Mitigating Threatened Species Bycatch In Gillnet Fisheries
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$300,000.00
Summary
Mitigating the bycatch of threatened species in Australian gillnet fisheries is a major management challenge. Australian prawn trawl gear is a well-documented example of how the testing and implementation of bycatch reduction devices has resulted in the significant reduction in the bycatch of non-target species including threatened species. However, devices or modifications to reduce bycatch in gillnets are far less well studied. Where the deployment of gillnets overlaps with the habitat of thre ....Mitigating the bycatch of threatened species in Australian gillnet fisheries is a major management challenge. Australian prawn trawl gear is a well-documented example of how the testing and implementation of bycatch reduction devices has resulted in the significant reduction in the bycatch of non-target species including threatened species. However, devices or modifications to reduce bycatch in gillnets are far less well studied. Where the deployment of gillnets overlaps with the habitat of threatened species, bycatch of these species can occur, creating a significant management issue. Within northern Australian gillnet fisheries, bycatch of threatened/migratory sawfishes, river sharks, and devil rays listed under the EPBC Act is an on-going issue requiring evidence-based interventions. Northern Australia holds the most significant remaining populations of sawfishes and river sharks globally, but these important species form the most numerous threatened species bycatch in local gillnet fisheries. Within these fisheries, the target bony fish are harvested at sustainable levels with high-quality seafood product providing important economic contributions locally and nationally. Mitigating the on-going bycatch of non-target threatened species is arguably the most significant challenge facing these fisheries.
This project will test novel mitigation devices (static green LED lights and an electric deterrent (SharkGuard)) and assess alternative gears to gillnets to reduce bycatch of EPBC Act listed sharks and rays. In partnership with industry, trials will assess the effectiveness of devices to elicit a response in bycatch species, their ability to reduce bycatch levels, and their impact on target species. An assessment of alternative gear types will consider the feasibility of transitioning the commercial sector of the NT Barramundi Fishery to fishing gear with lower bycatch levels in the future. Trial outcomes will provide industry and managers with proven options to assist implementation of threatened species mitigation strategies in northern gillnet fisheries.
This project will give industry and managers confidence in tested bycatch mitigation technologies. Only by comprehensively testing static green LED lights and the SharkGuard electric deterrent through aquarium and field trials under varied local conditions can a scientifically robust evaluation of bycatch reduction be undertaken. Successful demonstration overseas of the devices to be trialled provides the starting knowledge that they can deter sharks and rays and reduce their bycatch levels by up to 95%. To our knowledge, these bycatch mitigation devices have not been tested in Australian gillnet fisheries. If demonstrated and applied in northern Australian gillnet fisheries, these devices may have the ability to significantly reduce the bycatch of eight EPBC Act listed threatened and/or migratory sharks and rays, as well as other sharks of conservation concern (notably, hammerhead sharks). Furthermore, there may be flow-on benefits to other EPBC Act listed species groups, particularly marine turtles. LED lights were initially applied as a bycatch reduction measure for turtles, and they have been demonstrated to reduce turtle bycatch (turtle bycatch is at a low level in NT and WA gillnet fisheries making direct experimental/field evaluation of bycatch reduction difficult in the NT/WA). Objectives: 1. Comprehensively test two novel mitigation devices (deterrents) to provide industry and managers with scientifically robust tested measures with the potential to be implemented throughout a wide variety of gillnet fisheries. 2. Assess alternative gears to gillnet within the NT Barramundi Fishery. Investigating alternative gear is aimed at assessing if there are ways to achieve sustainable catches of target species while reducing or even eliminating bycatch of focal threatened species. Read moreRead less
Biosecurity Threats And Vulnerabilities Of The Southern Rock Lobster Fishery
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$61,330.00
Summary
SRL industry has been buffeted by various issues in recent years, associated with COVID-19, trading partner non-tariff trade barriers (ostensibly biosecurity or food safety based) and repeated harmful algal blooms (HAB). In particular, HAB remain an ongoing threat, for example with range expansion of Alexandrium tamarense/warming climate, resulting in repeated closures of the east-coat Tasmanian SRL fishery. Other regions of Australia may also face an increased risk of HAB. In addition, access ....SRL industry has been buffeted by various issues in recent years, associated with COVID-19, trading partner non-tariff trade barriers (ostensibly biosecurity or food safety based) and repeated harmful algal blooms (HAB). In particular, HAB remain an ongoing threat, for example with range expansion of Alexandrium tamarense/warming climate, resulting in repeated closures of the east-coat Tasmanian SRL fishery. Other regions of Australia may also face an increased risk of HAB. In addition, access to alternative markets with new sanitary and food safety requirements adds biosecurity and sanitary complexity.
Nearly every animal sector that is involved in harvest (e.g. fisheries) or production has seen rapid change associated with external factors such as spread of invasive species and pests, diseases (both emerging and introduced/exotic) and global issues such as climate change. For example, the Australian Prawn industry has been damaged by emergence and repeated outbreaks of White Spot Syndrome Virus in Australia. Ausvet has recently modelled surveillance data for WSSV on behalf of FRDC and the Australian Prawn Farmers Association and it is clear that WSSV has the potential to spread further south. WSSV affects most crustaceans, although SRL may only be vectors and not show clinical disease. Regardless, such issues can become trade barriers.
Thus, the SRL industry has a need to understand biosecurity risks and how these relate to the ability to harvest, sustain a productive fishery or trade globally. Understanding biosecurity risks are the key building blocks for biosecurity planning which has become an essential part of protecting animal production in Australia and globally, across terrestrial and aquaculture systems. This project will inform biosecurity planning for SRL fisheries. This project concentrates on assisting the broader SRL industry to identify and prioritise emerging, future or existing risks. In addition, it will identify industry capacity and barriers to managing risks. This information can then be used during future industry-wide biosecurity planning. Objectives: 1. Enable improved biosecurity planning within the Southern Rock Lobster industry Read moreRead less
Reducing Impacts On Threatened, Endangered, And Protected Species In The Queensland East Coast Otter Trawl Fishery
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$688,074.00
Summary
This research aims to reduce the ecological impacts of the Queensland East Coast Otter Trawl Fishery (QECOTF) on non-target species including sea snakes and small elasmobranchs, improve animal welfare outcomes of Threatened, Endangered and Protected Species (TEPS), promote safer handling practices among fishers that interact with these species, and collect data that is needed and currently unavailable to assess ecological risk. This approach addresses the priority listed in the most recent FRDC ....This research aims to reduce the ecological impacts of the Queensland East Coast Otter Trawl Fishery (QECOTF) on non-target species including sea snakes and small elasmobranchs, improve animal welfare outcomes of Threatened, Endangered and Protected Species (TEPS), promote safer handling practices among fishers that interact with these species, and collect data that is needed and currently unavailable to assess ecological risk. This approach addresses the priority listed in the most recent FRDC call for proposals “Reduce threatened, endangered, and protected species bycatch in the Queensland East Coast Otter Trawl Fishery”. This research aligns with Outcome 2 (Best practices and production systems) of the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) 2020-2025 Strategic Plan. The proposed research also aligns with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals including number 14: Life below water; and 12: Responsible consumption and production. Conditions of the QECOTF’s WTO accreditation, which allows for the export of product generated by the fishery, require the mitigation of ecological risk posed to those species at intermediate or high risk, as determined in previous risk assessments. Specifically, sea snakes and small elasmobranchs (skates, rays and small demersal sharks) have been identified as two components of trawl discards that are prone to elevated levels of risk due to interaction with the QECOTF. The federal government, through the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), have stipulated that continued export accreditation is contingent upon reducing the risk posed to these catch components. More importantly, the removal of WTO accreditation will likely lead to greater scrutiny of fishing practices within the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (GBRMP). Lack of further action to reduce risks to TEPS may result in restrictions in access to trawl grounds within the GBRMP, which will lead to significant economic hardship for trawl fishers.
The key outcome of this research will be a reduction in the ecological risk posed to TEPS (sea snakes, skates, rays, and small demersal sharks) by the QECOTF. This research aims to reduce catch rates of TEPS through the introduction of efficient bycatch reduction devices and strategies. The project will also lead to improvements in the accuracy of risk assessments through the collection of data that are necessary to assess risk. Estimates of escape and post-trawl survival, along with basic life history information, are lacking for all but a few TEPS, and this research will go some way to rectifying this issue. These data will be collected by fishers as part of a pilot crew member observer program (CMOP), where interested fishers will be trained in species identification and data collection. This will provide fishers with direct involvement in the collection of data used to assess risk, which is likely to increase the confidence in the outputs of risk assessments on which the data are based. To further reduce ecological risk, project staff will develop protocols that aim to improve the handling, welfare and post-release survival of TEPS; whilst improving the safety of fishers interacting with potentially dangerous TEPS (e.g. sea snakes and rays).This is particularly important for sea snakes, which are usually grasped by the tail and flung overboard, which is a practice that is harmful to the sea snakes and is likely to lead to low post-trawl survival.
Objectives: 1. Quantify the effect of bycatch reduction devices on sea snakes in Queensland’s trawl fishery and facilitate the uptake of these devices by industry. 2. Develop strategies to reduce the number of threatened skates, rays and demersal sharks caught by prawn trawls in southern Queensland. 3. Implement a pilot crew-member observer program to train interested fishers in collecting valuable information on threatened species including sea snakes, skates, rays, and sharks. 4. Develop protocols for the safe handling of sea snakes, skates, rays and sharks that improves post-trawl survival. Read moreRead less
Single model irregular-region retrieval for rapid plant disease detection. This project aims to study the major technical barrier in plant disease image retrieval to build a pervasive rapid plant disease identification system. The techniques are designed to function on one or very few sample images, thus enabling on-line in field disease identification linked to authoritative plant disease image libraries. The success of this project will not only make significant contributions to fundamental th ....Single model irregular-region retrieval for rapid plant disease detection. This project aims to study the major technical barrier in plant disease image retrieval to build a pervasive rapid plant disease identification system. The techniques are designed to function on one or very few sample images, thus enabling on-line in field disease identification linked to authoritative plant disease image libraries. The success of this project will not only make significant contributions to fundamental theory in single model image retrieval, but also create a revolution in plant disease early detection for effective and efficient crop protection.Read moreRead less
Improving Bycatch Reduction Strategies And Escape Vents In Queensland Mud Crab Fisheries
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$129,915.00
Summary
The proposed work directly targets the opportunity • to benchmark bycatch reduction devices (including escape vents) and strategies currently in use in the Queensland Crab Fishery, • to trial refined escape vents for better (i) retention of legal crabs and exclusion of non-legal crabs and fish bycatch.
Recommended refinements to the regulation of escape vents in commercial mud crab pots will be provided to Fisheries Queensland by October/November 2022 for potential inclusion i ....The proposed work directly targets the opportunity • to benchmark bycatch reduction devices (including escape vents) and strategies currently in use in the Queensland Crab Fishery, • to trial refined escape vents for better (i) retention of legal crabs and exclusion of non-legal crabs and fish bycatch.
Recommended refinements to the regulation of escape vents in commercial mud crab pots will be provided to Fisheries Queensland by October/November 2022 for potential inclusion in the next round of regulatory amendments to the Crab Fishery.
More appropriately specified escape vents will produce better commercial outcomes (i.e., retention of legal crabs) and better ecological outcomes (e.g. exclusion of sub-legal crabs and finfish prone to entrapment in crab pots). Reports from crabbers indicate that some of the regulated escape vents allow legal crabs to escape, whilst the small escape vent (75 x 60 mm) reportedly allows very little bycatch to escape. A quantitative study that encompasses regional variation in mud crab morphometrics (i.e., carapace depth/height ~carapace width) would provide empirical data upon which management decisions can be objectively made.
Better documentation on marine turtle entrapment in crab pots (which is currently of limited public access) and gear modification to efficiently reduce or prevent marine turtle entrapment would be of benefit to threatened and endangered marine turtle populations of Queensland (in particular loggerhead turtles) and would contribute to the development of a risk mitigation strategy for the fishery.
Objectives: 1. Benchmark bycatch reduction devices and strategies currently in use in the Queensland crab fishery. 2. Trial alternate configurations and advise on potential changes to escape vent regulations achieve better commercial and ecological outcomes. 3. Collate information on marine turtle interactions with crab pots (including ghost pots) and consider pot configuration(s) that could contribute to a risk mitigation strategy for marine turtles in the Qld crab fishery. 4. Develop options for adoption of bycatch reduction devices and strategies in the recreational sector of the Qld crab fishery. Read moreRead less
CITES 19th Conference Of Parties, Panama City, Panama - Natalie Manahan
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$13,000.00
Summary
Myself, and other attendees with ICFA will liaise, network and collaborate with other groups (Intergovernmental organizations, National governmental organizations, other International NGO's, and the private sector) and provide an expert fisheries & aquaculture perspective to discussions.
Automatic detection and modelling of acoustic markers of speech timing. This project aims to create new automatic sensing, analysis and assessment of cognitive, affective, mental and physical state from voice for mobile and computing devices. This project expects to generate new understanding of the effects of these states on detailed timing indicators of speech motor control, and new signal processing and machine learning methods that best exploit it. Expected outcomes from this project include ....Automatic detection and modelling of acoustic markers of speech timing. This project aims to create new automatic sensing, analysis and assessment of cognitive, affective, mental and physical state from voice for mobile and computing devices. This project expects to generate new understanding of the effects of these states on detailed timing indicators of speech motor control, and new signal processing and machine learning methods that best exploit it. Expected outcomes from this project include a new and accurate deep neural network framework for learning, analysing and detecting human states from speech automatically using articulatory timing markers. This should provide significant benefits, such as individually-tailored, frequent and low-cost automatic detection, monitoring and analytics for adverse states.Read moreRead less
Novel Fishery Independent, Biological And Economic-processing Methods To Underpin Expansion Of Australia's Fastest Growing Fishery, The Western Rock Octopus
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$650,260.00
Summary
The Western Rock Octopus fishery has become Australia’s fastest growing fishery, with a 5-year average growth of 50% per annum between 2017 and 2022. Despite this expansion, there are still significant gaps in knowledge and practice that do not allow this fishery to grow and develop in an optimum sustainable and socio-economic manner. This project will fill the information gaps and develop pro-active management and economic policy settings that facilitate a comprehensive development of the fishe ....The Western Rock Octopus fishery has become Australia’s fastest growing fishery, with a 5-year average growth of 50% per annum between 2017 and 2022. Despite this expansion, there are still significant gaps in knowledge and practice that do not allow this fishery to grow and develop in an optimum sustainable and socio-economic manner. This project will fill the information gaps and develop pro-active management and economic policy settings that facilitate a comprehensive development of the fishery to its natural capacity. It meets FRDCs two main outcomes of the 2020-2025 R&D plan; growth for enduring prosperity, best practices and production systems, and also meets Enabling Strategy IV: Building capacity and capability. Objectives: 1. Quantify species mix, growth, population connectivity, and reproduction of the unexplored South Coast and deep-water West Coast stocks of Octopus djinda. 2. Develop and test an octopus trap mounted camera system as fishery independent survey tool for density, bycatch, habitat, and environmental data. 3. Develop a bioeconomic model for octopus fishery management and expansion in Australia. Read moreRead less