Fishing for the Future Report 2023

In Australia, the team and I have had the privilege and honour of working with some of the finest and most dedicated fishing communities across large commercial fisheries to small-scale artisanal fisheries; government representatives across state and commonwealth-managed fisheries; academia, the conservation community and businesses along the supply chain.   

In just the past year, we have witnessed note-worthy progress in the Australian waters with four new fisheries across six species being certified.  

In Australia, we have much to be proud of with over 52% of wild-caught landings by volume in Australia is MSC certified (to date Nov 2023). This not only brings lasting improvements to our water as you have seen in the report, but also empowers businesses along the supply chain both domestically and in export markets to meet their organization’s sourcing policy.  

With the scrutiny around greenwashing as of late, the MSC in Australia has responded to both the Senate inquiry and the ACCC draft guidance for businesses by offering them an independent, credible, and science-based solution to sourcing sustainable seafood.  

In turn, these businesses can offer consumers the option of playing their part. We know that consumers in Australia are increasingly taking action to protect the future of seafood amongst high levels of concern for the ocean and are looking for credible organisations and independent eco labels they can trust (Globescan 2022). 

There is a growing commitment that if fishing is done sustainably and if we manage our seas and fisheries better, we will have a greater quantity of seafood to support the growing population’s demand for food and nourishment while supporting livelihoods.  

We also recognise the importance of inculcating awareness of ocean literacy amongst the young, for whom sustainable fishing and sustainable seafood should be a natural choice as they grow up in the world. In this regard, we kicked off the global pilot education program in Australia four years ago with Saltwater Schools, a classroom-based education program aimed at school teachers.  

I hope this report showcases the possibilities of positive impact from strong leadership and collaboration across a wide group of people.