The CRC has identified the need to prioritise trade and market access research activities and to have a forum where government and industry can agree on apropriate trade and market access negotiation strategies. The SAF operated by SSA can provide that service for the CRC.
The CRC recognises that having a focus on trade and market access research activities will significantly increase the workload for the SAF and that this will create a need for additional consultation, reporting and extension activities. The CRC has agreed to fund SSA to proivde this addtional functionality that will benefit all users of the CRC (Sellfish Theme Business Plan).
Meetings with senior DFAT and DAFF officials confirmed that the seafood industry needs to take a more coordinated approach to addressing trade issues and that primary industries with such frameworks had achieved significant success. The CRC needs to ensure that such a framework exists so that the benefitsof its trade and market access research can be realised.
The SAF provides a solid, rigorous and inclusive process for systematically tackling our seafood trade and market access barriers by:
1. Identifying and prioritising opportunities for improving trade and market access for Australian seafood including:
a. Maintaining and improving access in existing markets;
b. Establishing access to new trade opportunities, particularly in higher value markets; and
c. The reduction or removal of tariff and non-tariff barriers to seafood trade.
2. Developing well researched positions and strategies on priority opportunities for improving trade and market access for Australian seafood.
3. Providing leadership and coordination in the delivery of actions to realise priority opportunities for improved trade and market access for Australian seafood.
Final report
The goal of the Seafood CRC is to double the value of the Australian seafood industry to $4billion per annum by 2017 and to generate more than 2,800 jobs in rural and regional areas. Achieving this goal will require a concerted effort by the Seafood CRC, its core participants and collaborators over the life of the program - this includes SSA, NAC and SEA. In its favour, the Seafood CRC represents almost 80 percent of the Australian seafood industry's GVP of just over $2 billion per annum. This is enhanced further with the high level of scientific institution and through chain representation its investment strategy has attracted.
The Seafood CRC represents the first time in the history of the Australian seafood industry that such a high level cooperative partnership has been achieved for the purpose of advancing the industry's future prosperity. The Seafood CRC, brings together the critical combination of scientific expertise and industry knowledge with the capacity to address the full breadth of trade and market access issues that have previously constrained the industry from meeting its full market potential.
