SEAFOOD TRADE ADVISORY GROUP

BULLETIN

8th January 2020

Has your seafood business been impacted by the bushfires?

The STAG, along with Seafood Industry Australia (SIA), send our thoughts to you all who have been affected or are threatened by the current bushfires ravaging the country.

The STAG and the SIA are asking you to email us information on how you have been affected by the bushfires and what assistance you need.  

The SIA have also just been asked for specific information regarding impacts on export businesses and export supply chains, so please let the SIA and the STAG know if you are involved in export and negatively impacted.

SIA are passing this information through to Minister Bridget McKenzie and Assistant Minister Jonno Duniam so they can work on appropriate assistance and response programs. 

Below is a message from Bridget and Jonno to the Australian seafood industry.

Feel free to contact Jonno or Bridget’s offices directly as per their message but if you could please also keep the STAG and SIA in the loop that would be appreciated as we would like to have a complete a picture as possible to ensure industry get the assistance they require:

SIA: jane@seafoodindustryaustralia.com.au 

STAG: admin@seafoodtradeadvisory.com 

STATEMENT FROM BRIDGET MCKENZIE AND JONATHON DUNIAM

January 8, 2020

The bushfires Australia is facing are devastating. Lives have been lost, communities destroyed, property lost or damaged and people’s livelihoods impacted upon.

While the immediate threat is not over yet, we want to assure the fisheries sector, and all those personally affected, that we stand with you.

There is a long road ahead, but we will be with you every step of the way.

We will work together with the industry to ensure that it rebuilds in the wake of this disaster and is stronger than ever before.

Our Government has established a new National Bushfire Recovery Agency with an initial $2 billion funding allocation, to ensure families, farmers and business owners hit by these unprecedented bushfires receive the support they need as they recover.

We also want to take this opportunity to commend the industry for the incredible compassion it is showing, with many using their resources to assist in emergency efforts and offering their vessels as a place of respite to locals and travellers in need.

If you want to discuss what is happening in your area or have any ideas to help this industry after the fires, please get in touch at senator.duniam@aph.gov.au or 03 6231 2444.

Regards,
Bridget McKenzie and Jonno Duniam

People affected by the bushfires can claim disaster payments by calling Services Australia (Centrelink) on 180 22 66 and find more information at http://www.humanservices.gov.au/disaster. As soon as it is safe to do so, Mobile Service Centres will head into affected regions to assist with all Government payment services, including disaster payments

STAG Bulletins are available at http://www.seafoodtradeadvisory.com

STAG Bulletins are a resource for Australian seafood exporters.The Seafood Trade Advisory Group receives funds from the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation.  The Fisheries Research and Development Corporation plans, invests in and manages fisheries research and development throughout Australia. It is a statutory authority within the portfolio of the federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, jointly funded by the Australian Government and the fishing industry.