Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development researchers will survey juvenile western rock lobster (WRL) numbers in shallow waters as part of a three-year project to ensure the continued sustainability of the valuable fishery.

Funded through the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, the project will survey juvenile numbers between Mandurah and Kalbarri, as well as assess changes to the marine habitat that could impact on the population.

Department researchers will work closely with the WRL commercial industry and researchers at the University of Western Australia to design the survey, which will include monitoring catches from 600 lobster pots spread across 12 locations along the coastline.

Pots will be set twice, providing data from 1200 different locations to analyse as part of the survey.  Special modified pots will be used to catch as many juvenile lobsters as possible.

The surveys will be co-ordinated through the peak body Western Rock Lobster Council, and will be undertaken by commercial fishers, with support from department staff. 

WA exported $470 million of WRL in 2018-19, out of the State's $543 million of seafood exports.  More...  Source & Photo:  DPIRD  [DPIRD Principal Research Scientist, Dr Simon de Lestang]

E-commerce in Australia is growing fast with $27.5 billion spent on purchasing goods online in 2018.

The recent outbreak of COVID-19 has seen many Australians turn to e-commerce, which has the potential to become a new business norm for many Australians. However, effectively tapping into e-commerce opportunities in Australia can be a challenge for many small and medium businesses.

This two-hour online workshop next Wednesday 10 June 2020 at 11.30 AWST will help you to broaden your understanding of e-commerce in Australia and start developing effective strategies for transacting online.

The workshop will focus on core knowledge to allow you to navigate the e-commerce landscape in Australia with confidence in planning and designing your e-commerce strategies to reach Australian digital consumers.  More…  Source: DPIRD  |   Photo:  iStock / DPIRD

For Blue and WA Ocean Foundation are hosting a virtual summit on United Nations (UN) World Oceans Day, next Monday 8 June 2020.

As the challenges to the ocean continue to grow, so does the need for novel solutions and the people driving them.  To that end, the theme of UN World Oceans Day 2020 is Innovation for a Sustainable Ocean.  Innovation – relating to the introduction of new methods, ideas, or products – is a dynamic term, and one that is fundamentally filled with hope.

Five short sessions are spread across the day featuring guest speakers including politicians, industry leaders, marine scientists, entrepreneurs, free divers and environmentalists.  Western Australia’s Fisheries Minister Peter Tinley and WA Fishing Industry Council Chief Executive Officer Alex Ogg will both be participating in sessions throughout the day.  More…  Source:  For Blue / WAFIC  |  Photo:  DPIRD

Join Austrade's webinar on Australian fresh produce to India to gain market insights and opportunities for exports of Australian horticulture product to India.  Taking place on 17 June 2020 at 12.30 pm AWST, it will provide an overview on the market, trends and opportunities, challenges and issues in India.

Australian horticulture produce has always enjoyed premium status in India.  Australia has a great reputation for clean, green, safe and reliable supply. With a focus on quality, Australia is ranked right at the top as a supplier of high quality produce.

Exotic fruits such as strawberries, cherries, kiwi fruit, plums, grapefruit and sloes have limited local production, but imports meet the needs of many Indian consumers.  Australia has good potential as a supplier compared to with regions such as the United States, given counter-seasonality and a greater transit time.  More…  Source:  Austrade  |  Photo:  DPIRD

One of the world's leading companies in the transport of air freight, Frankfurt Airport-headquartered Lufthansa is in advanced talks with the German Government over a €9 billion (AUD$15 billion) bailout that would see Germany take a 20 per cent stake in the airline, Austrade reports in its market insights. 

The European Commission is to make €750 billion (AUD$1,220 billion) available as part of its COVID-19 Recovery Plan and to usher the European economy towards a green and digital future.

The Italian wine industry could lose up to €2 billion (AUD$3.25 billion) in revenue in 2020 due to COVID-19.

Ireland, the UK, and France have pledged to work together on temporary measures to ensure COVID-19 does not threaten vital freight routes between the countries.

Facing a shortage of workers in its agricultural sector, France will open its borders to temporary workers from Eastern Europe for the coming harvest season.  Demand for labour typically rises by approximately 100,000 from May to June.  More…  Source: Austrade  |  Photo:  Frankfurt Airport

The World Trade Organisation has published a new report this week looking at how micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) are being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

It notes the impact of supply chain disruptions on MSMEs and the extent to which smaller businesses are represented in the economic sectors hardest hit by the crisis.

Supply chain disruptions can have a particularly severe impact on MSMEs because sourcing from new suppliers or absorbing price increases is more challenging for a smaller firm with limited supply options and capital. 

The report describes how international trade provides MSMEs with opportunities to diversify revenue streams and better navigate COVID-19.

It also says MSMEs – which are major employers of women and young people, and a key driver of innovation – would benefit from greater use of digital tools and e-commerce.  More…  Source: WTO  |  Photo:  WTO

History shows that crises help redistribute markets in favour of the strong.  Sectors not only affected by COVID-19 but also facing important structural challenges can – and should – use this time as an opportunity to go beyond firefighting, according to a new report.

Released in late May by management consulting firm McKinsey and Company on the economic impact of the COVID-19 on small and medium-sized enterprises in German-speaking European countries, the report has shed light on their outlook, key success factors in mastering the shutdown, and the way out.

The report suggests enterprises that act now, adapting their business models to weather the storm, can recover faster and be better prepared for future economic disruptions. In some cases, they may even emerge from COVID-19 stronger than ever.  Of the companies surveyed, 79 per stated they are acting counter-cyclically, but only 17 per cent have actually initiated the types of changes necessary to gain a competitive advantage.

Enterprises that have intensified customer contact to show customer commitment and care have the best revenue outlooks for the year 2020.  Many of them have been throwing out the old assumptions that govern how they do business, as they rethink how to interact with customers: distilleries started producing disinfectants, car manufacturers started developing a new filter for the interior of cars, and fashion labels introduced style guides that helped customers online. The ability to understand and meet their customers’ evolving crisis-related needs has proven to be a wise customer-centric strategy.  More…  Source: McKinsey and Co  |  Photo:  Penninger Distillery, Bavaria

In an optimistic scenario, World Trade Organisation (WTO) economists see the volumes of global trade in goods tumbling by 13 per cent in 2020, according to the WTO Director General, Roberto Azevêdo.  However, if the pandemic is not brought under control and governments fail to coordinate policy responses, the decline could be 32 per cent or more, he said in a video statement on the global trade forecast for 2020. 

Despite significant developments since this was released two months ago, it is worth noting some of the key – quite optimistic – points made in his presentation.  “These numbers are dramatic under any standard,” Mr Azevêdo said.  “Comparisons with the 2008 financial crisis, and even the Great Depression of the 1930s, are inevitable.”

“And that is why I want to emphasise that the underlying causes of this economic crisis are very different from the previous ones.  Our banks are not under capitalised.  The economic engine was, and is, in decent shape.  But the pandemic has cut the fuel line to the engine.  If the fuel line is reconnected properly, the global economy can recover quite rapidly.”

Mr Azevêdo said two factors will determine the strength of our recovery: how quickly the pandemic is brought under control; and the policy choices governments make.  “Working together, countries will bounce back more quickly than working alone,” he said.  More…  Source: WTO  |  Photo: WTO / Hamburg Harbour