The trophodynamics of small pelagic fishes in the southern Australian ecosystem and the implications for ecosystem modelling of southern temperate fisheries

Funded Activity Summary

There is an increasing need to develop appropriate management in the Commonwealth Small Pelagic Fishery (SPF). Past spikes in the jack mackerel fishery, more recent increases in catches of redbait in Zone A of the SPF and predicted climate change impacts pose a significant threat to the ecosystem structure and function particularly in this region but more broadly throughout the whole SPF, emphasizing our need to understand the role of small pelagics in the southern Australian ecosystem.

The SPF Management Advisory Committee identified several priorities for research such as determination of stock structure and size, the role of the species in the system, harvest strategies in response to the Ministerial Direction 2005, and interactions with TEP species and bycatch. COMFRAB have called for research that will identify possible spatial management arrangements that best suit the spatial distribution of the species.

Our proposal addresses the issue of the role of small pelagics in the southern Australian ecosystem, and the potential impacts, under various types of ecosystem controls and environmental and management influences. We will also recommend an approach to developing purpose-built models to evaluate derived scenarios of management, fishery interactions and potential climate change impacts.

Objectives:
1. To better understand the role of small pelagic fishes in the functioning of southern Australian ecosystems, specifically in the Small Pelagic Fishery but also their effects on other fisheries.
2. To compare the performance of the most recent Atlantis and EwE ecosystem models with regard to the potential effects of a range of harvest strategies on selected small pelagic species in south-eastern Australia and the food-web control of the small pelagic fishes currently in use.

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 22-08-2008

End Date: 31-10-2009

Funding Scheme: Funding Scheme not available

Funding Amount: $176,362.00

Funder: Fisheries Research and Development Corporation

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

There are no FoR codes available for this funding activity

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

There are no SEO codes available for this funding activity

Other Keywords

Co-Management | Fisheries Management | Food Web | Modelling | Oceanography | Population Dynamics | Stakeholder | Sustainability

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