The Seafood Industry: A United Front
By National Seafood Industry Leadership Program 2016 participants Laura Smith, Paul Jordan and Felipe Henriquez.
In April this year, 18 seafood industry members from around Australia and New Zealand met for the first time in a conference room of a hotel in Darwin. Amongst us, there were commercial fishers, recreational fishers, scientists, policy managers, and wholesalers, to name a few. A varied group. A cross-section of our broad industry, condensed to 18 individuals selected to participate in the National Seafood Industry Leadership Program (NSILP).
We were tasked with creating a shared group vision and mission for the Australasian seafood industry as a whole. No easy task in a room of representatives of an industry which is diverse and at times divergent in their views and opinions.
So, is it surprising that we all wanted virtually the same things?
Recurrent themes were accessibility, sustainability, responsibility, employment, profitability, lifestyle, longevity and health. Read more...
Budding leader urges united voice for seafood industry
National Seafood Industry Leadership Program 2016 participant Paul Jordan believes that commercial fishers, by nature, tend not to seek the limelight.
But the enthusiastic professional lobster fisher from King Island firmly believes it’s time to step up and talk about the current proposal for a national peak body for Australia’s seafood industry.
Known as Seafood Industry Australia (SIA), this peak body would have three core functions: to be a voice for the industry; to work as a marketing and communications hub; and to remove obstacles to industry growth.
“What would a national peak body mean to individuals in the industry?” Paul asked.
“I reckon that with so many issues facing the seafood industry, the great benefit initially would be having national level industry representation to all industry sectors – fishers, processors, buyers, retailers, marketers, scientists and managers and ultimately the consumer". Read more...
