'If it's Aussie, it's good': Australia's seafood industry welcomes Sustainable Seafood Week

Great Australian fish and chip being eaten at Sydney Fish Markets with Australian commercial fishing boats in the background © Jessica McInerney

"Want sustainable seafood? Ask for Great Australian Seafood", these are the words of Seafood Industry Australia, the national peak-body representing the industry, CEO Veronica Papacosta as she welcomed the Australian Sustainable Seafood week which runs from March 8-14, 2021.

"Australia's commercial fishing industry is one of the most sustainable in the world and Sustainable Seafood Week is a celebration of Australia's seafood industry and the well-managed, sustainable fisheries that supply all of our favourite Great Australian Seafoods," Ms Papacosta said.

'It's been a hard year for Australia's seafood producers, but the community has shown us they are more than prepared to help eat us out of a crisis. We aren't completely in the clear and as an industry, this Sustainable Seafood Week we ask Australians to support their Aussies fishers through the challenges of the past year by switching one meal per week to our Great Australian Seafood. It's the Easy As way to support your local seafood industry.

"We applaud the many Australian fisheries that have achieved certification to standards like the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), however it is important to remember the very fact the seafood is Australian means it has been sourced sustainably due to the high level of regulation, reporting and monitoring that underpins our industry."

Minister for Agriculture David Littleproud commended Australia's world-leading seafood industry and implored Australians to eat more Australian seafood.

"When Aussie families buy seafood sourced from Australian managed fisheries, they're supporting best-practice fisheries management that keeps our oceans well stocked for future generations of seafood lovers," Minister Littleproud said in a statement.

"We're supporting jobs across our seafood industry. The hard work of Australian fishers has made our seafood the highest quality in the world. We have a proud track record of providing safe, sustainable and reliable seafood produce to markets at home and around the world."

Assistant Minister for Fisheries Senator Jonno Duniam encouraged Aussies to "do your best to buy Australian", to support the producers who are supporting all of us.

"We are incredibly lucky here in Australia to have the best seafood in the world. Australians can have the utmost confidence in the supply and quality of our locally produced, premium seafood," he said in a statement.

"The hard work of Australian fishers has made our seafood the highest quality in the world, it's delicious, fresh, healthy and sustainable," he said in a statement.

For the seventh consecutive year Australia’s Commonwealth-managed fisheries have been given the tick of sustainability Ms Papacosta said.

"This is something our commercial fishers are very proud of, and is unprecedented internationally. While the footprint of Australia’s trawlers is one of the smallest in the world. Coupled with our aquaculture sector - who provide fresh, high-quality seafood, year-round - Australian seafood is one of the best managed and most sustainable protein sources in the world.

"We all know Aussies love to eat Aussie seafood and if you want to be certain you're eating sustainable, healthy, world-class seafood that's good for you and good for the planet, always ask for Aussie seafood.

""To help people find Australian seafood near them they can visit the Great Australian Seafood website and click on the Fish Finder where people can search by postcode for retailers near them, there's even an icon to let you know if they're selling Australian Rock Lobsters. You can find it at: www.greataustralianseafood.com.au/fish-finder.

"Aussies can access a free, easy-to-use app of the Status of Australian Fish Stocks Reports called 'SAFS - Sustainable Fish Stocks'. This will allow Aussies on-the-go access to true, correct and authoritative information on the sustainability of Australian fish stocks.

"As fishers, our priority is the ocean. We advocate the health, sustainability and future of our ocean. It's our livelihood and the future livelihood of generations to come."