The exploration companies have mostly been accommodating however the likes of BP are not going out of their way to be in the running for a blue ribbon as outstanding corporate citizens. With all of the hype that has been generated WFSA intend to use this and will be releasing a position statement of what needs to happen for any support around drilling in the GAB. 

Chair's Message:  Seafood Industry Australia (SIA):  By far the most important development over the past couple of months has been the launch of the prospectus for the new national peak body - Seafood Industry Australia. It is the outcome of an extensive process over the past year, including two national industry forums and a Seafood Industry Leadership Task Force. Wildcatch’s President, Jonas Woolford has played a key role in helping to get SIA up and running.

I urge all licence holders to get behind the SIA. I know it must feel at times that we have multiple layers of industry representation, but I believe that’s an inherent condition of our industry’s make-up. For ours is a complex, multi-species industry with multiple markets and varied value chains. As an industry, I believe we’ve got one chance to get a well-resourced, strong national body right. Let’s not let this chance slip through our fingers.

Draft Productivity Commission findings:  I was heartened to read through Commissioner Melinda Cilento’s Productivity Commission Draft Report into the regulatory burden imposed on the Australian marine fisheries and aquaculture sectors. You can read the report here.

Importantly, the draft report acknowledges what we’ve all witnessed, i.e. that output, value and employment in the commercial sector have been trending down for well over a decade. I note the draft report’s reference to the role played by the use of input controls in suppressing productivity improvement, encouraging over-investment and discouraging structural adjustment.

In particular, I note the draft report’s observations in relation to current policy settings being at times overly prescriptive and out-dated, the report’s focus on reducing regulatory costs and imposts (there is scope to adopt or improve cost recovery arrangements in all States), encouragement of Professional Fisheries moving as a default position to transferrable quota systems, and the greater recognition of recreational fishing impact in fisheries management.

While the majority of draft report’s findings seem accurate and imminently applicable, at least in so far as they apply to SA, the report’s praise of SA as one of two exemplars in regards to the ‘consultative processes on proposed marine parks and zoning arrangements to better understand and mitigate impacts on fishers’, seems to me to be a little off the mark.

Wildcatch will be formally responding to the draft submission. If you would like to comment on it you can by either a written submission to the Productivity Commission by Friday 14 October 2016, by attending a public hearing (to be held October 2016) or by submitting a short comment on the inquiry website.

Harry Petropoulos
Chair, Wildcatch Fisheries SA Inc.

SEAsonal SEEchange:  Every month since April this year we auction a box of fresh seafood at SAFCOL with all proceeds donated to Variety.  For those that don’t know about this initiative, the short version is that each month individual businesses or sector associations donate a box of seafood (based on season) which gets auctioned at SAFCOL fish market on the last Wednesday of each month with all proceeds going to Variety through Car 58.

For the 2015/2016 fundraising period our 1st Auction was held in August and the last one was held in July and in this time we raised a total of $6563.

The highest overall bidder during the 11 auctions of 2015/2016 paying out a total of $2,050.70 was The Fish Factory, Athol Park. 

Thanks to SAFCOL and everyone involved with donations and the bidding wars….without you we wouldn’t have had this success.

In addition to this fundraising effort, on the 4th of August WFSA hosted the 2016 SA Seafood Express and Wildcatch Fisheries SA Seafood Industry dinner in Port Lincoln - a night to celebrate industry and celebrate the community partnership with Variety SA.

The event drew over 140 participants from around the country including Minister Hon Leon Bignell,  Adrian Pederick (Member for Hammond), Rowan Ramsey (Federal Member for Grey) and Peter Treloar MP (Member for Flinders). Other Seafood industry luminaries in attendance included senior representatives from PIRSA, SARDI and FRDC.  The event also brought together key players representing all aspects of the SA Seafood value chain including wild-caught and aquaculture fisheries, processors and retailers.

The night was a huge success - amazing local seafood was enjoyed and at the end of the evening thanks to our sponsors, in particular our major sponsor SA Seafood Express, generous bidding on auctions, some extremely generous donations and other fundraising throughout 2015/2016, Wildcatch Fisheries SA Inc. handed over a cheque for $16,650.34 to Variety SA. 

AN ABSOLUTELY AMAZING EFFORT!!!

Auctions are held on the last Wednesday of every month at SAFCOL Fish Market.  ALL proceeds from the charity auctions are donated to Variety through Car 58. 

National peak body:  'What's the opportunity cost? The whole is greater than the sum of its parts'
By Veronica Papacosta, Seafood Retailer - Sydney Fresh Seafood Group and Chair National Seafood Peak Body Implementation Group

The project to develop a national peak body for the Australian seafood industry has come a long way over the last six months. The United Seafood Industries Project has held two industry forums, established a Seafood Leadership Task Force, developed a draft proposal for a national peak body and is now being led by the peak body Implementation Group. I am the Chair of this Implementation Group, and our goal is to collect as many membership pledges as possible by December 2016 so that our industry can have the national voice it deserves.

I am a third generation seafood retailer and I currently own and operate 6 retail stores across NSW. My grandfather, Costas Costi, opened his first business in the 50’s in NSW, and since then our family have been dedicated to the sustainability and prosperity of the Australian seafood industry.  Read more...