Member for Curtin and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Julie Bishop
Minister for the Environment, Greg Hunt
Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, Senator Anne Ruston
Member for Curtin, the Hon. Julie Bishop MP, along with Minister for the Environment, Greg Hunt, and Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, Anne Ruston, commended the Australian fishing industry for its commitment to delivering economic, community and environmental outcomes.
Foreign Minister and Member for Curtin, the Hon. Julie Bishop MP, has welcomed the announcement, speaking ahead of Austral’s ‘green launch’ in Western Australia today.
“I am delighted that one of Australia’s largest fishing companies, based in my electorate of Curtin, is taking up the challenge of voluntary carbon neutrality,” she said.
Minister Hunt congratulated Austral Fisheries, one of Australia’s largest commercial fishing companies, for its adoption of the National Carbon Offset Standard as a measure to reduce its carbon footprint.
“Austral Fisheries is the first fishery to achieve carbon neutral certification under the Australian Governments Carbon Neutral Program,” Minister Hunt said.
“As consumers are becoming more demanding of environmentally sustainable food production, the Carbon Neutral Program provides Government backed certification against the National Carbon Offset Standard. This framework ensures the integrity of carbon neutral claims that consumers and businesses can trust,” Minister Hunt said.
Minister Ruston said the move by Austral Fisheries to incorporate carbon reporting into its business systems was a demonstration of the sector’s commitment to developing even greater sustainability in the industry.
“Australia already has some of the best managed fisheries in the world—no solely Australian Government managed fish stock is classified as overfished or subject to overfishing,” Minister Ruston said.
“I am pleased to see the industry broadening its thinking around sustainability to include counting the carbon emissions its operations generate—in Austral’s case to offset about 27,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year.
“There is a real synergy in the offsets they have purchased as they will fund restorative tree planting in Western Australia’s eastern wheatbelt—a project that will deliver benefits to farmers, regional communities and the environment.
"This is just another example highlighting the fact that Australian fisheries are world leaders when it comes to managing environmental challenges.
“What’s more, it’s certainly fitting that Austral fisheries are making this announcement on sustainable seafood day.”
For more information about the National Carbon Offset Standard go to www.environment.gov.au/climate-change/carbon-neutral/ncos.
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