Commercial fisheries and aquaculture activities with insufficient levels of social support can negatively affect industry member well-being and contribute to restricted resource access. More & appropriate engagement is needed to improve stakeholder and community trust & support, both with those affected by industry activity, and with those who affect industry activity (i.e. decision-makers and influencers).

This project addresses the need to ensure that the range of engagement activities and strategies undertaken by organisations and operators within fisheries and aquaculture are effective at:
- building relationships and trustworthiness;
- understanding concerns and needs arising from industry activity; and
- influencing preferences and decisions.

Limited evaluation has been undertaken regarding the effectiveness of engagement strategies and activities in meeting predefined goals. Similarly, limited opportunities exist to transfer knowledge between industry organisations of successful and future engagement practice; or to support improved return on investment of engagement strategies.
The NSW Fishing Industry has a need to improve relationships and trustworthiness with key stakeholders, and to achieve specific outcomes for PFA members, which include; improve social license by industry taking the lead on its own imagery, and an increase in the consumption and variety of NSW seafood.

In addition, there is limited feedback on whether communication strategies about to embark on will be effective at achieving the PFA’s desired outcomes, and there is information to help develop long term engagement strategies and direct limited resources to the most effective activities.

Therefore, there is a need to select a range of community engagement strategies and activities, and evaluate these against predefined goals. Engagement successes need to be extended to other industry organisations,
and if appropriate, decision support materials to be developed to extend knowledge adoption of the findings and materials.

Lack of knowledge by community has contributed to poor perception of industry and negative community attitudes. Teachers are ill-informed about industry’s efforts to operate in a sustainable manner; once informed-they incorporate better knowledge into their teaching program. The long-term benefits for industry with a better informed community are considerable.
The SIPS-Tasmanian-Pilot indicated teachers have difficulty accessing information about the marine environment, sustainable fishing/marine farm practices, and post-harvest sector. Developing/delivering this information within a metropolitan context is a key challenge of this program. Fishermen/Farmers and the post harvest sector are seeking avenues to engage with their local community to secure their social licence to operate - this program gives them a community a voice and a connection with the next generation. An informed community can actively engage in debate around issues affecting industry and the seafood supply - particularly at point-of-sale. Delivering this information to schoolchildren and teachers in a metropolitan context is key.
With the assistance and support of key groups such as the Sydney Fish Market, Master Fish Merchants of Australia, and NSW Fishermens’ Cooperative Association, and our in-house experience of working with the NSW Department of Education, and with various state-based teachers associations on our 'Our Valuable Estuaries' projects - OceanWatch Australia has the ability, determination and support of industry, to make this project succeed.

School teachers report a difficulty accessing relevant and accurate information about the marine
environment, current sustainable commercial fishing and marine farm practices. This, coupled with a
recognised paucity of young people embarking on a career in the seafood industry indicates a need for
greater interaction between the seafood industry and the educational sector.

A general lack of knowledge about commercial fishing practices in the public arena has contributed to
poor public perception of the seafood industry, and in fact public attitudes to commercial fisheries are
often negative and ill informed.