Targeting Behavioural Change In Fisheries And Aquaculture
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$99,359.00
Summary
The uptake of best practice approaches in fisheries and aquaculture is influenced by factors that inhibit or enable behaviour change, including psycho-sociological factors (i.e. how change or approaches are framed). Previous FRDC research has indicated a need to identify how and where behavioural insights/interventions – which draw on psycho-sociological factors such as cognitive biases, social norms, and emotions – can be used to steer behaviour change towards preferred outcomes (e.g. stewa ....The uptake of best practice approaches in fisheries and aquaculture is influenced by factors that inhibit or enable behaviour change, including psycho-sociological factors (i.e. how change or approaches are framed). Previous FRDC research has indicated a need to identify how and where behavioural insights/interventions – which draw on psycho-sociological factors such as cognitive biases, social norms, and emotions – can be used to steer behaviour change towards preferred outcomes (e.g. stewardship, safety) in marine sectors. This project builds on current and emerging research on behaviour change in fisheries and aquaculture to consolidate a review of published literature and available grey literature and R&D (from academic and industry domains, including recent FRDC projects relating to behaviour change) that has identified psycho-sociological factors influencing behavioural change. The aim of this literature review is to identify the types of behavioural interventions that can (or potentially, cannot) achieve preferred outcomes for fishing and aquaculture sectors in Australia. Specifically, the review seeks to explore i) which kinds of behavioural interventions can be effective in achieving positive change, ii) where (and just as importantly, where not) these interventions may be applied in fisheries and aquaculture sectors, iii) identify (potential) limitations of interventions, and to iii) bring these findings together to inform and underpin development of two relevant and engaging training webinars and associated resource materials, and iv) make recommendations for further focused trials/intervention research which could be undertaken to further support and expedite desired outcomes in Australian fisheries and aquaculture.
There is rapidly growing interest in the development, application and evaluation of behavioural interventions and they show great potential, however, they are also complex to design, test, and implement. Individuals are more likely to change their behaviours if they have the necessary skills and perceive they can do so (capability), if their environment (physical as well as social) provides an opportunity to do so (opportunity), and if they are motivated to achieve a particular endpoint through this behaviour (motivation), either through conscious decision-making or automatic processes, such as momentary cues. Further, the use of behavioural interventions has not been without critique, with concerns about ethics, manipulation, or risk to human agency. There are also concerns about the effectiveness of behavioural interventions, which may derive from several reasons: for example, due to misunderstanding the behaviour that is intended to be changed and the expected response by the audience. A behavioural intervention will be ineffective if the messaging or delivery causes confusion or if it only has a short-term effect. Some interventions can cause unintended consequences or compensating behaviours resulting in no net effect. These reasons highlight the importance of appropriate contextual understanding and well-defined outcomes for the design of effective behavioural interventions.
There are also different avenues for intervention beyond cognitive biases: education, persuasion, incentivisation, coercion, training, restriction, environmental restructuring, modelling and enablement, and the framing and implementation of these can differ depending on who the intervention is targeted at and under what context. Targeting behaviours in fisheries and aquaculture may enhance engagement and sustainable changes in the longer term (e.g. via development of new social norms), but to achieve this, changes in the determinants of behaviour are required. Actions (e.g. citizen science projects, local management practices), feelings, values (e.g. connectedness to oceans, the realisation of links between ocean health and human health) and social norms are embedded in and influenced by, local environments and social spheres that can transcend geographical boundaries. Our project will explore these nuances and convey concise summaries of behaviour change interventions for end-users via webinars, fact sheets, a simple decision tree tool (described below) and several short videos. The project intentionally has a broad focus (across fisheries and aquaculture sectors) in its review and outputs, as it is designed to equip potential developers and implementers of behavioural interventions with the skills and knowledge to do so in their own unique context. However, we will engage with industry partners (including FRDC extension officers and the industry advisory groups) to specifically ensure that the knowledge and tools produced (i.e. extension products) will be accessible and adaptable to the diversity of relevant contexts across these sectors - and useful for end-users seeking to motivate behaviour change whilst still retaining industry trust and engagement.
The project brings together necessary interdisciplinary research expertise (details outlined below) in the fields of behavioural economics, resource and fisheries economics, socio-ecology, fisheries ecology, science communication and cognitive psychology. In addition, the transdisciplinary potential of this project will be achieved via collaboration with a research advisory panel (to ensure rigorous research outcomes) and an industry level advisory panel (to ensure that the results and suggested interventions/activities are fit-for-purpose and accessible to the sector). Working with these panels (which would ideally include FRDC partners), we will ensure that the research is co-designed – and thus, project outputs are fit-for-purpose/context. Our team’s existing collective research on adoption and uptake of interventions clearly shows that engaging and involving end-user at creation stages increases uptake of results – hence, the value of our industry advisory panel. In addition, by engaging with industry leaders, we will create industry champions for the project who may assist with the dissemination of outputs. Together, the advisory groups will help to further define/adapt the scope of the project to achieve impact.
Overall, these collaborations and contributions will ensure that this project will deliver a comprehensive and industry-relevant overview of current understanding of behaviour change interventions, that addresses end-users’ identified needs, and that inspires community trust, in formats that are palatable and accessible to them and the fisheries and aquaculture sectors more broadly.. Objectives: 1. Conduct a systematic review of behavioural interventions for positive outcomes in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors. 2. Develop a two-part webinar series targeted at the FRDC community that aims to provide accessible and implementable knowledge on the theory and practice of behavioural interventions in fisheries. 3. Provide open-access knowledge about behavioural interventions with/to stakeholders via supporting materials (including a decision tree tool), fact-sheets, visual aids, and video. 4. Identify areas for future focused work and interventions that can be implemented to support the fisheries and aquaculture sectors Read moreRead less
Understanding The Risks Associated With Climate Change On Infectious Diseases Affecting The Seafood Industry
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$519,631.00
Summary
Fish and aquatic species play a vital role in global food security by providing nearly 17% of animal protein eaten by people. However, freshwater and marine aquatic ecosystems that sustain aquaculture and fisheries are undergoing significant changes as a result of global warming of our atmosphere and oceans with projections suggesting that these changes will be heightened in the future (Bahri et al., 2018). It is estimated that global marine primary production (ie phytoplankton) which underpins ....Fish and aquatic species play a vital role in global food security by providing nearly 17% of animal protein eaten by people. However, freshwater and marine aquatic ecosystems that sustain aquaculture and fisheries are undergoing significant changes as a result of global warming of our atmosphere and oceans with projections suggesting that these changes will be heightened in the future (Bahri et al., 2018). It is estimated that global marine primary production (ie phytoplankton) which underpins the health and sustainability of all marine ecosystems will decline by 6 +/- 3% by 2100 (Bahri et al., 2018). This decline in primary productivity will result in key vulnerabilities in aquatic food production that contribute to global food security. Climate-driven changes in temperature, precipitation, ocean acidification, incidence and extent of hypoxia and sea level rise, amongst others, are expected to have long-term impacts in the aquaculture and fisheries sectors at multiple scales (Bahri et al., 2018, Fulton et al., 2020).
Australia’s marine environment is changing faster than at any other period in recorded history (Fulton et al., 2020). In the last 100 years, Australia's oceans have warmed by 1C and there are identified hotspots located in southeast and southwest Australia which have warmed by 2C (Hobday et al., 2018). The surface sea temperatures around Australia are expected to increase by another 1 to 2C in the north and 2 to 5C in the south over the next 100 years (Hobday et al., 2018). While the warming is predicted to continue, the specific mixes of atmospheric and ocean current patterns around Australia mean the magnitude of climate change will differ place-to-place, and different aquaculture and fisheries and sectors will face different challenges (Fulton et al., 2020).
Biological and ecological impacts of climate change on aquatic ecosystems include shifts in food resources, habitat availability and fluctuations in species distributions (Bahri et al., 2018, Fulton et al., 2020). The FAO (Bahri et al., 2018) have identified that climate change may also bring increased risks for aquatic animal health (e.g., by changing the abundance and virulence of pathogens or the susceptibility of the host to pathogens and infections) and food safety concerns (e.g., faster growth rates of pathogenic marine bacteria, or the incidence of parasites and food-borne viruses).
The project proposed will use a risk analysis framework applied at the sector-level to address the change in the risks of infectious diseases in Australian aquaculture and fisheries industries due to climate change. The project outcomes will identify and prioritize the risks from infectious diseases under the future climate scenarios. This project falls under the research priority to address sector-level mitigation strategies to support strategies for disease preparedness, biosecurity, and border protection. The project outcomes will assist industries in preparing risk mitigation strategies to build resilience and sustain productivity in Australia’s aquaculture and fishery industries.
References Bahri, T., Barange, M., Moustahfid, H. 2018. Chapter 1: Climate change and aquatic systems. In Barange, M., Bahri, T., Beveridge, M.C.M., Cochrane, K.L., Funge-Smith, S., Poulain, F. (Eds), Impacts of climate change on fisheries and aquaculture: synthesis of current knowledge, adaptation and mitigation options. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper No. 627. Rome, FAO, pp. 1-18.
Fulton EA, van Putten EI, Dutra LXC, Melbourne-Thomas J, Ogier E, Thomas L, Murphy RP, Butler I, Ghebrezgabhier D, Hobday AJ, Rayns N (2020) Adaptation of fisheries management to climate change Handbook, CSIRO, Australia.
Hobday, A.J., Pecl, G.T., Fulton, B., Pethybridge, H., Bulman, C., Villanueva, C. 2018. Chapter 16: Climate change impacts, vulnerabilities and adaptions: Australian marine fisheries. In Barange, M., Bahri, T., Beveridge, M.C.M., Cochrane, K.L., Funge-Smith, S., Poulain, F. (Eds), Impacts of climate change on fisheries and aquaculture: synthesis of current knowledge, adaptation and mitigation options. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper No. 627. Rome, FAO, pp. 347-362. Objectives: 1. Confirmation and agreement of the 3 industry sectors for the risk assessment and establish the project steering committee 2. Determine the future climate scenarios for the key production areas for each industry sector. 3. Complete the systematic reviews, hazard identification and risk assessment for each industry sector under the future climate scenarios. 4. In collaboration with stakeholders from each sector, the project team will describe options for mitigation of risks identified under the climate change scenarios developed. 5. Deliver a workshop for each industry sector to inform and discuss project outcomes including potential mitigation strategies for Australian conditions. 6. Production of the non-technical project outputs (e.g. infographics and technical guide). Read moreRead less
ARDC: Food Security Data Challenges: Increasing Food Security Through Liberation Of Fishing And Aquaculture Data
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$1,001,708.12
Summary
The development of digital and data systems (DSS) across fisheries & aquaculture, as well as the agriculture sector more broadly is disparate. How data is collected, how it is stored, and how it can subsequently be used is greatly influenced by factors such as sector digital maturity, or available funding to develop (or upgrade) DSS.
This project seeks to develop a national fisheries and aquaculture data ingestion and storage system (Activity 1), ensuring that information derived from f ....The development of digital and data systems (DSS) across fisheries & aquaculture, as well as the agriculture sector more broadly is disparate. How data is collected, how it is stored, and how it can subsequently be used is greatly influenced by factors such as sector digital maturity, or available funding to develop (or upgrade) DSS.
This project seeks to develop a national fisheries and aquaculture data ingestion and storage system (Activity 1), ensuring that information derived from fisheries and aquaculture activities is findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable (FAIR). The ingestion and storage system will be bolstered by a complementary data catalogue (detailing the data sets available on the platform) (Activity 2) and analytical tools (able to gain insights without moving data outside the storage platform) (Activity 6). The platform will be underpinned by metadata (Activity 3) and a robust governance framework (Activity 4). Use of the system will be tested through 3 case studies, supporting capacity and capability improvement of the sector (Activity 5).
The production of and use of data cuts across industry and government, and covers activities throughout the fisheries supply chain (from pre-fishing quota management, to post-fishing processing and subsequent traceability). Consequently there is no one organisation across fishing and aquaculture that is best placed to co-ordinate and trial this technology. FRDC is capable to the leadership required to ensure a fit for purpose product for end users, additionally the leverage of Australia Research Data Commons investment will contribute to the development of a nationally coherent eResearch infrastructure
This project received investment from the Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC). The ARDC is funded by the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS). Objectives: 1. Develop a new cloud-based fisheries data storage platform to enable ingestion, management, and sharing of datasets 2. Develop a CKAN-based data catalogue, a searchable fisheries data source allowing users to browse, combine, share, and access exchangeable data assets 3. Create best practice metadata standards that will be identified, documented, and then operationalised through the data catalogue and storage platform 4. Develop and operationalise a fisheries-focused data governance framework 5. Enhance capacity and capacity to use the platform through demonstration of 3 unique case studies 6. Develop use-case relevant suite of reporting and analysis tools to allow researchers to gain insights without moving data outside the storage platform Read moreRead less
Attendance And Participation At The Governing Changing Oceans Workshop And PICES-5th International Symposium On The Effects Of Climate Change On The World’s Ocean - Bergen Norway
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$15,000.00
Summary
Workshop: The workshop is being hosted Tiffany Morrison, Pip Cohen, Gretta Pecl and Emily Ogier. Their approach is to bring together a small group of exceptional multi-disciplinary researchers and practitioners with expertise in governance, fisheries, climate science, blue carbon, blue finance, blue conservation, Indigenous governance, co-management, and community resilience. It is our aim that discussions will be focused towards producing a jointly authored paper targeted at Nature or Science, ....Workshop: The workshop is being hosted Tiffany Morrison, Pip Cohen, Gretta Pecl and Emily Ogier. Their approach is to bring together a small group of exceptional multi-disciplinary researchers and practitioners with expertise in governance, fisheries, climate science, blue carbon, blue finance, blue conservation, Indigenous governance, co-management, and community resilience. It is our aim that discussions will be focused towards producing a jointly authored paper targeted at Nature or Science, complemented by a marine intervention governance protocol and self-assessment tool.
Similarly the ECCWO5 symposium will bring together experts from around the world to better understand climate impacts on ocean ecosystems, the ecosystem services they provide, and the people, businesses and communities that depend on them. The 2023 event will highlight the latest information on how oceans are changing, what is at risk, responses that are underway, and strategies for increasing climate resilience, mitigation and adaptation. It aims to identify key knowledge gaps, promote collaborations, and stimulate the next generation of science and actions.Read moreRead less
Understanding The Economics And Markets Of The Western Rock Lobster Industry
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$749,000.00
Summary
The Program is required to enable the economics research required over the next 3-4 years by retaining the WRL Economist and engaging a WRL Data Analyst to :
1. undertake research and demonstrate the effects of COVID-19 and international trade disruptions on the industry’s financial wellbeing and economic contribution, as a narrative incorporating the pre-, current and post-disruption era;
2. investigate and implement enhancements to the WRL MEY model based on verified stakehol ....The Program is required to enable the economics research required over the next 3-4 years by retaining the WRL Economist and engaging a WRL Data Analyst to :
1. undertake research and demonstrate the effects of COVID-19 and international trade disruptions on the industry’s financial wellbeing and economic contribution, as a narrative incorporating the pre-, current and post-disruption era;
2. investigate and implement enhancements to the WRL MEY model based on verified stakeholder feedback; • MEY modelling is based on (among other factors) expected longer-term beach prices for lobster achieved by fishers. Beach prices are themselves underpinned by prices achieved in domestic and export markets for live, frozen and other processed forms of western rock lobster, and supply chain costs — all of which have changed markedly over the past couple of years and have influenced the longer-term outlook considerably. o Domestic markets have absorbed higher volumes of Australian product over the past two years than in the previous ten, encouraging a pivot by processors to include more cooked, frozen and other processed product in the product portfolio. o Frozen and chilled product has also been demonstrated to have general acceptance in overseas markets, albeit at lower prices than achieved by similar live product. o Air and sea freight costs and reliability have been adversely compromised in the face of the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, with the medium-term outlook for freight costs expected to be a multiple of pre-COVID rates – affecting the relative attractiveness of domestic versus export markets. o Processors and marketers have explored alternative export markets and paths to market in the wake of political uncertainty and trade disruptions. There is a need to understand the implications of this market shift on the net beach prices achievable by fishers, which will be achieved through a better understanding of the changes in market access and supply chain costs (transport, live holding, handling, additional processing, freight forwarding by air and by sea). o Taken together, this suite of change constitutes a significant, and potentially longer-term, challenge to the western rock lobster industry that has high potential to bring about changes in industry structure.
3. research and implement mechanisms by which individual fishers / business owners can benchmark their businesses against relevant industry economic standards.
• Benchmarking aims to improve the internal performance of fishers' private business operations by providing each business with an opportunity to compare itself to the industry's performance • Benchmarking is not limited to economic metrics, including physical metrics such as fuel use that enable a more granular understanding of the carbon footprint of the fishing fleet. • The aim is to generate an understanding of the range of cost structures in the fishing fleet, to better inform the cost elements of MEY modelling for economic sustainability of the fishery.
4. investigate and implement enhancements to the WRL Global Trade Report.
• The pandemic and its ongoing turmoil, combined with trade disruptions to Australia’s live exports, has brought about a change in global lobster trade flows into the highest volume, highest value market – at Australia’s expense. o The resultant situation includes a loss of market share and value to alternative suppliers of live spiny lobster, other lobster species, and other high value crustaceans. o Consumer preferences have shown signs of changing in response to COVID and associated health policies, regulations and restrictions. During the course of the pandemic, consumption of rock lobster pivoted to at-home consumption, with some preference-shifting to frozen product, particularly in countries with aggressive health policies that enacted operating restrictions on restaurants and larger gatherings.
5. research and implement mechanisms by which WRL's Global Trade Report, MEY Model and Markets Dashboard would work together with DPIRD's Harvest Strategy to underpin TACC setting into the future, adding considerable benefit to government as the resource manager by supplying timely, independent, industry-oriented information to the consideration set
Objectives: 1. Enable the Global Trade Report the MEY Model and the Markets Dashboard to work together with the Harvest Strategy to underpin TACC setting and ensure the continued sustainability of the stock. 2. Demonstrate the effects of the SARSCoV2 pandemic and trade disruptions on the industry’s resilience, economic contribution and adaptation to changing market forces. 3. Develop benchmarks for use by fishers’ businesses against industry economic standards to enhance industry reslience and adaptation to trade disruptions. 4. Ensure usability of economics data by driving further integration of data sets, models and tools, and building into the digitization program. Read moreRead less
How are visual gene pathways lost and restored during reptile evolution? This project aims to investigate how complex traits are lost during evolution, and once lost if they can be regained. The project will use the diverse visual systems of snakes and lizards to shed light on the process of gene loss in degenerative lineages, and discover the mechanisms that compensate for gene losses in taxa with secondarily evolved visual capabilities- providing a case of evolutionary re-innovation in complex ....How are visual gene pathways lost and restored during reptile evolution? This project aims to investigate how complex traits are lost during evolution, and once lost if they can be regained. The project will use the diverse visual systems of snakes and lizards to shed light on the process of gene loss in degenerative lineages, and discover the mechanisms that compensate for gene losses in taxa with secondarily evolved visual capabilities- providing a case of evolutionary re-innovation in complex traits.Read moreRead less
Methods To Account For Climate Impacts In Fishery Models And Management: Case Study Example Of Environmental Contributors That Affect Tiger Prawn Population Dynamics
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$481,669.00
Summary
Commercial in confidence. To know more about this project please contact FRDC. Objectives: Commercial in confidence
Sea Change: Co-developing Pathways To Mitigate And Adapt To A Changing Climate For Fisheries And Aquaculture In Australia
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$1,628,586.00
Summary
There is a need to increase effective engagement between fishing and aquaculture stakeholders and climate science and scientists in an ongoing strategic way, and not ‘just’ for single-project outcomes.
Improved engagement will help increase understanding of the likely implications of a changing climate in relevant contexts, and lay foundations for a shared exploration of available options for reducing risk exposure. We have worked with stakeholders and the FRDC Extension Officer Networ ....There is a need to increase effective engagement between fishing and aquaculture stakeholders and climate science and scientists in an ongoing strategic way, and not ‘just’ for single-project outcomes.
Improved engagement will help increase understanding of the likely implications of a changing climate in relevant contexts, and lay foundations for a shared exploration of available options for reducing risk exposure. We have worked with stakeholders and the FRDC Extension Officer Network to design a strategy that will engage fishing and aquaculture stakeholders on existing knowledge regarding risks and opportunities associated with a changing climate, to enable resource managers and researchers to better understand the ways in which many sectors are already adapting autonomously and to identify the barriers to further adaptation, and to co-design solutions that are relevant at local- and industry-levels to help build climate-ready communities and to stimulate economic resilience.
In many cases (but not all), extensive information regarding marine climate change - including key risks to fisheries and aquaculture producers (at a high level) - is already available, along with information on how to develop adaptation plans. However, despite this, progress and uptake within most sectors in terms of planned adaptation responses has been very slow – although many individual operators are already making ‘autonomous’ changes to their day-to-day operations in response to climate change drivers. If these changes are being made without access to best available knowledge, then it is very likely that substantial portions of these responses are maladaptive in the longer term, or may be countervailing to planned government adaptations (see Pecl et al 2019, Ambio, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13280-019-01186-x). This is a pattern evident within many different industries around Australia and across the rest of the world. ‘What’ needs to happen has thus been outlined in general terms in many cases, but such information is not co-developed or provided in consultation with end-users in ways that resonate or are useful to them. This project will address this need for relevance and usefulness.
The project aims to develop reflexive, ongoing, and two-way knowledge exchange between industry representatives, operators and manager, and the marine climate change impacts and adaptation research sector, so that solutions are co-designed, usable, and adoptable.
Objectives: 1. Work with seafood industry leaders to establish two-way climate conversations that can strengthen and underpin Australian fishing and aquaculture’s resilience to a changing climate. This approach will facilitate co-design of pathways to increase agility and build capacity for climate change adaptation with a select number of fisheries and aquaculture operations. This process will also create a model that can be applicable to other RDC’s. 2. Create a climate conversations platform to facilitate knowledge exchange (including identifying ‘gaps’ and shared issues), and thus capture, disseminate, and showcase:a. How fishing and aquaculture sectors are already adapting and responding to recent changesb. What has facilitated these changes made, and what the barriers are to further adaptationc. The story of fishing and aquaculture’s efforts towards achieving climate resilience - using a dynamic ‘story map’ approach, and other multi-media, communicate progress to target audiences. 3. Identify a) key factors influencing the agility of fisheries and aquaculture to adapt to climate change, and b) which factors (e.g. opportunities) are most important for adaptation capacity-building for different types of operations - building on work underway across multiple domestic and international projects and working groups. 4. Co-develop pathways, with a select number of fisheries and aquaculture operations, to increase their agility and build sector capacity for climate change adaptation and resilience. 5. Support the development of communities of practice for groups of fisheries and/or aquaculture operations that have similar opportunities and pathways – to support increased agility and capacity building for climate change adaptation (determined in objective 3). Read moreRead less