The winner of the Environment Award at the 2021 Western Australian Seafood Industry Awards is WA exporter Austral Fisheries, which became the first seafood company in the world to achieve carbon neutral certification in 2016.

Austral Fisheries offsets scope 1, 2 and 3 carbon emissions created during its operations by planting over 220,000 mixed native trees every year in rural WA.  The business has invested in fuel-efficient fishing vessels and last year, in a world first, launched its new multi-purpose, carbon neutral fishing vessel, Cape Arkona, utilising electric-hybrid battery technology and a sophisticated system of power-sharing to optimise performance and lower its emissions.

In 2020 it launched the Seafood for Good accelerator program to support sustainability-based innovators, and has been a long-time supporter of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), with its Commonwealth-managed fisheries certified as sustainable and well managed by the MSC.

“I formed the view that business had a chance,” said Austral Fisheries Chief Executive Officer David Carter in his 2020 TEDxPerth presentation. “Progressive business, with well-informed consumers, could offer hope and make a difference.”

Mr Carter was inducted into the National Seafood Industry Hall of Fame in 2012, and received the MSC's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020 for his dedication to the industry, championing sustainability and taking progressive action. He continues to urge more businesses to undertake sustainable practices, regardless of their industry.

The winners of the WA Seafood Industry Awards 2021, announced at a gala event in Fremantle last Friday night, can be found on the WA Fishing Industry Council website.  Source:  WAFIC / Austral Fisheries  |  Related:  WA’s commercial fishing industry honours its champions  Source:  WA Minister for Fisheries  |  Photo:  Austral Fisheries [Force 10 in the sub-Antarctic on Austral's FV Atlas Cove.]

Applications are now open for the reformed Export Market Development Grants (EMDG). The program has been improved by simplified legislation, a streamlined application process and a shift to a forward-looking grant program which will ensure exporters know how much funding they will receive before they spend.

Federal Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Dan Tehan, said these recent reforms to export grants would better support Australian exporters to succeed on the world stage, as well as local jobs and businesses.

“The EMDG program has helped support Australian success stories like the Wiggles, Atlassian and Penfolds to become international sensations,” Mr Tehan said.  "The program provided $214.5 million to more than 4,700 Australian businesses to support their exporting activities in 2020-21.  These businesses employed more than 70,000 people and generated around $4.7 billion in export income." 

Since 1974 EMDG has supported close to 50,000 Australian exporters and distributed around $5.7 billion in grant payments.  The top five markets for EMDG grant recipients in 2020–21 were the US (56.9%) followed by the UK (25.3%), China (17.5%), Singapore (8.9%) and Canada (8.6%).  More... Source:  Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment  |  Photo:  Borderpolar Photographer / Unsplash

Austrade invites fruit and vegetable exporters and growers to an insightful webinar on expanding business in the Middle East and North Africa region’s most attractive and rewarding export market.  The United Arab Emirates (UAE) continues to position itself as a global leisure and business destitnation, while cementing itself as a safe and desirable destination to do business.

Australia’s fruit and vegetables are considered as class leading with our food safety standards recognised and appreciated by many in the industry.  Hearing from key decision makers in market – Austrade, LucaZara, Carrefour, Emirates Sky Cargo, and the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment representatives in the UAE – you will learn about the opportunities, challenges, and, more importantly, where the industry is at, allowing you and your business to make informed export decisions. 

This event is free, but participants must register. The registration confirmation email will include all webinar log-on information.  Source and Graphic:  Austrade

Global merchandise trade is continuing its robust recovery from the shock of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the World Trade Organisation’s Goods Trade Barometer, which hit a record high in its latest reading issued on 18 August 2021.

The Goods Trade Barometer is a composite leading indicator providing real-time information on the trajectory of merchandise trade relative to recent trends ahead of conventional trade volume statistics. The latest barometer reading of 110.4 is the highest on record since the indicator was first released in July 2016, and up more than 20 points year-on-year.

The WTO says the rise in the barometer reflects both the strength of current trade expansion and the depth of the pandemic-induced shock in 2020. It is notable that, while still well above trend, the index has started to rise at a decreasing rate, which could signal a peaking of upward momentum in trade.  More...  Source and Graphic:  WTO

World Fisheries Congress 2021 (WFC2021) will now be delivered entirely virtually, giving delegates worldwide a streamlined and engaging experience through the WFC2021’s virtual platform, and mitigating the risk the pandemic has on in-person attendance.

The WFC2021 Steering Committee made the decision to deliver the Congress virtually with full confidence that the virtual platform enables the global fisheries community to explore, discuss and debate key innovations, latest research, challenges and opportunities facing the global fisheries community today.

Delegates who registered to attend in-person will be updated to a virtual registration.  If this impacts you, find out more about bookings and refunds.  Full program details are available online. Source and Graphic:  WFC2021