Senator Colbeck said, World Fisheries Day, is an ideal opportunity to highlight Australia’s fisheries which are among the best managed in the world and play an important role in providing sustainable seafood across the globe.
“Australia is committed to a sustainable approach to fisheries management and our fisheries are well-managed as a result,” he said.
“For the first time in eight years no solely Commonwealth managed fisheries have been classified as subject to overfishing – this is a great endorsement of our science based fisheries management and provides confidence for seafood consumers.”
Senator Colbeck has now launched the OceanWatch Master Fishermen Programme at the Sydney Fish Market – a programme that accredits responsible fisheries management and practices.
“This is a great initiative that promotes sustainable fishing practices and reassures the community that our seafood is caught using best-practice techniques,” he said.
“We know our fisheries are among the best in the world – we have an excellent story to tell and it’s important to share this with the broader community.”
The Master Fishermen Programme provides participants with a QR code which can be attached to the consignment note when fresh seafood goes to market, linking to profiles of the fisher, the fishing methods and industry information.
Senator Colbeck said QR codes are an effective way to provide consumers with more information about a product without imposing regulations which could be costly and difficult to regulate.
“Consumers can be confident they are supporting a sustainable fishery when buying Australian sourced seafood,” he said.
