The investment will see the appointment of a 3rd party provider that will oversee the design and implementation of the key principle/practices that each individual RDC are interested in trialling. Each investor will be expected to nominate a recent project/program or one that is under development to trial. The appointed coordinator will work with each RDC and assist them in initiating the key principles/practices and provide support throughout the duration of the trial process. The coordinator will also collate and record the experiences of each investor and provide the collective knowledge and evaluations of the pilot outputs through a community of practice forum. This forum will provide a coordinated approach to sharing the experience of each and RDC.

This Australian Herring FRDC project is a strategic initiative to promote the recently recovered commercial Herring fishery. Blueshift and the commercial sector – represented by Fins Seafood and Albany Seafoods, are strong supporters of benefiting the commercial herring industry through increased demand and production. Fins Seafood focus on locally sourced seafood and have the experience and are passionate in this area, solidifying their undeniable importance to be a part of this project.

The project is needed to reaffirm the presence Australian Herring within the seafood market as commercial landings increase over the coming decade. If Australian Herring is successfully marketed, there is a potential for success within the local domestic market and potentially for export, if export approval is granted by the Australian Government. Furthermore, it is designed to address these challenges by providing investment for research, development, and extension initiatives aimed at improving the sustainability and profitability of the Australian Herring fishery. If successful, this proposal aims to obtain an accurate sense of the market appetite and consumer demand, as well as the potential to value-add by using local seafood processors.

Effective marketing through potential branding, introduction of new products and developing the presence of Australian Herring locally will be beneficial to industry and consumers. Furthermore, successful utilisation of all associated fish waste will bring more value and benefit to industry.