 The Fishers
and how fisheries management impacts them
The Queensland reef line fishery is a multi-use fishery with a variety
of user groups each with very different expectations and requirements.
Commercial fishers depend on the economic success of the resource, recreational
fishers seek a 'good days fishing' and charter boat operators want to
give their clients an enjoyable trip.
Usually resource managers will introduce several different strategies
to maintain the sustainability of the reef while allowing fair and equitable
access for all groups. But which management strategy, or combination of
strategies will work best? Wouldn't it be great to be able to 'test drive'
each strategy on a virtual fishery before putting them in place, so the
managers could make more informed decisions about which strategy is the
most appropriate.
Such a 'Model Fishery' is the ultimate goal of the Effects
of Line Fishing (ELF) Project. This model, called ELFSim,
is a highly sophisticated computer simulation which allows researchers
to forecast the likely comparative success or failure of different combinations
of management strategies. The model will assess a number of management
strategies under consideration and lay bare the trade-offs, and potential
positives and negatives of each strategy. The ability to evaluate management
strategies has led to the term - Management Strategy Evaluations (MSEs).
ELFSim will allow the fisheries managers, and those who advise them on
management decisions to make informed decisions on appropriate management
strategies for the Queensland reef line fishery in the medium to long
term.
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