AFMA's Research program

AFMA Resource Assessment Groups (RAGs) and Management Advisory Committees (MACs) play a crucial role in identifying research needs (July to early September), assessing research proposals and the outcomes of research. This includes both essential stock assessment type research and other management-related projects.

AFMA administers the annual research budget, the majority of which is spent on essential research, principally stock assessments and data gathering/monitoring, which is prioritised and scoped through respective fishery RAGs, and approved and monitored by AFMA Management.

The AFMA Research Committee (ARC) has a strategic role in providing strategic advice to the AFMA Commission:

• on major fishery and cross fishery research issues affecting Commonwealth fisheries to support AFMA in meeting its objectives and other legislative requirements
• on the strategic directions for research relevant to AFMA’s information needs, and
• recommending research priorities and projects for potential Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) funding for consideration by the Commonwealth Research Advisory Committee (ComRAC). The ComRAC process is managed by the FRDC.