Integrated ecosystem modelling for evaluating multiple-use management strategies (T3.3)
Dr Francis Pantus, CSIRO Marine Research

This project will develop and implement a numerical model that will estimate the effects of trawling on seabed communities of the Torres Strait. This information is relevant to the management of the trawl fishery.

The model will use information collected by other tasks, particularly ‘Mapping and Characterisation of Key Biotic & Physical Attributes of the Torres Strait Ecosystem’. Some new data will also need to be collected. Information from this project will be used to develop a formal Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) for the trawl fishery in Torres Trait. Models of human use and proposed management would be part of developing the MSE.

We will consult stakeholders about cultural/socio-economic issues, so that we can support MSE of options with respect to these issues. Initially, we plan to evaluate the primary effects of trawling on the benthic biota of the ecosystem. MSE of fisheries-specific sustainability will be conducted in fisheries assessment projects.

Objectives

• Consult with stakeholders who use and manage Torres Strait natural resources to ensure that we develop credible performance measures and strategies to evaluate.
• Develop and implement an operating model of the Torres Strait ecosystem that will synthesise multi-disciplinary information and provide a foundation to develop multiple-use management strategy evaluation.
• Evaluate the primary effects of trawling, the performance of different options for managing the fishery to achieve environmental objectives.

Outcomes
This project will improve understanding of the primary effects of trawling on benthic communities in the Torres Strait region. This knowledge can be used to evaluate management scenarios and get a clearer understanding of the consequences of different choices. This, in turn, would lead to more balanced management decisions for the Torres Strait trawl fishery.