There is little opportunity for fishers in the SESSF to increase profitability. All major species have been allocated quotas, and there is little scope to increasing quotas with all species fully exploited or overfished. While much research has focused on the collection of biological data, assessment of the status of fish stocks and the impact of fishing on the environment (Knuckey 2004) there is a need to investigate value adding to species currently captured by the fishery.

Silver warehou is one of the most promising low-value species to trial for value adding. At present there is little demand from the consumer public with its off white colour when filleted, large catches of it are landed during winter months depressing the price. Many hundreds of tonnes of this species is currently discarded at sea due to lack of markets.

The cost of establishing new markets for both the flathead and school whiting were considerable and borne solely by Consolfish, though all fishers benefited from the higher prices. The products were so successful that Consolfish can no longer afford to process small to medium flathead as the high price at the wharf makes it unviable.

Silver warehou is a relatively unfamilar fish to oversees processors. This project is needed to develop a consumer friendly product and then organise the processing techniques, further training and production planning. The Thai processors have indicated they are keen to process the fish and the Woolworth supermarket chain have indicated they will be willing to stock it on a trial basis. Promotion of the product will be required and will be undertaken at Consolfish expense.

The workshop review concluded that (1) there are significant gaps and limitations in the existing information on the status of the abalone populations across reefs in western Victoria (West and Central zones) and exposure of these populations to the virus and (2) that the current regional model was inadequate to represent the current situation in the western zone or to evaluate management options.

In relation to the information needs, it was concluded that there was an urgent need for a repeat of the scientific surveys at all the standard monitoring sites in the western zone, and far enough into the central zone to be ahead of the virus outbreaks, during July-August 2007. The standard sampling should be augmented by genetic sampling and broad survey of aggregations on the reefs.

The current quantitative regional model is not adequate to represent the current situation in the western zone or to evaluate management options. This is because the current situation in the western zone provides both a form of depletion that is very different from fishing, in terms of the size classes affected and extent of depletion. Reefs are affected differently and the management options are also likely to vary by reef, but the existing regional model does not represent reefs. Because the current situation is unique, there is no longer a basis for assuming that the previously-used industry-based semi-quantitative assessment of reef codes will continue to be reliable.

Thus there is a need to develop and apply a quantitative model that is spatially resolved to at least the reef-code level, and to use this for assessment of population status and examination of management options at the reef-code level.

The 2000/01 National Recreational and Indigenous Fishing Survey (NRIFS) yielded the first comprehensive assessment of recreational fishing in Australia. Core components were a telephone-based screening survey of households followed by a phone/diary survey in which fishing and expenditure was monitored.

From a methodological perspective, exceptionally high survey response rates, a comprehensive approach to non-response calibration and representation are features that have been recognised internationally as benchmarks for such surveys. However, the complexity of the NRIFS and sheer quantity of data collected meant that analysis was not straightforward and simple statistical approaches were not available.

Since the NRIFS, several jurisdictions have identified the need to provide on-going state-wide and regional information about their recreational fisheries, with the NRIFS methodology seen as cost effective in providing such information. For instance, Tasmania and SA will be conducting state-wide surveys in 2007/08 and Victoria and WA are undertaking regional surveys using the methodology.

While the efficacy of the phone/diary methodology in collecting detailed and robust data has been established, options for data analysis need to be developed and more fully integrated. Specifically, analytical routines need to interface directly with the databases and be flexible enough to enable a range of queries to be run efficiently and be repeatable. The development of an analytical module would represent a significant advancement in the provision of recreational data and will have immediate and on-going application in a number of jurisdictions. This project directly addresses AFMF and national recreational R&D priorities relating to assessment of non-commercial fishery impacts.