Profiling And Tracking Change In Australia's Seafood Workforce: Establishing A Baseline Workforce Dataset
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$259,342.00
Summary
The project developed to address the call for EOI recognises that the seafood workforce is diverse and operates within a changing natural, technological, and socioeconomic environment, providing unique challenges and opportunities. The seafood workforce also, however, operates within the wider Australian economy where rural and regional employment, small-medium business operations, and increasing value-adding opportunities are common topics of interest. The project proposes to provide a comprehe ....The project developed to address the call for EOI recognises that the seafood workforce is diverse and operates within a changing natural, technological, and socioeconomic environment, providing unique challenges and opportunities. The seafood workforce also, however, operates within the wider Australian economy where rural and regional employment, small-medium business operations, and increasing value-adding opportunities are common topics of interest. The project proposes to provide a comprehensive assessment of the current data framework, make recommendations for improving it, and develop a baseline workforce dataset. The focus will be on the potential to use existing sources of data (particularly administrative data collected by government institutions and data that is required to be collected) and how and when those need to be effectively complemented with additional data. Administrative data are confidential and access limited as is the variety of seafood industry data often collected. Accessing administrative data is explicitly part of this proposal and identifying the sources of, and the type of data available, from industry surveys. Objectives: 1. To establish a baseline workforce dataset to address the lack of accessible, accurate workforce data 2. To identify how to overcome the shortcomings of official classifications to better align data information with how the seafood industry and its workforce operate. 3. To determine how using whole of population statistical data may provide a more accurate picture of the seafood industry workforce 4. To use available literature and expert input to provide an understanding of the true diversity of employment in the seafood sector. 5. To undertake a comprehensive stock-take of the relevant current data sources recording information on the seafood industry workforce. 6. To undertake a comprehensive analysis of the existing data sources and investigate the usefulness of large administrative data such as BLADE/MADIP. 7. To closely involve seafood industry participants through an effective stakeholder engagement strategy and promote a co-design element to the project 8. To provide recommendations to address data gaps and improve the utility of current data, and support the FRDC in meeting the objectives of its Capability and Capacity Building Strategy. Read moreRead less
Publication Of Fisheries Management And Assessment Papers From World Fisheries Congress Shark Workshop
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$9,000.00
Summary
Publication of information on management and assessment of the world’s shark fisheries and descriptions of these fisheries are very limited compared with that for scalefish, crustacean and shellfish fisheries.
Sharks are often characterised as long-lived, slow-growing and producing few offspring. In addition to the knowledge of the peculiarities of shark biology, experience of declining catch rates in several shark fisheries and the frequently made assumption that sharks have direct sto ....Publication of information on management and assessment of the world’s shark fisheries and descriptions of these fisheries are very limited compared with that for scalefish, crustacean and shellfish fisheries.
Sharks are often characterised as long-lived, slow-growing and producing few offspring. In addition to the knowledge of the peculiarities of shark biology, experience of declining catch rates in several shark fisheries and the frequently made assumption that sharks have direct stock-recruitment relationships have led to doubts about whether sharks can be harvested sustainably.
Stocks of established shark fisheries are said to decline before sufficient data become available for stock assessment (Compagno 1990). The few attempts at assessing shark stocks have produced questionable results because of insufficient data or the use of models incorporating invalid assumptions (Anderson 1990). In addition, it should be noted that of the four major publications that relate to shark fisheries management and assessment listed under B2 Background, only the papers presented in Pepperell (1992) were rigorously refereed through the international scientific review system.
The project outlined in this application will provide a collection of internationally reviewed fishery assessment and management papers on the shark fisheries of Australia and other parts of the world. This will contribute to further enhancing the reputation of Australia in the fields of shark fishery management and assessment.
References
Anderson, E. D. (1990). Fishery models as applied to elasmobranch fisheries. In 'Elasmobranchs as Living Resources: Advances in the Biology, Ecology, Systematics, and the Status of the Fisheries'. (Eds H. L. Pratt, Jr., S. H. Gruber, and T. Taniuchi.) pp. 473-484. U.S. Dep. Commer., NOAA Technical Report NMFS 90.
Compagno, L. J. V. (1990). Shark exploitation and conservation. In 'Elasmobranchs as Living Resources: Advances in the Biology, Ecology, Systematics, and the Status of the Fisheries'. (Eds H. L. Pratt, Jr., S. H. Gruber, and T. Taniuchi.) pp. 391-414. U.S. Dep. Commer., NOAA Technical Report NMFS 90.
Pepperell, J. G. (Ed.). (1992) ‘Sharks: Biology and Fisheries’. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 43, 1-212. Objectives: 1. Publish a set of high quality internationally reviewed papers on shark fisheries management and assessment in a special issue of the Australian jounal Marine and Freshwater Research. Read moreRead less
Tactical Response Fund: Understanding The Drivers Of Fisher Engagement With Industry Bodies
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$78,160.00
Summary
The wildcatch fishing industry throughout Australia is declining in number, but more alarming is the significant decline in fisher participation in representative bodies. The declining membership of fishers in representative bodies is undermining the success of the industry in business and political arenas.
Launched in Feburary this year, Wildcatch Fisheries SA (WFSA) was established to re-unite the South Australian wildcatch fisheries under a single representative body. The organisat ....The wildcatch fishing industry throughout Australia is declining in number, but more alarming is the significant decline in fisher participation in representative bodies. The declining membership of fishers in representative bodies is undermining the success of the industry in business and political arenas.
Launched in Feburary this year, Wildcatch Fisheries SA (WFSA) was established to re-unite the South Australian wildcatch fisheries under a single representative body. The organisational structure has a Council of representatives of the 13 fisheries (including comonwealth wildcatch licence holders) and a Board of Management providing for three Councillors and three independent Directors. Membership is based on individual voluntary membership of licence holders.
Although all industry sector associations and individual fishers strongly supported the development of WFSA, there has been only limited uptake of individual voluntary membership. The Council and Board unanimously identified that understanding the reasons for lack of engagement by fishers to the layers of representative bodies was a critical develpment priority for the organisation and the industry. The WFSA Councillors and Directors, along with the sector association executive, are aware that the ongoing success of the wildcatch fishing industry is through service delivery, advice and representation on a range of statewide issues the best placed group to deliver these outcomes is the State representative body.
Although industry leaders are aware of the importance of representative organisations, individual fishers remain apathetic and uncommitted to join their sector or state representative bodies. To develop a strong and secure seafood industry at a sector, state and national level, we must understand the mechanisms driving the individual's decision not to join these organisations. Moreover, we need to clarify the individual's needs and expectations so that strategic and business plans are tailored to deliver tangible, long lasting benefits to the industry and therefore members. Objectives: 1. Understand the drivers for uptake and non-uptake of individual voluntary membership of representative organisations. 2. Understand the issues affecting membership of representative organisations. 3. Assist sectors to identify and develop guiding principles that enables strong membership for representative organisations. 4. To identify strategies to build organisational capacity to provide and demonstrate value to members. Read moreRead less
The Progression Of Abalone Fishery Performance Indicators
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$30,000.00
Summary
The FRDC has requested the development with respect to abalone of “an application that takes a national approach to management strategy evaluation development and implementation. This should include economic, environmental, social and governance indicators.” In order to achieve this a workshop is proposed that brings together representatives from Industry, Management and Research from the abalone producing States plus other invited experts in abalone and management strategy evaluation.
The FRDC has requested the development with respect to abalone of “an application that takes a national approach to management strategy evaluation development and implementation. This should include economic, environmental, social and governance indicators.” In order to achieve this a workshop is proposed that brings together representatives from Industry, Management and Research from the abalone producing States plus other invited experts in abalone and management strategy evaluation.
There are R&D initiatives in most Australian fisheries and NZ to collect finer scale and more comprehensive data about abalone populations and fishing. These initiatives are also highlighted in the “Harvest Optimisation” and “Sustainability and Environment” investment platforms of the ACA Strategic Plan, within several Objectives including to “Establish management tools and models that enable targeted harvesting of fish to optimise market returns”. It is not yet clear how or what finer scale data will be used to generate the most informative fishery Performance Indicators, although MSE will provide the structure to assess this.
To maximize the value of outcomes from the proposed Workshop, the ACA needs to focus on the strategic direction of finer scale data collection, its incorporation into fishery Performance Indicators and their assessment through techniques such as MSE. Such a focus would allow the ACA to participate in the Workshop with a clear plan for R&D investment in these important directions. Objectives: 1. Determine R&D requirements relating to appropriate performance measures and indicators and the modelling of these measures and indicators; 2. Identify available data, and the relevance of current research; 3. Assess the commitment of management to move towards finer scale spatial management; and the associated performance measures and indicators for this shift in management; 4. Identify and assess the utility of different performance indicators and the methodology for assessment against future management needs; 5. Develop an application that takes a national approach to management strategy evaluation development and implementation. This should include economic, environmental, social and governance indicators. 6. Evaluate hierarchical approaches to application of PI for abalone fishery assessment 7. Provide a range of performance indicators to Haddon et al for testing within the MSE framework Read moreRead less
Evaluation Of Non-trawl Harvest Methods For Red Snapper In Northern Australia
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$74,875.79
Summary
Objectives: 1. To evaluate catch rates and size rangesof red snapper and other commercial species under selected harvest method 2. To evaluate ease and cost of operating selected harvest methods 3. To evaluate extent of environmental impact of selected harvesting methods 4. To assess commercial viability and environmental acceptability of selected harvest methods
Update And World-wide Distribution Of Australian Fisheries Resource Information
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$90,080.00
Summary
There is a need to make information on important Australian fishes available to Australian scientists, managers, policy-makers, industry, business, students and the public so they can make timely and better informed decisions on matters concerning fish.
Increasingly, there is a need to quickly access information from outside Australia to assist in understanding Australian fishes eg. obtaining information on a fish stock Australia shares with another country, or a new fish resource t ....There is a need to make information on important Australian fishes available to Australian scientists, managers, policy-makers, industry, business, students and the public so they can make timely and better informed decisions on matters concerning fish.
Increasingly, there is a need to quickly access information from outside Australia to assist in understanding Australian fishes eg. obtaining information on a fish stock Australia shares with another country, or a new fish resource that already has a history in another country. The most efficient way of doing this is via a centralised database containing information on fishes world-wide.
The work on FISHBASE forms part of a world-wide initiative facilitated by FAO and ICLARM to make technical information for fisheries resources more widely accessible to scientists and other users of the information. Australia makes considerable resources available to these organisations, and has a high profile and good reputation in international fisheries fora. The provision of Australian information into FISHBASE will profoundly enhance FISHBASE and is likely to engender greater use and success of the product; this will undoubtably be viewed favourably by international agencies. Objectives: 1. To provide a useful, up-to-date, national and international database of species biology, ecology and management for the commercially-important fish in Australia (about 70 species according to the 'Australian Fisheries Resources’ publication). Read moreRead less
Community Trust In Rural Industries - A Framework For Advancing Social Acceptance Of The Agriculture Sector In Australia - A Joint RDC Initiative
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$105,000.00
Summary
AgriFutures Australia, on behalf of the RDC funding partners, is seeking to develop a sector wide understanding of community trust in rural industries. This scope includes identifying key and material issues with industry stakeholders in order to effectively baseline community sentiment quantitatively. This baseline will then provide data against which additional data collection activities in years two and three may be used to assess sector initiatives designed to improve trust, monitor changes ....AgriFutures Australia, on behalf of the RDC funding partners, is seeking to develop a sector wide understanding of community trust in rural industries. This scope includes identifying key and material issues with industry stakeholders in order to effectively baseline community sentiment quantitatively. This baseline will then provide data against which additional data collection activities in years two and three may be used to assess sector initiatives designed to improve trust, monitor changes in community trust and its drivers due to external factors, and clearly communicate sector sustainability narratives to key external and internal stakeholders. Moreover, there is significant power in approaching this as a collective of agricultural industries to develop a consolidated, consistent framework for community trust that may then be used in industry-specific ways as required. Objectives: 1. A stakeholder engagement process to determine the industry’s key social license issues 2. An annual quantitative benchmark survey of community sentiment, including issues identified in the stakeholder engagement process 3. Pathways and models for improving community trust and acceptance over time 4. A report outlining the social insights and trust building strategies 5. Supporting communication material to facilitate interpretation of the data insights and research outcomes Read moreRead less
Seafood CRC: Time-temperature Management To Maximise Returns Through The Prawn Supply Chain
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$124,250.00
Summary
There are many opportunities for product to deteriorate in the value chain. However appropriate correction actions imply a transparent view of handling conditions. For seafood in general, temperature has the greatest effect on product quality. However, it is not just temperature but exposure time. As such, knowing the specific time-temperature profile of a product is essential to interpret effects of steps in the supply chain that maximise quality, and those that do not. Knowing where correct ha ....There are many opportunities for product to deteriorate in the value chain. However appropriate correction actions imply a transparent view of handling conditions. For seafood in general, temperature has the greatest effect on product quality. However, it is not just temperature but exposure time. As such, knowing the specific time-temperature profile of a product is essential to interpret effects of steps in the supply chain that maximise quality, and those that do not. Knowing where correct handling occurs will allow an industry to focus its resources on where mistakes are made.
Currently, knowledge about the performance of prawn chains is mostly anecdotal and doesn’t ensure that remedial actions are appropriately targeted. A remedy to this problem is Time-Temperature Indicators (TTIs) that provide clear evidence about chain performance and permit fisheries and the ACPF to plan corrective actions.
However the effects of time-temperature on quality parameters cannot be extrapolated across all product forms. For example, microbiological changes that affect quality occur at different rates for raw versus cooked product, and for frozen versus chilled product. Such differences are influenced by physical process that can reduce microbial load, inactivate/activate chemical reactions and increase water activity. In addition, microbial load and types of spoilage organisms can differ by fishery. For example, tropical conditions select for species of bacteria that do not survive well under refrigeration, whereas fisheries in cooler environments do.
For these reasons, this project will develop predictive tools that consider the effect of fishery and product type on changes in prawn quality, thus providing industry with robust tools for improving handling practices. However, successfully using these tools assumes that industry collects time-temp data. Therefore, this project will test and identify TTIs that are suitable (accurate, robust, cost-effective) for prawn supply chains. Objectives: 1. Produce predictive models for King prawns that consider fisheries and product type 2. Map supply time-temperature profiles to identify points that reduce product quality 3. Validate predictive models in commercial supply chains 4. Identify appropriate TTIs for industry to evaluate the performance of supply chains Read moreRead less
Socio-Economic Study Of The Eastern Gemfish Fishery
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$36,000.00
Summary
Objectives: 1. Identify and develop practical closure options for the eastern gemfish fishery. 2. Assess each option in terms of: a. the estimated reduction in the kill of eastern gemfish and the benefits there of to the future recovery of the stock; and b the estimated net value of catch directly forgone of other SEF quota species. c key non-quota species. 3. Based on the above assessment determine, as compared to current management arrangements, the direct socio-economic net ....Objectives: 1. Identify and develop practical closure options for the eastern gemfish fishery. 2. Assess each option in terms of: a. the estimated reduction in the kill of eastern gemfish and the benefits there of to the future recovery of the stock; and b the estimated net value of catch directly forgone of other SEF quota species. c key non-quota species. 3. Based on the above assessment determine, as compared to current management arrangements, the direct socio-economic net benefits or costs to groups of fishing operators based in key southern NSW and eastern Victorian ports and to SEF operators as a whole. 4. Determine a preferred closure option and evaluate the overall effectiveness of this option against current management options, taking into account: a. the quantity of gemfish that may be killed. b. the direct and indirect socio-economic effects. c. management costs. d. the perceived support from the fishing. industry and other groups - the objectives of the Fisheries Management Act 1991. 5. Prepare a draft report by 14 September 1995 and a final report by 30 September 1995. Read moreRead less
Identifying Mechanisms And Data Collection Options To Aid Socio-economic Analysis Of The NT Seafood Industry
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$99,000.00
Summary
This project seeks to position the NT seafood industry to have a clear understanding of suitable and cost effective, valued systems and processes for adoption. It is the critical first step required to aid a shift in the behaviour and culture from a government driven data collection process for legislative purposes, to a process that is trusted and valued by industry to deliver data insights beyond regulatory requirements. As a result, it will help position the NT wild harvest and aquaculture se ....This project seeks to position the NT seafood industry to have a clear understanding of suitable and cost effective, valued systems and processes for adoption. It is the critical first step required to aid a shift in the behaviour and culture from a government driven data collection process for legislative purposes, to a process that is trusted and valued by industry to deliver data insights beyond regulatory requirements. As a result, it will help position the NT wild harvest and aquaculture sectors with securing access, investment and development opportunities.
Current negotiations for access to Aboriginal-owned tidal waters have reached a critical point. A gap exists in understanding what level of industry adjustment might be required to ensure Indigenous investment in the industry is not unnecessarily impacted. Better understanding the full value of the NT seafood industry to the NT community could assist with all strategic decisions related to Blue Mud Bay negotiations, infrastructure investments – and help support investment in the industry going forward.
Without a plan to enhance the visibility of the wider socio-economic value and benefits of our industry, we will continue to face increasing pressure on our social licence to operate – which has the potential to impact all aspects of the local industry, including access, industry structure and increased fees. It will also limit our ability to identify the best opportunities for future growth and sustainability.
Further, there is limited availability of current financial and economic information for our individual NT wild harvest fisheries and sector specific aquaculture activities. Due to this lack of information there is little scope for economic analysis, hence limiting opportunities for providing advice to policy and decision makers.
Objectives: 1. Consolidate a methodology for ongoing valuation reporting and capacity for impact assessment of the NT's seafood industry via application of the FRDC’s National Fisheries and Aquaculture Industry social and economic contributions study 2. In consultation with the relevant fishery sectors and the NT Government prepare a list of agreed economic indicators for annual reporting 3. Establish a set of protocols with NTG to provide, on an annual basis, the data already collected and held by NTG that will underpin the preparation of annual economic indicators 4. Develop a program/schedule for undertaking an economic survey of concession holders in NT commercial fisheries Read moreRead less