Socio-economic characterisation of a small scale commercial fishery: opportunities to improve viability and profitability in the Tasmanian Scalefish Fishery

The Tasmanian Scalefish Fishery (TSF) is a multi-species, commercial fishery involving many operators and a diversity of methods and gears. Over the past two decades annual landings of scalefish in the TSF have declined sharply with catches of many of the traditionally important scalefish species at historic lows, as are the number of active licence-holders and levels of effort. This project will determine what factors are driving under performance in this fishery through an economic and social characterisation of the fleet and analysis of current supply chains and available markets. This will enable identification of strategies and opportunities that will improve economic returns and social outcomes.