Valuing Coastal Fisheries
Australia’s professional fishing industries are an essential ingredient for maintaining the economic, social and cultural richness of coastal communities. This two-year research study reveals that both social and economic factors must be considered when measuring the value professional fishing delivers to communities.
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In 2016, in collaboration with the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) and the PFA, research was undertaken by UTS which was based on conversations with hundreds of professional fishers, business operators and community members in fishing towns across the state. It was the first study to properly quantify the value of professional fishing in NSW.
The study found that the NSW professional fishing industry contributes more than $436 million in revenue annually to the State and generates about 3,290 full-time jobs in fishing operations, service industries, sales and marketing.
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Professional fishers also deliver a range of benefits and services to their local communities, such as providing advice to their recreational counterparts on where to fish, and performing a range of informal search and rescue duties while they’re out on the water. In return, the vast majority of NSW residents value the local fishing industry, with 94 percent wanting NSW to continue producing seafood.
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