Project number:
2001-314
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure:
$22,000.00
Principal Investigator:
Paul McShane
Organisation:
AMC Search Ltd
Project start/end date:
28 Sep 2001
-
30 Jun 2002
Contact:
FRDC
1. Review the current research planning and selection porocesses for the SETF
assess the effectiveness of the industry input to these processes and, if necessary, recommend changes to achieve more effective industry involvement.
2. Review the current SEF Research Plan (from an industry perspective) and suggest future industry research requirements based on discussions with industry, fishery managers, researcher, Environment Australia, relevant NGO's and funding agencies. In particular, this assessment should identify emerging environmental issues, requiring strategic research and research that may be required to assist the fishery in gaining environmental accreditation.
3. In light of increasing demands for research, recommend appropriate funding sources and strategies with a view to assisting the industry to gain maximum leverage from its research expenditure.
Final report
Author:
Paul McShane
Final Report
•
2002-05-16
•
894.18 KB
2001-314-DLD.pdf
The South East Fishery (SEF) is a complex multi species fishery targeting 18 species managed under a catch quota regime. The fishery involves both commonwealth and state agencies and is important in supplying fresh fish to tables on the eastern seaboard of Australia. The research priority setting process for the SEF was reviewed in the context of the Fishing Industry’s expectation of enhanced opportunities for beneficial outcomes and improved administration of research and development .
The review concentrated on:
• the consultative process linking research to management;
• the link between the current strategic research plan and industry needs;
• gaps in the current research strategic plan, particularly relating to the requirement of industry to undertake a strategic ecological assessment of the SEF;
• opportunities to engage industry more effectively in SEF research.
• the link between the current strategic research plan and industry needs;
• gaps in the current research strategic plan, particularly relating to the requirement of industry to undertake a strategic ecological assessment of the SEF;
• opportunities to engage industry more effectively in SEF research.
Consultation with various stakeholders revealed a large number of formal consultative committees and subcommittees that introduced much bureaucratic inertia into the industry consultation process. Emerging issues dealing with a move to ecosystem, as opposed to species, management of fisheries present new challenges to industry. There is a need to present greater clarity in dealing with ecological management and its influence in the research priority setting process. It is suggested that the Management Advisory Committee (MAC) assume the role of the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) subcommittee to more demonstrably separate TAC setting from the wider research needs (particularly ecological issues). This, and the consolidation of other consultative committees would greatly reduce time spent in meetings and allow a greater focus on critical issues such as improving the TAC-setting process, addressing concerns of environmental agencies (e.g. bycatch from trawlers, impacts on the seafloor by trawlers).
Given the prominence of ecological/environmental issues, it is further suggested that committees dealing with common research issues be combined to provide greater cost effectiveness (in participation and in research program execution) in tackling ecological issues (e.g. identification and evaluation of ecosystem performance indicators). As research resources are limited, there should be sharing of common needs in environmental/ecological assessment and management across participating fisheries in the region including fisheries for shark, scallops, squid, tuna, and billfish.
With a more effective use of time of industry participants, there should be enhanced opportunities for partnerships between research and development agencies, and the fishing industry. In particular, there is an opportunity to harness industry capacity more effectively be extending current monitoring programs (involving industry vessels) to undertake cost-effective research.
