Seafood CRC: new opportunities for underutilised species
Approximately 25,000 tonnes of finfish is not harvested in Australia each year, even though operators are licensed to do so. This is because the fish have a low market value (leatherjacket), are difficult to process (Boarfish), are very fragile and require an exacting supply chain to reach the market in satisfactory condition (sardines, Australian Salmon) or are harvested from remote areas with inadequate support infrastructure. Additional tonnage is harvested but directed to low value products such as pet food, bait and aquaculture feed (sardines, mackerel, silver warehou, bonito tuna). There are also areas (e.g. Western Deep Trawl) where little is know about the fishery resource and potential
for commercialization. And there are also fish discarded after being caught due to low market value or insufficient space for storage. Each of these under-utilised species can be used to produce high quality, fresh and processed products that could help meet the increasing demand for seafood.
Final report
Project products
Seafood CRC: optimising quality and value in domestic prawn value chains
SCRC: Seafood CRC Post Doctoral Scientist: Integrated value chain performance benchmarking studies (economics, logistics and product quality).
This project is aimed at increasing the capacity to provide Australian seafood businesses with assistance in analysing and improving their supply chains and thus improve their profitability and ability to meet and respond to their customer's needs.
The need for building this capacity has been identified by the CRC and is relected in the OzSeaValue Theme Business Plan which outlines the CRC's framework for investment in this area (including the develpment of the Australian Seafood Productivity Improvement Centre). Similarly WAFIC, ACA, ACPF, APFA, Oyster Consortium, Simplot, SFM and other CRC participants have developed or are developing supply chain projects that will need a coordinated and multi disciplinary research response. The CRC has funded two supply chain mapping and benchmarking projects and has had to engage a private consultant to undertake the work due to lack of capacity within CRC research providers. This lack of capacity was recognised by Curtin University and WAFIC and a supply chain performance research theme was incorporated into the recently funded Centre of Excellence for Seafood Science and Health.
The Post Doc position will work nationally with CRC participants and help to develop a national and international network of expertise and collaborative effort to meet the supply chain performance needs of the companies involved. Opportunities to involve higher education degree students will be vigorously pursued, further enhancing capacity in supply chain performance research and services for industry.
It is anticipated that once the capacity is developed that the demand for services will enable the continued and ongoing funding for supply chain research support within the Centre.
Final report
At the commencement of the Seafood CRC in 2007, CRC participants identified the need to improve competitiveness and profitability through improved supply chain management as one of their highest priorities. However, a lack of research capacity in whole of seafood supply chain monitoring and management was also identified. As a result the CRC decided to fund a post-doctoral position in integrated value chain performance benchmarking studies (incorporating economics, logistics and product quality) to build research capacity in this area.
As a result of the project, generic methods/frameworks have been developed for a range of supply and value chain analyses and these frameworks have been tested in case studies. A large group of staff and students from national research institutions have been trained in seafood supply and value chain analysis techniques. Videos describing some of the methods were also produced for industry extension. As well, more than 10 separate projects have been CRC funded with specific industry partners to undertake supply and value chain analysis, with concomitant recommendation, implementation and evaluation of interventions to improve individual supply chain performance. These project results were the basis for >10 presentations to various industry groups and conferences explaining the techniques and the results of the projects. A number of peer reviewed journal articles have also been published/submitted.