FRDC ESD Subprogram

The ESD Reporting and Assessment Subprogram

Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) is now accepted as the foundation for natural resource management in Australia.  Fisheries management agencies and the fishing industry need to be able to measure and report on their performance against these principles.

ESD includes ecological, economic, social and governance components and is therefore much broader in scope than the areas traditionally reported on in fisheries management, which mostly relate to catches of target species, etc.

A substantial amount of work is now being carried out to develop the methods to measure and assess the performance of fisheries across the full range of ESD issues.  This work is occurring in a number of regions and the information is being generated rapidly.

The main objective of the ESD Reporting and Assessment Subprogram, which is funded by the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, is to act as the coordinating hub for the development of information and tools for ESD reporting and assessment.

This section of the web site includes detailed descriptions of the objectives and operation of the ESD Reporting and Assessment Subprogram, the projects associated with it currently underway and how feedback can be provided on any of these issues.