Taking place on 12 to 18 March, Australia’s first Sustainable Seafood Week is a new, week-long opportunity to celebrate Australia’s seafood industries and the well-managed, sustainable fisheries that supply our favourite fish and crustaceans.
Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, Senator Anne Ruston, said Australia was a world leader in sustainable fisheries management.
“Not only is our seafood delicious and healthy, but Australian families can be confident that it is sourced from well-managed, sustainable fisheries that supply future generations of seafood lovers,” Minister Ruston said.
“For a fourth consecutive year, no solely Commonwealth-managed fishery was subject to overfishing. This is a great credit to the entire fishing industry as well as the Australian Fisheries Management Authority.
“This is also in addition to the growing number of fisheries that have been certified by the Marine Stewardship Council as sustainable, further highlighting industry-led progress.
“Australia is also party to a range of conventions that manage local and global fish stocks and effectively combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, which threaten fish stocks, marine ecosystems and Australian jobs.”
Minister Ruston said fishing was part of the Australian way of life and a regular past time for more than 3.4 million Australians.
“The Coalition wants all Australians to enjoy our oceans and continue to be able to feed their families seafood for dinner,” Minister Ruston said.
“That’s why we’ve taken a balanced approach to fisheries resource management. We want people to enjoy their oceans – not be locked out of them.
“Sustainable Seafood Week is an excellent initiative and a reminder that we all have a responsibility to ensure our seafood is sustainably sourced.”
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