologies should be identified that may minimise impact. The discussion paper will inform the workshop. Both the discussion paper and the workshop are expected to provide data for the development of appropriate government policies. Objectives: 1. To develop a discussion paper to summarise information about interactions between human activities and marine animals in temperate waters and to determine the key issues affecting large marine vertebrates. This will include an assessment of: available data such as coastal use and the timing of migration of large marine vertebrates; mortality figures; major problems; evaluation of previous attempts to resolve problems; current research both nationally and internationally. 2. To hold a workshop to scope effective methods, techniques and technologies to prevent or minimise problems with marine animals in the key areas identified in the discussion paper. Read moreRead less
Third National Prawn Fisheries Conference – Cairns 2004
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$15,700.97
Summary
All Australian prawn fisheries face a number of common national and international issues. In particular the community expectations and perception of trawl fisheries is having a major impact on current, and future, activities operations. Many prawn fisheries are under pressure to change practices due to real or perceived negative impacts on the marine environment or other marine species. There is no common policy or public approach to these issues and the fisheries are not exchanging informati ....All Australian prawn fisheries face a number of common national and international issues. In particular the community expectations and perception of trawl fisheries is having a major impact on current, and future, activities operations. Many prawn fisheries are under pressure to change practices due to real or perceived negative impacts on the marine environment or other marine species. There is no common policy or public approach to these issues and the fisheries are not exchanging information on their experiences in a constructive manner.
Additionally, international markets are increasing their demands for accreditation of fishing practices from supplier countries and fisheries. Again, there is a need to develop a national approach to this issue and for fisheries to exchange information on how the threat to future sales is being addressed.
International markets are also being overwhelmed by production of prawns from aquaculture and there is no credible marketing approach from wild fisheries to this threat.
In short there is a need for funding support to develop the momentum for a national prawn (fishing) industry conference to be held in 2004 which will provide an opportunity for industry members to be exposed to the key threats and opportunities in their industry and will encourage networks and information exchange between States and fisheries.
Such a forum will address issues identified in the FRDC Strategic Plan relating to Fisheries Management, Industry Development and Human Capital Development. The conference program will provide opportunities for improving management across all prawn fisheries through the exchange of information, it will assist industry development by providing opportunities for coordination of activities at a national level and will provide a forum for providing members of the industry with better information, therefore contributing to the human capital in the industry. Objectives: 1. To establish a National Prawn Fisheries Conference on the national industry agenda. 2. To expose industry members to key national and international issues and advances relevant to their industry 3. To form networks between members of Australia’s prawn fisheries Read moreRead less
Cross-cultural institution-building and development interventions: linking applied and critical approaches. This project will examine cross-cultural institutions created in the context of development, planning and management interventions. The proposed collaboration will support two APAI scholars to research the social and cultural processes whereby such institutions engage local communities in resource mapping, planning and decision-making. One scholar will work in East Timor, the other in the ....Cross-cultural institution-building and development interventions: linking applied and critical approaches. This project will examine cross-cultural institutions created in the context of development, planning and management interventions. The proposed collaboration will support two APAI scholars to research the social and cultural processes whereby such institutions engage local communities in resource mapping, planning and decision-making. One scholar will work in East Timor, the other in the Northern Territory. A key objective is to combine applied and critical approaches in expanding our understanding of the interactions that takes place between external agencies and local communities. The research will contribute to the improved design and implementation of initiatives for managing local resources.Read moreRead less
The relationship between mining companies and mine-affected communities in developing countries. Conflicts with local communities have been a major source of social risk for mining companies operating in Indonesia and other parts of the Asia Pacific region, and this research will contribute to Australian national security by dealing directly with this issue. It will contribute to the formation of better policies and practices for empowering women and empowering communities in the Indonesian mini ....The relationship between mining companies and mine-affected communities in developing countries. Conflicts with local communities have been a major source of social risk for mining companies operating in Indonesia and other parts of the Asia Pacific region, and this research will contribute to Australian national security by dealing directly with this issue. It will contribute to the formation of better policies and practices for empowering women and empowering communities in the Indonesian mining sector. At a regional and global scale, the lessons learnt about the construction of effective strategies for 'engendering' the development process will be applicable in other locations where Australian capital, technology and expertise are invested in large-scale industrial development, both inside and outside of the mining sector.Read moreRead less
Tactical Research Fund: A Review Of The Ecological Impacts Of Selected Antibiotics And Antifoulants Currently Used In The Tasmanian Salmonid Farming Industry And Development Of A Research Programme To Evaluate The Environmental Impact Of Selected Treatments.
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$52,560.00
Summary
The Tasmanian salmonid industry has recently been faced with several significant production issues necessitating increased use of antibiotics and antifoulants. The effects of these chemicals on the local ecology and ecosystem function are currently poorly understood and without evidence to the contrary, it is difficult for the industry to refute the perception that such chemicals have a detrimental effect on the environment.
There is a large body of literature regarding the effects of ....The Tasmanian salmonid industry has recently been faced with several significant production issues necessitating increased use of antibiotics and antifoulants. The effects of these chemicals on the local ecology and ecosystem function are currently poorly understood and without evidence to the contrary, it is difficult for the industry to refute the perception that such chemicals have a detrimental effect on the environment.
There is a large body of literature regarding the effects of antibiotics, however the information pertaining to aquaculture is limited. Improvements in husbandry and vaccine development have now all but eliminated the use of antibiotics in aquaculture overseas, consequently there have been few recent aquaculture specific studies, with even fewer studies on ecosystem effects, the available information largely focussing on environmental persistence and antibiotic resistance. However, there is quite a lot of information in the terrestrial livestock and medical areas on the comparative effects of various antibiotics as well as quite a substantial ecotoxicological literature. In contrast there is a substantial local literature on the environmental impacts of antifoulants and heavy metals. There is a need for a targeted review to establish environmental risk factors associated with current antibiotic and antifoulant usage and to develop an appropriate strategy to research and monitor ongoing impacts.
Some data on sediment residue levels for both antibiotics and antifoulants has been collected by the salmon industry in compliance with drug/chemical licensing permit conditions authorities and by the state government in response to concerns regarding antibiotic usage. So far this data has not been collated and has only been subjected to preliminary analysis; a comprehensive evaluation of this data would markedly improve our understanding of current impacts and help to determine what additional information may be required. Objectives: 1. Undertake a review of the international literature and current research to identify the existing state of knowledge regarding the environmental effects of antibiotics and antifoulants currently used or likely to be used in the Tasmanian salmonid farming industry. 2. Analyse local datasets on currently used antibiotics and antifoulants, collected in compliance with current licensing requirements, to determine what additional information is needed (if any) to appropriately evaluate the environmental impact of current management practices. 3. Develop an appropriate and cost effective research proposal to obtain the necessary information to evaluate the impact of current management strategies and design an appropriate ongoing monitoring programme. Read moreRead less
National Atlas Of Fishing Activities And Coastal Communities
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$629,047.50
Summary
The proposal addresses a number of specific needs, as expressed in the FRDC research and development plan:
- Effects of fishing activities on fish and their ecosystems (Program 1, Strategy 3) - information on the spatial distribution and intensity of catch of species and effort is fundamental to assessing the effects of fishing on the environment. It is also very useful in assessment of individual stocks. - Access to fisheries resources (Program 1, Strategy 8) - the distribution and ....The proposal addresses a number of specific needs, as expressed in the FRDC research and development plan:
- Effects of fishing activities on fish and their ecosystems (Program 1, Strategy 3) - information on the spatial distribution and intensity of catch of species and effort is fundamental to assessing the effects of fishing on the environment. It is also very useful in assessment of individual stocks. - Access to fisheries resources (Program 1, Strategy 8) - the distribution and value of fishing, as well as the potential social and economic impacts, is a vital consideration in multiple use planning (eg. Marine Protected Area planning). - Fisheries and ecosystems management (Program 1, Strategy 10) - the proposal would make a significant contribution to ecosystem based and multiple use planning under the Regional Marine Planning process. - Economic and social values of the industry and its impacts (Program 2, Strategy 2) - the proposal specifically aims to investigate socio-economic aspects of fisheries and connect these to marine resources. This will also assist in fulfilling ESD requirements. - Community education (Program 3, Strategy 4) - the two major outputs (paper and web) will be widely available and comprise a valuable information resource for all Australians.
A tight schedule has been set for the development of Regional Marine Plans across Australia. Planning will require detailed information on the nature and extent of marine fishing activities. Nowhere has this information been drawn together to provide a body of data for use in regional marine planning. To ensure that the interests of the fishing industry are appropriately represented in the planning process it is important that accurate information is presented in a form that will be useful.
Similarly, the socio-economic nature of coastal communities and their degree of dependence on marine fisheries resources is poorly understood. The proposed research will provide a basis for identifying the social impacts of proposed changes to fisheries management arrangement and developing strategies for appropriate government interventions to reduce adverse impacts.
Objectives: 1. To develop a strategy for the management of national fisheries data. The strategy will focus on partnership arrangements and agreements with custodian agencies, scheduled data maintenance and updating and systems of data distribution. The strategy will refer to marine and estuarine commercial fishing and aquaculture specifically but will also consider recreational and indigenous fishing. 2. To develop a strategy for collection and collation of social data on an ongoing basis for future resource management use. 3. To undertake a one off fisheries national fisheries data collection, within the context of the National Fisheries Data Strategy development. These data will focus on catch, effort, method, location and port of landing collected from logbooks and fishery returns. 4. To derive social, demographic and economic profiles of coastal communities from existing data (1991, 1996 and 2001 ABS census data; BRS, AFMA and ABARE data; state and local government and other data sources such as consultants reports etc.) 5. To relate mapped fisheries resource usage to coastal communities. Read moreRead less
Improving employment outcomes for Australians with disability. This project aims to provide evidence about how to improve employment outcomes for people with disability. Nearly one in five adult Australians have a disability and just over half of these are in the labour force; a modest increase in employment rates will have significant social and economic benefits for people with disability and society. By collecting longitudinal quantitative (survey) and qualitative (interview) data at three ti ....Improving employment outcomes for Australians with disability. This project aims to provide evidence about how to improve employment outcomes for people with disability. Nearly one in five adult Australians have a disability and just over half of these are in the labour force; a modest increase in employment rates will have significant social and economic benefits for people with disability and society. By collecting longitudinal quantitative (survey) and qualitative (interview) data at three time points from over 1500 jobseekers with disability, critical information should be gained about how the characteristics of employment services, workplaces and jobseekers contribute to sustainable, meaningful employment for people with disability.Read moreRead less
Developing the capacity to model the impact of interventions that target high-risk drinking among young Australians. Alcohol use is a major contributing factor to social and health problems among young Australians. The project will inform the development of effective policy by providing multidisciplinary research evidence and the capacity to model how various interventions impact on the prevalence of alcohol-related problems.
Enhancing The Understanding Of The Value Provided To Fisheries By Man-made Aquatic Structures
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$376,840.06
Summary
The north west of Western Australia has productive commercial and recreational fisheries and extensive offshore oil and gas (O&G) infrastructure. These man-made structures support a range of demersal and pelagic fishes which are targeted by recreational and commercial fishers. As this O&G infrastructure reaches the end of its productive life, decisions on the best practice option for decommissioning must be made. The current policy for decommissioning requires complete removal. Regulators may su ....The north west of Western Australia has productive commercial and recreational fisheries and extensive offshore oil and gas (O&G) infrastructure. These man-made structures support a range of demersal and pelagic fishes which are targeted by recreational and commercial fishers. As this O&G infrastructure reaches the end of its productive life, decisions on the best practice option for decommissioning must be made. The current policy for decommissioning requires complete removal. Regulators may support alternative strategies, such as leaving infrastructure in place, if risks and impacts are minimised and there are clear environmental, social and economic benefits to do so. It is thought that removal of infrastructure will decrease catch rates and have negative ecological, economic (direct and downstream) and social consequences.
At the same time as the discussion is occurring about removing O&G infrastructure, there have been large investments in constructing and installing purpose built man-made aquatic structures on the seafloor for the express purpose of enhancing the experience of recreational fishers and SCUBA divers.
There is a need to deliver critical information on: 1) the ecological, economic and social value of these man-made structures to recreational and commercial fishers and other stakeholders; 2) the attitudes of stakeholders to man-made structures; and 3) the opportunities and risks of decommissioning strategies to fishers and other groups (e.g. tourism).
Policy regarding the removal of decommissioned structures will benefit from the increased clarity that this project will provide in regards to data requirements for socio-economic models and stakeholder consultation methods. Comparative assessments of decommissioning options rely on the existence of appropriate socio-economic data, a knowledge gap this project aims to fill. An understanding of the impact of man-made aquatic structures on recreational and commercial fisheries is a global priority, and as such this project has strong international importance and relevance.
Objectives: 1. To develop conceptual qualitative, semi-quantitative and quantitative models for describing the socio-economic values and decide what information is needed to give stakeholders an understanding of the value of manmade aquatic structures in the marine environment. 2. To collate a list and description of the manmade aquatic structures in the marine environment in Western Australian and the associated social, economic and biodiversity data. 3. To collect and collate data on four manmade aquatic structures in the marine environment and develop and compare the costs and benefits of qualitative, semi-quantitative and quantitative models. 4. To develop a decision support system or framework for undertaking socio-economic evaluations of manmade aquatic structures which can be used throughout Australia and guide end users on how to develop qualitative, semi-quantitative and quantitative models depending on their information requirements. Read moreRead less
Non-Market Impact Valuation For Fisheries RD&E (Phase I)
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$42,000.00
Summary
FRDC requires a study to assess and compile relevant, publicly available, non-market impact valuation studies for potential use in future FRDC RD&E impact assessments and an assessment of the major gaps in the available non-market information related to the environmental and social impacts of fisheries RD&E to inform and prioritise potential future willingness-to-pay studies. Objectives: 1. Assess and compile relevant, publicly available, non-market impact valuation studies for po ....FRDC requires a study to assess and compile relevant, publicly available, non-market impact valuation studies for potential use in future FRDC RD&E impact assessments and an assessment of the major gaps in the available non-market information related to the environmental and social impacts of fisheries RD&E to inform and prioritise potential future willingness-to-pay studies. Objectives: 1. Assess and compile relevant, publicly available, non-market impact valuation studies for potential use in future FRDC RD&E impact assessments. 2. Identify and prioritise the major data/information gaps in the available non-market information related to the environmental and social impacts of fisheries RD&E to inform potential future willingness-to-pay studies. Read moreRead less