Aquaculture industry action agenda
The National Aquaculture Development Committee
AIAA 10 key strategic initiatives
AIAA achievements
Moving the AIAA forward
Background
At a National Aquaculture Workshop held in Canberra in August 1999, the industry set itself a vision which stated that by 2010 a vibrant and rapidly growing Australian aquaculture industry will achieve $2.5 billion in annual sales by being the world's most efficient aquaculture producer.
Major issues expected to influence growth were identified and discussed at the workshop. Issues identified as highest priority were:
- industry coordination and organisation
- promoting the industry and ensuring it had access to resources
- environmental issues
- markets and marketing
- research and development
At the workshop industry also identified the need for some form of national framework or action plan to develop recommendations and implement activities to enhance the industries growth.
The Australian Government responded to this need by announcing an Aquaculture Industry Action Agenda (AIAA) initiative to increase the growth prospects of the industry. Under the AIAA, industry and governments will work together to identify and undertake key activities that will enhance the industries sustainable competitive advantages.
These competitive advantages include:
- Australia’s geographical proximity to major seafood markets in the Asia-Pacific region (market opportunities are expected to continue to expand because demand for nutritious seafood is growing but yields from wild-caught fisheries are generally static or declining)
- Australia’s ability to culture a large variety of species from both temperate and tropical regions
- freedom from many of the serious diseases which impact on aquaculture in other countries
- relatively clean, unpolluted waters
- an extensive research base which has in the past assisted Australia's rural industry
- Australia’s established reputation as a supplier of high quality seafood which enhances the marketability of Australian aquaculture products.
The National Aquaculture Development Committee
The NADC comprises representatives from the aquaculture industry and government and has been established to act as a high level advisory and implementation team to both government and industry on the AIAA.
NADC members possess a wide range of aquaculture skills and expertise from production through to processing, marketing and management.
AIAA 10 key strategic initiatives
In 2002, the NADC recommended 10 key strategic initiatives to assist the aquaculture industry to achieve its 2010 vision. On 9 December 2002, Federal Cabinet agreed to the Australian Government’s response to NADC’s recommendations.
The 10 key strategic initiatives are:
- making a National Aquaculture Policy statement
- promoting a regulatory and business environment that supports aquaculture
- implementing an industry driven action agenda
- growing the industry within an ecologically sustainable framework
- protecting the industry from aquatic diseases and pests
- investing for growth
- promoting aquaculture products in Australia and globally
- tackling the research and innovation challenges
- making the most of education, training and workplace opportunities
- creating an industry for all Australian.
The AIAA was launched on the 13 December 2002 and implementation of the activities commenced on 20 June 2003.
The Australian Government provided $3.5 million to facilitate implementation of the AIAA and its 10 key strategic initiatives over the 2003-04 and 2004-05 financial years.
AIAA achievements
The AIAA has come to an end with the last workshop held on the 11 August 2005 in Canberra. The AIAA was a success and the major key achievements are listed below:
- National Aquaculture Council (NAC) employed a chief executive officer to provide and manage the secretariat for the AIAA Implementation Committee, progress strategic initiatives that need to be developed and advanced by the aquaculture industry and report back to Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF).
- NAC employed a Communications Officer to undertake communications activities and to develop a communications strategy for the NAC.
- An inland saline aquaculture project continues to look at the coordination of inland saline aquaculture research and development. This project is jointly funded by DAFF the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, the NAC and State organisations.
- An Indigenous Aquaculture Unit in DAFF was established and has funded a number of projects that have assisted in increasing the understanding of indigenous community involvement in aquaculture.
- The National Aquaculture Policy Statement was launched on 25 July 2003.
- The Australian Aquaculture Portal website was launched on 15 December 2003.
- Funding was provided for the Australasian Aquaculture Conference 2004 which was held at the Sydney Exhibition and Convention Centre at Darling Harbour from 26-29 September 2004.
- An EMS project provided nineteen aquaculture operators with professional assessments of their environmental performance. Customised EMS were developed for these key aquaculture businesses.
- A number of projects have been finalised under the Action Agenda these include:
PDF [489kb]The following reports were produced and launched on 25 February 2005:
- DAFF and NAC commissioned a consortium of consultants to develop a strategy for positioning Australian seafood as a premium product both locally and overseas.
- AQUAPLAN 2005-2010
- A report of Best Practice framework of regulatory arrangements for aquaculture in Australia published November 2005
- At the final meeting on 11 August 2005, the Implementation Committee adopted the Industry Action Plan drafted by the NAC. The Industry Action Plan is to incorporate all the key industry actions they wish to pursue in order to deliver on the target set by industry of $2.5 billion GVP by 2010.
- DAFF has provided additional funding to enable NAC to kick start the Industry Action Plan from 2004/05 financial year for 3 years.
Moving the AIAA forward
AIAA provides resources to a number of initiatives that were delivered as part of an overall action plan to improve the operating environment for the Australian aquaculture industry.
As a result the NAC developed an Industry Action Plan to progress the key issues identified in the AIAA report. This allows the aquaculture industry in Australia to move forward to achieve the vision 2010 target.
For further information on the Aquaculture Industry Action Agenda visit Australian Aquaculture Portal.
