This Australian Herring FRDC project is a strategic initiative to promote the recently recovered commercial Herring fishery. Blueshift and the commercial sector – represented by Fins Seafood and Albany Seafoods, are strong supporters of benefiting the commercial herring industry through increased demand and production. Fins Seafood focus on locally sourced seafood and have the experience and are passionate in this area, solidifying their undeniable importance to be a part of this project.
The project is needed to reaffirm the presence Australian Herring within the seafood market as commercial landings increase over the coming decade. If Australian Herring is successfully marketed, there is a potential for success within the local domestic market and potentially for export, if export approval is granted by the Australian Government. Furthermore, it is designed to address these challenges by providing investment for research, development, and extension initiatives aimed at improving the sustainability and profitability of the Australian Herring fishery. If successful, this proposal aims to obtain an accurate sense of the market appetite and consumer demand, as well as the potential to value-add by using local seafood processors.
Effective marketing through potential branding, introduction of new products and developing the presence of Australian Herring locally will be beneficial to industry and consumers. Furthermore, successful utilisation of all associated fish waste will bring more value and benefit to industry.
Final report
This report presents the findings of the first component of the two-phase initiative. Phase One (FRDC project 2022-166) led by Rob Bell provided the groundwork for Phase Two (FRDC Project 2022-157) led by Dr. Janet Howieson.
The Phase One project tested value-added Australian Herring products through a sensory testing workshop and developed a preliminary marketing strategy to guide top-rated products on their potential market positioning.
The Phase Two project will focus on advancing the most promising Australian Herring product formats, refining branding and marketing strategy, and addressing critical commercialisation requirements. These include costed supply chain modelling, breakeven analysis, pricing and logistics frameworks, and broader consumer validation.
Together, the two phases of the overall project could enable Australian Herring to transition from an underutilised bait species to a viable, high-quality seafood option, strengthening domestic seafood diversity, resilience, and sustainability.
