All Australian prawn fisheries face a number of common national and international issues. In particular the community expectations and perception of trawl fisheries is having a major impact on current, and future, activities operations. Many prawn fisheries are under pressure to change practices due to real or perceived negative impacts on the marine environment or other marine species. There is no common policy or public approach to these issues and the fisheries are not exchanging information on their experiences in a constructive manner.

Additionally, international markets are increasing their demands for accreditation of fishing practices from supplier countries and fisheries. Again, there is a need to develop a national approach to this issue and for fisheries to exchange information on how the threat to future sales is being addressed.

International markets are also being overwhelmed by production of prawns from aquaculture and there is no credible marketing approach from wild fisheries to this threat.

In short there is a need for funding support to develop the momentum for a national prawn (fishing) industry conference to be held in 2004 which will provide an opportunity for industry members to be exposed to the key threats and opportunities in their industry and will encourage networks and information exchange between States and fisheries.

Such a forum will address issues identified in the FRDC Strategic Plan relating to Fisheries Management, Industry Development and Human Capital Development. The conference program will provide opportunities for improving management across all prawn fisheries through the exchange of information, it will assist industry development by providing opportunities for coordination of activities at a national level and will provide a forum for providing members of the industry with better information, therefore contributing to the human capital in the industry.

The Australian Seafood Industry Council (ASIC) and other key industry bodies continue to support the holding of a biennial national seafood industry conference to review and discuss priority issues affecting the seafood sector and to use this forum as a means of providing the basis for future planning and direction.

The success of the previous Seafood Directions conferences substantiate the need for future conferences to facilitate industry involvement in the development of industry goals and objectives.

The attempts by SmartStart (Australia) to introduce the SmartStart Health Intervention Program to various States has been limited by a lack of resources. There has been extensive consultation with Australian Government agencies, most of whom have agreed with the concept and stressed the importance of promoting the need for a commitment to a national benchmarking program through the State Governments and their Education and Health Departments. The Australian Government Ministers and Departments of Education and Health have been very supportive of the concept and have given positive indications of support. Due to the fact that both education and health are predominately State responsibilities, it is essential that SmartStart has an opportunity to present its program and the findings and issues identified from the last five years of its operation to all the major States and other significant State based stakeholders.