Social assessment handbook: a guide to methods and approaches for assessing the social sustainability of fisheries in Australia

Fishing is an important economic and social activity for many Australians. Both commercial and recreational fishing provide employment and income, particularly in coastal areas of the country, as well as a range of other lifestyle and health benefits for the Australian community. The fishing sector faces many challenges, and is in many cases undergoing rapid change. Changes may be the result of government decisions about fisheries management, or of evolving market conditions and technologies. Information on the changing social well-being of communities who are dependent on fishing activities is essential for informing decision making and strategic planning, both regionally and nationally. A wide range of information can be gathered as part of a social assessment. This handbook provides a guide to planning a social assessment, social indicators that can be used to gather different types of social information on Australian fishing and fishing industries, and different methods of measuring these indicators.