Pilchard mortality events in Australia and related world events

Funded Activity Summary

The lack of a consolidated report on the 1995 pilchard mortality event hampered the Joint Pilchard Scientific Working Group in its investigation of the 1998 mortality event. It remains uncertain that the response to the 1998 mortality was efficient and it poses the risk that should another event occur in the future, it too will be met with a poorly-coordinated response. Such a response may not yield adequate data or appropriate data for researchers and fisheries managers around Australia. There is also a risk that scientific investigations may be duplicated, resulting in an inefficient use of industry and public resources.

The lack of a detailed analysis of the events of both 1995 and 1998 and of similar events in other parts of the world compound the difficulties involved in an evaluation of the implications of the mortalities to commercial fisheries and other species which depend wholly or in part on access to pilchards, eg sea lions and penguins.

Objectives:
1. Prepare a comprehensive report of pilchard mortality events in Australian waters prior to 1995 and in waters world wide to the present time
2. Provide a summary of the 1995 pilchard mortality event
3. Prepare a comprehensive and competent technical report on the pilchard mortality event in 1998
4. Describe and evaluate the coordinating and managing approaches taken in 1995 and 1998 pilchard mortality events
5. Assess the implications of the pilchard mortality events
6. Evaluate the conclusions which can be drawn from various hypothese as to the cause, origin, trigger and epizootiology of the events
7. Assess options for managing future pilchard mortality events

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 21-10-1999

End Date: 16-04-2004

Funding Scheme: Funding Scheme not available

Funding Amount: $59,025.44

Funder: Fisheries Research and Development Corporation

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

There are no FoR codes available for this funding activity

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

There are no SEO codes available for this funding activity

Other Keywords

Animal Health | Biology | Biotechnology | Biotoxin | Disease | Environmental Impact | Fisheries Management | Mortality | Physiology

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