jr' . V 1

PRIM ARY INDUSTRY  M ED IA  RELEASE PI 83/61 /

STATEMENT BY  THE MINISTER FOR  PRIMARY INDUSTRY

CANBERRA

20 April, 1983

FISHING INDUSTRY RESEARCH GRANTS

Initial grants for the 1983/84 financial year

totalling $2,319,839 from the Commonwealth Governments Fishing

Industry Research Trust Account were announced today by the

Minister for Primary Industry, Mr John Kerin.

The grants are for 28 continuing and 22 new proposals

covering a wide range of projects in the areas of biological

*  and scientific research, gear technology exploratrory fishing,

'  education and extension,  the tropical disease, ciguatera, and

seafood handling and marketing.

The Commonwealth Fishing Industry Research Trust

Account is in its twelfth year of operation and provides for

research, education, extension and development to the benefit

of the Australian fishing industry.

Funds in the Trust Account represent a Ã¢ÂÂ

dollar-for-dollar contribution by the Commonwealth Government

for money raised by the States from the fishing industry and

paid into approved State fisheries research funds.

Grants from the Trust Account are recommended by the

Fishing Industry Research Committee comprising representatives

of the Department of Primary Industry, CSIRO, State fisheries

authorities and the Australian Fishing Industry Council.

Continuing and new projects to be financed from the

Trust Account in the 1983/84 financial year are set out in the

attached list.

NEW PROJECTS

Organization

Department of Primary  Industry

Department of Primary  Industry and  SA Department of  Fisheries

Bureau of Agricultural  Economics

CSIRO - Division  of Fisheries  Research

CSIRO - Division of  Food Research

New South Wales  State Fisheries

Victorian Ministry of  Conservation

Queensland Department  of Primary  Industries

South Australian  Department of  Fisheries

Tasmanian Fisheries  Development  Authority

Project

Australian participation in tuna  handline/pole fishery .

South Australian deep water line fishing  development

Economic study of the northern NSW and  southern Queensland prawn fisheries

Northern pelagic fish stock research

Measuring the feeding range of western  rock lobster and the effectve fishing  area of a baited pot

Stock identity of northern fish species

Investigation of key factors in the  maintenance of quality from catching to  consumer

Echo sounder, sonar, radar operators  and navigation course

Port Phillip Bay scallop research

Identification of stocks and migration  routes of Torre:; Strait and Gulf of  Carpentaria narrow barred Spanish  mackerel

Investigation of post larval and juvenile  western king prawn population in Spencer  Gulf

Feasibility assessment of commercial  production of two important shellfish  (abalone and scallops)

Amount  Recommended  for 1983/84

342,760

83,500

21,569

175,925

50,019

49,940

144,489

3,895

56,300

12,400

36,235

55,433

- 5 -

* 4 '. ' <<

Organization Project Amount

Recommended  for 1983/84

Northern Territory  Department of  Primary Production

Mercury content of tropical sharks 16,000

University of New  South Wales Stock identification and discrimination  of commercially important whitings in

Australian waters using genetic criteria

17,687

University of  Queensland

Pharmacology and pathology of ciguatoxin  poisoning in mammals and studies on the  possible effects of ciguatoxin on fish

16,259

Australian Maritime  College Scholarship for trawl fishermen to attend  short courses at the AMC flume tank

12,840

Royal Melbourne  Institute of  Technology

Water content of scallops 12,000

Queensland Museum Systematic revision of the Australian  fishes of the family pomadasyidae 1,056

Sea Hatcheries,  Queensland

Development of barramundi hatchery and  farming techniques 70,350

Fortune Fishing,  New South Wales Longlinging tuna for export quality  sashimi

59,900

Borserino Pty Ltd,   Queensland Survey of deepwater prawn resources  off-shore off Queensland between 22Â°S

and 24Â°30'S

41,600

A.L. Vickers,  Queensland

Potential of off-shore gillnetting in the  Gulf of Carpentaria 35,000

Smithsonian Institute,  United States of  America

Illustration of manuscript entitled  'Revision of the Flatheads  (platycephalidae) of Australia'

2,900

$1,318,057

1360e

