WAMSI Node 4.1 focussed on: 1) developing a means (mechanisms and processes) of integrating Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management (EBFM) into “mainstream” fisheries management, including the WA Government’s Integrated Fisheries Management (IFM) initiative, and; 2) to source, identify and integrate appropriate supporting research. Ultimately, this project will provide stakeholders, including the broader WA community, with a much improved understanding of what EBFM means and how it could be achieved in WA. The key outcome will be the development of a risk assessment system that encompasses each of the ecological, social and economic aspects of fisheries management. The West Coast Bioregion was used as a case study, with a report to be available for download.

There were four key objectives for WAMSI Node 4.2.2a: (1) determination of indicator regions; (2) development of monitoring strategies; (3) Implement a long term monitoring program (LTMP); and (4) provision of an assessment of expanding the LTMP to other areas. Indicator regions were confirmed as the Abrolhos Islands, Rottnest Island, and the Cape Naturaliste region. A synthesis of historical data sets for primary producers, sessile and mobile invertebrates and finfish were collected from the indicators region and an extensive review of potential indicators for finfish was also conducted (available for download from this metadata record). A program to monitor the health and biodiversity of subtidal reefs was established in April 2010 and April 2011. An Automated Underwater Vehicle (AUV) was deployed at the Abrolhos Islands, Jurien Bay and Rottnest Island to capture valuable information on the cover and abundance of benthic invertebrates and macroalgae. Replicate grids (25 x 25 m area of seabed) were surveyed. Exact co-ordinates are given below.

A national Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM) Working Group (WG) was established in 2018 to (1) advance the integration of climate, oceanographic and ecological variables into single-species stock assessment and advice to support the further implementation of EAFM; and (2) to identify practical steps to advance the longer-term goal of ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM) involving multispecies assessment and advice. To better understand the strengths and challenges of what is currently being done across DFO stock assessments and to provide guidance on how to incorporate environmental considerations throughout the data-to-decision process, the National WG established three sub-groups, one of which was directed to develop a compilation of existing Science methods used by DFO for incorporating ecosystem variables into stock assessments and other assessment-related research activities. This data set, called the EAFM Science Methods Toolbox, is the resulting product from the Toolbox sub-group. Note that the contents of the Toolbox are meant to serve as a starting point for researchers looking to incorporate ecosystem information into their stock assessment activities, and not intended to provide an exhaustive list of available analytical tools. Researchers are cautioned to make their own assessments regarding the suitability of any tools in the Toolbox to their particular research, as well as to investigate the possibility of other tools not presently included in the Toolbox (pre-existing or new). It is expected that the Toolbox will remain ‘evergreen’ with periodic updates to reflect emerging best practices, although the exact timing and process to conduct such updates has yet to be determined.

This project was developed for the Ningaloo Research Program (NRP) to explore the effects of managing recreational fishing, which is perhaps the most important extractive activities in the Ningaloo Marine Park. The project used simulation techniques known as Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) to explore the consequences of a range of management actions, under a series of alternative future scenarios on the management of a major target species on Ningaloo Reef, spangled emperor (Lethrinus nebulosus). The results of the scenarios are examined against the objectives set out by management and other stakeholders in the park. A simulation model, known as ELFSim, was used. ELFSim is a decision support software system designed to evaluate options for conservation and harvest management, and includes a number of key components: a population dynamics model of target species that captures the full life history (including larval dispersal, reproduction, development, and habits) of the target species, a model of fishing dynamics that captures the exploitation pattern due to fishing behaviour, a management model that simulates the implementation of management actions. ELFSim was developed for other coral reef fisheries where commercial fishing was the primary fishing activity, and in this sought to develop a simulation model of recreational fishing dynamics. This model was agent-based, meaning that individual recreational fishing boats were represented in the model, and a range of management measures were tested on the ability to manage these virtual recreational fishers. These management measures, derived from stakeholder workshops include the effect of increasing the no take sanctuary zones, and restricting the fishing in sanctuary zones that occurs from shore. The effectiveness of these management actions in the simulation model was measured against the management objectives of the stakeholders. Management objectives were classified according to ecological (conservation) objectives, or social and economic objectives. The results showed that the current management arrangement perform adequately against the range of ecological and social objectives. However, for other management actions, the results showed the inherent trade-off that exists between the ecological objective and the social objectives.

This project was developed for the Ningaloo Research Program (NRP) to explore the effects of managing recreational fishing, which is perhaps the most important extractive activities in the Ningaloo Marine Park. The project used simulation techniques known as Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) to explore the consequences of a range of management actions, under a series of alternative future scenarios on the management of a major target species on Ningaloo Reef, spangled emperor (Lethrinus nebulosus). The results of the scenarios are examined against the objectives set out by management and other stakeholders in the park. A simulation model, known as ELFSim, was used. ELFSim is a decision support software system designed to evaluate options for conservation and harvest management, and includes a number of key components: a population dynamics model of target species that captures the full life history (including larval dispersal, reproduction, development, and habits) of the target species, a model of fishing dynamics that captures the exploitation pattern due to fishing behaviour, a management model that simulates the implementation of management actions. ELFSim was developed for other coral reef fisheries where commercial fishing was the primary fishing activity, and in this sought to develop a simulation model of recreational fishing dynamics. This model was agent-based, meaning that individual recreational fishing boats were represented in the model, and a range of management measures were tested on the ability to manage these virtual recreational fishers. These management measures, derived from stakeholder workshops include the effect of increasing the no-take sanctuary zones, and restricting the fishing in sanctuary zones that occurs from shore. The effectiveness of these management actions in the simulation model was measured against the management objectives of the stakeholders. Management objectives were classified according to ecological (conservation) objectives, or social and economic objectives. The results showed that the current management arrangement perform adequately against the range of ecological and social objectives. However, for other management actions, the results showed the inherent trade-off that exists between the ecological objective and the social objectives. For example, restricting fishing in sanctuaries from shore did well to achieve the conservation objectives, but did not achieve the social objectives as well as other management strategies. Imposing catch restrictions, increasing compliance monitoring and implementing an education program to reduce infringement also performed well against both social and ecological objectives, but consideration of effectiveness, and cost are uncertainties that our analysis did not consider. Such factors are likely to be extremely important and weighed in any realistic implementation of these management actions. Under the alternative scenarios the management strategy that was most likely to achieve the objectives was the hypothetical "Catch Limit" . The management strategy that allowed effort to increase was best at achieving the social objective of maximizing catches, including the catch of large fish. Although the simulations indicated that the "Catch Limit" strategy as an effective strategy for future alternative scenarios, in practice a combination of strategies limiting effort, or something else quite novel and resource intensive (like pink snapper tags in Freycinet Estuary in Shark Bay, WA for implementing a recreational Catch Limit), may need to be used for indirectly limiting the overall level of catch of spangled emperor from this sector. Of course such a strategy is also species specific and does not limit potential sustainability risks for other species. It is for this reason that DoFWA uses spangled emperor as an indicator species for the suite of demersal scalefish species in the Gascoyne Bioregion.

This study produced qualitative models that assembled stakeholder perceptions of various assets and issues within the Peel Harvey estuarine system including water quality, wading birds, blue swimmer crabs and governance. The models were developed through workshops with a wide variety of stakeholders, including community groups, government agencies, researchers, managers and non-government organisations, and discussions with individuals or small groups following the workshops. Each model was used to assess the current situation and the drivers of change that were negatively impacting the focal asset. Potential management strategies were then identified and the ‘best case management strategy’, where both model stability and asset management were improved, was incorporated in a ‘future’ model. Common themes that arose throughout this process were the need to improve water quality throughout the estuary and nearby rivers by reducing nutrient input from various sources, and the need to alter current governance structures to allow effective environmental management.

The scope of Project 1.1.1 is to assess habitat and species as they relate to the management of the existing and proposed marine parks in State waters. This project will deliver improved understanding of Kimberley seabed habitats, while developing quantitative predictive spatial models to aid in understanding the key drivers behind these patterns and predicting them at a variety of scales within the existing and proposed marine park areas. Broader scale surveys will provide a characterisation of the habitats and benthic species distribution and will contribute to the Kimberley reference collection of biota at the WA Museum, while selected coastal areas will be assessed in much greater detail to inform MPA development in the Kimberley near shore environments. The finer scale work will include, but seeks to move beyond pattern description towards testable models related to processes behind the observed biological patterns. Project 1.1.1 will centre around ship-based field expeditions with a high discovery element, using towed camera benthic transects, a range of hydro acoustic and optical remote sensing methods and epibenthic sled collections, to deliver fundamental data on the nature and distributions of biota in a broad sense along the Kimberley coast and with greater detail within the existing and proposed marine park areas. Effort will be allocated to sampling representative field locations to characterise the nature and distribution of habitats and identify a substantial proportion of the species encountered and collected in the sled samples

The qualitative model that is being developed for the estuarine ecosystem of the Swan River Estuary will be used to explore how environmental change due to both anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic factors is likely to affect the ecosystem and to assess the potential for management action to ameliorate adverse impacts. The study is part of a broader qualitative modelling study, initiated by WAMSI, that encompasses the Swan River Estuary, the Peel-Harvey Estuary and the Leschenault Estuary.

Theme 8 was conducted in 2 phases - Project 8.1 and 8.2. The objective of Project 8.1 was to review existing literature on the impacts of dredging on critical environmental windows of finfish in both tropical and temperate areas using the steps outlined below: • identify critical ecological processes (such as spawning, recruitment and early post- recruitment growth) and associated environmental windows; • identify pressure parameters and the intensity associated with dredging; • assess likely sensitivities/tolerances of the ecological processes and windows to dredge related activities; and • provide recommendations on key areas of concern and potential mitigation. The objective of Project 8.2 was to assess the information presented in the literature review and to identify (by a workshop) gaps in the knowledge and highlight priority areas for future laboratory/field experiments.