The Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery (SESSF) is a multi-sector, multi-species fishery that covers almost half of the Australian Fishing Zone. SESSF is also the main supplier of fresh fish to the Sydney and Melbourne markets. Currently there is a lack of information on markets and price drivers and signals. This project is an attempt to address this. In doing so, the information produced will be of benefit to fisheries managers, fishers and the broader community as fisheries maximise net economic returns.

Specifically, the project will focus on the impact of changes in supply on the price received on the markets. While the potential response of fishers to these changes in price (including avoiding large catches) is also of relevance to fishery managers. This project will estimate the degree of integration between the different species and between the markets for fresh fish in Sydney and Melbourne; and estimate the short term and long term effects of changes in quantity supplied on the price received on the Sydney and Melbourne fish markets.