The Australian abalone industry identified a clear need to conduct research into this area to gain knowledge, but also because there has never been such a comprehensive investigation into the Australian abalone industry, its markets, global production, abalone consumption and consumption trends and Australia’s position in the market.

The report provides a cursory look at the harvest and post harvest sectors of the industry identifying areas that could reduce the benefit of market opportunities.  However, it also offers an in-depth analysis of global production, consumption and consumption trends and the position of abalone within overall seafood consumption.  

This was conducted via focus group meetings, one-on-one interviews and a close look at the markets in South East Asia, including Hong Kong, Malaysia, Korea, China, Taiwan, Singapore and Japan.

The report promotes an overhaul of the Australian abalone industry, in particular a closed loop supply chain and a single desk selling and marketing platform.  It suggests that industry lacks cohesion with which to better position its product in the market and receive increased returns to all stakeholders.

The report offers strategic options to implement a program of industry development deal with issues relating to marketing and promotion that face the Australian abalone fishery.  It provides several options, but avoids prescribing exactly what the thinks the Australian abalone industry needs to do.  The only way forward is to get the majority of stakeholders to agree what should be done to achieve better outcomes. 

One of the benefits that flow from this report is that it gives anyone who reads it, a comprehensive insight into the Australian abalone industry and where it is positioned in the global market.  

Keywords: Closed loop supply chain, single desk selling and marketing entity, Accredited quality and product integrity standards, logo/brand.