There is a range of seafood caught in Australia that is unknown and under appreciated by consumers across the country. There are two reasons for this. First consumers do not know about the species, and second they do not know what to do with them or how to best use them - despite a simple approach, such as pan fried or steamed being perfect for them. By telling a great story and providing terrific information. Everybody has to eat and our sustainable fishing message will convince more Aussies to eat seafood.

There is a clear need to provide the Australian public via mass communications, namely TV, the wide range of species that are available, where they come from and how to cook them.

The need is also highlighted in the FRDC RD&E Plan and Annual Operating Plan both highlight under Priority 2 a need to expand the number of under-utilised species that are utilised with a particular focus on increasing the profitably.

Annual Operating Plan 2016-17
2. Improved productivity and profitability of fishing and aquaculture. Key activities this financial year include:
• progressing the development of the Easy Open Oyster,
• building on the outputs and structures in post-harvest processing established by the Seafood CRC,
• expanding the number of underutilised to utilised species,
• further improving post-harvest waste utilisation,
• scope business opportunities for indigenous Australians and
• develop techniques to empower stakeholders to enhance habitats to improve productivity.

FRDC RD&E Plan 2015-20
National Priority 2 – Improved productivity and profitability
Aim: By 2020, delivery of RD&E for fishing and aquaculture to increase productivity and profitability consistent with economic, social and environmental sustainability.
Strategy: Invest in RD&E to understand the drivers of and impediments to productivity and profitability growth in all fishing and aquaculture sectors; research means of increasing sustainable production and profitability; link these to business education; encompass the needs of Indigenous communities.
Priority area activities: RD&E that demonstrates how to use underutilised and undervalued species sustainably and more profitably

By developing an evidence-based health and safety training program for Australian fishing communities, this project meets the needs of the commercial wild-catch and aquaculture industry identified in FRDC’s RD&E Program 3, ‘Communities’ and particularly theme 10, which promotes resilient and supportive communities who are able to adapt to the social impacts of change in industry business environments.

The project will address a national need, identified by VicFRAB, to better understand the social and economic contribution of commercial fisheries, by identifying and addressing potential losses incurred through the poor health and wellbeing of the industry’s human capital.

Fishers tend to work in rural and remote communities, which means they have higher rates of mortality, disease and health risk factors than urban dwellers, further impacted by reduced access to primary health care services. Fishers are at particular risk of certain kinds of illnesses (eg. skin and diet-related), as well as injury (fatality rates are more than double those in the agricultural sector). Mental health concerns are higher than average in the fishing industry, exacerbated by uncertainties within the industry including often high debt and insecurity of tenure and licencing. While both women and men are at risk, 86.9% of fishers are male, a factor placing them at greater risk of suicide.

Fisher ‘attitudes’ also impact health, such as the culture of self-reliance, particularly among males. This may make fishers resilient, but also makes them less likely to adopt preventative health practices or to use health services, and they will usually wait longer before seeking medical assistance, particularly for issues of chronic poor mental health.

The Sustainable Fishing Families project will benefit fishing families’ health, safety and resilience by promoting a self-awareness of the value of the industry’s human capital, and building their health capacity.