CSIRO’s Southern Bluefin Tuna research team has been awarded for three transformative pieces of science that have helped to arrest the decline of fish stock and will inform world fisheries management.
The team won the CSIRO Impact from Science Award and the Sir Ian McLennan Achievement for Industry Award at the 2018 CSIRO Awards ceremony, which recognised the delivery of three transformative pieces of science for the assessment and management of the valuable and highly contested international fishery for Southern Bluefin Tuna (SBT).
Collectively, these achievements made it possible to arrest the decline of the SBT stock resulting in steady rebuilding, according to the CSIRO.
Direct economic benefits that include an 85 per cent increase in global catch under the Management Procedure are estimated to total $80 million per annum in increased revenue for the Australian SBT industry and many hundreds of millions per annum in direct revenue for the global fishery.
Much of research was funded through the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC), and the organsiation's managing director Dr Patrick Hone said, “This body of work - from the SBT management and science plan, to modelling, archival tags, and close-kin mark recapture - has not only ensured sound scientific advice to inform SBT fishery management in Australia, it has informed world fisheries management.”
“This is an example of great science having a direct impact towards improving the health of global fisheries,” he said. “We are grateful to all the past and current researchers who have worked so hard on this issue.”
For access to research reports go to www.frdc.com.au
