During August and September 2015, two OceanWatch Australia staff delivered 4 presentations to a total of 160 students from The University of Western Sydney at the Sydney Fish Market in Pyrmont.
This year in September the talks have continued with two of our program managers Simon and Michael providing a balanced view of the sustainability of the harvest/production of seafood.
The presentations discussed both wild catch fisheries and aquaculture; and included subjects such as sector value, imported seafood, Australian fisheries management, best practice, and bycatch mitigation adopted in Australia to ensure sustainable and responsible seafood production. Importantly, the presentation also discussed fisheries habitat and the environmental conditions and issues that underpin ecosystem productivity.
Andy presents to students from The University of Wester Sydney
These discussions provided balance and encouraged critical thinking from the students, who mostly expressed concern about the sustainability of the harvest/production of seafood.
OceanWatch gave examples from the Australian professional fishing industry sectors, and described actions taken by the NSW fishing industry to align industry-wide codes of practice with the principles and objectives of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation ‘Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries’. Examples were also provided describing Environmental Management Systems that have been developed and adopted by oyster farmers to ensure best practice, and to drive environmental improvements in the catchment.
With these presentations running successfully for over two years we look forward to further providing informative and balanced information about the seafood industry so current and future generations develop and understanding an appreciation for this important primary industry.
If you would like any further details about these presentations please contact Andy andy@oceanwatch.org.au