From our industry consultation, FULLER understands that the Fisheries R&D Corporation coordinates a range of leadership courses each year that are designed to enhance the capabilities of mainly younger people.

Some of these courses include a basic media training component, however this is not delivered in a targeted or strategic manner, and there is no additional strategic communications follow-up training.

Any industry requires strong leadership in order to create positive change and to sustain itself in the face of competing environmental, commercial and political pressures.

FULLER believes that outstanding verbal, written and visual communication is critical to the successful leadership and management of any organization, and that the foundation of good communication is an agreed plan.

From our experience media training is more successful if trainees are told “what” to communicate, before they are taught “how” to communicate.

Therefore, while the tender brief calls for a short term solution – media training of industry leaders – it is our recommendation that this People Development Program should start with the development of a strategic communication plan.

This consultative process will help the industry better understand its key communication challenges and opportunities, the messaging it needs to communicate, and the key stakeholders it needs to engage. It will also suggest a wider range of communication tactics than just media – a necessity in this rapidly changing communication landscape (eg web, social media, video, SMS).

On completion of the plan, the subsequent training delivery will be able to introduce these current and future leaders to the big issues facing the industry, the consistent messaging that needs to be employed as well as contemporary public relations tools, including media engagement.

This will create a new breed of professional, proactive seafood leaders who will have a positive and lasting impact on the industry.

A new strategic research plan for NSW is required to guide research planning and investment for NSW's fisheries, aquaculture and aquatic conservation.

The new 5-year plan reflects all those priorities gathered during an exhaustive process of consultation with 33 different stakeholder groups and includes text outlining the broad priority areas. This plan will provide a co-ordinated approach to research to underpin the management of NSW's fisheries, aquaculture and aquatic conservation and will provide an excellent tool for research providers and funders as they call for, develop and fund new research projects.