Project number: 2012-225
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $149,988.09
Principal Investigator: Malcolm Haddon
Organisation: CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere Hobart
Project start/end date: 31 Aug 2012 - 27 Feb 2013
Contact:
FRDC

Need

Since the HSP was introduced in 2007 there has been a great deal published both nationally and internationally concerning the development and application of harvest strategies. This work needs to be reviewed for new technical content, especially with respect to new and developing methodologies for stock assessments and risk evaluation, and how the new work relates to issues that have been identified in the current HSP. For example, a 10 July 2012 letter from DAFF to FRDC identified issues arising from the review of the harvest strategy policy as a key research priority.

The HSP is generally regarded as successful. However, the review has identified aspects of the policy, the guidelines, and its implementation, that might be improved to better meet the policy’s objectives. Areas of improvement include consideration of appropriate limit reference points based on trophic role or the biological characteristics of different groups of species (e.g. teleosts vs. chondrichthyans), incorporation of spatial management, approaches to setting total allowable catches (TACs) in multispecies fisheries, data-poor stocks (including byproduct), rebuilding strategies and indicators of economic performance. This project will review the latest publications relevant to those priority areas along with research work in progress so as to provide the HSP advisory committee with technical advice on potential improvements to these aspects of the existing policy. Evaluation of current research and developing technologies will provide a basis for a revised policy to incorporate greater flexibility in responding to shifts in stocks and ecosystems from environmental drivers, such as climate change. This work will ultimately contribute to continued improvements in the economic performance and sustainability of Commonwealth fisheries and will have relevance to shared fisheries, fisheries in other jurisdictions, and internationally.

Objectives

1. Provide a technical review of recent research on fisheries harvest strategies (both in Australia and overseas) so as to identify information, methods or strategies that may help to address key issues identified by the review of the Commonwealth Fisheries Harvest Strategy Policy.
2. Identify further research required to update the harvest strategies used for Australian fisheries.
3. Provide technical advice on how the harvest strategy policy (including the Guidelines) might be revised in the light of the review conducted in this project and, where relevant, suggest associated technical refinements of the Policy’s wording.
4. Identify alternative indicators of economic performance

Related research

Environment
People
Industry
PROJECT NUMBER • 2023-082
PROJECT STATUS:
CURRENT

Australian Fisheries and Aquaculture Statistics 2022

1. To maintain and improve the data base of production, gross value of production and trade statistics for the Australian fishing industry, including aquaculture.
ORGANISATION:
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) ABARES