Beche-de-mer knowata product development
Informing and capitalising on the seasonality of Australian seafood (stage 2)
There is confusion and lack of knowledge on the seasonal availability of Australian seafood species. This has resulted in:
- The reluctance of the food service and retail industries to use some seafood because the
lack of knowledge about seafood seasonality and unreliable supplies make it difficult to plan
ahead in cases such as: the design of menus; undertaking of promotions; the budgeting of input
costs; and ordering of the product.
- Under utilisation of species, as users are not informed on alternative species available at
different times of the year.
- Misleading of consumers, for example , calling frozen seafood 'fresh' and mislabeling the
species.
There is a need for research which will provide comprehensive seasonality information to groups such as:
- domestic distributors/wholesalers of seafood;
- exporters, overseas importers, and government agencies (e.g. Austrade);
- education and training establishments such as TAFE and seafood schools;
- the food service sector - restaurants, caterers and institutional providers, including chefs,
business owners and purchasing managers; and
- the food retail sector, particularly purchasing managers in major retail chains.
Interviews conducted with the food service and food retail sector during the first stage of the seasonality project also highlighted the enthusiasm from these sectors for such information.
The availability of such information will help to promote seafood during its peak supplies and hence provide better and more consistent returns to the seafood industry as a whole,
Publication
Australian Seafood by Season is a user-friendly guide to Australian seafood seasonality. Its publication has been funded by the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, the Department of Primary Industries, Queensland and the Queensland Commercial Fishermen's Organisation.
This calendar has been developed in response to the reluctance by many in the food retail and food service sectors to use some seafood because the unknown supply makes it difficult to plan ahead such activities as designing menus, undertaking of promotions, budgeting of input costs, and ordering seafood products.
The seasonality information contained within this publication applies to fresh seafood. However, it is important to note that seafood is available all year round as a frozen product and that the quality of quick-frozen seafood can be equivalent to that of fresh seafood.
The seasonality information has been collected from sources that include, state fisheries departments, fisheries management authorities, fishing companies and individual fishers around Australia. It is important for readers to recognise that this information is a guide only, as seafood seasonality can be affected by factors such as weather conditions or fisheries closures.
The seasonal closures indicated are correct at the time of printing. However, some closures are subject to change, and readers should check with the fisheries management authority in their state to see if they are still valid.
Project products
Identification of market requirements for future development of the Australian Seafood Catering Manual
Effects of net fishing: addressing biodiversity and bycatch issues in Queensland inshore waters
There is a critical need for information to support management decisions about inshore fisheries resources, and to address rising industry, conservation and public concern about the impact of net fishing on sustainability and biodiversity of the ecosystem and habitats associated with the fishery. The theory of measuring changes in biodiversity have yet to be applied in net fisheries. This project will be a test case for the practical application of determining net fishing effects on biodiversity.
Information on the effect of net fishing on bycatch and biodiversity in Australia is extremely limited. While some data exist on the marketed catch, the quantity and nature of bycatch remains virtually unknown. There is little information on the total catch characteristics of net fisheries, the proportions of species caught, and the proportion of the resource harvested each year. Similarly little is known about the fate of fish discarded from nets which would help to characterise the impact of net fishing on biodiversity.
This project will address the urgent need for information on the: total catch composition from net fishing, fate of discarded fish bycatch, impact on protected species and impact on biodiversity. Baseline data collected through both fishery dependent and independent methods will provide a basis for long term monitoring of the fishery and will enhance the interpretation of existing commercial catch records. These data will help meet the requirements of the ‘National Strategy for Conservation of Australia’s Biological Biodiversity’ of a) improving the knowledge base of fisheries, b) improving fisheries management and c) assessing and minimising the impact of commercial fishery practices on non-target and bycatch species, ecosystems and genetic diversity.