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THE festive season is the perfect time to enjoy fresh, sustainably harvested and locally caught seafood.
After another fantastic year for Commonwealth fisheries, Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources Anne Ruston is encouraging Australians to remember sustainable, local seafood when planning the Christmas menu this year. “The warmer weather is perfect for enjoying just one of the many seafood options caught in Commonwealth-managed fisheries,” Minister Ruston said. “Whether it’s deepwater flathead on the barbecue for Christmas Day or blue grenadier and chips at the beach before the Boxing Day test, or something lighter such as grilled silver trevally with a salad, there has never been a better time to enjoy fresh, healthy Australian seafood.”
“The latest ABARES Fishery status reports 2016 showed that for the third year in a row, no fish stock solely managed by the Commonwealth was subject to overfishing. This is a fantastic early Christmas present for seafood lovers and would have not have been achieved without the commitment of the Commonwealth fishing industry and the fisheries regulator, the Australian Fisheries Management Authority. “Not only that, but preliminary estimates from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences also showed that the gross value of production for Commonwealth fisheries has grown by more than 25 percent in the past financial year from $350 million to $439 million — a Christmas present for all the businesses and families who work in the seafood industry.”
“These results have been achieved through science-based management and a commitment to innovation from industry, leading to increased returns from fisheries while ensuring that current and future generations can continue to enjoy a healthy supply of Australian seafood. Remember that buying local seafood is a great and delicious way to support Australians across the country, from the fishers in coastal fishing communities to the fish and chip shops you visit on holidays at the beach and, of course, the many restaurateurs across Australia. And it’s not just Australians who love sustainable seafood, with the global per capita fish consumption rising to above 20kg a year for the first time in 2016.
“With strict rules and regulations based on robust science and data, Commonwealth fisheries are well positioned to continue to supply this demand at home and abroad. And with Bass Strait scallops also having a great year or wild caught prawns from the Northern Prawn Fishery or one of the many Commonwealth-caught tuna species, there is something for everyone’s tastebuds this Christmas.”
More information on the Commonwealth’s science-based, strict fisheries management can be found at afma.gov.au
