Abalone Industry Reinvestment Fund

​​​​​​​Overview

​​​The Abalone Industry Reinvestment​ Fund (AIRF) had an initial allocation of $5.1 million over 5 years funded under the Government's Taking Seafood to the Next Level initiative.  In 2023 the fund was extended a further two years with an additional $2 million.

The AIRF is designed to support and increase the sustainability and productivity of the abalone fishery both biologically and economically while also addressing the impacts of the long spined sea urchin (Centrostephanus) to the marine environment.
 ​
As part of these objectives the fund will: 
  • support projects to improve abalone management and enhancing abalone stock; and
  • support projects to reduce the long-spined sea urchin populations on the East Coast
​The fund is administered by the AIRF committee which consists of membership from the Tasmanian Abalone Council (TACL), Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas) with advice provided by the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies from the University ​of Tasmania.  The AIRF Committee is chaired by Dr Wetjens Dimmlich, Manager, Wild Fisheries Management Branch.

​​​​Restoration by Harvest Pilot Program: Forstecue Bay​

 


AIRF Funding Recipients

​​​Successful Projects
Status ​Funding Year​​​
​Testing size limits in a fishery with high heterogenous growth and productivity (IMAS)
Current
​2023
​Assessing growth dynamics and connectivity of blacklip abalone populations (IMAS)
​Current
​2023
​Extensions to the aMSE Management Strategy Evaluation software to address specific Tasmanian needs (Malcolm Haddon)
​Completed​2023
​Toxins in Abalone Industry PhD Program 2024-27 (IMAS)
​Current​2023
Block 21 and 29 Centro Assessment (IMAS)
​Completed
​2023
​Website Development and Communication products (NRE Tas)
​Current​2023
​Long-spined sea urchin on Tasmania's East Coast: an education and engagement program​ (NRM South)
​Current
​2023
​Restoration by Harvest Pilot Program: Fortescue Bay (IMAS)
​Current
​2022
Developing a spatial planning framework for long-spined sea urchin control in Tasmania (IMAS)
​Current
​2022

​Abalone fleet behaviour: does spatial structure of fishing follow stable patterns or do management changes significantly alter spatial structure of effort (IMAS)​

​Current
2022​

Quantifying potential of the IMAS Timed-Swim program to detect change in stock levels(IMAS)​

​Current
​2022

Market access for east coast abalone; updated biotoxin risk management (IMAS)​

Complete
​2022

Social-economic analysis for the Tasmanian dive sector (IMAS)​

​Current
​2022
​Undertake a feasibility study into a long-spined sea urchin removal by volunteers (NRM South)
Completed​2021
Effect of Temperature of Abalone Condi​tions as a ​Function of Season, Location and Rate of Change (IMAS)
Current
​2020
Tasmanian Commercial Dive Industry - Centrostephanus industry short film ​(TCDA)
Completed
2020​
Nutritional quality of kelp as a key driver of commercial abalone productivity (IMAS)
Current
2020​
​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)
​Completed
2020​

​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​

​Centr​​ostephanus Exhibition​ (IMAS)

​Completed
​2019

​Resettin​​g urchin barrens: liming as a rapid widespread urchin removal tool (IMAS)

Completed
​2019
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 Huddleston)
​Completed​2019


    Contact

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

    Hotline

    Fishwatch Report illegal fishing

    0427 655 557

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    Contact us

    Recreational Fishing

    Level 3, 134 Macquarie St

    Hobart TAS 7000

    Phone: (03) 6165 3233, 1300 720 647

    Email: fishing.enquiries@nre.tas.gov.au

    Commercial Fisheries

    Level 3, 134 Macquarie St

    GPO Box 44

    Phone: (03) 6165 3000, 1300 368 550

    Email: commercial.fisheries@nre.tas.gov.au

    Commercial Fisheries Licensing

    Level 1, 134 Macquarie St

    GPO Box 44

    Phone: (03) 6165 3000, 1300 368 550

    Email: fishing.licensing@nre.tas.gov.au