Australia’s fisheries to benefit from research investment

More than $6.5 million will be invested across Australia’s fisheries following the announcement of 22 new research projects from the Australian Government’s Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC).

Senator Richard Colbeck, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture, today announced the funding and said the investment builds on Australia’s credentials as a leader in sustainable and science-based fisheries management.

“Australia has an excellent record when it comes to the sustainability of our fisheries – they are well managed and will continue to be so under this Government’s watch. This new round of funding will help ensure we stay at the leading edge.”

Key research projects will focus on reducing bycatch and interaction with other marine species and developing more flexible and responsive management approaches. This includes a project by the FRDC Indigenous Reference Group to map livelihood values associated with Indigenous customary fishing.

“We are committed to working effectively with the indigenous fishing community and ensuring their views are understood and heard. Enhancing the interactions between indigenous fisheries and broader fisheries management was a Coalition election commitment,” Senator Colbeck said.

Other projects include:
• Low cost management regimes for sustainable, small low-value fisheries based on coastal inshore species.
• Maximise yield or minimise risk in the Blacklip Abalone fishery: using biological data to direct abalone harvest strategies.
• Future Proofing Western Australia’s Iconic Marron.
• Improving Indigenous Australian access to and involvement in the management and use of Australia’s fisheries resources.
The FRDC is funded by the Australian Government with contributions from the fishing and aquaculture industry.

Pro Number Title Applicant
2015-302 Social and economic evaluation of NSW coastal aquaculture University of Technology Sydney
2015-300 Social Science and Economics Research Coordination Program Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies
2015-223 Constraining total east coast catch as stock grows – policy/governance research Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies
2015-216 Informing inter-jurisdictional snapper management in eastern Australia Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry (QLD)
2015-215 Low cost management regimes for sustainable, small low-value fisheries based on coastal inshore species CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research
2015-208 National bycatch reporting IC Independent Consulting
2015-205 Indigenous Fishing Subprogram: Mapping livelihood values of Indigenous customary fishing Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
2015-203 Towards consistent standards for Australian fisheries management CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere Flagship
2015-202 Maximising net economic returns from a multispecies fishery CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere Flagship
2015-028 Future proofing Western Australia’s iconic Marron (Cherax cainii) Fishery Ecotone Consulting
2015-026 Understanding recruitment variation (including the collapse) of saucer scallops stocks in Western Australia and assessing the feasibility of assisted recovery measures for improved management in a changing environment Department of Fisheries Western Australia
2015-025 Patterns of interaction between habitat and oceanographic variables affecting the connectivity and productivity of invertebrate fisheries Deakin University
2015-024 Managing ecosystem interactions across differing environments: building flexibility and risk assurance into environmental management strategies University of Tasmania
2015-022 Understanding the movement, behaviour and post-release survival rates of Swordfish to sustainably develop a new large pelagic game fishery off the coast of Tasmania – a pilot study Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies
2015-021 Application of molecular methods to ageing of Australasian abalone University of Tasmania
2015-019 Refining a Nordmøre grid to minimise the incidental catch of cuttlefish and crabs in the Spencer Gulf Prawn Fishery South Australian Research and Development Institute
2015-018 Do commercial fishery data reflect stock status in South Australia’s Southern Garfish fisheries? South Australian Research and Development Institute
2015-017 Maximise yield or minimise risk in the blacklip abalone fishery: using biological data to direct harvest strategies South Australian Research and Development Institute
2015-014 Estimating the impacts of management changes on bycatch reduction and sustainability of high-risk bycatch species in the Queensland East Coast Otter Trawl Fishery Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry (QLD)
2015-006 Research to support the upper slope Dogfish management strategy CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere Flagship
2015-003 Aquatic Animal Health Subprogram: Development of standard methods for the production of marine molluscan cell cultures Department of Primary Industries (NSW)
2015-001 Aquatic Animal Health Subprogram: Bonamiasis in farmed Native Oysters (Ostrea angasi) Department of Environment and Primary Industries (VIC)
SENATOR THE HON RICHARD COLBECK Senator for Tasmania Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture