The Australian seafood industry faces two major challenges, to cope with the limitations to those wild fisheries resources that are fully exploited, and to adapt to the changing preferences and expectations of the marketplace. Further growth will come from increased aquaculture production and better utilisation of the existing catch.

We are trading on a global market, and overseas competitors are threatening our position as a unique supplier of high quality raw material. Australian exporters have been effective in moving from bulk commodity markets to smaller, more lucrative niche markets with specialist requirements.

Trade liberalisation will expand the scope for high priced, value-added products with a significant service component. To take advantage of these opportunities, Australian producers need knowledge of markets and their requirements, processes, products, presentation options, quality and safety standards and systems, prices, and the levels of service expected of suppliers.

In the current project (1999/333) a number of areas where industry is demanding assistance are listed. Some of these have been satisfied whilst others need more emphasis. These are:

1. Assistance to people exploring new ventures, products and processes including value-adding and processing options, market details and technical information.

2. Information on contacts in markets, government agencies and other service providers (eg consultants, freight forwarders, equipment providers). AUSEAS needs to maintain a comprehensive list of contacts and to keep information on the capabilities of providers of services to improve coordination across the seafood industry. This current contact list along with contact lists from other components of SSA will form the basis for a whole SSA industry contact database.

3. Trouble shooting when problems occur, usually in the form of telephone advice or short, customised written material.

4. Advice on funding assistance, usually in the areas of product and process development applications to NSC. This can include reviewing applications before and after submission and assessment of reports.

5. Demand for brief targeted information to be provided free of charge through delivery methods such as Internet, fax-back, etc.

6. A centralised delivery point for information on seafood related matters to act as a “one-stop" shop for the industry.

In addition to direct assistance to industry, we also perform a networking role between researchers and the industry. Services we offer to researchers are:
(a) Identification of areas needing research.
(b) Assistance with background literature searches etc.
(c) Introduction to industry collaborators.
(d) Review of research proposals.
(e) Review of reports etc prior to publication.
(f) Assistance with dissemination and application of research findings.

The first item on the previous Minister for Primary Industries and Energy, John Anderson’s list of priorities for R&D corporations was "Identify strategic market access and investment opportunities based on improved access to international markets and to develop strategies to take advantage of these opportunities". The recently completed HIASM project is the only FRDC project to address this priority item. The project established a working relationship with the Supermarket to Asia Council and the new proposal will competently address the need identified by the Federal Government. The proposed project also addresses the FRDC program “industry development” and its key areas of “market development”, “value adding”, "quality and information delivery". The project will forge new links with the Supermarket to Asia (STA) program and will be the key link between STA and the seafood industry on a national basis.

The number of enquiries received by the project team on a wide range of species and products highlights the need for this project. The main needs that this project will address are:

* Keeping the Asian seafood market door open at a time when industry attention is temporarily diverted to such markets as USA and Europe.
* Overcoming the lack of industry expertise in marketing and lack of awareness of quality requirements in Asian markets.
* Adding value to under utilised and under valued species.
* Providing marketing information for other seafood projects.
* Generating interest in export markets.
* Providing a national seafood industry catalyst for quality initiatives and a focus point for marketing information for Australian under-utilised species.
* Providing a link with Supermarket to Asia programs and assisting with the uptake of these programs by the seafood industry.
* Providing a link with Asian trade exhibitions in order to increase seafood industry participation in these exhibitions.
* Increasing through-chain quality improvement by increasing the number of seafood companies with SeaQual Quality Food Australia accreditation.
* National co-ordination of marketing quality Australian seafoods.
* Revising awareness of Asian markets and their product and quality requirements.
* Developing a framework for how to do business in Asia included key marketing data on the Asian markets, competitor profiles and impediments to trade in the region.

The project team of the completed HIASM project also provided contacts from their in-market research to a number of companies or individuals that are pursuing markets for Australian seafood species. The knowledge gained from the project has already encouraged marketing efforts on lesser known but sustainable seafood species and will also encourage the harvesting of species that are currently not commercially viable in Australia. The HIASM project is the only marketing project with a national steering committee as a reference group that can assist in the expansion of markets for Australian seafood species.

The “Hooking into Asian Seafood Markets” project will work with SeaQual (Australia) in developing a SeaQual accreditation standards for the Australian seafood industry. The project will provide a conduit between STA and the seafood industry with respect to the project commercial operators and will assist with increasing the awareness of STA programs.