ENHANCING RECREATIONAL FISHERIES
Desired Outcome: Fishery
enhancement is conducted in an
environmentally sustainable manner
and is socially and economically
beneficial to communities adjacent
to where it occurs.
PRIORITY AREAS FOR
INVESTMENT
The following priorities on the
effects of stock enhancement are:
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Experimental application of stock
enhancement as a learning tool (ie
adaptive management) and for
addressing factors that limit
productivity of wild fish stocks;
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Development of aids to
decision-making in the planning and
implementation of stock enhancement
programs;
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Assessment of the impacts of fish
stocking in terms of: - impacts on
wild stocks; - impacts on the
environment; - rehabilitating
threatened species. |
The following
are the priorities for fishery
enhancement:
Developing and promoting new
fishing opportunities;
Improving fish passage
particularly between marine and
freshwater habitats;
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Assessment of social, economic and
ecological costs and benefits of
artificial reefs around the world; |
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Assessment of the social, economic
and ecological costs and benefits of
of FADs around the
world; |
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Assessment of social, economic and
ecological costs and benefits of
artificial reefs in Australia. |
SIGNIFICANCE OF ISSUE
Fishery enhancement
includes habitat enhancement, fish
stocking and stock recovery. As well
as enhancing fisheries stocking can
be used as a means of maintaining or
rehabilitating stocks of protected,
endangered or threatened fish
species.
Many inland recreational
fisheries around Australia are
maintained partly or wholly by the
periodic release of
hatchery-produced fish. Variable or
failed recruitment, drought and
climate change impacts on
established fisheries are resulting
in demands for expanded stocking
programs. These pressures and
demands are expected to increase. At
the same time, fish stocking is
increasingly being questioned in
relation to its effects on wild fish
stocks and threatened fauna.
Stocking is (Victoria) or has been
proposed for listing as a key
threatening process when carried out
in areas outside the normal range
for the species proposed to be
stocked.
Habitat and fishery enhancement
can include artificial reefs, river
re-snagging and other structures,
fish attraction devices (FADs),
dredging or other forms of
modification that enhance habitat to
the benefit of fish stocks.
Artificial reefs have been proposed
as a form of “compensation” for the
introduction of no-fishing zones in
marine parks, eg Moreton Bay. This
has been opposed by some green
groups and there is a need to have
factual information on which to base
decisions.
CURRENT STATUS
Two workshop funded by FRDC were
held in 2006 and 2008 to identify
the key RD&E priorities associated
with stock enhancement, fish
stocking and stock recovery. The
proceedings of the workshop have
been published to guide future
investment in research in this area.
NSW Department of Primary
Industries have embarked on a
extensive artificial reefs program
that is expected to see artificial
reefs established and monitored in a
number of locations.
RECFISHING RESEARCH STRATEGIC
RESPONSE
Recfishing Research has assisted
with the development of a number of
FRDC funding proposals for projects
that address the priority issues
identified at the 2006 workshop.
This includes a proposal to examine
the social and economic benefits of
fish stocking to adjacent
communities and another proposal to
look at the impacts of stocking on
wild stocks and endangered fauna.
Recfishing Research will continue
to work with researchers who have an
interest in recreational fisheries
enhancement to address the
identified priorities.
PROGRESS TO DATE
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A workshop funded by FRDC was
held in Brisbane in February 2006 to
identify the key RDE priorities
associated with stock enhancement,
fish stocking and stock recovery.
The proceedings of the workshop have
been published to guide future
investment in research in this area.
Available at www.recfishingresearch.org |
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A
further workshop funded by FRDC was
held at Bribie Island in March 2008
to determine management issues and
the research required.
The final
report for this project has been
published and is available from the QPI&F website
www.dpi.qld.gov.au/fishweb
or www.recfishingresearch.org.
Recfishing Research has worked with
Queensland researchers on the
development of a project to address
the long term ecological impacts of
fish stocking.
It has also worked
with Futurefish Foundation in
Victoria to develop a project to
examine the risks associated with a
proposal to stock Barramundi in the
warm water outlet pond at Hazelwood
power station. Recfishing Research
is supporting a number of projects
that are examining the issues
relating to artificial reefs that
have been or are being established. |
PROJECTS RECFISHING RESEARCH
IS MONITORING
FRDC project 2009/040: “Fish
stocking programs: are there long
term genetic and ecological
impacts?” Queensland Primary
Industries and Fisheries: John
Russell
John.Russell@deedi.qld.gov.au
Timeframe: July 2009 - June 2012
FRDC project 2009/014: "Tactical
Response Fund: Conduct a risk
assessment for stocking Barramundi
into Hazelwood Pondage in Churchill
Victoria" Futurefish Foundation:
David Kramer
david.kramer@futurefish.com.au
Principal Investigator: Paul Hardy-Simth
Timeframe: August 2009 - December
2009 Artificial reef projects in NSW
estuaries, Moreton Bay and Port
Phillip Bay.
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