Aquatic Environment and Biodiversity Annual Review 2012

AEBAR 2012: Appendices
6. In addition there will be a RAG for Aquatic Environment (Standards), for research needed to
support standards development, and another for Antarctic research. (Note that biodiversity
research is dealt with through a separate process that has more of a cross-agency focus.)
RAGs will develop research proposals to be considered as part of a subsequent
prioritisation process
7. As part of the process for developing the Annual Operational Plans, the identification and
prioritisation of science research will broadly occur as follows:
i. MFish fisheries managers will identify the fisheries management objectives and
information needs that they want the relevant RAG to consider. This will be done in
conjunction with MFish scientists, and will draw on the following:
• The relevant Annual Review Report discussed above
• Existing research plans
• Science Assessment Working Groups’ feedback arising from research that has been
evaluated previously
• Ad-hoc issues as they arise
• Initial indications of the available budget
ii. The RAGs will then develop proposals for scientific research to meet those management
and information needs.
iii. MFish fisheries managers will then run a process for prioritising the research proposals
that have been developed and updating multi-year research plans, in conjunction with
MFish scientists. This will be part of the wider process for developing Annual
Operational Plans.
8. In the Aquatic Environment (Standards) and Antarctic areas a similar process will be
followed to that above, involving relevant MFish managers.
9. In practice, these processes are likely to iterate between the above steps, e.g., when
prioritising research proposals fisheries managers may identify additional questions that they
want a RAG to consider.
10. RAGs will only be convened when necessary. If, for example, all of the research for the
coming year under review has previously been approved as part of a multi-year funding
package for an area, and no additional management needs have emerged, the relevant RAG
will not be convened.
11. During 2010-11 RAGs will be used, as required, in all areas except Inshore, given that the
three Inshore Fisheries Plans are still being developed through the year. For the Inshore areas
a transitional process will be used, with RAGs commencing during 2011-12.
Research proposals
12. RAGs will provide recommendations to fisheries managers on research to meet management
needs. This section provides more detail on the research proposals that the RAGs will
produce.
13. The RAGs will produce an initial set of project proposals to meet the management and
information needs provided to the RAG, for consideration in the subsequent prioritisation
process.
14. The proposals may be in the form of multi-year projects where appropriate.
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