Member Update

Geraldton Fishermen's Co-operative's online meetings allow Members to engage with their management team regularly. A summary of the most recent meeting is provided below.

Update from Marc Anderson;

• Marc updated Members on some of his activities from last month. These included the Barcelona Seafood Expo (detailed article below) and hosting visits by Minister for Fisheries and the Midwest, Jackie Jarvis, and Federal Senator Dorinda Cox (see articles below).
• Marc reminded Members of the then-Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Sussan Ley's visit to Geraldton before the Federal election. It's positive for our Members and industry that both the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese and now the Leader of the Opposition, Sussan Ley, have had the opportunity to visit GFC facilities, meet our fishers and staff and understand our fishery. While recent market access challenges have been resolved, we've all experienced how volatile the work can be. Therefore, it's essential to continue to engage and advocate with government leaders and stakeholders.
• Marc also discussed an upcoming roundtable session with the Premier of Western Australia, Roger Cook, and a senior Chinese delegation coming to Perth. More information will be shared in an upcoming online meeting.

Update from Michael May;

• Michael May, GM of Supply Chain, joined the meeting to give an update on the boat-to-truck conveyor project. The supply chain team has been working on a direct transfer from our Members' boats to GFC trucks to reduce the risk of injury during the catch transfer and improve productivity.
• As part of the project, the Supply Chain team travelled to all GFC's landing sites and considered various boat sizes and configurations for the prototype design, ensuring the conveyor would work effectively with a broad cross-section of the fishing fleet and various landing sites. A prototype will be delivered in August for trials and testing along the coast. 
• The primary intent behind the boat-to-truck transfer is to reduce the risk of injury strain for your crew and GFC staff when handling heavy baskets of catch. The transfer will also reduce double handling of the product and reliance on forklifts. 
• Quality is also a focus, with wind-curtains incorporated into the design to protect fishers' catch during transfer. 
• Faster loading and a reverse loading feature to distribute bait from the truck to the Fisher's vessels are expected to improve productivity.
• Trials of the prototype will run through until January next year, with tweaks and adjustments to be incorporated into the final design before being implemented at various landing sites. GFC is keen to hear Member and crew feedback during the prototype testing stage and will share more information before testing begins in August.

Update from Leith Teakle;

• Leith provided a summary of next season's TACC volumes, unit entitlements and fees as outlined by the Department of Fisheries. These can be viewed below or in an email sent to fishers from the Western Rock Lobster Council.
• With the peak leasing period around the corner, Leith said to Members that GFC continues to advocate for the share-fish arrangement between fishers and investors as the best practice for sharing risk and reward between parties. From next season, the Fisheries department will accept electronic payments for license fees; see the separate article below.
• GFC will continue to be equitable and transparent when lease quota becomes available by distributing notice to all Members via text message

• Leith also spoke about the success of the recent Shore Leave festival in Geraldton and the Midwest, which is believed to have had around a $2 million impact on the Midwest economy, and the importance of supporting events connected to our Members and the communities we live and operate in.
• A Shore Leave impact summary will be shared with Members in a later Brolos Catcher edition, and you can read about the impact of GFC's support of a Midwest charity at the bottom of this edition of the Brolos Catcher.

Update from Bryan Keay;

• Intake in the last fortnight has been considerably higher than the 2024 figures. While the increased supply might have put a 'cap' on market prices around the May Day festival, Bryan said it was positive that prices remained higher than this time last year, despite some supply pressure.
• Currently, intake is tracking around 4% higher season-to-date compared to last year. Recent intake figures have dropped to more moderate levels, so with less pressure to catch, this is expected to put beach prices to fishers in a good position for the balance of the season.
• The global trade environment remains susceptible to shocks via tariffs and market access difficulties. Bryan shared that the current tariff on USA exports to China is 27% and 32% on Canadian exports to China.
• Bryan gave an overview of the Barcelona expo. Eight Australian seafood exhibitors were at the Austrade pavilion; only one other rock lobster producer from South Australia was present. Visitor numbers at the expo were up on 2024, and Bryan reported that the Brolos stand was busy with customers and prospects. The majority of discussions centred on frozen lobster opportunities with customers from various markets, including the UK, Europe, and Asia.
• Bryan estimates the top-up payment to Members for the upcoming period will be more in line with traditional $/kg, as a higher amount of returns have been going back to the daily beach price.

The next Member online meeting in June will be scheduled soon. The meeting link will be emailed to Members before the meeting.

Barcelona Seafood Expo Update

Earlier this month, GFC exhibited at the Seafood Expo Global in Barcelona - one of the largest dedicated seafood shows in the world. 

While the show attracts a global audience, a large contingent of European customers/ prospects always attends. Given the importance of sustainability, quality, and branding as points of differentiation in the EU market, we ensured our team travelling to the show was equipped to tell the story of Brolos Lobster products and our Co-operative.

Kent Stanton, a 30-plus-year WRL fisher (and Member-Director since 2012), joined CEO Marc Anderson, along with Bryan Keay and Mandy Miao from the trade and business development team. 

The expo team gave customers and prospects a unique opportunity to gain insight into our commitment to quality and sustainability, from the boat through production and into the market. 

These expos are crucial for connecting with customers and prospects, exploring new opportunities, and showcasing our latest offerings. Exhibiting under the Austrade pavilion at large-scale expos like Barcelona provides a cost-effective way of connecting not just with UK and European customers but also with customers from countries in Asia and the Middle East.

Recent Government Delegate Visits to GFC

At the end of April, Basil Lenzo, Kris Carlberg, Kent Stanton and Marc Anderson met with Jackie Jarvis, Minister for Fisheries and the Midwest, in Geraldton. Marc described the meeting as constructive and an excellent opportunity to showcase GFC's Geraldton operations and people to the new Fisheries minister and DPIRD team. 

The subjects of fisher access security and marine parks were discussed. Regarding access security, GFC was pleased to see that the Minister understood the issue and the importance of resolving it through legislation for fishers. The Minister shared with Marc and the board members that the process could take around 12 months due to a backlog of legislation that needs to be drafted before parliament. 

Furthermore, on the issues of marine parks and spatial squeeze, the Minister was well-versed in the issue and told GFC representatives she would take a logical approach and recognise the importance of hearing from stakeholders. 

The GFC board and executive also hosted Federal Senator Dorinda Cox during Shore Leave. Senator Cox holds the Greens portfolio for Trade and Tourism, among others. Senator Cox's visit was incredibly positive, and she gained valuable insight into the contribution of fishers' businesses and the broader Western rock lobster fishery to regional coastal communities. 

Licence Renewals Payments to be More Convenient Next Season

The Western Rock Lobster Council recently announced that the hassle of renewing licenses by cheque will soon be behind us. Beginning with the upcoming season, you'll have the option to pay for your Managed Fishery Licence (MFL) through Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT).

This initiative, spearheaded by Minister Jarvis, aims to simplify the payment process for fishers and eliminate the delays often associated with cheque payments. Transitioning to EFT not only makes transactions easier but also supports the broader goal of modernising administrative practices within the industry.

Read more from the Council here.

Expression of Interest – 2025 DECK Program Speakers & Session Ideas

The Western Rock Lobster Council is seeking expressions of interest for speakers and session ideas for the 2025 DECK Program in Fremantle on November 5-6. The event will feature sessions on boat technology, governance, market trends, social license, lobster biology, sustainability, financial planning, resilience, safety, and business skills.

Stakeholders are encouraged to suggest speakers or topics. The program includes a networking dinner for participants, guest speakers, WRL Board members, and the Executive team.

If you have any questions or would like to contribute, please get in touch with Cam Allen at 0431 759 254 or email cameron@westernrocklobster.org.

2025 Trans-Tasman Lobster Conference

Melbourne will host this year's Trans-Tasman Lobster Conference, organised by Seafood Industry Victoria (SIV). This event is designed for everyone involved in the lobster industry, including fishers, processors, marketers, exporters, scientists, fisheries managers, service providers, and international delegates.

Earlier this year, GFC invited its Members to express interest in a tour to Melbourne that encompasses the conference, industry networking, and social outings. We have received strong interest, with around 40 fishers and staff planning to attend. Due to this high level of interest, we will support the conference by sponsoring the welcome function.

The welcome function will provide an excellent opportunity for fishers to network and acknowledge GFC's 75th anniversary among industry peers. Check out the conference program below. 

Trans Tasman Lobster Conference 2025

Push Up Challenge for a Good Cause

The Push-Up Challenge is Australia's largest mental health and fitness event. Each year, hundreds of thousands of Australians take up the challenge to complete 3,214 push-ups in 23 days, which represents the number of lives lost to suicide in Australia.

This year, a team will participate with a distinctly GFC flavour. Basil Lenzo and former CEO Wayne Hosking will team up with some mates, ditching work gear and the wharf for a horizontal position to tackle the push-up challenge. Wayne, Basil and the team will be raising funds and awareness for Headspace, Australia's National Youth Mental Health Foundation, which provides early intervention mental health services to 12-25-year-olds.  

Check out the Head Space-Cadets team page below. If you're keen to join the team, there is still time! Click below to learn more (or search Head Space-Cadets on the Push Up Challenge homepage), and support their efforts during June!

Variety Midwest Colours of the Wind Cocktail Fundraiser 2025

GFC has supported Variety Midwest charity, part of Variety – the Children's Charity, for several years. They empower sick, disadvantaged, or special needs children in Western Australia by providing essential equipment and programs.

Recently, GFC contributed to their Colours of the Wind event at Geraldton Harbour, which transformed the port for an evening of fun and successfully raised funds for children in need.

GFC's community support program aims to give back to local communities, so we were delighted to receive a message asking us to pass on the below message to the GFC family for their support:

Words cannot express how grateful Gillian and myself are for your continued support and sponsorship for “Colours of the Wind” cocktail party 2025.
Variety Midwest supports kids and families who are facing many challenges through sickness, disadvantage or living with disability. So proud to announce we raised $120,000 – all monies will be utilised in our Kids Support Grants Program – Brightening the lives of Midwest kids.
Find out more about Variety Midwest on Facebook

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