Australia and China have signed an official MoU to facilitate the exchange of valuable fisheries expertise. The MOU was signed in Shanghai on 20th April by a delegation of representatives from WA’s Department of Fisheries, Murdoch University and Challenger Institute of Technology (Fremantle) and the China Society of Fisheries. Supervising Scientist Dr Brett Molony, who led the delegation on behalf of the Department, said the accord would allow the exchanges of information on artificial reefs, stock monitoring and assessment, approaches for policy development for fishery management and compliance systems.
Dr Molony said that this agreement will allow Australians to access China’s vast experience in the design and evaluation of purpose-built artificial reefs. He also said that they will benefit from our expertise in the policy development, management, monitoring and compliance components of fisheries management. Dr Molony added that North Asian countries like China have been at the forefront of construction, deployment and research into purpose-built artificial reefs, so this MOU gives us the opportunity to learn more about their effectiveness before we make any decisions.
According to Dr Molony this artificial reefs could provide alternative fishing opportunities for the community. They are usually constructed from concrete or metal and any placement along the WA coastline would follow a thorough assessment of environmental, social and economic impacts.
