The Department of Primary Industries - Fisheries  NSW undertakes and facilitates research on aquatic animals and plants, and their habitats and ecosystems to ensure management receive the best scientific advice to make informed decisions. All projects that conduct research on animals meet Animal Care and Ethics guidelines.

Priority fisheries research programs

The Fisheries Research Strategic plan (PDF 7.8 MB) identifies seven priority programs:

Threats to fishery resources

Human activities are a threat to the diversity and abundance of aquatic animals and plants, and the habitats and ecosystems they live in. Fisheries scientists are currently working on estimating overall mortalities from fishing and effects of changes in freshwater flow in rivers.

Sustainable fish harvest

A sustainable fishery is where the fish population does not decline over time because of fishing practices. This is achieved by an integrated approach in which fisheries based information is used to evaluate health of our fish stocks. The results are published annually in a summary report.

Ecosystem assessment

Monitoring changes in aquatic ecosystems is essential to determine if they are improving, degrading or staying the same. Fisheries Research assesses the health of both marine and freshwater ecosystems, which includes an understanding of their capacity to change.

Aquatic biodiversity

Aquatic biodiversity research looks at the variability within and among aquatic animals, plants, habitats and ecosystems. Research in this area includes mapping of species and habitats, and issues related to pests, diseases and threatened species.

Sustainable aquaculture

Seafood demand is not being met from wild harvest catch. Aquaculture provides a means to fill this gap. Aquaculture research objectives are described in the Aquaculture Research Advisory Committee RD&E plan and focus on the sustainable production of molluscs, fish and aquaculture nutrition.

Fishery enhancement

Artificial structures are placed on the seabed to enable organisms to attach to them and form habitat for fish. Fish are bred to restock freshwater and marine environments. Both of these processes are known as fishery enhancement. Fisheries scientists are involved in understanding the potential of artificial structures and stocking in maintaining sustainable fisheries.

Fish habitat improvement

Many aquatic habitats have become degraded, causing declines in native fish populations. We are researching how to improve habitats for native fish and monitoring the effectiveness of rehabilitation actions.

Research findings

Information on our fisheries research work is published in various scientific journals, reports and other publications. The Department has it's own publication known as the Fisheries Final Report Series which is used to publish some of our research findings. The 10 most recent report/publications are:

• Localized zinc distribution in shark vertebrae suggests differential deposition during ontogeny and across vertebral structures
• Koondrook-Perricoota Forest Icon site fish condition monitoring report - 2016 Annual Report
• Young-of-year common carp (Cyprinus carpio) nursery sources in and around Koondrook-Perricoota Forest following 2016 flood
• A tale of two islands: Decadal changes in rocky reef fish assemblages following implementation of no-take marine protected areas in New South Wales, Australia
• Genomic DNA variation confirmed Seriola lalandi comprises three different populations in the Pacific, but with recent divergence
• Refining a Nordmøre-grid to minimise the incidental catch of cuttlefish and crabs in the Spencer Gulf prawn fishery
• Koondrook-Perricoota Forest Icon Site Fish Condition Monitoring 2017 Annual Report
• Barmah-Millewa Fish Condition Monitoring 2006-2017
• Monitoring fish in the Koondrook-Perricoota Natural Flooding Event in 2016
• Assessment of the Sydney offshore artificial reef

Student conservation award

Post-graduate university students have an opportunity to apply for the John Holliday Student Conservation Award to assist with their research studies associated with topics of interest to the Department.

Our major research sites

Port Stephens Fisheries Institute undertakes all areas of fisheries research and is a production hatchery for a number of native fish and molluscs.

Narrandera Fisheries Centre is an inland freshwater fisheries research centre and a production hatchery for a number of native fish.

Contact us

Please refer to the scientist's contact page for information relating to Fisheries Scientists.

General Information Email: information-advisory@dpi.nsw.gov.au