National Seafood Industry Leadership Program (NSILP) 2025-2026
FRDC is currently operating under the 2020-2025 Research and Development Plan. This plan details the areas of investment for the industry and provides direction regarding the leadership requirements for the Australia seafood industry.
FRDC states that "This is one of the FRDC’s most ‘people-centric’ plans to date, with a focus on capacity building, shaping culture, building relationships and establishing shared principles and values.” Importantly for the seafood industry and community, capacity building is high on the agenda.
The NSILP responds to four enabling strategies
‘Strengthen adoption for transformative change’ (through increasing and improving the uptake of knowledge, skills, solutions, technology and new ways of thinking to create positive change for industry).
‘Promote innovation and entrepreneurship’ (through encouraging new solutions, products and processes as well as new ways of thinking and doing).
‘Build capability and capacity’ (through helping people from across fishing and aquaculture to have the knowledge and skills needed to be safe, happy and productive, and to adapt and flourish in the face of change).
‘Provide foundational information and support services’ (through delivering information to guide the evolution of fishing and aquaculture in Australia).
The industry needs that have been identified are:
- Capacity building and leadership knowledge.
- Although online delivery evolved and improved during COVID, face-to-face remains the preferred method of NSILP learning/delivery to enable the opportunity to build in-person connections.
- Resourced and facilitated Alumni and industry networking and connections.
Blue carbon and the Australian seafood industry: workshop
The Australian seafood industry aspires to continue improving its sustainability in many areas, including reducing its carbon emissions and ultimately achieving carbon neutrality. The 2017 National Seafood Industry Leaders called for the industry to strive to become carbon neutral by 2030. There are many aspects to this, such as improving fuel efficiency and evaluating land transport options, but some emissions are inevitable. To offset these emissions, the seafood industry might choose to investigate carbon markets. Investments in blue carbon could also provide added value to the industry, say, through better fish nurseries, or through the social benefits of being seen to proactively nurture the ecosystems that support them. However, the mechanisms to allow the seafood industry to pursue this are poorly developed. Impediments include the paucity of blue carbon opportunities in existing regulatory markets, and uncertainty about the most appropriate financial mechanisms for blue carbon investment.
The industry would benefit from a clear guide that outlines the current (and likely future) opportunities, the risks, a realistic assessment of the benefits, and a set of options for potential investors to pursue. To facilitate this, we will hold a meeting of key seafood industry stakeholders: at this workshop we will inform stakeholders about the current state of knowledge and opportunities, ask the extent to which the industry aspires to be carbon neutral, and whether blue carbon investments are perceived to be relevant. We will identify the major impediments to the industry achieving its desired goals, and plan concrete actions that can be taken to achieve them. These will be compiled into a plan to inform the FRDC on what actions to invest in, and how much investment would be needed.
Final report
Progressing the National Fisheries Digital Data Framework - Industry consultation
Forecasting spatial distribution of Southern Bluefin Tuna habitat in the Great Australian Bight – updating and improving habitat and forecast models
Knowledge to improve the assessment and management of Giant Mud Crabs (Scylla serrata) in Queensland
Post graduate support for novel governance for a changing ocean
Project funding will provide the PI with additional resources that enable him to focus on achieving the requirements and objectives of his research and PhD completion to a high standard and on-time.
The project funding application covers four key areas:
1. Additional stipend: to provide an adequate living allowance.
2. Travel: attendance of international conferences is a key vehicle to build skills an experience in the international policy and diplomacy fields as well as providing the opportunity to collect valuable research data. These skills and networks will ultimately benefit the Australian fishing and aquaculture community through the sharing of knowledge and networks.
3. Training: Facilitation training has been identified as an opportunity for development
4. Communication and content creation: developing content to assist with promoting and communicating the results of the research.
Having members and advocates of the Australian fishing and aquaculture community informed and skilled in the way international governance agreements are developed and then translated into domestic policy is extremely important, and a current gap in our capability and capacity.