Future Proofing

Queensland Climate Change Initiatives

Climate Change: Future Proofing the Australian Seafood Industry

This project was secured by the Queensland Seafood Industry Association (QSIA) with support from peak bodies across Australia and government.  The main thrust of the project is to engage with industry and determine industry understanding of the climate change issue.

Project Objectives

Short Term Outcomes

  • Development of pilot workshops with industry to help industry develop a climate change focused business planning tool;
  • Delivery of workshops seeking feedback from industry on climate change business challenges and opportunities; and
  • Development of a fisheries specific climate change website for use by the Australian seafood industry.

Long Term Outcomes

  • Uptake of best practice business planning from the seafood industry with a focus on climate change; and
  • Industry visiting and using tools and forums on the website. 

This project is supported by funding from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry under the FarmReady initiative, part of Australia’s Farming Future.

QSIA/GBRMPA Climate Change and Fisheries Partnership

Both the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) and QSIA have identified climate change as a significant threat to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.  The QSIA/GBRMPA Climate Change and Fisheries Partnership are committed to future proofing the commercial fishing industry in the Great Barrier Reef against the impacts of climate change.  

Partnership Objectives

The QSIA and GBRMPA are working in partnership over a three year period to build the resilience of the Great Barrier Reef ecosystems to climate change and ensure commercial fisheries remain viable in the face of future change. Major project areas include:

  • Workshops for commercial fishers: these will provide the latest science and information on climate change and its implications for viability and sustainability of fishing, as well as provide tools (such as the fisheries emissions calculator) and guidance to increase operating efficiency and reduce climate foot prints.
  • Vulnerability assessments and adaptation plans: these will provide detailed syntheses of current knowledge about the predicted effects of climate change for key fishery sectors, and use fishery expertise to identify strategies for building resilience of fishery resources and fishing businesses to future change.
  • Ecosystem resilience analyses: many fishery species depend strongly on the health of other parts of the Great Barrier Reed ecosystem.  This dependency is often mutual, with many ecosystem components and functions reliant on healthy populations of fishery species.  The resilience analyses will evaluate the status and vulnerability of species groups that may provide key ecosystem functions (such as apex predators, corals and sea cucumbers) to better understand the role of fishery species in ecosystem resilience and identify strategies for protecting fishery productivity and ecosystem health.
  • Cyclone Hamish impacts: a research program has been implemented to assess the biophysical impact of cyclone Hamish on reefs in the southern Great Barrier Reef and how fishers responded to it in social and economic terms, especially through changing their fishing practices.
  • Fisheries Incident Response Plan: QSIA are providing input into the GBRMPA Climate Change Incident Response Framework and building on this to develop a Fisheries Incident Response Framework to assist the industry deal with future major incidents such as cyclones, disease outbreaks or introduced species.

Fishing Industry Emissions Calculator

The Fishing Industry Emissions Calculator is a simple business tool that will help you become more energy efficient and save money.  It is a web-based tool that is user friendly and designed to help you understand and measure your current carbon emissions.  The functions of the calculator have been customised specifically for commercial fishers to enable you to input data relating to your carbon impact.

What’s in it for business?

  • Find out what you could do about your emissions and how this could help your business save money.
  • Understand and measure your current emissions.
  • Provide a method for you to measure and monitor energy usage (single fisher operations or larger operations).
  • Find out how your emissions stack up compared with other fishing sectors and food producers.

Who is it for?

Any business involved with the commercial wild catch fishing industry in Queensland (including fishers, processors and retailers).  It is primarily aimed at smaller businesses operating in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park but large businesses and those working outside this area may find it useful too.