Hobart

Seminar Abstract

Friday 8 August 2008, 11.30am (Tas time)
CSIRO Auditorium, Hobart

Craig Proctor
CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research, Hobart

An overview of CSIRO’s collaborations with Indonesia in pelagic fisheries research

CSIRO has been working in collaboration with Indonesia on pelagic fisheries for the past 16 years. Concerns over the impacts of fishing by the Indonesian tuna longline fleet, operating on the only known spawning ground of southern bluefin tuna (SBT), led to the establishment of monitoring activities at Benoa Fishing Port in Bali in 1992. At the time, the longline fleet was undergoing a dramatic period of expansion as the exports of whole fresh tunas boomed as gates opened to Japanese sashimi markets. CSIRO joined with Indonesia’s marine fisheries research agencies to begin targeted sampling of SBT and, in subsequent years, commenced a program of biological sampling to aid assessing the state of the spawning stock. These studies have included histological examination of gonads for reproductive biology, length measurements, and the sampling of otoliths for determining the age structure of the spawning population. Over many years, the outputs from the Benoa program have formed an essential component of the annual assessments by the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna. In recent times the collaborations have continued down the road of assisting Indonesia to improve its capacity to monitor, assess and report on its pelagic fisheries, and for the country to have increased participation in the regional fisheries management organisations. The research activities in Bali have continued but the scope of collaboration has expanded to include, amongst other things, an on-board observer program, monitoring activities in eastern Indonesia (e.g. Sulawesi, Maluku, Papua), and trial tuna tagging in waters off West Sumatra. In this seminar I will present an overview of all the collaborations some past, those present, some future, and will endeavour to provide ‘Da Big Picture’ of how they all fit together for ultimately (hopefully) achieving the common goal of sustainable fisheries, that will carry benefits for both Indonesia and Australia.

Seminar Recording

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Location:
CSIRO = Marine Laboratories Auditorium, Castray Esplanade, Hobart

For further information, or to schedule a seminar, contact:
To schedule a seminar, contact:
Bernadette Sloyan, (Oceanographic seminars) CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research (03) 6232 5152
Thomas Kunz, (Biological seminars) CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research
(03) 6232 5076
Natalie Dowling, (Fisheries Modelling) CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research
(03) 6232 5148
Jillian Enraght-Moony, (seminar administrator) CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research (03) 6232 5320
Communications Manager, Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems CRC (03) 6226 2265
Margaret Hazelwood, Institute of Antarctic and Southern Ocean Studies (IASOS) University of Tasmania (03) 6226 2971

Last updated 21/07/09