A synthesis of the efficacy of fisheries enhancement methods for integration into the fisheries management toolbox

Abstract

Increasing stress is being placed on the profitability and long-term sustainability of many Australian fisheries. Even well-managed fishery stocks are unlikely to yield increased harvests in the immediate future using traditional harvest control management approaches. Increasing attention is therefore being directed towards pro-active fishery management options. The Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) conducted an in-depth review on the cost-effectiveness and applicability of a range of fisheries enhancement techniques for Australian fisheries management. The review was paired with a survey of fishery managers to identify attitudes and barriers to uptake for enhancement strategies, as well as the data output formats required to enable rapid adoption into current decision making processes. This final report only provides a brief synopsis of the major findings from the two project components. Much more comprehensive discussions on each component are contained in Appendices C & D.