“There is much that we learn about the robustness of our decision systems when they are placed under stress during a crisis like COVID,” says Ian Dutton, director of marine resources at the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment (DPIPWE) in Tasmania.

This approach underpins a project the DPIPWE has initiated, which is tracking COVID-19 events and industry responses as they happen. The project is led by Emily Ogier and Steven Rust at the University of Tasmania’s Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies - IMAS

Emily also leads the FRDC’s Human Dimensions Research subprogram. The FRDC has commissioned her to expand the scope of the project beyond Tasmania, to incorporate national and international events.

Although the impacts of the coronavirus continue to unfold, preliminary results are already being used to inform response options. Based on the preliminary results and Industry responses to date, Ian Dutton says business structures and employment practices, digital capacity, and coordinated action of fishing and aquaculture are important factors in increasing the resilience of the seafood sector.

Read the article at FISH Magazine.