Wild capture fisheries are a national asset. They contribute in two ways: USE as a social, cultural or economic asset, AND value created through people and MANAGEMENT systems guiding that use. Aquaculture is an increasingly important seafood source offering potential across all sectors.

The IRG's RD&E Strategy contains 5 Aspirations, 11 Principles and related Outputs. Their comprehensive, integrated approach provides a single framework that offers a key role for all stakeholders, locally and nationally.

The IRG's Strategy will be successful only when it resolves key challenges, including:
- poor understanding and awareness of the needs of indigenous fishery users, and their monitoring of progress toward social/cultural/economic aspirations they aspire to,
- lack of capacity (human, management, structural) of fishers and communities to respond to and benefit from this Strategy,
- lack of alignment between customary sea management practices, enterprise profit motives, social/cultural/economic drivers for community viability, and government practices,
- the diversity of indigenous fisheries, across cultures, geography, aquatic environments, species and economic opportunities.

The Strategy must:
- create a viable pathway forward,
- increase fishery value in the hands of users, and
- better align government policy and process. This will require a policy and regulatory gap analysis and review options to better align these with traditional sea management approaches.

Change will take time - but outputs must demonstrate increasing value (social/cultural/economic) to fishers and communities.

The Project Team will partner with 4-5 indigenous fishery communities to consult and understand their fisheries, aspirations, needs, capacities and alignment with social/cultural/economic factors. The Team will respond with actions that aim to boost fishery value. Local case studies will inform national approaches and about what works, when and where.

The project will cost effectively create new tools, structures, alignments, data, and capacities, in the hands of the IRG, indigenous fishers and communities.

In its 2010 election commitment the Australian Government indicated that the key aims for a national food plan were to integrate food policy by looking at the whole food supply chain, to protect Australia’s food security, and to develop a strategy to maximise food production opportunities. It also outlined a wide range of issues it would consider when developing a national food plan.

The plan is expected to have a broad scope, including issues such as food security, productivity and efficiency, sustainability, health and nutrition and general economic policy relating to the food sector. One role for the plan will be to recognise the wide range of work already being done by stakeholders.

The government envisages that a national food plan will outline the Australian Government’s vision for the food industry and consumers, to guide Australian Government actions and provide certainty for other stakeholders. A national food plan, when finalised, would seek to better explain and better integrate Australia’s approach to food policy, from production through to consumption, and be consistent with the government’s market-based policy approach and commitment to fiscal discipline.

Through consultation on this paper the government is seeking feedback from all stakeholders on what a national food plan should cover and aim to achieve.