Consumers can continue to enjoy fresh, sustainable Australian seafood in confidence that it comes from the world's best managed fisheries.
Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, Anne Ruston, today welcomed the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) release of the Fishery status reports 2017.
"It's pleasing to see that our fisheries remain on course to supply Australian and international seafood-lovers with high-quality produce now and well into the future," Minister Ruston said.
"The reports show that for a fourth consecutive year, no solely Commonwealth-managed fishery was subject to overfishing—an outstanding achievement by the entire fishing industry, as well as the Australian Fisheries Management Authority.
"The overall trend is encouraging—since 2004, we've seen a rise in the number of fish stocks with sustainable classifications, and the Australian Government is continuing to work with our stakeholders and international partners to return overfished stocks to a sustainable footing through improved harvest and management strategies.
"When families buy Australian seafood, they can be confident they're supporting a sustainable industry managed using the best available scientific advice."
In fisheries managed both jointly and solely by the Australian Government, $439 million gross value of production (GVP) was generated in 2015–16, which was 26 per cent of Australia's total wild capture fisheries GVP of $1.7 billion.
For a copy of the report visit ABARES Publications.
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