Funding sources

The Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) currently funds its research program from the following sources:

The AFMA Research Fund

The AFMA Research Fund was established in 1995 with government funding which was primarily used to conduct management-related research.

AFMA’s cost recovery impact statement (CRIS) (PDF, 243kb), was endorsed by the Board in February 2004 and states that broader marine research will be 75% funded by government and 25% funded by industry. Fisheries management research and collection of verified data will be 20% funded by government and 80% funded by industry.

AFMA’s Guidelines for categorising research costs in accordance with the Cost Recovery Impact Statement (PDF, 83kb) was endorsed by the Board in November 2004.

When assessing research projects for funding the ARC/ComFRAB makes reference to Research/RAG proposal funding assessment decision tree (November 2004) (PDF, 15kb).

AFMA’s Research catch and effort allowance policy sets out the processes AFMA employs for setting and managing research catch and effort allowance for research projects. The policy was agreed by the Board in August 2006. Amendments to the Policy were agreed in July 2007. The policy should be read in conjunction with AFMA’s Guidelines for categorising research costs in accordance with the Cost Recovery Impact Statement.

The Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC)

The FRDC provides funding support for important components of the Commonwealth fisheries research program. The FRDC funds a wide range of fisheries-related research under its three programs:

resource sustainability;
ecosystem protection; and
industry development.

Commonwealth fisheries contribute to the FRDC's funding base through fishing industry research levies collected by AFMA and paid on to the FRDC to fund the research (this levy is separate from any MAC-initiated research fund levies). The levy is calculated as 0.25 per cent of the value of annual gross fishery production (averaged over three years) and is mandatory on all concession holders in Commonwealth fisheries. The FRDC also receives funding support from the Government which matches the industry levies on a dollar for dollar basis.
More information on the the FRDC can be found at their website www.frdc.com.au

Fisheries Resources Research Fund (FRRF)

The Australian Government established the Fisheries Resources Research Fund (FRRF) in 1991 as a component of the 1989 “New Directions for Commonwealth Fisheries Management in the 1990s” policy statement. The fund was established to provide the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) with the capacity to undertake policy-related research and to provide expert, objective and independent commentary on the status of the Commonwealth managed fisheries to the Minister (and the Australian community in general).
Whilst this role has gradually evolved, the major role of the FRRF continues to be the provision of funding to:

an ongoing program of assessment of the management of Commonwealth fisheries (which is considered necessary for the ongoing stewardship of those fisheries); and
economic, social and biological research that underpins the Australian Government’s effective response to emerging fishery policy and management issues (on both a domestic and international basis).

The FRRF funds are intended to provide:

rolling three year program of Independent Assessment;
a program of Assessment Development; and
a program of Policy Development.

Although the FRRF is managed by DAFF, AFMA is consulted on expenditure from the FRRF by participating in an advisory committee that evaluates applications for funding. Further information can be obtained from DAFF.

Page last updated 14 February, 2008