The Abalone Industry Reinvestment Fund

​Overview

The Abalone Industry Reinvestment Fund (AIRF) is a partnership between Government and the abalone industry which contributes $1 million per year to address Centro range-extension along Tasmania's east coast and enhance abalone stocks.It was established in the 2018-19 Budget for five years with subsequent extension to June 2026.​ 

The fund is administered by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas) with funding advice provided by the AIRF committee. The Committee members include NRE Tas and ​Tasmanian Abalone Council Ltd (TACL), with research advice from the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS).

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Restoration by Harvest Pilot Program: Fortescue Bay

 
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AIRF Funding Recipients

Successful Projects Status Funding Year
Marine Stewardship Council Certification for commercial abalone industry (TACL)Current2024
Hot water - Investigating Australia's Marine Ecosystem (Prime Perspectives Pty Ltd)Current2024
Testing size limits in a fishery with high heterogenous growth and productivity (IMAS)Current2023
Assessing growth dynamics and connectivity of blacklip abalone populations (IMAS)Current2023
Extensions to the aMSE Management Strategy Evaluation software to address specific Tasmanian needs (Malcolm Haddon)Completed2023
Toxins in Abalone Industry PhD Program 2024-27 (IMAS)Current2023
Block 21 and 29 Centro Assessment (IMAS)Completed2023
Website Development and Communication products (NRE Tas)Current2023
Long-spined sea urchin on Tasmania's East Coast: an education and engagement program (NRM South)Completed2023
Restoration by Harvest Pilot Program: Fortescue Bay (IMAS)Current2022
Developing a spatial planning framework for long-spined sea urchin control in Tasmania (IMAS)Completed2022
Abalone fleet behaviour: does spatial structure of fishing follow stable patterns or do management changes significantly alter spatial structure of effort (IMAS) Current2022
Quantifying potential of the IMAS Timed-Swim program to detect change in stock levels(IMAS) Current2022
Market access for east coast abalone; updated biotoxin risk management (IMAS) Current2022
Social-economic analysis for the Tasmanian dive sector (IMAS) Completed2022
Undertake a feasibility study into a long-spined sea urchin removal by volunteers (NRM South)Completed2021
Effect of Temperature of Abalone Condi tions as a Function of Season, Location and Rate of Change (IMAS)Current2020
Tasmanian Commercial Dive Industry - Centrostephanus industry short film  (TCDA)Completed2020
Nutritional quality of kelp as a key driver of commercial abalone productivity (IMAS)Current2020
Understanding Centrostephanus - Age, Growth and Size of Maturity (IMAS)Completed 2020
Babel Island take-all research support (IMAS)Completed 2020
Mapping abalone habitat impacted by Centrostephanus on the east coast of Tasmania (IMAS)Completed2020

Risk profile for the paralytic shellfish toxins (PST) from Alexandrium cantenella in Tasmanian Sea Urchins (IMAS)Completed 2020
Hit Them While They're Down 2020 Centro Cull (J Huddlestone)

Completed
​2019
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Centrostephanus Exhibition (IMAS)Completed2019
Resetting urchin barrens: liming as a rapid widespread urchin removal tool (IMAS)Completed2019
Commercial upscaling of urchin fertiliser (IMAS)Current 2019
Modelling the fine-scale dispersal of Centrostephanus rodgersii larvae  (IMAS)Current 2019
Centrostephanus Response Strategy (CSIRO)Completed2019
Effects of Urchin fishing on Urchin population and kelp recovery (IMAS)Current 2019
Babel Island Group (including Babel, Cat, Stonehouse Island) (TCDA)Completed 2020
Decadal re-survey of long-term lobster experimental sites to inform Centrostephanus control (IMAS)Completed 2019
Centro Cull The Southern Front (J Huddlestone)Completed2019

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    Contact

    ​AIRF Executive Officer
    Level 3, 134 Macquarie St
    Hobart TAS 7000
    Phone: 03 6165 3047
    Email: AIRF@nre.​tas.gov.au​​

    Partners

    tas gov logo IMAS logo tasmania abalone council logo nrm south logo tasmanian commercial divers assciation logo

    Contact us

    centro.enquiries@nre.tas.gov.au