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| Australian Seafood Industry Council | |
|---|---|
| Name | Australian Seafood Industry Council |
| Abbreviation | ASIC |
| Formation | 1990s |
| Type | Industry peak body |
| Headquarters | Canberra |
| Region served | Australia |
| Membership | Seafood companies; processors; exporters |
| Leader title | Chair |
Australian Seafood Industry Council is the peak representative body for commercial fishing, aquaculture, processing and export enterprises across Australia. It coordinates industry positions on national issues and represents members in deliberations with bodies such as the Australian Parliament, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, and international forums including the World Trade Organization, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation. The Council interfaces with state and territory agencies such as New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, Australian Capital Territory, and the Northern Territory.
The Council traces origins to peak-industry meetings in the 1990s that included representatives from the Commonwealth of Australia, state fisheries agencies, and commodity groups such as the Australian Prawn Farmers Association and the Gulf of Carpentaria Fishermen's Association. Early milestones involved coordination around responses to the 1992 Earth Summit and later engagement with the Jakarta Mandate under the Convention on Biological Diversity, aligning Australian seafood policy with international obligations. The Council engaged in major national events including submissions to inquiries by the Senate of Australia, participation at Australian Fisheries Management Authority consultations, and representation at trade missions to Japan and China. Throughout the 2000s and 2010s it expanded to include processors, exporters and aquaculture producers active in regions such as the Bass Strait, Gulf St Vincent, and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.
The Council is governed by a board drawn from major sectors including wild-catch fleets from the Commonwealth Fisheries sector, state-managed quota holders represented in bodies such as the New South Wales Seafood Industry Association, and aquaculture companies operating in clusters like Tasmanian Atlantic salmon producers. Its constitution establishes roles including Chair, Chief Executive and subcommittees aligned with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority rules, export compliance overseen relative to Australian Border Force requirements, and trade policy liaison with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Annual general meetings convene delegates from peak organisations such as the Seafood Industry Victoria, Queensland Seafood Industry Association, and national exporters linked to the Australian Trade Commission.
The Council coordinates national positions on access to Commonwealth-managed fisheries such as those under the Australian Fisheries Management Authority remit, advocates on quota-setting processes influenced by scientific advice from institutions like the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, and negotiates certification schemes with bodies such as the Marine Stewardship Council and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council. It organizes national conferences that attract delegations from the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation trade representatives, and buyers from markets including United States, European Union, Japan, China, and South Korea.
ASIC leads submissions and evidence to inquiries conducted by the Senate Select Committee on Food Security, engages with ministers such as the Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources (Australia), and coordinates policy responses to regional agreements like the Trans-Pacific Partnership. It lobbies over issues including biosecurity responses with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, trade access negotiated via the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and fisheries management reforms debated in the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) processes and successor intergovernmental forums.
The Council administers member services including export compliance assistance aligned to Australian Government biosecurity standards, training programs developed with institutions such as TAFE NSW and the University of Tasmania, and market development initiatives with partners including Austrade and state export offices. It delivers certification support for supply chains seeking recognition from the Marine Stewardship Council, coordinates contingency planning with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, and provides workforce development collaboration with unions like the Maritime Union of Australia where appropriate.
The Council commissions and supports applied research with partners such as the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, the University of Western Australia, James Cook University, and state research institutes. Priority topics include stock assessment methodologies used by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences, climate change impacts studied in relation to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, aquaculture feed innovations linked to marine biotechnology centres, and bycatch reduction technologies trialled with the Australian Fisheries Management Authority. It participates in international sustainability dialogues involving the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and regional fisheries management organisations such as the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission.
Members include commercial operators from trawl fleets working in the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery, aquaculture companies farming Atlantic salmon, processors based in hubs like Port Lincoln, exporters engaged with markets in the European Union and United States of America, and state peak bodies such as the Tasmanian Seafood Industry Council and Seafood Industry Victoria. Stakeholders also encompass regulatory agencies like the Australian Fisheries Management Authority, conservation NGOs such as the Australian Marine Conservation Society and the World Wildlife Fund (World Wide Fund for Nature), research organisations including the CSIRO, and service providers active in maritime logistics at ports like Sydney Harbour and Port of Fremantle.
Category:Seafood industry in Australia