EDITION 1: SUMMER 2006

Welcome to our first national newsletter…
WHO ARE WE and WHAT DO WE DO?

OceanWatch Australia is a national environmental, not-for-profit company that works to achieve sustainability in the Australian seafood industry through protecting and enhancing fish habitats, improving water quality and building sustainable fisheries through action based partnerships with the Australian seafood industry, government, natural resource managers, private enterprise and the community. 

We were established in 1989 by renowned seafood industry personality Peter Doyle in response to adverse public reaction about poor water quality and high levels of contamination in fish from Sydney's inshore ocean outfalls.  Since that time our activities have expanded across Australia and now focus on finding practical solutions to environmental problems (both land and marine sourced) affecting coastal and aquatic environments.  We also facilitate improved environmental practices across Australian fisheries. 

We are a unique organisation, with strong alliances with a number of organisations across Australia, both within and external to the Australian seafood industry, that facilitates our ability to effectively deliver national programs.

We run 3 core programs:

• Aquatic habitat protection and enhancement that seeks to inform and provide advice to governments, Natural Resource Management (NRM) managers, the community and other coastal and marine stakeholders in relation to NRM issues impacting on the seafood industry.  It currently focuses on NSW related issues predominantly due to funding constraints.  For example, we provide advice on coastal development applications and government natural resource policy, attend community Da festivals with our education trailer and recently launched Our Valuable Estuaries, an interactive CD-Rom for all primary schools in coastal NSW.
• Aquatic habitat rehabilitation that seeks to undertake on-ground works to rehabilitate and enhance priority fish habitat areas across Australia.  Our flagship project within this program, known as Tide to Table and is funded under the National Landcare Program.  Through the program partnerships are formed with other primary producers, landholders, regional Natural Resource Management (NRM) bodies, government and community based Landcare and Bushcare groups for the benefit of improving productive fish resources.  This program is currently operating in 3 regions within NSW.  In addition we undertake a number of smaller rehabilitation projects with community groups and the Department of Primary Industries.
• Building sustainable fisheries that seeks to improve the sustainability of Australian fisheries through working with the fishing industry to develop cost effective and practical solutions to reducing the environmental impacts of commercial and recreational fishing.  This program is delivered predominately to the commercial sector through a national environmental extension service called SeaNet.  SeaNet provides information and advice on reducing environmental impacts, and works directly with industry, managers and researchers to develop and implement improved fishing gear, technology and methods.  It aims to minimise the catch of non-target species (bycatch) and encourage environmental best practice for industry.  This project currently operates in QLD (2 officers), WA, NSW, VIC and SA.  Recreational fishers are involved through a series of projects that target specific environment issues such as the discarding of monofilament line and other waste into the marine environment.  To date these projects have operated only within NSW and SE Qld.

WE'VE WON SOME AWARDS!!

This year OceanWatch Australia took out some rather prestigious awards including:

• 2005 Australian Seafood Industry Environment Award. This award recognises the significant contribution OceanWatch Australia has made to protecting and enhancing fish habitat and building sustainable fisheries.

• 2005 United Nations Association of Australia World Environment Day Award for Excellence in Marine and Coastal Management for its SeaNet Program.

PROGRAM UPDATES
AQUATIC HABITAT PROTECTION & ENHANCEMENT

Our Aquatic Habitat Protection and Enhancement Program works predominantly within NSW.  This program is designed to improve the management, protection and rehabilitation of estuarine and marine ecosystems in NSW.  This is achieved by working in partnership with governments, NRM managers, industries and the community to develop practical solutions to and provide education and advice on NRM issues.  As part of this program we run a number of projects that focus on priority areas and develop readily available tools and resources to assist coastal and marine stakeholders in NRM. Our priorities are identified through regular liaison with fishers, government agencies and NRM stakeholders.

2005 has been a great year for us with this program.  Here’s a taste of some of the key outcomes we have achieved during 2005:

• Integration of fishing industry into NRM  - with the role out of the regional delivery model of NRM across Australia, it was clear the fishing industry was not engaged in the process to the extent they should have been.  OceanWatch Australia took up this challenge to get the industry embedded in regional NRM.  Our efforts have paid off.  Over the last year, we have seen a shift in understanding and acceptance of the fishing industry as primary producers who are integral in managing our coastal and marine resources by the Commonwealth joint NRM group and regional NRM managers (or Catchment Management Authorities as they are also know).  We have worked tirelessly in building relationships, forming partnerships and capitalising on opportunities to partner with NRM stakeholders to develop projects that support building sustainability within fisheries at a regional scale. As a starting point in November 2004, OceanWatch Australia hosted a workshop, in conjunction with Coastcare and the Nature Conservation Council of NSW, for the NSW Catchment Management Authorities (CMAs) with 80 coastal and marine experts to discuss coastal and marine issues, including issues relating to and threatening aquatic habitat and sustainable fisheries.  Eight fishermen from across the State attended the workshop to represent the industry and voice their issues. Following on from this, we have successfully engaged with CMAs in NSW in the development of catchment and resource condition targets and investment strategies that provide actions that will build sustainable fisheries across regions and address threats to critical aquatic habitats and water quality over the next 10 years.  Our efforts have nationally positioned the industry to positively move forward with respect to regional NRM engagement.
• Established cooperative partnerships between land and marine based primary producers to work together to achieve improvements to land management practices for the benefit of fisheries productivity.
• Continued to build and nurture strong working relationship with fisheries agencies, the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Department of Environment and Heritage, the Australian Fisheries Management Authority and conservation groups
• Successfully secured the ongoing commitment of the NSW government to fund the Aquatic Habitat Program within the NSW Department of Primary Industries.
• Successfully worked in partnership with a range of stakeholders to secure funding from the Commonwealth to address marine debris in the Gulf of Carpentaria with respect to ghost nets
• Achieved the temporary ceasing of forestry operations on the far south coast of NSW until an adequate monitoring program for the impacts from sedimentation runoff on critical seagrass beds in an adjoining estuary is established.

Our priority areas for 2006 will include ensuring better management of regional sewage schemes by water authorities, developing market based instruments for managing aquatic habitat and working with regional NRM bodies to implement actions that address coastal and marine targets set that will benefit the commercial fishing industry.

Ensuring industry has a voice on aquatic habitat Issues

OceanWatch Australia represents the interests of the Australian seafood industry on various issues relating to aquatic habitat across a number of forums, including:

• National Introduced Marine Pest Coordination Group (NIMPCG) responsible for developing the National System for the Prevention and Management of Introduced Marine Pests
• National Shark Recovery Group responsible for implementing the National Recovery Plan for Sharks
• National Committee on Acid Sulphate Soils (NATCASS) responsible for implementing the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Framework as it relates to acid sulphate soils (ASS) and to ensuring a national approach to ASS management.
• A number of regional coastal and marine advisory groups for NRM groups/Catchment Management Authorities.
• Carpentaria Ghost Nets Program Steering Committee overseeing the clean up of ghost nets in the Gulf of Carpentaria
• A number of estuary management committees responsible for the development of estuary management plans in NSW.
• Other coastal and marine NRM forums across the country.

Monique Needham, Aquatic Habitat Protection and Enhancement Program Manager and Dave Cranston, NSW SeaNet Officer at the  Eden Whale Festival In addition, we invest considerable resources into providing information and advice to government agencies, NRM managers and others on policy and developments that impact negatively on aquatic habitat by way of membership on a number of state advisory committees and through public submissions. Community Events A key part of this program is community education.  We participate in many community events across Australia, including the Eden Whale Festival, the Cairns Show, the Perth Boat Show, the Bounty of the Sea Festival in Foster NSW, Melbourne Food and Wine On the Water and Tastes of the Sea - Part of the Volvo Ocean Race, Melbourne stopover.
New Resources Our Valuable Estuaries
		OceanWatch Australia, supported by the Myer Foundation and the NSW Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI), has produced an environmental education resource called Our Valuable Estuaries, an interactive CD-Rom for primary school students (focusing on Stage 2, NSW Human Society and Its Environment Syllabus).  It outlines the importance of healthy catchments, aquatic habitats and water quality for sustainable and productive fisheries, human impacts and ways to reduce these impacts.  All public primary schools within the coastal catchments of NSW have received this teaching resource.  The response we have received for this resource has been overwhelming.  We are now planning in 2006 to update this resource to address other levels of the NSW syllabus and be transferable to other State curriculums – stay tuned for more information on this.  If would like a copy, please contact our office on (02) 9660 2262.
Our Valuable Estuaries.

AQUATIC HABITAT REHABILITATION - TIDE TO TABLE

This year saw the expansion of our vision for sustainable fisheries with the commencement of Tide to Table.  This program is currently being piloted within the Sydney Metropolitan catchment area and focuses on restoring fish habitat that is considered by the fishing industry to be critical for healthy fish productivity.  The program, funded under the Commonwealth National Landcare Program is about linking the actions of landholders, community based Landcare and Bushcare groups and local and state governments across a catchment to ensuring improvements to aquatic habitat that in turn support more sustainable seafood resources and a healthier estuarine/marine environment. 

The program aims to tangibly repair and restore critical fish habitat and address water quality impacts on the aquatic environment through around 15 on-ground work projects at more then 20 sites across Sydney. The works that are planned to commence in early 2006 include restoring saltmarsh and estuarine ecosystems around the harbour and the many sub catchments. The projects will include limiting 4WD access to an important saltmarsh site, removing weeds and replanting natives in and around riparian zones, installing stormwater control devices around estuaries, removing barriers to fish passage, stabilising many fragile ecological communities and value adding to the many projects that are currently taking place around the waterways.

		The program has a large educational focus to promote the need for a more informed understanding by the community of the role these ecosystems play in maintaining sustainable aquatic habitat and fisheries production. It is about how small actions initiated at sites such as those being worked on by Bushcare and local government can add to a supportive network that encourages fish breeding and provides shelter and food. A high level of community involvement from Bushcare volunteers and also commercial and recreational fishers is expected to allow an appreciation of each other’s activities that are tied by a common thread to preserve and enhance our aquatic habitat.  This project provides a unique opportunity to allow a more primary industries, connective approach to addressing the issues, many of which fall upon publicly owned land and water.

The pilot program is a partnership between the Sydney Metropolitan Catchment Management Authority, OceanWatch Australia and the Department of Primary Industries.  We will be commencing similar projects across the Hawkesbury Nepean and Hunter Central Rivers regions in NSW in 2006 where we will also be partnering with the NSW Farmers Association and the respective Catchment Management Authorities.  We will look to roll this program out nationally in 2007. 

Tide to Table is shaping up to provide a great opportunity for the community to get involved in something that will not only be good for the environment, but will work towards increasing the amount of fish available for us to enjoy!  In the coming months it would be fantastic to see you attend one of the many events/projects being planned around Sydney.  For further information, call us on 02 9660 2262.

BUILDING SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES

SeaNet Updates

SeaNet is an environmental extension service to the Australian seafood industry and provides information and advice on improved fishing gear, technology and methods.  Our primary objective is to work with commercial fishers to minimise the catch of non-target species (bycatch) and encourage environmental best practice for industry.  SeaNet extension officers work with commercial fishers to assist in developing and implementing effective and practical solutions to bycatch issues and environmental impacts. SeaNet is funded by the Natural Heritage Trust and managed by OceanWatch Australia.   We have officers operating in QLD (2), WA, VIC, NSW and SA. Here is an update on recent projects SeaNet is involved in across the country.

Western Rock Lobster Managed Fishery Code of Practice for Reducing Whale Entanglements

The Code was launched at the recent Rock Lobster Industry Advisory Committee (RLIAC) coastal tour. The RLIAC tour is an open forum where the WA Department of Fisheries, industry associations and other interested parties can access information on current issues and changes to fishery governance.

The WA Code is based on the Victorian Code, but has been modified to address specific WA conditions. SeaNet WA has worked closely with the WA Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM) Officer Doug Coughran, who heads a team of specialists trained to deal with large whale entanglements. CALM is a leading authority in disentanglement techniques and is in contact with other national organisations, providing information and training on the latest developments in equipment and technique.

The Code has established a clear process for fishers to follow if an entangled whale is encountered including the appropriate contacts so any rescue mission can be mounted as quickly as possible. The Code also details actions that fishers can undertake to reduce the likelihood of an entanglement occurring. Launch of the Code will be followed by port visits to provide additional information and give fishers an opportunity to discuss any concerns.

South Coast Purse Seine Managed Fishery

The South Coast Purse Seine Managed Fishery (SCPSMF) targets pilchards, Sardinops sagax and operates from the port towns of Esperance, Bremer Bay and Albany  on the South Coast of Western Australia.  During May 2004, members of the SCPSMF, together with WA SeaNet officer Carl Bevilacqua, drafted a Code of Practice and accompanying Deck Manual to establish operational benchmarks against which all members of the fishery can measure and assess their performance. The Code is also a valuable educational resource providing information to new deck-hands and skippers entering the fishery.

The SCPSMF has recently taken the Code a step further, with all members now becoming signatories, declaring their commitment to maintaining the standards set out in the Code.  A recent industry meeting and workshop held in Albany brought active skippers together to discuss the Code and issues facing the fishery. This is an integral part of the Codes development and will see industry continuing to meet with SeaNet throughout the year.

The "Road Cone" Tori Line

The float filled road cone keeps the tori line taut and randomly agitates the line and streamers.

Dave Kreutz (ETBF SEO) and industry reps have developed a simple, effective and affordable solution to the problems of tori lines not streaming far enough behind the vessel and tangling streamers which reduces their ability to deter seabirds. By simply filling a standard road cone with polystyrene fishing floats and attaching it to the end of the tori line, the cone acts like a drogue, dragging behind the boat, keeping the tori lines high and preventing the streamers from tangling. This concept, modified after numerous trials, has proven highly successful, at a minimal cost of only $25.

The float-filled road cone is attached to the end of the tori line. When the vessel is underway, it creates drag to extend the tori line, providing greater effective aerial coverage for less overall length. With 100m of tori line, the road cone achieves 90m of aerial coverage.

	Construction details of the road cone.

Other benefits include:

• Through the disturbance the cone makes on the water surface 100m behind the vessel, it acts like a lure, distracting birds away from the baited hooks being deployed.
• The cone keeps the tori lines straighter, thereby reducing the chances of tangling in crosswinds.
• The cone agitates the line when the vessel is underway, resulting in random movement of the streamers which reduce the chance of seabirds habituating to patterns of movement.
• The internal floats prevent the cone from collapsing and make it easy to retrieve by hand.

T90 Update

SeaNet in Victoria is continuing to explore opportunities to test T90 modifications in the South East Trawl Fishery. T90 is the concept of improving the selectivity of net meshes in trawl gear by turning meshes 90o. This approach prevents meshes from closing tightly while fishing, thereby retaining their selective properties throughout the fishing ‘shot’. This work continues with support from the FRDC Project 2001/006: Promoting industry uptake of gear modifications to reduce bycatch in the South-East and Great Australian Bight Trawl Fisheries.

With the invaluable support of staff at the Australian Maritime College (AMC), SeaNet Officer Jim Newman spent a day on the Fisheries Training Vessel “Bluefin”, operating on the north east coast of Tasmania with a class of fisheries management students. The students were conducting sampling  activities, combining fishing activities and scientific methods such as fish identification and length frequency data collection. The trip provided an opportunity to view a T90 codend extension in operation with the vessels underwater camera facilities.

The video showed that meshes in a T90 configuration stayed open during the shot, providing evidence of how fish behave in response to the meshes. The T90 codend extension was conducted with the assistance of commercial gear supplied by a south east trawl fisher.

So the Meshes Stay Open, but the Trick is Joining T90 and Normal Meshes

T90 meshes do not close up tightly like a conventional mesh because of the way knots are oriented. Even when considerable weight is applied, a T90 mesh will offer a wider opening than a normal mesh (side by side knots are further apart). The photos (next page) show the same meshes stretched normally and T90.

How Well Does T90 Work?

Reports from fishers already using T90 in their gear are favourable in terms of reducing unwanted bycatch and selecting higher market value fish. The selective properties for a T90 mesh appear to be different to a normal mesh, but this remains to be quantified.  To this end, a trial will be conducted on a commercial vessel with two identical nets towed simultaneously. This will allow modified gear to be tested against a standard gear ‘control’ net to provide comparative data on selectivity of the gear. For this project, the ‘control’ gear will be the standard gear of the vessel without modifications. Further investigations may include an assessment of the selective properties of T90 in a range of mesh sizes and  styles. This initial work holds great opportunities for trawl fisheries across Australia.  We will continue to extend these trials into other trawl fisheries over the next 12 months.

A SMART IDEA FOR REDUCING BYCATCH COULD NET YOU U.S. $25,000

The World Wildlife Fund is calling on fishers, gear technologists, engineers, students, inventors and anyone with creative flare to submit their ideas for fishing gear designs to reduce bycatch to the second International Smart Gear Competition.  The competition will award a U.S. $25,000 grand prize and two U.S. $5,000 runner-up prizes to the designs judged to be the most practical, easy to use and cost effective.

The WWF International Smart Gear Competition aims to reduce one of the biggest threats to healthy marine ecosystems and related economic losses to fishermen, said Ginette Hemley, vice president, species conservation, World Wildlife Fund. We hope this competition is able to harness the creativity and ingenuity of fishers, scientists and the public to reduce the waste caused by unselective gear.

The first SmartGear competition was held in February 2005 and received 50 entries from 16 countries. WWF awarded three new practical solutions: a system for keeping longlines away from sea turtles by a former high-school biology teacher and commercial fisherman; changes to the chemical properties of fishing ropes and nets by a North American team; and modified trawls to reduce bycatch of undersized shrimp and fish by a team of Indian scientists familiar with the challenges of changing fishing practices and technologies in a developing country.

The winner of the WWF International Smart Gear Competition will be determined by a diverse set of judges, including fishers, researchers, fisheries managers and environmentalists from all around the world. OceanWatch Australia will once again be represented on the judging panel by Emma Bradshaw, Program Manager of SeaNet.

Entries close 15 March 2006 and winners will be announced in May 2006. For more information and to download an entry form go to www.smartgear.org.

Arising from the first competition, the early stages of an International Bycatch Communications Network are underway. Following an initial request for expressions of interest, support has been received from more than 100 representatives in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Indonesia, Italy, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Thailand, UK, US, Norway and Viet Nam. This cross section of countries is encouraging, as it was determined to be important that both developed countries with substantial resources and those with more limited support to address bycatch mitigation were involved.

Through these initial contacts, we became aware of a number of existing organisations with similar, but more specialised networks.  As this project develops, we aim to incorporate these existing resources to ensure we compliment our respective efforts and avoid “recreating the wheel”.  Suggestions for the most appropriate forums have been identified as an e-newsletter, listserver and web site.  Updates on their progress will appear in future editions of the OceanWatch Australia newsletter, “name to be advised”.   If you would like to become involved with this initiative, can suggest other individuals/organisations who would may be interested or have any recommendations following similar experiences, please contact Emma Bradshaw, SeaNet Program Manager on:
ebradshaw@oceanwatch.org.au, (07) 5514 6021 or 0416 031 402.

CARPENTARIA GHOST NETS PROGRAM
“Saltwater People Working Together”

OceanWatch Australia has been involved in the ghost nets program from its first collective forum held in Karumba (May 2004) and is represented on the Steering Committee by Denis Ballam, QLD SeaNet Officer. The Northern Gulf Resource Management Group (NGRMG) is the parent body for the ghost net program, representing the nth gulf NRM region. The program is funded through the NRM cross regional competitive bid  process via NHT2. OceanWatch Australia’s role in the Steering committee has been to focus on identifying the source fisheries of the nets, a means to limit the problem and to establish recycling systems once the ghost nets are collected

Ghost nets have been recognised by all indigenous communities around the Gulf of Carpentaria (GoC) as a major problem. Turtle deaths are the predominant indicator of the impacts ghost nets are having on the biodiversity of the region. In an early survey (1999), it was estimated that between Cape York and Duyfken Point (Weipa) on the western coastline of Cape York Peninsula, ghost nets averaged between 8 and 10 nets/km with ~450 dead turtles found entangled.

	Jimmy Panual on ghost net. © Badu Island Community Council.

Subsequent clean-ups conducted by the Napranum and Marpoon communities have substantiated these figures. Cleanups by the Dhimurru community on the western coastline of the GoC have confirmed similar numbers of turtle deaths. The Carpentaria Ghost Nets Program incorporates 12 indigenous  communities involved in cleaning up sections of their “sea country”. These communities range from Badu Island in the Torres Strait to Elcho Island in the Northern Territory.

The scope of the problem is immense and cannot be fully appreciated without first hand exposure to the impact of marine debris on these remote beaches. Actual distance of beaches cleaned is very small in relation to the coastline of the GoC and inaccessible, remote sites are still unsurveyed.

Diagram of Pacific and Indian ocean throughflow after Qiu et. atl. (1999). Northwest monsoon and Gulf circulation pattern during.

Indigenous communities have a huge responsibility and are keen to undertake the work with support and assistance from the Carpentaria Ghost Nets Program.  The prevailing north westerly monsoonal flow, combined with the Indonesian flow-through currents, drive marine debris from the Arafura Sea, into the Gulf of Carpentaria for 5 - 6 months/year. Within the Gulf of Carpentaria there is a gyre that keeps marine debris circulating around the Gulf until ghost nets are driven onto beaches or headlands or snagged on reefs.

A ghost net drifting at the rate of 1 knot, (i.e., 1 nm/hr) can travel 3,600 nm in a 5 month period. As such, marine debris from as far away as the South China Sea could impact the western coastline of Cape York in the north westerly monsoonal period.

The CSIRO have studied the “through flow” between the Pacific and the Indian oceans and has developed a high resolution modeling/data system which can be used to seed nets and track their movements or trace nets backwards to their source  http://www.marine.csiro.au/bluelink/exproducts/index.htm.

	Diagram of Pacific and Indian ocean throughflow after Qiu et. atl. (1999). Northwest monsoon and Gulf circulation pattern during.

Almost all nets are of international origin. Australian fisheries have reduced their impact from ~ 23% of identified nets in the earliest clean ups to under 1% in the most recent, as recorded in the latest WWF clean ups in the N.T. and documented in the “Net Kit”, a guide to identifying ghost nets recovered in the GoC. Conservation Guide - The Net Kit PDF.

Why overseas fishers discard nets is still not understood. There are now more than 240 different types of nets identified by WWF in their beach clean-up work around the Gulf, suggesting that nets are drifting considerable distances to reach the GoC. This issue is international in scope, requiring collaboration between a number of South East Asian nations to remedy. A major breakthrough in plastic recycling is the Thermofuel process, converting waste plastics into high grade diesel and developed by the Australian Company Ozmotech, http://www.ozmotech.com.au.

Almost 85% of marine debris found on these remote beaches is plastic, and the Thermofuel process is a viable recycling alternative to land fill. Latest estimates of volume of plastics in beach cleanups on Groote Eylandt in the NT is one tonne/km. Handling logistics and  infrastructure are the main problems faced by remote communities when it comes to recycling waste materials.

REDUCING PLASTICS ACROSS THE SEAFOOD INDUSTRY

	Photo: © Marine Research Foundation .

OceanWatch Australia (OWA) through the Seafood Industry Development Fund and the Natural Heritage Trust, is undertaking a desktop feasibility study to review where plastics are used within the Australian Seafood Industry (post harvest) and whether potential alternatives/substitutes are available to the industry.

The project is now well underway and is finding that a great deal of research and development, here in Australian and overseas, has gone into alternative packaging and handling products.  The food industry has/is the greatest beneficiary of this research and development with the introduction of numerous cost efficient, environmental acceptable packaging products.

Early research also indicates that a high number of fishing co-operatives and markets have already introduced plastic and waste minimisation initiatives with the highest and most difficult hurdle being post point of sale waste disposal.

The answers to how we reduce the use of plastics and non recyclable waste in the fishing industry are available here and now, but for these products to become common place they need to be:

• affordable;
• acceptable and beneficial to the consumer and the producer;
• meet health and safety standards; and
• able to stand-up to hash storage and transport conditions.

An objective of the project is to review current plastic use and recycling strategies in the fishing industry.  To assist with the project your thoughts and ideas on these issues can be forwarded to the Project Officer; John King, e-mail address; lumbking@shoal.net.au

ROLLOUT OF THE NATIONAL MARINE PEST SYSTEM TO THE SEAFOOD INDUSTRY

What is an Introduced Marine Pest?

An introduced marine pest (IMP) is an exotic marine species that may pose a threat to the marine environment or industry that has been introduced into Australian waters from a source beyond Australia’s marine environment. IMPs can affect the marine environment by changing the natural balance and successions of native species.

IMPs can affect industry by rapidly fouling the hulls and internal water systems of commercial vessels causing reduced fuel efficiency and water system blockages. Aquaculture can be affected by the introduction of predators and competitors. Fisheries habitats can be modified by the addition of new species with uncertain consequences. The case for preventing the entry of marine pests and resisting their spread is exemplified by the high cost of eradication, which is very difficult.

IMPs can be introduced into our waters by several means, often referred to as vectors.  An introduction can result through:

1. Entrainment - the ‘pick up’ of a potential marine pest by a vessel either through onboard water take-up or attached to the hull.
2. Translocation - the act of moving the marine pest from one locality to another.
3. Establishment - occurs when the potential pest separates from the vessel and survives in the new locality.

Marine pests can be picked up in the ballast water of large vessels and discharged in a new location where they can become a pest species.  Biofouling, or biological growth on vessels hulls and internal water systems, can also result in species being transported between localities and potentially resulting in the establishment of pest populations.

The National System for the Prevention and Management of Marine Pest Incursions (the National System)

Following an incursion of Black-striped mussel in Darwin in 1999, that cost about $3 million to successfully eradicate, the benefit of a nationally coordinated and consistent approach to preventing and managing future and existing incursions was realised. A national taskforce suggested that a National System was required to effectively manage the marine pest issue.  The National System is being developed by the National Introduced Marine Pest Coordination Group (NIMPCG), which includes members from federal and state government departments and agencies, scientific organisations and industry.
The National System is supported by an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) that was signed by all States, the Northern Territory and the Commonwealth Government in April 2005.  A copy of the IGA on A National System for the Prevention and Management of Marine Pest Incursions can be found at: http://www.deh.gov.au/coasts/imps/index.html

The National System has three main elements under which policies and actions are being developed. They are:

• Prevention;
• Emergency management; and
• Ongoing management and control.

Complementing these elements are supporting arrangements that contribute to the effectiveness of the system.

Prevention

The threat of introduction of potential pests exists primarily through two vectors, ballast water and biofouling.  The National System includes systems and measures that reduce the risks of entrainment and translocation by a range of vessel types that can be vectors, including:

• Ballast water management measures requiring that ships coming from overseas must not discharge ballast water into Australian waters unless it has been properly exchanged at sea.
• Biofouling management measures in the form of protocols or voluntary guidelines for other marine sectors including fishing, aquaculture, recreational vessels, international yachts, commercial trading ships, petroleum industry vessels, illegal entry vessels and foreign fishing vessels.

Emergency Management

Emergency responses are coordinated through the Consultative Committee on Introduced Marine Pest Emergencies (CCIMPE).  Eradication action is considered on merits of the case when an incursion or significant new translocation is detected.

Ongoing Management and Control

This aspect of the National System includes management measures for those pest species that are already established in Australian waters and are deemed to have an actual or potential impact on industry or the environment.  National Control Plans, specific to each of these species, are the mechanism for ongoing management and control.  Objectives, actions for pest control, R&D priorities and administrative arrangements will be included in the National Control Plans, to ensure that impacts are managed cost effectively.

Supporting Arrangements

Other management arrangements to support the national system include:

• a single national interface that will assist with ballast water management components of the system;
• a monitoring program for early detection and updating risk assessments of vectors;
• an R&D program following the national research plan;
• a national communication, education and awareness program; and
• an evaluation program for the National System.

What Does This Mean For Industry?

OceanWatch Australia (OWA) the environmental arm of the Australian seafood industry is committed to protecting and enhancing fish habitats and water quality and building sustainable fisheries.  OWA has been awarded a contract to finalise and roll out the new National System for the Prevention and Management of Marine Pest Incursions as it applies, to the commercial wild catch fishing industry.  The objectives for this project are:

• to incorporate industry input into biofouling guidelines being developed for domestic fishing vessels;
• seek industry assistance with how best to communicate these guidelines effectively across industry; and
• facilitate the extension of the national system to industry.

The project will be delivered over the next year in two phases consisting of a consultation process and awareness-raising material development and rollout. Consultation will include DAFF, NIMPCG, Industry peak bodies and fishery associations.

OWA has been representing the seafood industry on NIMPCG on behalf of the Australian Seafood Industry Council (ASIC) for about 18 months.  The project is important to the commercial fishing industry as IMPs could potentially threaten Australia’s fisheries and commercial fishing vessels have been recognised as a likely secondary translocation vector for marine pests that have reached our waters.  Of the 23 non-trading sectors of the Australian domestic marine domain, commercial fishing was rated as the highest risk group for the potential to facilitate secondary invasions from the initial establishment sites of IMPs.  This assessment is based on a high potential for entrainment, the large number of vessels (estimated up to 12 000) and the extensive range of some of the vessels (Summerson and Curran, 2005). 

For more information or if you would like to be involved contact: Anissa Lawrence on 02 9660 2262 or email anissa@oceanwatch.org.au or Jim Newman, SeaNet Extension Officer Victoria, on 03 9824 0744 or email seanet@siv.com.au

BREAKING NEWS

• OceanWatch Australia is updating its branding and website so over the few months you will notice some changes.  We are now also listed on the Register of Environmental Organisations which means that any donation or sponsorship is tax deductible. Please contact us if you would like more information on how you can help out.
• Our CEO, Anissa Lawrence attended the 2005 NSW Coastal Conference in Narooma recently where she presented a paper, “Commercial Fishers - Stewards of our Estuaries and Oceans.”  This presentation focused on what the industry is doing to reduce environmental impacts through initiatives such as SeaNet and Environmental Management Systems. 
• All Catchment Management Authorities (CMAs) in NSW now have draft versions of Catchment Action Plans available for review.  OWA has been directly involved in developing these as they relate to coastal and marine issues and commercial fishing.  Please contact your local CMA if you would like to see a copy of the plan for your region.

• OWA recently hosted a trivia night at the City of Sydney RSL to raise money for our Aquatic Habitat Program.  We had a huge turnout, with about 120 of our friends, family and work associates coming along for what was a really fun, relaxed night.  Thank you to those who so generously supported us that night.  We will most certainly be hosting another trivia night next year.
• Louise Smith joined the OceanWatch Australia team in January 2006 as the new SeaNet Officer for South Australia and can be contacted on seanet@safic.com.au or 08 8234 8622.
• Anissa Lawrence was recently elected to be the Deputy Chair of WetlandCare Australia!!  Congrats!  This will provide some good synergies between the two organisations to rehabilitate aquatic habitat. 
• OceanWatch Australia will be commencing a project in March 2006, under the NSW Environmental Trust and the NSW Saltwater Recreational Fishing Trust, to set up recreational fishing line collection bins across the key recreational fishing sites in NSW in partnership with Department of Primary Industries, local councils, CMAs and peak recreational fishing bodies.  The program will incorporate the construction and installation of specifically designed bins at key locations, combined with a targeted education program to facilitate behavioural change. The line will be collected for recycling into virgin plastic and for community art creations.   Coastal wildlife suffers injury and death through ingestion and entanglement of discarded recreational monofilament fishing line. In response, anthropogenic debris in marine and estuarine environments has been declared a key threatening process under NSW and Commonwealth legislation.
• OceanWatch Australia has just been awarded a project under the NSW Recreational Fishing Trust Saltwater Fish Habitat Grant Program to restore saltmarsh along the Parramatta River in Sydney.

For more information on OceanWatch Australia and it's programs visit
www.oceanwatch.org.au or call us on 02 9660 2262

For more information on OceanWatch Australia and its programs visit www.oceanwatch.org.au
or call us on 02 9660 2262