A fishery’s long-term profitability is intrinsically linked to its sustainability. We know that pipi populations are patchily distributed, display large natural fluctuations in abundance, and that overharvesting can drive localised depletion. Careful management is needed to ensure Victoria’s pipis remain a sustainable resource.

Sustainable fisheries management requires an understanding of how harvested populations are structured (population connectivity), and the spatio-temporal dynamics in their abundance and demography (assessed by monitoring). Previous work indicates that Australian pipi stocks consist of two large, reproductively isolated, groupings occurring on Australia’s east and south coasts, however, we lack information on more relevant finer-scale stock structure. Our study will provide novel research that will determine the spatial and temporal patterns in harvestable pipi biomass, the recruitment potential of individual stocks, and connectivity / genetic stock structuring among Victorian populations. We will identify pipi populations that can sustain ongoing commercial harvest, and those that are vulnerable to over-exploitation. Our project outputs will help set objective and informed catch quotas.

We need information on local-scale pipi demography because: the abundance, reproductive characteristics and size structure of pipis provides essential information to set sustainable catch rates. Stock biomass and individual size are indicators of recruitment variation, and a direct measure of harvest impact, together determining the sustainability of the fishery.

We need information on pipi stock structure and connectivity because: if certain stocks are isolated and largely dependent on local recruitment, they likely have reduced recruitment potential and are vulnerable to over-fishing. Conversely, if pipi stocks across the state are highly connected, then they are expected be more resilient to harvesting pressure due to their greater potential for recruitment and replenishment from external sources.

We need to develop fishery-dependent and fishery-independent survey methods because: sound fisheries management relies on the cost-effective and accurate estimation of biomass and abundance.

• Bycatch reduction in the Qld East Coast Inshore Finfish Fishery (ECIFF), especially of species of conservation interest (SOCI) species is a key priority for Qld DAF (see https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries/sustainable/sustainable-fisheries-strategy/fishery-working-groups/east-coast-inshore-working-group/communiques/communique-5-6-march-2019).
• The trialing of alternative gear types such as tunnel nets is specifically listed in the Queensland Government’s Directions Paper release in January 2019 (see file:///C:/Users/jc184965/Documents/JCU/Projects/A%20BETTER%20WAY%20TO%20FISH/FRDC%202019/queensland-government-direction-on-fisheries-reform-2018.pdf)
The need for these policy reforms are driven by multiple factors:
• Inshore net fisheries face mounting challenges in operating costs, competition, environmental sustainability, regulatory environment, and social license. Bycatch of species of conservation interest (SOCI) and finfish bycatch mortality has fed community concerns, fisher conflict, and regulatory scrutiny.
• Sustainability concerns and conflict have driven recent regulatory changes that have diminished resource access and community trust of independent small scale commercial net fishers (SSCNFs).
• There is an urgent need to explore new options and approaches for SSCNFs if the fishery is to remain viable.
• There is also an urgent need to move the fishery in a direction of becoming a community supported fishery where consumers understand how fish are caught, are connected to SSCNFs, and value locally caught, demonstrably sustainable product.
• SSCNFs are interested in trailing new environmentally friendly fishing methods – tunnel nets or fish traps - that would replace existing mesh nets. This innovation aims to maintain harvest of target species, but significantly reduce interaction with and mortality of bycatch species including SOCI.
• However, gear feasibility and performance needs to be assessed. If the method is successful, this information will be crucial to designing future management and advising wider adoption.
• Trailing these methods also provides opportunities for SSCNFs and local communities for shared learning, increased understanding, and career development

There is opportunity for the WA Salmon Fishery in SA to expand into emerging national and international seafood markets, and the possibility that the stock may be more heavily exploited in the future. Given the shared nature of the resource among commercial, recreational, Charter Boat and indigenous sectors, it is important that appropriate management is place to ensure that any expansion of the fishery does not compromise the overall sustainability of the resource. This includes ensuring the species remains one of the premier inshore sportfish for recreational anglers in SA.

The current level of biological information that exists for WA Salmon is dated (Malcolm 1960; Cappo 1987) and largely focuses on the coastal component of the stock in SA. Contemporary information on the fine-scale population structure and fisheries biology of the WA Salmon stock in South Australian waters is needed to enable improved assessment of stock status and fisheries management and inform appropriate resource sharing among sectors.

The current ‘sustainable’ status assigned to WA Salmon stock in SA is predominantly based on commercial catch and effort data integrated with limited information from the recreational and Charter Boat sector. Given the importance of WA Salmon to recreational fishers and the capacity for the commercial sector to increase production there is a need to develop a fishery-independent means of assessing the relative abundance to enhance future assessments of stock status and assess whether the current management arrangements for the commercial sector is appropriate.

Given the multi-sectoral use of the resource and SA’s government commitment to maintaining quality recreational fishing opportunities; providing greater certainty for industry; and ensuring the continued supply of commercially harvested premium seafood, there is a need to develop a representative steering committee that is committed to achieving the objectives, outcomes, adoption and extension of this project.

Advances in data capture has resulted in the proliferation in the types of reporting platforms available for the fishing industry to report to the Government and third parties resulting in duplication of processes, collection of multiple data sets, and a requirement for fishing boats to operate multiple systems to meet their reporting requirements. It is estimated for licensing systems alone around four times the necessary spend to create a national system has been expended or will be expended within the next few years. Coupled with an increased drive for fishers to participate in traceability schemes a new data architecture is required to enable access to data that links currently disparate data sets and in particular creating a unique event linking identifier.

To support the changing needs there is a need to develop a design for a fisheries data architecture which:
• allows for the linkage or integration of currently disparate data
• allows for multiple methods of data transfer
• is adaptable to changing needs allowing for future expansion and changes to data sets and collection methodology
• supports sharing of data with third parties in real time.

While single integrated box solutions initially appear an attractive solution for solving this problem, they limit the ability to adapt quickly to changing needs and reduce long term market competition. There is a need to develop a data architecture that allows for future adaptation and provides industry flexibility to choose equipment they employ on their boats. The key aspect is linking a wide range of data, collected from different sources to a single event and sharing this data quickly across different platforms and for different purposes.

Consistent with the recommendation from “accelerating precision agriculture to decision agriculture” report it offers an opportunity to demonstrate benefits of digital initiatives.