RFIDS: Identifying The Health And Well-being Benefits Of Recreational Fishing
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$29,459.89
Summary
Recreational fishing is a form of outdoor recreation providing physiological, psychological and social benefits to the community. These benefits, while widely recognised, are inherently difficult to identify and quantify. This project will collate research efforts, initiatives and programs currently underway in Australia around the topic of recreational fishing, health and well-being. This investigation will increase understanding of the health and well-being benefits derived from recreational f ....Recreational fishing is a form of outdoor recreation providing physiological, psychological and social benefits to the community. These benefits, while widely recognised, are inherently difficult to identify and quantify. This project will collate research efforts, initiatives and programs currently underway in Australia around the topic of recreational fishing, health and well-being. This investigation will increase understanding of the health and well-being benefits derived from recreational fishing for different community sectors and stages of life. Determination of the health and well-being benefits to communities from recreational fishing will allow for consideration of these factors in allocation of resources. As an outdoor pursuit that can be enjoyed throughout life, it is important that the recreational fishing sector is recognised for promotion of well-being. Factors requiring consideration include a positive impact on mental health, perceived well-being, prevention of chronic disease and associated reductions in health care burden. These and other factors need to be considered for the true value of recreational fishing to be recognised. Recreational fishing is one of the few outdoor recreational activites that can be enjoyed at almost any age regrardless of skill, experieince or disability. Outcomes of Australian Institute of Criminology research investigating sport, physical activity and antisocial behaviour in youth, as well as international efforts such as the UK 'Get Hooked on Fishing' initiative aimed at providing diversions for youth from antisocial behaviour, will be included in the final analysis. This project represents a first step in consolidating the value of recreational fishing across Australia.
Objectives: 1. Identify current research activities and programs in Australia relating to recreational fishing and health or well-being. 2. Investigate the impact of recreational fishing on the health and well-being of Australian Society Read moreRead less
People Development Program: WINSC Annual Conference Sponsorship
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$49,500.00
Summary
The need exists to bring together WINSC members from wide geographical and demographic spheres as well as from a diverse range of women involved in the Australasian Seafood Industry to hold an annual conference and AGM to build the capacity of its seafood women to contribute to their industry.
Objectives: 1. Organise and conduct a successful annual conference
Social Science Research Coordination Program: Identifying, Communicating And Integrating Social Considerations Into Future Management Concerns In Inshore Fisheries In Coastal Queensland
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$75,000.00
Summary
This study documents the needs and concerns of fishers and their families in Queensland coastal regions to expand the corpus of knowledge about fishing as an industry, for the sake of informing government of social impacts, and to incorporate local social considerations into current and future management plans. The study focuses on how fisheries policies impact on fishers and their families socially and culturally, and how these groups negotiate and respond to political, market and ecologically ....This study documents the needs and concerns of fishers and their families in Queensland coastal regions to expand the corpus of knowledge about fishing as an industry, for the sake of informing government of social impacts, and to incorporate local social considerations into current and future management plans. The study focuses on how fisheries policies impact on fishers and their families socially and culturally, and how these groups negotiate and respond to political, market and ecologically driven management measures. It is significant as it brings together important but little researched aspects of the impact of management decisions on fishers, families and communities. Research is crucial to understand the social legacy of those decisions on the social wellbeing of fishing communities, including the health and quality of life of fishers, families, and those involved in fisheries-related businesses.
Understanding the social costs of policy decisions can help mitigate harmful physical and mental health outcomes, a situation of critical significance to rural, state and national economies. Fishing families and communities are important; they provide substantial regional employment and income to local economies; they underpin the social fabric of many coastal regions which display a strong fishing cultural heritage and are substantial contributors to the social and economic viability of rural communities. However, their ability to weather the social and economic stressors of closures, especially at times of increasing global fisheries pressures, has received limited attention. Few studies have been conducted on the way fishers and their families perceive and value their status as fishers, and how their worldview influences their quality of life, social wellbeing, and their attitudes towards place and the marine environment. Our findings will be of direct use to policy developers in adopting intrinsic measures for social impact assessment, and in integrating local knowledge into future social impact assessments.
Objectives: 1. To examine and compare the attitudes, values and experiences of those involved in viable and vulnerable fisheries, both inshore and offshore, and those fishers and their families who have left the industry; 2. To identify the social and cultural impacts, examining wellbeing, quality of life outcomes and social resilience as a result of fishing closures and fishing effort rationalisation; 3. To examine adjustments in households amongst fishers and spouses; 4. To investigate the ways in which fishers, their families and local communities are adapting to social, economic and ecological change. Read moreRead less
Staying Healthy: Industry Organisations’ Influence On Behaviours And Services Used By Fishers
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$98,308.00
Summary
Research has found that fishers are subject to a multitude of stressors, including those relating to government policies and co-management challenges, a fluctuating market place, crew cohesion and on-shore social relationships, and the pressures of working in a dangerous workplace. Compounding the well-known physical dangers associated with the fishing industry, these factors all place pressure on fisher mental wellbeing, which in turn contributes to issues such as clinically diagnosed anxiety d ....Research has found that fishers are subject to a multitude of stressors, including those relating to government policies and co-management challenges, a fluctuating market place, crew cohesion and on-shore social relationships, and the pressures of working in a dangerous workplace. Compounding the well-known physical dangers associated with the fishing industry, these factors all place pressure on fisher mental wellbeing, which in turn contributes to issues such as clinically diagnosed anxiety disorders, poor eating habits and substance abuse, eg, evidence from around the world suggests that the particular stresses of fishing contribute to higher than average rates of smoking among fishers. Findings from the RIRDC-funded project Staying Healthy: Behaviours and services used by farmers and fishers indicate that while participants from certain farming industry areas have benefited from industry involvement in health and wellbeing, including in relation to mental health, fishers are less likely to report that industry associations have helped them access health and wellbeing information or programs. Some farmers described significant lifestyle changes after participating in programs that were promoted, sponsored or facilitated by trusted industry organisations. As well, recent research (Brooks, 2011, Health and Safety in the Australian Fishing Industry, RIRDC, Canberra) has found a lack of awareness of occupational health and safety among fishers. The Research Audit of Social Sciences Fisheries Research (Clarke, 2009) noted research findings that social wellbeing is related to financial wellbeing, and that social networking is negatively affected by working hours, suggesting a place for an industry specific approach to social connection and mental health. There appears to be a broking role for industry groups and organisations in enhancing the health of the fishing workforce. This project will identify strategies for industry and fishing community organisations to take on this role in effective, but cost and resource efficient, ways.
Objectives: 1. to explore how industry supports fisher physical health and mental wellbeing 2. to develop and trial a set of case studies and best practice guidelines for industry organisations in enhancing fisher health and wellbeing in collaboration with industry, fishing communities and health stakeholders 3. to evaluate the case studies and best practice guidelines Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE230100077
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$441,935.00
Summary
A geospatial toolkit to assess community risk to environmental change. This project seeks to strengthen our understanding of the role of environmental change in driving patterns of community risk, by building a spatially and temporally explicit model, and a risk index that will be designed with input from decision makers. This project expects to improve the implementation of geospatial tools for risk assessment using an innovative approach based on evidence and practice. Expected outcomes includ ....A geospatial toolkit to assess community risk to environmental change. This project seeks to strengthen our understanding of the role of environmental change in driving patterns of community risk, by building a spatially and temporally explicit model, and a risk index that will be designed with input from decision makers. This project expects to improve the implementation of geospatial tools for risk assessment using an innovative approach based on evidence and practice. Expected outcomes include increased and optimal implementation of geospatial data in Australian systems, and enhanced research capacity to proactively respond to environmental change.Read moreRead less
Using multiple data sources to understand the opioid crisis in Australia . This project aims to improve the quality and integration of population-level data for monitoring the consumption of opioids, licit and illicit, in Queensland communities. The analysis of opioids in wastewater, integrated with opioid use information such as prescription and seizure statistics will vastly increase knowledge of consumption patterns of opioids. By analysing wastewater samples from 2011 and triangulating with ....Using multiple data sources to understand the opioid crisis in Australia . This project aims to improve the quality and integration of population-level data for monitoring the consumption of opioids, licit and illicit, in Queensland communities. The analysis of opioids in wastewater, integrated with opioid use information such as prescription and seizure statistics will vastly increase knowledge of consumption patterns of opioids. By analysing wastewater samples from 2011 and triangulating with other datasets, the expected outcomes include building capacity to estimate consumption of all opioids; detecting the misuse of licit and illicit opioids over time. Anticipated benefit is to provide objective evidence of opioid use patterns for decision makers and a framework for a national opioids monitoring program.Read moreRead less
Where we belong: Connecting Indigenous identity and well-being in the city. This project aims to address a critical knowledge gap about the lived experience of well-being for urban/sub-urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. This project intends to provide an empirical understanding of the importance of identity and belonging for well-being from an Indigenous standpoint. Expected outcomes of this project include an in-depth, holistic, and place-based understanding of Indigenous- ....Where we belong: Connecting Indigenous identity and well-being in the city. This project aims to address a critical knowledge gap about the lived experience of well-being for urban/sub-urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. This project intends to provide an empirical understanding of the importance of identity and belonging for well-being from an Indigenous standpoint. Expected outcomes of this project include an in-depth, holistic, and place-based understanding of Indigenous-determined pathways to living well in the city and identifying community-based policy opportunities. This project has the potential to contribute to significant social and cultural benefits, such as improving Indigenous community well-being, healing intergenerational trauma, and promoting social cohesion and reconciliation.Read moreRead less
Our Pledge: Australian Seafood Industry Response To Community Values And Expectations
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$153,484.97
Summary
Despite considerable investment in RD&E to understand why the Australian seafood industry has been experiencing diminished levels of socio-political and community acceptability, there is still uncertainty regarding the significant values of different segments of the Australian community for coastal and marine systems, their management and industry (Essence Communications 2015). Further, there is evidence these values and associated expectations are highly changeable and can have significant indi ....Despite considerable investment in RD&E to understand why the Australian seafood industry has been experiencing diminished levels of socio-political and community acceptability, there is still uncertainty regarding the significant values of different segments of the Australian community for coastal and marine systems, their management and industry (Essence Communications 2015). Further, there is evidence these values and associated expectations are highly changeable and can have significant individual, business and national repercussions. While the seafood industry already operates from a strong values-based position of its own - ‘sustainability’, there is evidence the community's concerns have expanded to include animal welfare, supply chain integrity, modern slavery for example.
Understanding community values and expectations is important but not enough. Industry must articulate and demonstrate its commitments to addressing kncommunity expectations. This is critical to breaking the reactive negative cycle that threatens resource access, mental health and viability of our industry. A means of monitoring and tracking industry's success in responding to the community's changing expectations and values must also be developed.
Seafood Industry Australia's (SIA) members have identified social licence. This project is a tangible commitment to a national conversation and action to address community values. It is an opportunity to build seafood industry unity on the basis of a set of shared values and supporting practices.
Australian Council of Prawn Fisheries (ACPF) has initiated a lot of this listening and values-related work relevant to wild catch prawns. ACPF is ready to design, implement and evaluate activities that embed these values as messages and convey the supporting or changing behaviours as proof. ACPF needs to ensure that its outputs reflect the direction of the Australia seafood industry and sees advantages in liaising with SIA as it produces outputs at sector level. In doing so, it will provide a test case for how other seafood industry sectors can undertake to acknowledge and respond to community values and expectations, and make a national set of shared industry-community values their own. Objectives: 1. Identify values of major segments of the Australian community for fisheries resources and seafood industries, and expectations of industry behaviours that support those values 2. Identify values of the Australian seafood industry that are common across the industry at national and sector/regional scales 3. Establish industry response to community values and expectations, including measurable benchmarks of industry behaviours and performance that demonstrate commitment 4. Demonstrate and evaluate the effectiveness of a community engagement and communication strategy that is built on recognised shared values and committment to supporting industry behaviours (Extension proof of concept – Prawns) 5. Increase capacity of industry's current and emerging leaders to engage in values-and-behaviours conversations with community leaders on an ongoing basis Read moreRead less
Practicing Aquatic Animal Welfare: Identifying And Mitigating Obstacles To Uptake And Adoption By The Australian Fishing Industry
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$100,100.00
Summary
Recent research shows general public support for Australia’s fishing industry (Sparks 2017; Voyer et al 2016) that depends on people’s assessments of industry’s commitment to implement best practice and demonstration of being effective environmental stewards (Mazur et al 2014). The FRDC has recognised external pressure for the fishing industry to move beyond compliance with environmental and other regulations and improve its performance in key areas, including animal welfare. As noted above, th ....Recent research shows general public support for Australia’s fishing industry (Sparks 2017; Voyer et al 2016) that depends on people’s assessments of industry’s commitment to implement best practice and demonstration of being effective environmental stewards (Mazur et al 2014). The FRDC has recognised external pressure for the fishing industry to move beyond compliance with environmental and other regulations and improve its performance in key areas, including animal welfare. As noted above, the FRDC has provided support for a range of research and industry initiatives to achieve positive aquatic animal welfare outcomes. The FRDC also recognises that further improvement to the seafood industry’s aquatic animal welfare practices are required.
Recent FRDC project investments has produced valuable knowledge about how when change is called for it is very important to recognise that multiple factors influence – positively and/or negatively - people’s decisions to take up those new, innovative, and/or different practices (i.e. 2017-133, 2017-046, 2017-221). These factors typically include personal values and belief systems, access to different kinds of resources required to make changes, particular features of the recommended practices, as well as a range of macro-levels factors that while they may be outside of people’s direct control still affect their choices. FRDC Project 2017-133 generated important insights about how and to what extent these kinds of factors have been keeping the seafood industry from making more substantive progress towards building greater stakeholder and community trust (Mazur & Brooks 2018).
Further work of this nature is now needed to shed greater light on aquatic animal welfare in the seafood industry (FRDC 2017-221). In particular the research should be focused on identifying the particular features of ‘best care’ for aquatic animals, the range of factors that may be obstructing industry members’ use of those practices, and examples of recent (extension) initiatives used to encourage better aquatic animal welfare.
Objectives: 1. Identifying best practice in (aquatic) animal welfare. 2. Identify the extent to which fishers and finfish aquaculture farms are applying best practice in Australia 3. Identify factors impeding the uptake and adoption of a selection of recommended aquatic animal welfare practices in wild-catch commercial fishing and finfish aquaculture 4. Identify appropriate strategies to mitigate obstacles to improved uptake and adoption of those recommended practices 5. Help build the Australian fishing industry's capacity to design and implement extension programs, especially those targeting increased uptake and adoption of recommended aquatic animal welfare practices 6. Contribute to increased likelihood of more widespread and enduring practice-change in the seafood industry's aquatic animal welfare practices in wild-catch commercial fishing and finfish aquaculture Read moreRead less
Co-designing a Food Sovereignty Model with Indigenous Communities. Food sovereignty asserts the rights of people and communities to healthy and culturally appropriate foods through determination of their own food and agriculture systems. With food insecurity higher among Indigenous households; a food sovereignty approach offers the potential for sustainable long-term solutions that maintain human dignity and reinvigorate knowledge systems. Drawing on national and international perspectives and u ....Co-designing a Food Sovereignty Model with Indigenous Communities. Food sovereignty asserts the rights of people and communities to healthy and culturally appropriate foods through determination of their own food and agriculture systems. With food insecurity higher among Indigenous households; a food sovereignty approach offers the potential for sustainable long-term solutions that maintain human dignity and reinvigorate knowledge systems. Drawing on national and international perspectives and using Indigenous research methodologies, this project aims to co-design a food sovereignty model that will enable Indigenous communities to effectively address food insecurity according to their local contexts. Both the process and solutions will contribute to improvements in physical, mental and social wellbeing.Read moreRead less