Tag Archives: Seafood Industry Australia
China’s lobster ban helped lift Australian Christmas seafood purchases by 30 per cent
It was a difficult 2020 for Australian fishermen with COVID-19 affecting both food service and export markets. “We needed a bumper Christmas period to help us claw our way back,” Veronica Papacosta, CEO of Seafood Industry Australia (SIA) said. It seems that SIA’s campaign calling on consumers to support the struggling sector, by switching one meal on the Christmas table to seafood, worked. “We’re hearing from retailers and producers right across the country that they’re up, on average, 30 per cent from last year’s December sales,” >click to read< 07:49
Lobster back on the menu for recovering China
In a welcome sign that life in China returning to normal, tonnes of rock lobster has left Perth for Shanghai in the past few days.The lobster left on return flights after mining billionaire Andrew Forrest and the West Australian government organised the delivery of medical equipment from China.Separate to those flights, it is understood the first air shipment of seafood and other fresh produce under the Morrison government’s $110 million rescue package for exporters will depart on Thursday.The indications China has regained its appetite for high-end Australian produce comes with local consumers set to enjoy an abundance of seafood at rock bottom prices on Good Friday. >click to read< 16:39
Australia: Fishing group warns of industry pain under Labor’s plan to reinstate marine parks
Ahead of the federal election, Seafood Industry Australia (SIA) has called upon a newly-elected Federal Government to give the fishing industry better security of access and fishing rights. SIA CEO Jane Lovell said a pledge from Labor to reinstate its original 2012 Marine Park Network in full was concerning and would push fishermen out of the industry. Under Labor’s plan Australia would have had the world’s largest network of marine parks which covered offshore waters surrounding every state and territory. “The very fact that this is back on the agenda again removes confidence, increases uncertainty, and this is one of the things that has been found by to be the key driver of the mental health problems in our industry is this constant lack of certainty about the environment they work in,” Ms Lovell said. >click to read<12:03
Seafood Industry Australia – Industry finds its voice as campaign for a united peak body gains momentum
A national campaign to form a united peak body for the seafood industry is gaining momentum. Voluntary contributions totalling $406,000 have been secured from the wild catch, aquaculture, post harvest and retail sectors to fund the next two years of forming Seafood Industry Australia. Chair of the implementation group, Veronica Papacosta, said with 52 days left in the campaign, she was confident of getting it across the line. “We’re very close to our minimum target, so I think we’re past the tipping point of whether this’ll happen — it will, which is really, really exciting,” Ms Papacosta said. “But now the pressure is on to make sure we get it right, to make sure we are a national body, to make sure we represent the whole of Australia.” Australia’s, at times, fractured fishing industry has long recognised it needed a clearer, united voice to speak to government and consumers. Read the story here 09:53