In recent times there has been considerable progress made in collaboration between the Rock Lobster and Abalone industries in addressing trade and market barriers in the direct trade of product into the key market of China. The benefits of collaboration between these fishery sectors highlights the benefits from industry groups focusing on collaboration rather than competitiveness to achieve mutual outcomes.
All Australian and New Zealand rock Lobster fisheries are on quota management which ultimately limits the amount of product than can be supplied. In the case of the China market not only is the lobster from these fisheries held in the highest of regard, i.e. superior eating qualities, it can easily accept the majority of the product produced by all these fisheries. The various operations across the rock lobster supply chain are made up of small family type businesses to larger cooperatives (e.g Geraldton Fisherman's Coop) and working collectively outcomes can be achieved that may not even be considered individually.
Identifying the common matters that can be worked on collaboratively has the potential to achieve economies of scale through efficiencies gained in better organisation and shared investment in key projects and programs. Ultimately this will lead to an increase in the value from investment in R&D and increased extension/uptake of outcomes from projects.
This is possibly a "one off'" opportunity to engage all the stakeholders, particularly those involved in the post harvest sector of the various Trans Tasman Rock Lobster fisheries to participate in such a workshop.