PROJECTS

Scope: Lead marine expert for the Adaptation to Climate Change in the Coastal Zone of Vanuatu – Phase II (V-CAP II) project. My responsibilities include development and implementation of scientific fish surveys in several remote communities of Vanuatu, along with development of community-based resource management plans, and training and capacity building for local community members in marine monitoring and leadership.

Scope: Responsible for conducting the review of the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation’s Illegal Wildlife Trade Portfolio of projects for the Central Pacific region by interviewing key regional and local stakeholders.

Scope: Lead consultation and stock status information reporting for the Australian region within statistical Area 81 as part of the global stock status reporting (SOFIA). Also leading coordination with other jurisdictions that report fisheries catch from Area 81, principally New Zealand.

Scope: Leading a small team of fisheries scientists to review recreational fishing monitoring programs in Australia and internationally to recommend a model for best practice.

Scope: Lead consultation and stock status information reporting for Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) within statistical Area 71 as part of the global stock status reporting (SOFIA). Part of my role was in developing a new system for stock status reporting at the scale of the statistical area and co-facilitating an international workshop in Bangkok to present and discuss the new methodologies with country representatives of Area 71 (PICTs and southeast Asia).

Scope: Co-led the development of Community Marine Monitoring Toolkits for two Pacific French Territories (French Polynesia and Wallis and Futuna), including leading training workshops in both territories with fisheries department staff, local scientists and community members.

Scope: Leading a team of fisheries scientists and modellers as lead author and working group member for the coastal fisheries chapter for the SPC Pacific regional climate change vulnerability assessment of fisheries and aquaculture project (book).

Scope: Co-led and co-facilitated a workshop in Port Vila, Vanuatu on the CITES electronic Non-Detriment Finding (e-NDF) methodology as a training exercise for Vanuatu Fisheries Department and the Department of Environment Protection and Conservation staff, and to meet requirements of NDFs for short-fin mako sharks and thresher sharks caught by Vanuatu flagged fishing vessels.

Scope: Project and team leader for the ‘Development of Management Plans for sustainable use areas (MSP Zone 2)’ project under the Third South West Indian Ocean Fisheries Governance and Shared Growth Project (SWIOFish3) and for the Government of Seychelles. I led a team of marine protected area and fisheries experts in the development of three marine spatial management plans including extensive stakeholder engagement through meetings and workshops. I co-developed and delivered training for a training guide in management planning processes. Included the development of communications materials, and development and guidance on supporting e-structure and administrative arrangements with relevant experts. My role included all aspects of the project management including managing budgets, sub-contracting and staff management, stakeholder engagement, training, client engagement and government liaison.

Scope: Co-led the development of a Community Marine Monitoring Toolkit for the Solomon Islands, including leading remote training workshops in conjunction with WCS staff and local community members.

Scope: I co-facilitated an international workshop of regional stakeholders to improve awareness of climate change and relevant adaptation strategies for the Arafura and Timor Seas Region, based on vulnerability assessment results and the guide for practitioners).

Scope: development and delivery of training and relevant resources for Tuvalu Fisheries Department staff to estimate maturity for key local coastal target species to inform the establishment of local size limits. Development and delivery of technical training involving reproductive data collection and analysis, and the development of supporting tools and resources, including training manuals, training video, and automated data analysis tools.

Scope: Co-developed the framework and methodology for a vulnerability assessment of fisheries in the Arafura and Timor Seas region (including northern Australia and western PNG) to climate change. I also co-developed a practitioners guide that developed, and tested using a local village case study, an approach and tools for applying the vulnerability assessment results to local planning actions. This was part of the Arafura and Timor Seas Ecosystem Action Phase 2 (ATSEA-2) Project.

Scope: Conducted data mapping for coastal fisheries of the 22 Pacific Island countries and territories, including how available data have been used to assess fisheries and inform management, with recommendations for future needs. Led training of Pacific Island fisheries staff in data collection and assessment approaches commensurate with local data and capacity, and in reporting on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14.4.1.

Scope: Review the novel online fisheries harvest strategy tool to assess the extent that recreational fishing is considered in the tool questions and outputs.

Scope: Acted as the fisheries specialist in the review of a Green Climate Fund concept note for a full project being developed to facilitate priority adaptations at the community level in rural communities of Vanuatu. My role also included the co-development of the full project design based on community surveys and data gathering, literature searches and on the above review.

Scope: Adapted previous climate change vulnerability assessment frameworks (see previous projects) and conducted a semi-quantitative climate change vulnerability assessment for fisheries and conservation species and habitats of the Arafura Sea and Timor Sea regions, under a project titled Arafura and Timor Seas Ecosystem Action Phase 2 (ATSEA-2). This involved adapting an existing VA framework I co-developed, to be tailored to the regional context, as well as conducting the necessary data gathering which included: literature reviews, data gathering and stakeholder surveys.

Scope: Adapted previous climate change vulnerability assessment frameworks (see previous projects) and conducted climate change vulnerability assessments for key marine and terrestrial species in the NEOM region to inform policy development.

Scope: Conducted a formal risk assessment of the risk of introducing the GIFT strain of O. niloticus Tilapia to the Port Resolution area of Tanna Island, Vanuatu as a potential alternative food and income source to offset the impacts from new management measures under the implementation of a coastal resource management plan.

Scope: Provided oversight to a team based in Seychelles and the Middle East to conduct fishery stakeholder consultations in conducting a fisheries governance assessment using a developed framework. This was part of a global project to develop a Global Fishing Index (GFI) for a large number of countries to inform improvements in fisheries governance.

Scope: Under the global Climate change and fisheries management project, responsibilities included: the review of a series of international written case studies and their finalization; co-develop, co-facilitate and attend an international workshop of case study authors in Rome, Italy, and; co-lead the development of a FAO technical paper and chapter that collates global progress and learnings of fisheries management adaptation to climate change and provides practical guidance for fisheries managers.

Scope: C2O Pacific scientists and volunteers Rebecca and Amelia Casey, worked with Charlie John of Saama village in North Efate, Vanuatu, and owner of the Top Rock Visit and Point Lookout eco-tourism business, to develop a local snorkel trail. Top Rock offers spectacular cliff-top views of diverse coral reefs and the coastline across Undine Bay coupled with some of the most amazing snorkeling in Vanuatu. Top Rock owner, Charlie, has worked very hard to establish and improve the tourist attraction that takes advantage of the local natural beauty to view corals, reef fish and turtles, as well as the occasional dugong that visits the site. According to Charlie, one of the aims of Top Rock is to create experiences for visitors that are educational and support a better understanding and respect for Vanuatu’s coral reefs. The development of the Top Rock snorkel trail, with the input of C2O scientists, has created a unique and educational tourist experience in Vanuatu, and has proven to be very popular with tourists who have provided very positive feedback.

Scope: C2O Pacific conducted training of 16 community members to be Marine Champions and in the use of the Community Marine Monitoring Toolkit. The training was conducted on Ifira Island, Port Vila Vanuatu, with the generous and kind support of the entire Ifira community, and trainees were from three regions of Vanuatu: Ifira Island, Tanna Island, and individuals from 10 villages across North Efate. Trainees were also provided with leadership training. The training culminated in a community meeting led by participants: why is marine monitoring important, what information the toolkit methods provides, what issues can be identified and how to address these issues. Following the training the Ifira Marine Champions organised the help of local youth to clean up over half a tonne of rubbish from the local mangrove forests - one of the key issues identified during training.

Scope: Conducted multiple (>30) assessments using the WWF Ecological Sustainability Evaluation of Seafood (ESES) methodology to assess the ecological sustainability of seafood commercially produced throughout the world and sold in Australia.

Scope: C2O Pacific scientists teamed up with Marine Champions from the Tasivanua Environment Network and the Nguna-Pele Land and Marine Protected Area Network of North Efate, to facilitate the development of a community-based conservation management plan for Port Resolution communities on Tanna Island, Vanuatu. The management area was developed with local community members and includes approximately 10,173 square km's of which 52 % is marine and 48 % is coastal land area. The conservation area includes management actions and rules to address issues around overfishing, preservation of traditional practices, land clearing, and poor fishing practices and includes 7 no-take zones. The project team also developed with the community a livelihood plan. This involved developing a framework to propose feasible alternative livelihood options to offset impacts from restrictions introduced by the new management plan, as well as a mechanism for sustainable financing that covers initial and ongoing costs associated with management. To empower the local community members in ensuring the successful implementation and monitoring of new management, C2O also trained 14 local community members as Marine Champions: local leaders in conservation. These individuals included men and women and were all trained in leadership and in the use of the Community Marine Monitoring Toolkit.

Scope: Part of a team for the Evaluation of the Community-Based Sustainable Development through Coastal Fisheries and Financial Inclusion in Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea Projects. I performed a site visit to Madang, PNG to interview staff, government and non-government partners, and community members to assess progress in achieving: sustainable coastal fisheries, financial inclusion mechanisms (alternative livelihoods) and community-based monitoring.

Scope: This workshop was to facilitate exchanges between experienced fisheries staff in Australia and Pacific nations to progress the implementation of Pacific coastal resource management and policy. The workshop was ran as a tour to Australia of fisheries managers from Marshall Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu for experiential and interactive discussions about fisheries policy and management with different Australian and Pacific jurisdictions, showcasing contrasting management approaches. The workshop was ran in partnership with Western Australia fisheries scientist Dr Stephen Newman and brought together fisheries officers, scientists, industry, managers, seafood marketers, planners and other stakeholders to provide a comprehensive overview of coastal fisheries management approaches and knowledge.

Scope: As part of an international team of consultants C2O Fisheries will deliver fisheries components of this larger project aimed at increasing the resilience of Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs), with a focus on the North Efate region of Vanuatu, in the context of global changes. The RESCCUE project aims at supporting adaptation to climate change through integrated coastal management. C2O Fisheries leads the assessment of local no fishing (tabu) areas in terms of their benefit to local communities, and in harmonising local and national fisheries management measures.

Scope: Review of the management of climate change-induced loss and damage in artisanal fisheries and aquaculture in the Pacific region to inform strategic planning for future work in the region.

Scope: Contribute to the mapping of values in the northeast Australian seascape and adjacent Pacific waters, and characterise the processes and attributes that influence these values and their connectivity at a regional scale. The project delivers a resource that can inform cross-jurisdictional planning and management.

Scope: Review and document the current fisheries management measures adopted by the Western Central Pacific Fishery Commission, as well as Monitoring, Control and Surveillance, that will inform CITES Non-Detriment Findings assessments. This was to inform NDF framework and training development activities in the Pacific in relation to sharks listed in Appendix II of CITES, particularly hammerhead and manta ray species recently added to CITES listing.

Scope: Conduct literature searches and stakeholder consultations to review the current Australian national recreational fishing Code of Practice (COP). In this project C2O Fisheries partners with Reef Ecologic and Ryan Donnelly Consulting, to identify key areas that the current COP can be improved and, through a stakeholder workshop and wider consultation, develop a range of COP products that are contemporary, innovative and effective in meeting the objectives of the COP.

Scope: Based on extensive consultation among Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs), including travel to four PICTs, provide guidance on a small-scale vessel registration system that would be suitable for implementation in the Pacific.

Project Reports:

Download Summary Report

Scope: Develop a white paper and strategy for a long-term program to improve management and conservation of shark and ray fisheries globally.

Scope: Deliver community-based sustainable resource management using an innovative ranger platform that can drive local actions for water and food security, health promotion, environmental sustainability, enhanced livelihoods, and healthy ecosystems. C2O Fisheries provided training in coastal resource management and practical training in food preservation techniques (fish and fruit drying and smoking) as an alternative livelihood option and as a climate change adaptation option.

Scope: Lead stakeholder consultation and development of the first fisheries management plan for Seychelles Mahe Plateau demersal artisanal fishery.

See also: Official Gazette - Mahe Plateau trap and line fishery co-management plan (PDF)

Scope: Lead development of Monitoring, Compliance and Surveillance plans to support Seychelles demersal artisanal fisheries.

Scope: Assist survey development for black teatfish populations in the Great Barrier Reef.

Scope: Critically review Marine Stewardship Council pre-assessments for New Zealand orange roughy fisheries.

Scope: Optimise the management of tropical reef fish through the development of Indigenous scientific capability. Coordinate project sample collection, analysis and report writing for stock structure research of three tropical fish species.

Scope:  Conduct reviews of key recreational fishery species and assess their vulnerability to climate change.

Scope:  Develop and apply a climate change vulnerability assessment framework for Torres Strait fisheries to facilitate adaptation.

Scope:  Develop training modules and associated materials on the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management and delivery this in-country for training of trainers.

Download Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management

Curriculum, Course Outline and Unit Plans

Course Notes

Scope:  Conduct field trials to test alternative net designs for mitigating net fishery interactions with Species of Conservation Interest.

Scope:  Facilitate engagement with fishing stakeholders for the analysis of recreational fishing data to assess species shifts potentiall driven by climate change.

Scope: Lead the development and application of a climate change vulnerability assessment framework to northern Australian fisheries, and conduct reviews of key tropical fishery species.

Scope:  Contribution to a national review of genetic technologies and their application to fisheries management, and conduct stakeholder interviews to identify issues and perceptions.

Project Reports:
Download Project Report
Download field guide to genetics in fisheries

Scope: Lead the collection of samples for stock structure analysis and document biology of dogtooth tuna for the first time.

Scope:  Contribute to the analysis of commercial fisheries data to assess the effects of cyclones on fishery catch rates.

Scope:  Investigate the stock structure of four shark species caught in commercial fisheries.

Scope:  Assess the stock structure of two important fishery species, king and blue threadfin.

Scope:  Investigate the stock structure of grey mackerel in northern Australia, an important fishery species.