In recent years, the environmental performance of the fishing industry, in general, and more visible sectors like bay and inlet fisheries in particular, has come under increasing scrutiny. Concurrently, a number of initiatives have or are being implemented that directly address this environmental performance. These include SCFA's framework for implementation of ESD in Australia's fisheries, changes to Schedule 4 of the Wildlife Protection Act and the new Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, Seafood Services Australia initiatives, eco-labelling such as the Marine Stewardship Council, and environmental management planning at more local levels.

With the success of the buy-out removing most of the latent and part time operators from bay and inlet fisheries, it is critical that those fishers who chose to remain in the industry take proactive steps that will ensure their security of tenure in the fishery and certainty for the resource they harvest and the environment they operate in.

As a first step towards this goal, the Bay and Inlet fishers held an Industry workshop in July 2000 to identify and discuss the issues that need to be addressed to ensure their fisheries have a sustainable future. After that meeting an application was made to FRDC for funding to facilitate the progression towards Environmental certification for the Bay and Inlets fisheries. That application was unsuccessful. Since then bay and inlet fishers have canvassed many options for resourcing an EMS process for their fishery cumulating in another workshop held at Welshpool in October 2001 and the forming of an all encompassing state bay and inlet fishery association, Eco-Fish Victoria.

Although the fisheries in the bays and inlet are managed separately, and there are separate industry/regional associations, the issues confronting industry are common to all bays and inlets. Consequently, industry members agreed that these issues should be dealt with on a state-wide basis through establishing one industry body to facilitate the development and implementation of EMS’s for Victorian bay and inlet fishers. That new Industry association will have a close affiliation with SIV

Importantly the Victorian bay and inlet sector of industry have reached a consensus regarding hard decisions for a sustainable future for them and their fishery. Their commitment is to ensure all fishery activities measure-up against best practice when it comes to managing the resource, by-catch, habitat and the marine environment.

A comprehensive and wide ranging understanding of the current levels of engagement of women in the seafood sector will provide a valuable and ongoing resource to the wider seafood sector to increase women's engagement and participation.

To support and promote the value of fully engaged women participating effectively and helping to secure the future viability of the Australian seafood industry WISA needs to build critical skills of seafood women, delivered in a way that is accessible to them and encourages participation from rural and regional areas. This is particularly important for women under 30.

Researching (nationally and internationally) and better understanding the value of having greater diversity within seafood enterprises, associations, research agencies, at senior management, board and committee level will help WISA create an integrated online and offline skills development platform. The platform will need to be easily accessible by women, focused on the specific and particular needs of women and support and encourage greater participation by women in the seafood industry.

While there are resources available e.g e-leaders program there is a need for these resources to be reviewed and updated to target the specific needs of seafood women. Additionally, WISA needs to form strategic and mutually beneficial partnerships/alliances with other relevant organisations and networks and work with them to capitalise on opportunities provided through these partnerships.

Having skilled women is not sufficient to ensure that women are successful and effective contributors. It is also necessary to develop a specific pathway program for women to gain the confidence necessary to nominate and be selected for key management, board and committees. This will help seafood enterprises and organisations (industry, research and government) to increase diversity by enabling access to skilled women able to contribute to their success.