Seafood Directions is regarded as the premier seafood industry conference in Australia. Seafood Directions provides an opportunity for the stakeholders of the seafood industry to come together and discuss issues and opportunities in a national forum. This is particularly valuable in bringing together the interests of the Australian Seafood Industry as a whole, and in 2022 Seafood Directions will aim to engage with the consumer/broader community as a part of the conference.

Such a national forum provides an opportunity to:

*Promote and showcase seafood industry excellence and success stories
*Identify and promote best practice and sustainable development
*Examine the latest information, identify solutions and opportunities
*Examine issues of critical importance to the future well being of the Seafood Industry
*Identify and prioritise future research and development needs
*Build networks at a national level
*Use the Seafood Directions outcomes to drive future actions
Seafood Directions has been successfully staged every two years in a different State since 1999

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.