Integrating ecology, engagement and economics

The ANZSEE 2024 Biennial Conference, held from October 4-7 at Moreton Bay Research Station, focused on ecological economic perspectives from islands and oceans.

Key themes included sustainable ecosystems, marine environments, ecological resilience, and Indigenous economies. It also highlighted ecological limits and ethics, and how these perspectives can be integrated into education.

The event featured a beautiful Quandamooka Welcome to Country ceremony, a series of keynotes, and concluded with local field trips. The conference aimed to foster discussions on adaptive solutions to global environmental challenges.

Fish out of water

Dr Tom Rayner’s keynote presentation, Fish out of water: integrating ecology, economics, and engagement to drive adoption of modern fish-protection screens, highlighted progress on screening in Australia.

• Pumps and diversion channels are responsible for the loss of millions of native fish each year. This creates a potential population-level threat to biodiversity, compounding the pressures already faced by Australia’s native freshwater fish.
• Modern fish-protection screens are a solution to this problem. The technology is being implemented globally to reduce costs to water users and protect aquatic organisms.
• Supporting water users with financial incentives has helped drive adoption and implementation. The programs have taken a participatory approach, involving water users in the decision-making process, which has improved trust and engagement.

Understanding the economics

Dr Boyd Blackwell and Lachlan Janesch spoke after Tom. They described the importance of understanding the economic costs and benefits of screening, from public and private perspectives. Public benefits are estimated at $177 per megalitre of water screened, and private benefits are becoming clearer, with reports of savings in energy, water, and labour for water users. Importantly, every $1 million invested in screening creates 5 full-time jobs in regional Australia, highlighting the socio-economic benefits of adoption.

Future priorities

Looking ahead, the future of fish-protection screens in Australia hinges on demonstrating the benefits that have been experienced by early adopters, to encourage wider uptake. There are opportunities for private investment and industry leadership to help continue adoption of screening as best practice for water access, and to help realise the full potential of modern fish-protection screening in Australia.