The National Carp Control Plan (NCCP) will be delivered over a large geographic area in waterways used by, among others, thousands of farmers, fishers, tourists, boaters and nearby residents. Achieving high social acceptance of the NCCP requires understanding the attitudes held by different community members and stakeholder groups towards potential virus release and other carp control measures, and why these attitudes are held. In particular, it is critical to understand perceptions of the potential positive and negative social, environmental and economic effects of proposed carp control measures, and to use this understanding to design (i) strategies that can maximise potential positive outcomes and minimise potential negative impacts, (ii) ensure accurate and effective communication with the wide range of groups potentially affected by, or interested in, the NCCP, and (iii) through this build trust in the process and actions involved in eventual implementation of carp control measures as part of the NCCP. This requires engaging not in a ‘one-off’ assessment of community attitudes and potential effects of carp control measures, but using an action research approach in which community and stakeholders views are regularly assessed and analysed in the period in which the NCCP is developed (2017-2018), with this understanding used to actively inform the design of both the proposed plan of action for virus release or other potential control measures, and communication strategies about actions proposed as part of the NCCP. This pro-active approach can enable design of a plan for carp control that incorporates actions that reduce potential for negative impacts and increase community trust in the process.
Project number:
2016-152
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure:
$363,495.10
Principal Investigator:
Jacki Schirmer
Organisation:
University of Canberra
Project start/end date:
16 Jul 2017
-
30 Dec 2018
Contact:
FRDC
SPECIES
1. Quantify and explain community attitudes to potential carp control measures including proposed virus release
2. Inform design of NCCP communication processes, through identifying most effective communication and consultation methods for different stakeholder groups
3. Identify strategies to increase trust in and acceptance of carp virus release, including communication strategies and strategies to maximise positive and minimise negative socio-economic effects of carp control measures proposed in the National Carp Control Plan
4. Produce full protocol for continued monitoring and evaluation of community and stakeholder attitudes during future implementation of the National Carp Control Plan
ISBN:
978-0-6487600-0-9
Author:
Jacki Schirmer
Final Report
•
2019-12-17
•
2.64 MB
2016-152 Appendix 1 - DLD.pdf
The present study, undertaken by University of Canberra, was developed to investigate the potential to engender support for the recommendations included in the NCCP byassessing potential impacts of carp control on different groups, and ensuring key stakeholders are able to access, understand and have discussions about the science being used to inform the development of recommendations for the Plan. Through completing a program of assessment of socio-economic impacts, and enabling constructive engagement with stakeholders in NCCP communication and engagement actions, this project actively informed the design of both the communication and engagement used as part of developing the Plan, and the ultimate recommendations to government included in the Plan. This pro-active approach can enable design of a plan for carp control that incorporates actions that reduce potential for negative impacts and increase community trust in the process.
