Northern Territory strategic plan for fisheries research and development 2002 to 2006

Project number: 2001-318

Project Status:

Completed

Budget expenditure: $14,875.00

Principal Investigator: Richard Sellers

Organisation: Department of Industry Tourism and Trade

Project start/end date: 29 Jun 2002 - 31 Jul 2003

Contact:

FRDC

Need

Since its publication the Plan has provided both the Fisheries Division and the NT FRAB with a firm basis for assessing R&D proposals and R&D projects submitted for FRAB approval and support with FRDC.

However, there have been significant changes in NT Government directions and priorities since 1999 and the Plan is now becoming out-of-date. These Government policy changes include:

? Greater emphasis on recreational fishing
? Increased prominence being given to aquaculture development, both large and small scale
? Increased pressure for research on habitat and biodiversity conservation
? The requirement to report on all aspects of ESD.

As well as these government policy changes, there is also a need for stakeholders, especially from industry, to evaluate the implementation of projects, their outcomes, performance and actual achievements under the Plan.

Also since publication of the Plan FRDC has provided it's R&D Plan in the publication "Investing for Tomorrow's Fish: the FRDC's Research and Development Plan, 2000 to 2005".

The NT fisheries R&D Plan will be revised to take account of these NT policy changes, performance evaluation by stakeholders, to align it with the directions provided in the new FRDC Research and Development Plan, and to bring up-to-date projects that have been carried out since its publication.

Publication costs were kept to a minimum for the original NT Plan by the NT Fisheries Division arranging presentation, art work and printing in-house. However, in view of the higher profile that the revised document will have amongst fisheries stakeholders, a professionally designed presentation is planned for the revised version.

Objectives

1. Review research and development priorities for NT Fisheries

2. provide the NT Government, fisheries stakeholders, the NT FRAB and FRDC with an updated coordinated research and development strategic Plan that has been fully discussed and accepted by NT fisheries stakeholders

Final report

Author: Richard Sellers and Richard Slack-Smith

Final Report • 2002-12-20 • 2.93 MB

2001-318-DLD.pdf

Summary

Since publication of the original Plan in early 1999 there have been significant changes in NT Government directions and priorities that required the Plan be updated. These included:

Greater emphasis on recreational fishing; Increased prominence being given to aquaculture development, both large and small scale; Increased pressure for research on habitat and biodiversity conservation; The requirement to take account and report on all aspects of ecologically sustainable development (ESD); and Creation of business partnerships between traditional owners and the private sector.

In addition, a number of projects in the 1998 original have been completed, modified or abandoned making the Plan out of date in a number of aspects. As part of the revision of that Plan, these changes were tabulated and any management action or other outcomes listed.

The review was carried out by:

1. Preparing up-to-date summaries tables of the current status of projects identified under each of the fishery/activities in the original Plan. These included any management action or actual outcomes that may have resulted from the project. R&D projects that have commenced since the publication of the 1999 Plan were also identified.

2. Consultations and discussions were held with fisheries stakeholders on the past performance of R&D projects carried out under the existing plan, the current R&D situation and future R&D directions.

The stakeholder groups consulted included: Aquaculture operators; Seafood Harvesters; Seafood Processors and Marketers; Seafood consumers; Fishing Tour Operators; Recreational Fishers; Indigenous Users.

3. Preparation of new Plan using information from the first phase and the outcomes from the consultations with stakeholders consulted. This Plan contained tables summarising the planned outcomes, specific R&D outputs, relevant projects with priorities and timetables for each. Stakeholder participation for each relevant fishery or activity was also tabulated.

This draft Plan was then considered at a workshop where people and organisations already consulted were participants. Any additional material or valid comments resulting from the workshop were incorporated into the final draft Plan.
It was decided that the final Plan would be in two formats, the first would be publication of the full report on the NT D BIRD website and the second would be a summary version to be commercially printed. The later was in summary form to reduce printing costs.