Our partnership approach in research

The fisheries resources we manage are important community assets which support significant commercial fishing activity, recreational fishing and some subsistence and traditional fishing. The very nature of fish and their habitats means fisheries resources are also of interest to a range of other stakeholders, including environmental groups, resource managers, researchers, indigenous and community groups.

Cooperation with the research community, industry, government agencies and others with an interest in the sustainable management of the Commonwealth fisheries resources forms a crucial part of our approach to research.

Our partnership approach to research involves close consultation with managers, fishers, researchers and others. This approach provides opportunities for stakeholders to have input into the research priority-setting process through the Management Advisory Committees (MACs) for each major AFMA-managed fishery.

MACs often rely on advice from their specialist research subcommittees to identify the key research needs for the fishery and prepare annual five-year rolling research plans. In addition, MACs may take advice from fishery assessment groups established by the AFMA Board on what information is required to improve the confidence in stock assessments.

The research process

AFMA does not undertake research in-house. Rather, it outsources research through the following process:

• the MACs solicit research proposals, in line with their priorities and five-year research plans, from a range of providers on an annual basis. AFMA’s research section may also solicit proposals in line with AFMA’s strategic research plan.
• the proposals received are initially evaluated and ranked by the MACs in terms of their cost effectiveness in filling identified knowledge gaps and contributing to management objectives.
• the MACs then submit their high-priority proposals seeking funding from AFMA's research funds.
• the AFMA Research Committee (ARC) evaluates the proposals submitted against AFMA's Five Year Strategic Research Plan for their need, feasibility, and likelihood of contributing to improved management for the subject fishery.

In adopting this approach, AFMA is endeavouring to achieve greater awareness of fisheries research issues, as well as acceptance and ownership of the research priority-setting.

Page last updated 31 July, 2008